Lawk squatted at the bank of a wooded stream filling his water skin, when he heard a quiet growl emanating from behind a bush not more than 15 yards away. The young woodsman, at home in nature, had been monitoring his surroundings with his aura sense as always but letting the animals be, not wishing to disturb them. However, the growl piqued his interest. Silently, Lawk moved to the narrowest point of the waterway and leapt across. Not two seconds later, there was a light rustling of leaves, then another voice, a louder voice. It was the unmistakable roar of what he already knew to be a very large, very angry bear. The stealthy youth removed his ever present blindfold and continued his silent approach, until the ursine was in direct line of sight, so he could reveal himself and intervene, if he deemed it necessary.

Lawk’s concern was for the young wolf pup of some sort, a species he had yet to come across. Knowing bears to be territorial, and recognizing this one in particular, he moved closer. This was the same bear that Lawk had met early on in his time alone in the woods, back when both he and the animal were much smaller. It was the very one from which Lawk learned to move silently. He recognized it by a thin, diamond-shaped, white patch of hair in the center of its dark brown chest. It was a small but unique mark, and, thus, difficult to miss for someone as observant as Lawk.

The boy woodsman had come across the animal many times after their first encounter, quickly coming to understand its behavioral patterns. This particular bear only ever seemed to be angered for two reasons - potential threats entering his territory and anyone or anything getting between him and honey. Lawk knew the ferocious-looking fur ball could not possibly consider any pup a threat, no matter how large, so his sharp eyes scanned upward, quickly spotting the expected beehive, which was dripping with the sweet substance. Unfortunately for the young pup, the tasty treat lay in the tree directly above its head.

In one quick leap, Lawk cleared the bushes and, with impressive agility, kicked off of one tree trunk, leaping at an upward angle to the next trunk and then back to the first. He repeated this hopping back and forth, until he reached the limb from which the hive dangled. He maintained his aura like a barrier, just over his skin, to prevent the bees from stinging him. And, once the hive was freed from its perch and in his possession, the agile youth lowered himself in a similarly adept fashion to that of his assent. Lawk shook his head at the bear in playful, mock disappointment and tossed the hive its way. Immediately, the giant fur ball fell upon its treat, forsaking all other thoughts.

The soft growling of the unknown pup came to an abrupt end shortly thereafter. Curious, Lawk approached the bushes and peered over them to better examine what was undoubtedly the largest wolf pup he had ever encountered. It had to be all of 120 pounds of pure fluff but with fangs that could garner respect from any passerby. The animal’s coat matched the deep gray of Lawk’s weapons, and more notably, its eyes matched Lawk’s as well. When the two locked gazes, both his and the wolf’s eyes changed to a familiar silvery moonlight hue, and it was as if in that moment they gained some form of understanding of each other.

The young warrior had instinctively and outside of his own conscious effort, with an ability that lay dormant until that very moment, formed a powerful, possibly irrevocable bond with the pup. He’d always been naturally gifted when it came to communing with and understanding animals, but this was something else entirely. His awareness of the creature was heightened, accompanied by a rush of emotions, as visions flooded into his mind, many of loneliness and helplessness.

The wolf had been the runt of its litter and was attacked by its siblings repeatedly, until one day it had finally fled. Lawk knew that being a runt at first didn’t necessarily mean being small forever, and considering its current size, he highly doubted this wolf could be considered weak anymore. It was massive but still had the clumsy, derpy air of a pup. The connection between the pair allowed reassuring thoughts to pass into the animal’s mind, and the look of fearful confusion etched upon the wolf’s features disappeared, replaced by one of yearning and of hope for companionship.

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In the same moment an image of the two of them walking side-by-side in the wilds entered Lawk’s mind. He was unsure whether it was his idea or that of the wolf, but he decided to make it a reality. The young man moved to reach down and pick up the massive, yet clumsy animal, which was now jumping and tumbling in circles with excitement.

He held it up to his face, so the two were eye-to-eye and spoke aloud, “How does the name Revlis sound?” There was a brief pause as the animal simply stared at him, but just as he was about to repeat himself, the wolf made up its mind. A contented, drawn out howl of approval, accompanied by ferocious tail wagging affirmed the pup’s contentment.

***

Walking into the campsite, as if it were entirely normal to have a 120 pound lupine pup beside him, Lawk casually and wordlessly made his way over to sit on a log near the fire with Revlis at his side. Everyone else slowly stood up, easing their hands toward their weapons, except for Lana, who immediately leapt to her feet excitedly, hoping to pet the huge, yet adorable puppy that was with her closest friend. “Stop!” called the twins in unison.

“Why?” called Lawk and Lana simultaneously in return.

“It is a graytwolf,” explained John more calmly and with a hint of amusement in his voice. “They are known to be aggressive creatures, with unmatched ferocity. Fortunately, that one is still quite young. They do not tend to mature into their less agreeable behavioral patterns, until they are much larger in size.”

With a downward glance at the giant bundle of gray standing between his legs and peering up at him nervously, Lawk raised an eyebrow at his newly bonded companion, who in turn appeared to Lawk to sheepishly shrug. “This one won’t be a problem.”

Lariat, more calmly now, noticing the wolf’s demeanor, stated, “Lawk, he may be a puppy now, but eventually the beast will become as his kind always do, dangerous. It will grow quickly and aggression will follow, possibly even before we reach the Anchor.”

“Not this one,” Lawk determinedly replied. “I will not let that happen,” he repeated.

Lariatta now spoke her piece, “What makes you so sure?”

Lana cut in with a simple, “Look at him.” Her heart was essentially leaping out of her eyes at what she clearly considered beyond adorable.

John replied, “Looks can be deceiving, but Lawk is no stranger to animals. We have all seen his way with them enough to know he understands them better than most. Let’s hear the boy out.”

“I cannot fully explain what happened, but the wolf and I share a connection, a deep one. We understood each other from the moment we first locked eyes. Maybe this will help provide an explanation…” Lawk called upon his unique calm, and as his eyes changed, so did those of the wolf. While everyone was speechless at the revelation, the young warrior explained what he felt and experienced when he and the pup’s gazes first met, and the tension among the group was no more.

“Lana, I can see you are barely resisting the urge to smother the little guy with love. Revlis will not bite.” At a silent urge from Lawk, Revlis bound clumsily toward Lana, tripping and tumbling to a halt at her feet. The entire group let out a nervous chuckle as Lana bent to pet the large, goofy graytwolf.

With a broad smile, Lariat stated, “Lawk, it seems the surprises with you are endless. Are you aware it is largely accepted that a bond with a graytwolf is impossible? Then again, you are somewhat of an impossibility yourself. So, it checks out. Shrugging briefly, he continued, “I can think of at least one master at the Anchor who is going to be very excited by your abilities and potential and another who will most certainly be…annoyed, for lack of a better term.”

Lariatta laughed, “Oh yes, he will most definitely be annoyed. You and Lana had better keep us informed of the goings on in your circles.” She winked at the pair. “The two of you are going to make quite an impression, especially with Revlis accompanying you. I cannot wait for the stories.” There was a knowing, almost mischievous sparkle in the twins’ eyes.