I curl my tail tighter around myself, sighing. The cool nighttime spring air chilled my fur and tickled my nose, and I pulled my paws beneath my chest to keep them warm.

I lay there a few moments more, eyes closed. I try to even my breathing, but my mind won't slow enough to allow sleep. I grunt in frustration, standing.

I slip out of my den, shivering as the free air hits me. I look around the clearing, a frown on my muzzle.

I shake my head, licking my jowls with my dry tongue. I turn, beginning to walk to the river.

As I walk silently through the forest, I let my thoughts spiral around and around, and hope by the time I get back to my den that I'll be tired enough to sleep.

The crackling of fire is what first attracts my attention. I frown, looking in the direction of the sound with my ears facing forward.

Normally, I would simply continue on, not wanting to catch the attention of hunters. But something about this was bothering me...

I walk forwards, towards the sound.

I crouch down in the undergrowth, far away from the light of the dying embers. By the sounds of it, the humans were asleep in their tents. I frown, sniffing at the air.

I turn my attention to a hooded caravan, the large horses were tied a large oak tree on the other side of the camp. The caravan has a familiar scent about it, and it was bothering me.

I creep forward, stalking up to the caravan and sniffing along it. I knew that scent, but it was muffled by something else.

I growl quietly, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. I place my paw on the lip of the cart, heaving myself up.

I creep toward a crate-shaped object that was covered by a dirty sheet, and I figured that's what was blocking the scent.

I carefully lift the sheet with my paw, uncovering a large cage. I look inside, sniffing.

Glowing orbs were uncovered and looked at me with fear. Yes, I knew that scent. Wolf.

They were so skinny that I could see their ribs under their filthy and matted fur, so covered with dirt and grime that I couldn't make out what its original colour had been. They were so small, barely half the size of me. Young, perhaps.

I make eye contact, smiling in what I hope is a friendly manner. "It's okay, I don't want to hurt you" I whisper, lowering my head to their eye-level. "Do you think you could walk?"

They look at me with some kind of amazement, nodding absentmindedly.

I'd say they were female, because of their size... but I know for a fact that scent varies based on the sex of the animal, and this wolf smells like me and Flare so I think they're male. I think. God, I hope I'm not wrong I'd hate to offend them. I'm going with it, he can set me straight if I'm wrong.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

I look around me, taking in the cage. "Good. Then let's get you out of here, eh?" I say, flipping the sheet up and over the top, fully uncovering the cage.

I'm not entirely sure why I was helping this wolf, it wasn't my problem, after all. But he looked so sad... and he was so small. I stalked along the cage, looking for its latch. Where is it... aha! Up there!

I stand with my forepaws on the top of the cage and use my claws to pry the latches open. I hook my claws in the mesh and use them to slowly pull it open.

I pull away, walking over to the lip of the cart and looking behind me to see the other wolf half out of the cage. "Come on, then. but be quiet. We don't want to alert the humans," I say, silently leaping off the ledge.

The other wolf follows my example, landing far less gracefully next to me.

I lead him out of the camp and to the river, my heart only slowing once we'd made it to the water's edge.

I drink quietly as the other watches me with wide eyes.

I look back to him, frowning. "Do you have a name?" I ask, standing.

He nods. "Samuel Forester," he replies, shifting from one side to the other, looking as though he didn't know what to do with himself.

I notice he had the typical accent of the hunters and bowmen that plague the forest, but that didn't mean anything.

"Darra," I reply simply, looking from him to the river. "Aren't you thirsty?" I ask.

Samuel looks at the river and nodes minutely, walking up to it and beginning to drink.

I think for a moment of the likelihood of hunters being active at this hour. Low to nil.

I throw my head back and howl, loud and deep. It echoes in the night air for a moment before fading.

The other wolf looks at me with confusion. "Why'd you do that?" He asks, and I take note of how high-pitched his voice sounds.

I look at him, considering. "When did you turn?" I ask casually.

He looks at me in alarm. "Wai'... Are you-" but he is cut off by an angry shout from the opposite bank.

"What the fuck, Darra?!" Flare roars, wadding across the wide river.

"Flare! How are yo-"

"I was asleep!" He shouts, stalking up to me.

I nod, feeling slightly guilty for having woken him. I had a legitimate reason, though. "I figured. I'm sorry, honestly, I am, but I thought this might be more important," I say, nodding towards a distressed-looking Samuel.

Flare stops dead, ears flicking forward and tail drooping. "Oh my god, he's so tiny," he blurts, staring at Samuel.

"I know, right? I found him in a human camp, locked in a cage.,"

Samuel swallows. "Actually, I think they were mostly elves," he timidly corrects. Though, he seems a bit annoyed with the 'tiny' comment.

I look at him with mild interest "Really? Explains the cart horses, I suppose..."

"Abnormally large?" Flare questions.

I nod. I turn back to the third wolf, considering. "So, turned, right?" I ask. I know that I am.

He slowly bobs his head, furrowing his brows in confusion. "Yeah... you too?"

I hum, gesturing to Flare. "Yep, Flare and I were human up until we weren't. It's been about two months for me,"

Flare sits up straighter, bating my paw out of the air. "I've been like this three and a half weeks. Darra here had bitten me," he finished with a faux glare.

Samuel cocked his head. "Him bitting you turned you into a wolf?" He asks, looking like he was piecing something together in his mind.

I shrug. "That's what we figure, anyway. What're the chances, after all, that a few weeks after I bit him, he just so happens to turn?"

The third tilts his head to this side, humming. "Fair poin'," he concedes. He looks over to Flare, nodding. "I'm Sam, by the way,"

Flare gave a little bow. "Nice to meet you, Sam. I'm Flare," he says unnecessarily.

Sam grinned "Yeah, I figured tha',"

I shake my head and sigh. "Come on, boys. Let's go find some breakfast," I say, trotting up the slope and into the forest.