"Family Tails" - Chapter 5

Story by AncientWolf on SoFurry

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#7 of Family Tails

UPDATED: 2015-03-17

Writer's Note to New Readers to My Story:

I hope you will enjoy the story, and continue to follow along with my characters on their journey through life -- you will need to keep a box of tissues handy for parts of the story. Please feel free to leave comments (just keep them civil, please), and if you happen to spot a typo that I might have missed, I'd appreciate it if you would let me know so that I can correct it. :) This story is currently available directly from me in both .EPUB and .PDF formats, though these might not have all of the current corrections yet. If interested, send me a private message for details.

I'm working on finishing up drawing the interior artwork, and I am also getting some help with the final editing prior to publishing via CreateSpace.com. I'll keep everyone informed as to when it will be submitted and ready in 6"x9" paperback. :)

-- AncientWolf

The story begins with the Preface:https://www.sofurry.com/view/829004


Family Tails

A Story of a Mixed Family in the Genetic Age


Names of actual businesses, their products, etc, are the property of their respective owners.

Story and characters © 2013 Ronald J. Lebeck


Chapter 5

Lupina got settled in her room, feeling both excited and a little apprehensive. She was excited because this might be a good opportunity to find out if she really wanted to move in on a permanent basis, and apprehensive because this whole situation was something totally new to her. Lupina took a little bit of time to use the slate computer that Ron left in the docking station on the desk for her to use. She found that its instant messaging client was one for which she had an account, so she set up her user information, and logged in to see who was online. As luck would have it, her best friend Rosie, one of the skunk G.E.L.F.s, was on and she wanted to chat with her. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

[L_Wolfe001]: Hey. How are you?

R_Skunk005: Hi Lu!!! Okay, I guess. Gotta watch my tail down here in GA...too many reli-nuts! How is it up there in AK?

[L_Wolfe001]: Getting colder, days are shorter. Anyone heard from Willie yet?

R_Skunk005: Too hot here. :( Yeah! He was on for a few minutes today, said he's okay, but will be in casts for a few more weeks. Still sore, but seems in good mood.

[L_Wolfe001]: That's good. :) Hey, got some news for you!

R_Skunk005: Find work? Hope!

[L_Wolfe001]: Maybe. Had interview at a computer place. I met a guy, a human...and I think he really likes me!

R_Skunk005: Get out! Really??? C'mon, dish!

[L_Wolfe001]: Serious! I like him, too! I'm at his place. Stayed overnight last night, and he offered to let me move in with him. :O

R_Skunk005: You didn't... O.o

[L_Wolfe001]: NO!!! He's got a couple of spare rooms, and I need a better place to stay. He is kinda sweet, and he's not like other humans. He really likes wolves, too.

R_Skunk005: 'Bout gave me a stroke! Lucky girl! ;)

[L_Wolfe001]: :P Thing is, though, I think I want to! I mean 4-footed wolves, silly. He has 6 wild ones that come right up to him like it was nothing. I got introduced to them, too! Get this - he even has a wild porcupine that he feeds! I tell you, there's just something different about this guy. I think you'd like him, too!

R_Skunk005: You wanna mate with him??? Geez, girl, maybe I oughtta meet this guy of yours! Any more like him up there?

[L_Wolfe001]: We almost kissed on the mouth this morning! I think he's trying not to rush things, but I'm sure he would! Oh, he sniffed me behind the ear, too! He has my scent, I'm sure of it. :O Well, he does have a friend who seems nice, but still not the same as him.

R_Skunk005: I wish I could get out of this place, I don't like it here. Too many mean humans. :(

[L_Wolfe001]: There's some here, too. Ron's very supportive, and kinda protective, too. He was in the military, so he probably knows how to defend himself.

R_Skunk005: That's your guy's name? Ron?

[L_Wolfe001]: Yeah. If I get this job, maybe I might be able to get you up here. It gets awfully cold in the winter, but it sure would be nice to have you here. I don't like being the only one of our kind here. :(

R_Skunk005: Know what ya mean. :( Oh, crap, I'm going to have to sign off because the place is closing up. Tell me all about it in an e-mail, k?

[L_Wolfe001]: OK. Keep your tail out of trouble down there. Don't need you ending up like Willie...or worse! :( Be on tomorrow?

R_Skunk005: Yeah. :( I'll try to. I miss you!

[L_Wolfe001]: Miss you, too! (*nuzzle*)

[R_Skunk005 is offline]

Lupina closed down the connection and sniffled. "I've got to find a way to get Rosie up here, that's all there is to it!" Lupina said quietly to herself. "Maybe moving in with Ron wouldn't be a bad thing in that regard. He did say that I wouldn't have to pay any rent, though if I get that job, I'll have to do something to help with things. Geez, I feel like I'm imposing a lot already, and I don't know if he would mind Rosie being around or not. I guess I'll have to find some way to ask. I wonder if there's any coffee..."

Ron was in the kitchen snacking on some cheese while waiting on the coffee maker to finish brewing the latest pot. Lupina got a mischievous grin and thought that she would try to sneak up on him. As quietly as she could, she slowly padded into the kitchen. "Hi, Lupina," Ron said, without even turning around. Lupina nearly jumped out of her fur! She had only taken three steps--how could he have known? Ron slowly turned his head and looked over his shoulder with a sly grin. He lifted one hand up with a slice of cheese in it and asked, "Want some?"

"Gah! How did you know?" Lupina asked as she tried to recover her wits, and took the offered cheese in the process.

He chuckled and playfully stuck his tongue out at her.

"Okay, out with it, how did you know I was trying to sneak up behind you?" she asked with a bit of exasperation.

He turned around and leaned against the counter, holding a piece of cheese in his hand. "You will find, my dear, that I just...know," he said cryptically.

As soon as she was about to say something else, he promptly stuck the piece of cheese he was holding into her mouth while grinning deviously. Lupina's eyes widened in surprise--one, she didn't expect him to do that, and two, her lips closed on the end of his finger. Lupina immediately felt a sudden rush of blood to her cheeks--if they weren't covered with fur, they would be turning red. Ron smiled and picked up another piece with the same hand, and popped it into his own mouth, closing his own lips on the same finger that she had just a moment before.

"Oh you tease_!!!_" Lupina thought to herself, as she saw the expression on his face.

"Want some coffee?" he asked nonchalantly.

*cough!* "Um, yeah," Lupina said quietly.

Ron grinned and reached for the just finished pot of coffee and filled her cup for her. She stepped over to the refrigerator, opened the door, and reached down to the bottom shelf to get the bottle of cream. Ron watched as he bit into another piece of cheese.

"Ooo, nice butt! Down boy, before you get yourself into trouble...not that I would mind...," he thought to himself, giving her backside a rather appreciative look.

Lupina looked out of the corner of her eye, trying to see if he was watching or not. She saw that he was, but he wasn't being real obvious about it. She grinned slightly to herself as she thought, "He's interested, but he's also still being a gentleman about it--no lewd comment or anything, but he did look. Well, I guess I can be a tease, too!"

After she fixed her cup of coffee, Lupina leaned against the counter next to Ron, almost brushing against him. She isn't quite as tall as he is, about fifteen centimeters shorter, though she felt comfortable with the difference in height. They were just idly chit-chatting, but then she wanted to find out what he thought about something.

"Do you like skunks?" Lupina just came out and asked bluntly.

"Let me show you," Ron replied with a grin.

Taking her by the hand, he led her up to the loft where his home office is. He pulled out two folders and laid one of them open on the desk. The folder had a sizeable stack of pencil drawings, all of anthropomorphic figures.

"Where did you get these?" she asked.

"From up here," he replied, tapping the side of his head.

Lupina looked at him in surprise. "You drew these?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep, every one of them," he replied. "Recognize any?"

Lupina started to go through the stack of drawings. She saw the names...and then it sank in. These are the original drawings of the characters in her favorite series of books!

"Y-You're the _artist_for the books...?" she started to say.

Ron held up a finger to her lips and reached over to the bookshelf next to his desk, and pulled out a boxed set containing the first three books in the series, setting them on the desk in front of her.

"Yeah, and I also wrote them, too," he said with a grin.

Lupina's ears dropped and she nearly tucked her tail between her legs as she held her hand up to her mouth.

"Oh...my...," she whispered. Now that she knew, the realization hit her like the proverbial ton of bricks. She understood now why many things he had said since they met sounded so much like the characters in her favorite story series. Lupina had dreamed of meeting the author of the books she enjoyed so much, and here she is, in his house, and has been flirting with him even!

"I guess you're a fan," Ron said, seeing her reaction.

Lupina was speechless; all she could do was give a wide-eyed nod of her head.

"I hope this isn't going to change anything, Lupina," he said, taking a hold of her hands. "I'm just a regular guy who got a wild hair and decided to start writing about something one day. I'm glad that you like the books, but please don't think of me as anything different than you already have, okay?" He gently lifted her chin up so that he could look her in the eyes. "Okay?" he asked again, softly, their noses very nearly touching. He held his gaze until Lupina nodded her head. Ron smiled and said, "Cool" and then gave her a friendly hug. He had to restrain himself for a couple of reasons while they hugged--her scent was beginning to get him worked up, and at the moment she was emotionally vulnerable; he didn't feel it right to take advantage of the situation. When Ron pulled back, he took the first book out of the box and opened the cover. Taking a pen from the little tool holster he always wears on his belt, he signed the book.

Lupina,

I'll howl with you any time!

With love,

Ron

He closed the cover, put the pen away, and slipped the book back into the box with the others. He looked at Lupina and handed the box to her.

"For my number one fan," he said with a grin.

She looked at the box almost in a state of awe. It was a hard cover, first edition, boxed set of the first three books in the series, with the companion art book, in mint condition. She had seen what this set went for on the Internet--way more than she could afford--and he himself just handed her a set from his own bookshelf, having signed it right in front of her.

"Oh, you asked if I liked skunks...I guess you can tell from some of the drawings," he said still grinning.

Lupina carefully set the books down on the desk, and looked through the collection of drawings. She pulled one out and held it up. Right away, she wondered how he could have known, but then she saw the date on it--it was drawn a few years before the rest of the world learned of the existence of the G.E.L.F.s, so there was no way.

"This one looks a lot like my friend, Rosie," Lupina said quietly.

"Is she the reason why you wanted to know if I liked skunks?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, she's my best friend," Lupina replied.

"Where is she at?" he asked.

"She's in Georgia," Lupina sighed. "I got to chat with her for a little while, when we first got back here. She hates it there. She said it's too hot, and there's a lot of mean people where she's at. I guess the religious people are really giving her a hard time, too."

"I can imagine," Ron agreed, getting a little frown on his face.

"I wish I could bring her up here, but I can't, and I don't want anything to happen to her," Lupina said.

Ron thought for a moment, seeing the sad look on Lupina's face, he asked, "You miss her, don't you?"

"Yeah," she replied, sniffling a little, as she looked up at him.

"This could get a little interesting," he said almost under his breath as he rubbed his chin in thought. "We'll just have to see what we can do, then," Ron added, getting a grin on his face again.

"You're serious?" Lupina asked, dropping her jaw.

He smiled at her and said, "Hey it's what friends are for."

After a while, Ron headed off to the kitchen to get a start on making supper, and Lupina went back to her room and set the books he had given her on the desk. She got on the slate computer and started writing a long e-mail to her friend Rosie, to tell her all that had happened since the last weekend. When she had finished that task and sent it off, Lupina wrote another e-mail, this time to Miki. She kept that one a little cryptic, because she wanted to wait until she saw Miki on the weekend to tell her more about it. Lupina sat there for a while, mulling over everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. The day before, she met a nice human guy who came to her aid, he gave her a ride home, and she invited him in and they had coffee together. That led to her going to his place and having a wonderful dinner with him, they ending up talking late into the night and she stayed overnight in one of his spare bedrooms. This morning after a good breakfast, she watched him feed a porcupine, got introduced to some wild wolves that treats him as if he's one of them, he took her out to lunch, and not only got her an application for a job, but an interview, too. Now she's back at his place again and set to stay for a couple of nights, she found out that he's the person who wrote her favorite books, and he's willing to help Rosie if he can. And on top of everything else, she's got the hots for the guy!

"Lu, ol' gal, you never saw any of this coming, did ya? Geez, talk about being caught in a whirlwind! I've heard of the human saying, 'love at first sight', but I've never believed it...," she thought to herself.

She stuck her hand in her pocket, and there was that little carving. She pulled it out and looked at it. "Unless_you_ have something to do with this," she said quietly. She remembered Ron's words from the previous night, "Humans may have created your form, but ultimately, the universe itself gave you life_." The G.E.L.F.s, unlike humans, didn't have a need to make up creation myths because they all knew exactly where they came from--re-engineered animal DNA inserted into a cell in a Petri dish in a laboratory. They also knew exactly who created them, and got to know the people. Nevertheless, what Ron had said, caused Lupina to think about something else. She knew where her body came from, but where did _she_come from? Her thoughts turned again to the little charm she held in her hand. "_Keep it with you and you will meet your kindred spirit." She remembered reading about how many cultures over the millennia believed in some sort of reincarnation. If it could be thought that the universe essentially recycles everything, would it be a possibility that she had been "recycled" into this particular form and that the two of them are somehow connected in ways beyond comprehension? Philosophy and metaphysics weren't exactly her best subjects, and this particular line of thought was proving to be a strain. An interesting concept, but like the four-footed wolves her form was derived from, Lupina's mind tended to be a bit more in the now. "Well, whatever the reason is that the two of us got put in the same den together, here we are, and...I think...geez!" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I think...I...want this." Lupina felt her heart pounding in her chest at making the decision. She turned a bit in her chair to face the direction of the kitchen. "Oh, I wish I had a momma...," she whispered as a tear ran down her face.

The pot of his unique style of chili (no hot peppers, and a definite Italian flavor) was simmering on the wood cook stove, so Ron stepped outside for a bit. The sun had just set--it was his favorite time of day. Looking at the deepening sky, he cleared his mind and opened his senses. He let his intuition guide him to what he needed to know. Holding the issue at hand in his thoughts, he searched his heart of being for the correct path to follow. He stood there, totally still, listening with his ears, his mind, and his heart. The wind whispered gently in the trees and he perceived. Taking a slow, deep breath, he quietly said "thank you", and with a little smile on his face, he turned and went back inside.

Lupina got up, left the bedroom, and headed for the kitchen. Peering around the corner of the wall, she saw Ron standing in front of the tablet computer that was mounted under a cabinet, with some earphones, listening to some music. His back was towards her, and she didn't see anything that might show a reflection, so she started to walk carefully up behind him, thinking that for sure he wouldn't know she was there. Just as she took a few paces towards him, he raised his hand and waved at her. Her jaw dropped open. Ron turned his head, giving her a sly grin, and then pressed a control on the tablet's screen. Removing the earphones, he said, "Supper's ready, kiddo."

"Ooo, how does he_do _that?" Lupina thought in disbelief.

She walked the rest of the way up to him and peered over his shoulder at the large pot. Given how much shorter she was, she had to rest her jaw on his shoulder.

When he turned his head to look at her, she said, "Smells good."

He grinned and asked, "The chili?"

"That, too," she replied with a little smile.

Ron picked up a spoon, scooped up some of the chili, and held it up to her mouth. "Wanna taste?" he asked. "The chili, I mean."

"I know that, you goof," she said with a smirk. "Chili, huh...(*sniff*)...that doesn't smell like the chili the cooks at The Center tried to feed us, in fact, it doesn't even _look_like it."

"Yeah, I doubt this is like anyone else's chili. There are absolutely no hot peppers in it at all," he said.

"It smells more like...(*sniff*)...spaghetti sauce, with...sour cream?" Lupina opened her mouth and he carefully stuck the spoon in. She took the bite, and said, "Hey, that's good! I like it! Where did you learn how to make this?" she asked excitedly.

"Well...it started out originally like how my mom made it, but along the way I've tweaked it, and now it's my own particular concoction. I've got some shredded cheese and crackers if you want to put any in yours. I usually crunch up some saltine crackers in my hand and add it to the bowl, and add a little cheese to it," he explained.

Ron ladled the chili into two soup bowls, and she watched as he broke up some crackers into his bowl and then added some shredded cheese to it. After he mixed it up, he got a spoonful and held it up.

"Wanna try a taste of it this way?" he asked.

"Okay, sure, why not," she replied, and tried it. It was still hot, so he gave her a drink of cold water. "Geez, you _are_trying to fatten me up, aren't you?"

Ron grinned and asked, "You like?"

Lupina nodded her head and licked her lips. "Put some in mine."

After fixing their bowls, they sat down at the table, where he already had a jar of dill pickle spears. They both ate their fill and Ron finished off with a dill pickle. Lupina wrinkled her nose at the sharp smell, and asked why he was eating one.

"Well, I happen to like dill pickles, though for a little more practical reason, they 'cleanse the pallet', as it's said. It actually works. If you've ever ate something that left a greasy taste in your mouth, if you eat a dill pickle afterwards, it will make that go away," he explained.

After cleaning up and putting things away, they retired to the great room with a glass of a sweet dessert wine, and sat on the couch in front of the fireplace. Ron put on some music with the volume down low, so that they could just quietly sit and talk. They both felt relaxed in each other's company, and only sipped occasionally from their glasses, which were only half-full to begin with. Lupina asked about his life, so he started with where he was from originally, where he grew up at, his time in the military, going to college, and the various other things he had done, including how he came to write the books. He went on to tell how he ended up in Alaska, starting the business with his old friend, and how he ended up living out here in the boonies.

"So, you are the other owner, then," Lupina said. "I had a sneaky suspicion, but just wasn't quite sure."

"Yeah, I'm in charge of the techs," Ron said, wondering how she was going to take this.

"I suppose you probably have some sort of policy about dating your employees," she said, taking another sip from her glass.

"Well, yeah, though it's never been an issue," Ron said.

"Until now," she added.

"The position isn't dependant on how we might feel about one another; I want to make that clear. I like you...quite a bit, actually, and I'm just trying in my own way to help on that front. I'm not one of those people who would say, 'if I do this for you, you do that for me,' that's not my style," Ron explained carefully.

Lupina looked at him and thought for a moment. "I know you're just trying to help, and I appreciate it, I really do. I...like you, too...a lot."

Ron could see a bit of uncertainty in Lupina's expression, so he slid his arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her closer. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes for a while, taking a slow, deep breath. When he lightly kissed her on the top of her head, Lupina lifted her head and looked into his eyes. Their noses were not very far apart. He moved slightly closer.

"Lupina...," he whispered her name.

She moved a little bit closer...and at that point, his moustache was touching the short fur just under her nose. Lupina felt her heart race, and she breathed so shallowly that she was nearly holding her breath.

"Ron...," she whispered back.

When he lightly kissed her on the lips, she gave a sharp little inhale, and ran the tip of her tongue across them, brushing his in the process. The second kiss was a bit firmer and for several seconds. Lupina smiled, her eyes were only half-open. She parted her lips and they kissed again, this time it was a long, deep, soul-searching kiss. This was a whole new experience for Lupina--until now, the only kiss she had ever known was a quick, friendly lick by the ear from one of the G.E.L.F.s, or the human equivalent, being a "peck" on the cheek. When their tongues met, it surprised her--when she saw it in pictures or in a movie, she couldn't understand why anyone would want to do that; now that she was experiencing it for herself, she understood why. She had never felt a human's tongue before, and she found the experience to be oddly pleasant. For Ron, it was also quite a new experience. He had had some idea what her mouth might be like, having seen the inside of the mouth of several dogs he had over the years, plus his wolf friends, and had been licked in the face countless times, but the act of kissing was something else entirely! After they stopped long enough for air, he continued by kissing Lupina along her muzzle, on her cheek, just under her ear, and down the side of her neck to her shoulder.

They kissed on the lips one more time and then Ron asked quietly, "Ever been on a waterbed before?"

"No...," she replied just as quietly.

"You want to...?" he asked.

"I've never been with anyone before...," Lupina replied a little nervously.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he said gently.

"I...I want to...with you," she said.

"Okay." Ron slowly got up and held his hands out to Lupina. She took his hands and stood, and they hugged tightly for a moment. He turned off the lights in the great room and they headed to his room.

His bedroom was one part of the house that Lupina hadn't seen yet. Aside from the size of the room, the first thing she focused on was the bed. It was larger than any bed she had ever seen, and it looked different. The large wooden frame of the bed had square posts, one at each corner, which held up a flat wood top. The top edges of the wood frame was thickly padded, there were a double layer of drawers underneath along the sides, one small door in the middle at the foot end of the base, the headboard was divided vertically into two sections with each having a bookshelf at the bottom and a hutch above. On each of the posts was one small shelf with a lip, holding a candle. There was a thick covering with what looked like fur on the bottom, and on the top, it was a dark leafy green with some kind of intertwined vine-like design in a lighter shade of green that ran all the way around the edge with a large tree-like design in the center. The other thing that immediately caught her attention was the fireplace. While it wasn't as large as the one in the great room, it still lent a certain romantic ambience to the room...and was likely practical, too, given how cold it can get here.

"Let me add a little more wood to the fire...it'll just take a sec," Ron said quietly.

Lupina watched as he put a few more pieces of split wood in the fireplace and closed up the screen. Using a long-necked butane lighter, he lit the candles on the little shelves located on the posts of the bed. She noticed that they were giving off a subtle pine scent as they burned, which she actually found rather pleasant. They hugged again--this time it was a gentle, comforting, hug, which they held until she felt a little more relaxed.

"Um...Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"I...um...,"

Quietly he said, "Well...the first we need to do, is to...," and he lightly slid his hands along her shoulders until he got to the top button of her shirt. After unfastening the first button, he looked again in her eyes.

"Oh, yeah...I...guess that would be next," she said shyly.

Slowly and carefully, he worked his way down to her waist, unfastening the buttons as he went. Giving the shirt a little tug at the waist, she sucked in her abdomen a little so that he could pull the shirt out and get to the last button. With her shirt open a little, he could see that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"No bra, eh?" he grinned.

"No...I don't like wearing them. I don't think human bras were made for furry bodies," she said with a little embarrassed smile.

"I suppose you're right," he agreed.

He slipped his hands into her shirt and around her waist, running his fingers through her fur. Ron could easily tell that there wasn't any flab at all on her body, as he slowly lifted his hands up her sides. He laid her shirt on a nearby chair, and removed his glasses, putting them in their case on the dresser.

"Okay, your turn," he grinned.

It took a little longer for Lupina to unbutton his shirt because of her thicker, more paw-like fingers. After peeling out of his undershirt, they held each other again. They took their time removing each other's clothing in a similar fashion, one piece at a time, first one, and then the other. They stood there on the sheepskin rug by the bed, holding, kissing, and caressing each other for several minutes. Lupina took a little extra care not to scratch his bare skin with her claws.

"My pads aren't too rough, are they?" she asked, hoping that they weren't.

"They're okay. You have very warm hands, you know that?" he asked.

Lupina grinned.

Ron eased away from her and pulled the covers back on the bed. Since she had never slept on a waterbed before, he explained the best way to get in and out of one. He had her sit on the padded rail and put one hand on the bed behind her with fingers spread, and the other on the rail. Supporting her weight with her hands and right leg, she swung her left leg onto the bed, lifted up a bit, and then swung her other leg up and over. Lupina was surprised by the mattress, and had a little bit of a time getting herself scooted over towards the middle.

"Geez, this is weird!" she said.

"Heh, yeah, it takes a little to get used to, but once you do, you probably won't like sleeping on a regular bed again. Unlike a regular mattress, this one will totally conform to your body and keep you evenly supported. Another good thing is, it's nice to get into a bed that's already warm, especially on cold nights," Ron explained.

"It feels like I'm floating!" she exclaimed quietly.

"You are, in a way. Since this is a 'full wave' mattress, the motion will take a little getting used to, too," he said.

"'Full wave'?"

"There aren't any baffles inside the mattress to subdue the wave motion. That can make certain--activities--rather interesting," he replied, giving a wink.

"What kind of...activities?" Lupina asked coyly.

Slipping into bed with practiced ease, Ron asked with a sly grin, "Wanna find out?"

Lupina nodded her head shyly.

Over the course of the next couple of hours, they held, touched, kissed, caressed, explored, and whatever else that came naturally. They also talked, too, sharing intimate thoughts, feelings, dreams and desires. Lupina felt totally relaxed and secure, knowing that she had found the one person that she could feel so open with, and who accepted her as she was without any hesitation or holding back. At one point, while they were sitting up and holding each other, Lupina closed her eyes and lifted her chin. It was the first time since she was little, that she howled. Ron was surprised at how beautiful her voice was--it was more melodic than the howls of his wolf friends. He joined in with her, matching his voice to hers, though at a lower pitch. Their spirits recognized one another at last as their hearts sang the ancient song together.

Many kilometers away, Nunataq, who had been singing and beating his qilaut*[1]*, suddenly stopped and got a far off look in his eyes. A vision came to him of two wolves meeting each other for the first time. In his vision, he saw them dance and play, until they howled an ancient song.

(Spoken in Inupiatun) "What do you see, grandfather? Miki asked.

Slowly he said, "I see two wolves who found each other after a long time."

"Are they the same ones you saw before?" she asked.

"Yes, they have recognized one another," he replied with a grin.

Miki smiled, but then she got a concerned look on her face as she asked, "What of the others?"

Nunataq said, "The two wolves will call to them, and they will find their way."

Miki smiled again and hugged her grandfather.

"I hope so."


"Family Tails" - Chapter 4 http://www.sofurry.com/view/493502

"Family Tails" - Chapter 6 http://www.sofurry.com/view/495997


[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qilaut