FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter VII

Grass noisily crunched beneath Mathew's worn shoes. The rubber between them and the ground was very thin. Watching pups in his spare time was wearing out what was left of his rubber soles. The she wolf's paws in front of him, and all wolves for at matter, never had to fear about wearing their soles out. Thick, yet soft, they could tackle any terrain easily. The loincloth between her legs was a basic soft brown as were the two bands she wore on her upper arms and the bra resembling chest cloth.

"Where are we going?" Mathew followed closely behind Aitu staring at her hair. Her long raven black hair was adorned with three feathers and braids just below the mane

"To visit the shaman." She reminded him, passing by the numerous huts. Mathew was able to find hs way through the village now, but he still had trouble identifying huts based on their appearances alone. A wolf had no such trouble with a powerful nose. They slowed hearing someone quietly singing. Aitu circled a hut facing the northern moor and found a brindle male wolf.

"Is that him?" The naked male was sitting in wolffish fashion with his legs tucked among the tiny blue field flowers. He faced the open moor humming something to himself. The black she wolf nodded. It was the same naked wolf that stripped him down and touched him! Mathew started to approach but Aitu's hand caught him from walking any closer.

"Wait for him to finish."

"What's he doing?"

"Chanting. Let him finish." Mathew waited for the shaman to stop the important song. The fact that he was naked in the open mystified the human. His long hair didn't even have anything tying it together. Everyone else except for a small pup wore at least a loincloth.

"Why is he not wearing anything?"

"Shamans do not wear anything to be closer to nature and the spirits. I think he is teaching a young wolfess how to be a shaman, so she won't wear clothing while training like him."

'Closer to nature?' He found the explanation senseless and stupid. What good did being naked and close to nature do? Another point that peaked Mathew's curiosity the most was the male wolf's anatomy and how it functioned. "How does he rain?" Mathew asked in a whisper. Unlike a dog but identical to Ashan, the plump furry sheath wasn't attached to his lower abdomen but still remained mostly upright for the most part.

"Are you serious?" She looked at the human with a dumb look. His unwavering curiosity made the wolfess scratch her chin in thought. "Ok... A male finds a spot alone and rains just like a female." She looked guilty for explaining the biological function.

"How is it pointing up?" He asked the flustered wolfess.

"I-I not know. Always up." Her brow furrowed. "Yours different. Always down." She roughly bumped Mathew's side causing him to stumble a step.

"When did you-!"

"When you were captured and brought into my hut." Aitu hushed him. "Our shaman and I, along with some others, looked you over closely." The black wolfess made his cheeks burn red.

'Everyone else saw me naked when I was passed out!' He looked at the ground worriedly.

"We know you're a male." Aitu nonchalantly replied. "What does it mean when your cheeks are... are that?" She looked curiously at the human's reddened skin.

"Embarrassment!" He growled in English, unsure of the tribal word for the emotion. Aitu wrinkled her nose but returned her gaze to the shaman who stopped chanting. The shaman motioned a hand for him to sit down. The human hastily took a seat beside him. He appeared older than Mathew, but not yet middle aged. Very few silver hairs decorated his chin like the feathers in Aitu's hair. "Hello Mathew. I'm Kithos, the village's shaman." He leaned over to touch noses. Mathew quickly leaned and closed the gap. They inhaled.

'Earthy...' He wasn't sure how to classify the shaman's scent.

"Thank you for bringing him Aitu." The male sat back in position.

"I will come back for him when your done talking." Aitu nodded and left.

"Wait-" Mathew watched the wolfess disappear around the hut.

"It's ok Mathew. I wanted to talk to you privately." The shaman reassured the human. "Although never in my life did I believe that I would talk to a human." Mathew looked at the shaman unsure what he wanted to talk about. "I see your wound has healed." Kithos pointed to the faint scars on the human's left arm.

"Oh. Thank you for... uh healing it." The shaman grinned and gave a slow nod.

"The tongue is very powerful, but Aitu told me that you do not understand the spirits. Is this true?" He asked.

"Um... What are they?" Mathew asked plainly enough.

"The spirits..." The naked wolf motioned with a hand to the sky and then the ground. "Are present everywhere and in all things."

"What do you mean?" Mathew peered closer to the ground.

"Can you feel the air around you and the ground beneath you?"

"Yes."

"To say it simply, you are also feeling the spirits."

"I am?" Mathew found the spirituality a bunch of nonsense.

"Yes. Although the sense is very faint much like breathing in a gust of fresh air or grasping at the wind itself." The naked wolf demonstrated. The odd look he received from Mathew didn't resonate with his message. "Do humans know about the spirits?" The shaman tilted his head.

"No. It sounds strange."

"Strange!" Kithos was surprised at the human's choice of words. "Ah, I suppose it is strange for you to understand. Do humans have shamans?" He asked hoping to start from somewhere.

"No. What does a shaman do?" Mathew asked the wolf.

"Hmm... A shaman does many things for a village. A shaman talks and listens to the spirits, helps care for the elderly and sick, trains apprentices the shamanic ways, and of course a shaman makes medicine out of nature that the spirits provide us." He ran his hand through the grass and clover in front of him. It sounded like a doctor that didn't cost any money to Mathew, but he had never seen a doctor before either.

"That's a lot for one wolf to do."

"Yes. That is why I am training an apprentice in the ways of a shaman."

"How do you teach one?" Without writing did a wolf teach everything by talking? The shaman thought for a moment.

"Touch the ground." He requested patting the earth. Mathew reached out and placed his hand in the cool green grass. "Can you understand everything?"

"No." Mathew's eyebrows knit head together, unsure what he was supposed to understand.

"Look closer at the ground." His deep voice advised. The human leaned forward and peered towards the ground but didn't see an answer in the grass. A hand grasped his head gently.

"Huh?" Mathew looked up at the palm pressed against his forehead. Fingers and claws clutched the top of his head. "Kithos?" He stared at the wolf's concentrated gaze.

"You must understand and know your apprentice before you can teach them." The wolf stated before pausing. "Hmm. You are a troubled one." He halfway retracted his hand and held it out. The black pads and claws faced the human. "Hold your hand out." Mathew did as he was told. The shaman pressed their palms together and intertwined their fingers. The wolf's larger fingers and claws virtually covered the human's hand, and a small warmth grew from the contact. The digits were almost twice as big as the human's.

"Your hand is like... Aitu's." He softly spoke, remembering that they did the same thing in her hut. It was an odd feeling, but he felt that they were two people together rather than a wolf and human.

"Yes, and your hand is similar to mine." He nodded and slowly undid the embrace before grasping the human's smaller hand. Mathew didn't shy away to the wolf's liking. 'He's not afraid of wolves like he once was.' The shaman noted happily and returned his hand to his lap. "I am finished talking to him Aitu." Kithos grinned looking behind the human. Mathew turned seeing the black wolfess standing beside him.

"When did you-" A warm padded hand grasped his own.

"Come with me to the creek. I need you to help me wash a few things." She helped him up.

"Walk a good path Mathew." Kithos chuckled and waved the human goodbye. Aitu led Mathew to the creek where a few pelts rested in a pile in the sunny grass.

"Now you can help me wash these." The black wolfess held up a squirrel pelt. The blank stare she received made her laugh. "Don't worry it isn't difficult."

"How exactly do I wash it?"

"You have to softly scrub the fur." Aitu knelt beside the human and showed him how to properly wash each garment using the handmade soap. "You try." She handed him one. It wasn't difficult, but the process was tedious. Nearby, a group of pups were playing in the creek with two adult wolves watching, and occasionally joining them.

"I'd rather wash everyone's private parts." The pup retorted with a huff. Another quickly splashed her.

"Why do they say that?" Mathew asked Aitu.

"Only pups say that. It means you would rather cradle and wash the delicate future in your hands rather than do something else." The wolfess explained.

"Delicate future?"

"That's where pups are made." She pointed to his waist, then her own.

"Oh." He stared at the loincloth in his hands.

"Don't distract yourself. We need to finish washing these." Aitu reminded him. He nodded and set the wet pelt aside and started on another.

"Hey! Mathew!" A pup bounded up the creek to Mathew and Aitu. Splashes of water noisily marked her path of travel.

"What are you doing Awa?" Mathew stopped washing his pelt.

"Can you play with us when we're done bathing?" Water dripped noisily from the soaked mottled tan and grey pup's fur. Her tail wagged expectantly, scattering more droplets behind her. It was an amusing appearance.

"I'm sorry, but Mathew has to help me with some chores today little one." Aitu ruffled the pup's head fur.

"Maybe another day." He nodded.

"Aww!" She have a cute nose-wrinkled frown before splashing down the creek to her friends. The pups and adults left just before Mathew and Aitu finished washing the pelts and cloths.

"Now what do we do?" Mathew looked at his wrinkled hands.

"Let's bring them back to my hut and dry them on a line." Aitu gathered the ones she had washed, and Mathew did the same. Setting up a line was simple enough from one hut to Aitu's, and the wolfess hummed a happy tune while hanging each pelt. "Now we can do something else while they dry out." Aitu nodded with accomplishment. Her grin faded seeing Mathew staring out into the moor with a lonely look. "Why do you look worried? It's another beautiful day." The she wolf rested a hand on his shoulder. The human sighed.

"Another day..." His voice quietly trailed at the expression. It was never just another day while living in Nepheira. There was always a gunshot heard every day, a pang of hunger, looking over one's shoulder, locking a door or window-

"Mathew?" She nudged his shoulder.

"Huh? Oh..." He gathered himself.

"You look sad." She pressed the issue.

"Why are wolves so happy?" The she wolf's head tilted at the question. Aitu thought for a moment before her canine face lit up happily.

"I will take you through the trees. Follow me." Her tail wagged briefly. "We can fetch the clothes and pelts when they are dry." Mathew jogged to keep up with the wolfess through the village and field. Other wolves watched them briefly before returning to their duties. The part of the field around the creek acted as a small garden where wolves planted potatoes and other edible plants

'What does she have planned?' The human stopped at the tree line. Mathew had never seen a tree up close before arriving in Hibernia, and the towering oaks intimidated him.

"Hey, don't stop there." She flicked her tail for him to come.

"Okay." He nodded and hesitantly followed her. The forest was full of large trees creating a tall roof of green leaves. Birds chattered frequently in the treetops and squirrels scrambled across the dead leaves in search of food. Aitu reached over and held the human's hand as they slowly walked along the forest floor. "Huh?" He looked at their joined hands.

"It's so you don't get lost." She grinned leading him around the trees to a small clearing where the sun was shining. At the base of a tree rested something large, standing upright about half a meter.

"It's a stone." Mathew approached the large rock situated under the tree. A hand rested on his shoulder halting him.

"It's a sofossoth."

'Gravestone.' Mathew realized what she was trying to tell him. There were small claw markings along the top and sides in random patterns. A bundle of sticks rested beside the stone as if in an offering for eternal well being.

"This is Huvnar's gravestone."

"Who is that?"

"He was the chieftain before Nagao's father, our last chieftain." She explained staring at the large stone face. "When my dad was a little pup," Aitu held a hand to her waist, "Huvnar told him to reach out to the sunshine like a flower. Enjoy every second in bloom because a flower only blooms once."

'Enjoy every second...' Mathew thought crouching down to examine the stone closely. 'Why does that make them happy?'

'He doesn't look sad anymore.' She looked at the human hopefully. The hand on his shoulder gave a gentle squeeze. He looked up at the grinning she wolf. "I'll be back in a moment. You stay here." The wolfess left, disappearing into the bushes. Mathew returned to the tombstone and reached out with a shaky hand.

'It really is stone!' He sighed with relief. 'It could've been metal.' The human stood up and looked at the tree the gravestone was resting under. It was a typical oak with a grayish brown trunk of solid wood. He reached out and felt the tree with his hand. The bark was hard and tough, but not like the metal of a gun. 'Trees at sturdy.' He applied force with his hand but didn't budge the mighty oak. Mathew looked around the sunlit space in the forest finding the new scenery strange, but enjoyable. Rustling and paw steps caught his attention. "Aitu-" He turned. Mathew quickly found himself surrounded by three tall male wolves, none of whom seemed friendly at all. A necklace of teeth one wore scared him. The one facing him quickly delivered a powerful punch to his gut. Mathew dropped to his knees gasping for air, unable to yell for help. The human was yanked by his shirt collar and slammed up against a tree. A muzzle full of teeth was bared at him.

"No wolf tongue should bathe a flat face's flesh!" One snarled bombarding his front with rounds of punches. Knuckles bashed his body relentlessly.

"You should be banished from Massa village." Another growled pummeling the human's body. Within a minute the human was dropped to the ground and his attackers were gone. Mathew gasped and struggled to roll onto his side. His entire upper body throbbed heatedly in pain.

"Ah!" He groaned clutching the ground. His eyes widened seeing something black catch his sight. 'Are they coming back?' He froze.

"Mathew!" Pure black paws hurried towards him, and loud distressed barking could be heard. "What happened?" A pair of strong arms picked the human up.

"Three... beat me up." He mumbled struggling to sit up without her help.

"Stay still. I'll take you to Kithos." She scooped the human into her arms and swiftly carried him back to the village. Mathew closed his eyes until he was laying down on a deerskin in the shaman's hut. Hands took off his shirt and felt over his battered upper body.

"Can you talk to me Mathew?" A brindle face loomed over the human. His long silky hair nearly touched Mathew's face. The sheath close to his face didn't help.

"Yes." He groaned looking up at the shaman.

"Good. Can you sit up?" Mathew tried without success, but four hands helped him along the way.

"Everything hurts." Mathew steadied himself, half expecting to find himself back in Nepheira. Aitu was relieved to see him sit upright.

"Pain huh?" Kithos went over to a long row of small baskets filled with specific plants and prepared a concoction using a pestle and mortar. The black wolfess brought a hand to the human's cheek that wasn't badly bruised.

"Thanks." He leaned into her welcoming touch. The she wolf's padded palm was warm and tender, and her fur was soft. Although, the wolfess's attitude was far from soft.

"I'll crack their skulls." Aitu growled baring her fangs. "And then-" A hand shakily rested on her. The fierceness in her eyes softened seeing it was Mathew's hand. The look on his face was pitifully afraid.

"S-stop Aitu." He weakly spoke. The she wolf nodded and calmed herself seeing how her anger terrified Mathew. She grabbed his hand and held it protectively, her ears drawn back guiltily. Kithos watched while mashing the desired plants together. "There is a flower on your ear." Mathew noticed the white petals contrasting against Aitu's black fur.

"I was picking a few to wear and surprise you." A little grin reemerged on her lips.

"It looks nice."

"Thanks." Her tail wagged. Kithos approached Mathew again, this time with some sort of medicine.

"Eat this for the pain." He handed the human a small piece of dried meat with a paste covering it. "I added a berry to make it taste better."

"Yuck!" Mathew downed the medicine quickly. 'It needed a bushel of berries.'

"Here." He handed the human a small cup of water. Mathew drank it quickly and washed out the strong taste. In a few minutes the throbbing pains were diminished to vague soreness.

"Wow... That helped a lot." Mathew was surprised at the effects.

"That medicine will make you sleep soundly but it will wear off by morning." Kithos informed him. The shaman's hands returned to the human's body and felt him over. Mathew tensed as his tender wounds were touched.

"They didn't crack any bones." The shaman confirmed. "But by the spirits they gave you a beating." His hand lightly traced over a swelling bruise on Mathew's cheek.

"Do you have anything for soreness too?" He shied away from the wolf.

"Only the mixture that I gave you to eat, but the key plant is hard to find. I think resting for the next day or so will do the most good, but if anything else troubles you see me or my apprentice. You may leave." Kithos nodded.

"Thank you Kithos." He stood up and left with Aitu. They sat on the edge of the village and watched the sun begin to set far away in the west. Sitting seemed to help the throbbing and soreness. Mathew glanced at the black wolfess sitting beside him in the grass. Her long raven black hair rested in her back and shoulders neatly despite its canine design. The beautiful fur coat she wore seemed to shimmer in the glowing sunlight. Aitu's muzzle was slim and pretty too with little whiskers towards the end. Mathew looked back at the meadow catching himself from staring too long.

"Why did you come back and help me?"

"I am in charge of watching over you." She looked at the large bruise on his cheek. Mathew looked over at her but he almost bumped into the wolf's nose.

"You're almost touching me." He leaned away from her muzzle to the side.

"Every wolf has a muzzle." She chuckled. Mathew returned his gaze back towards the meadows again only for a strong arm to pull him closer. The human leaned on the warmer strong body finding it irresistible. A gentle breeze passed and easily cut through his worn human clothing.

"I think I need new clothes." He looked over his dingy ones that had small holes and tears that would only widen as fall descended closer to winter.

"I think you're right." She poked a claw through one of the tears.

Aitu led Mathew through the village to Katwaii's home. The wolfess Katwaii was well known in the village for making beautiful clothes from any hide or fur available. Mathew touched a sore cheek. The human's bruises had largely healed over the last two days, but they were still tender and somewhat discolored. As for the three wolves, Aitu had Nagao punish them, but the human had no idea what the punishment was.

"Is this her hut?" Mathew said as they approached one in particular with something stationed by the entrance.

"Yes."

"What is that?" Mathew pointed to the strange frame with a hide stretched in the middle.

"She's stretching the hide before scraping it. This will make good leather." The wolfess picked up a sharpened bone lying beside it. "You scrape like this." She motioned using the bone to scrape away the fleshy underside.

"Do I have to make one?"

"No. We just need two simple ones." Aitu set the bone down and went inside with Mathew close behind her. In the hut Katwaii had two large baskets out with a few loincloths and other small garments set out on a red deerskin. "Hey Katwaii!" Aitu greeted the colorful wolfess sitting by the clothes. Her fur was a funny patchwork of browns, blacks, grey, deep reddish oranges, and hints of white along her extremities. The wolfess wore a necklace with three talons from a bird.

"Hello Aitu!" She touched noses as Aitu knelt in front of her. Katwaii's nose flared and she peeked around Aitu finding a human standing idly in her home. "You are Mathew." She pointed a claw at him.

"Yes." He quietly replied.

"What brings you two here?" She asked.

"Mathew needs good clothes, and you are the best wolf to sew and tan leather.

"Best?" Her ears turned back as she grinned, the wolffish form of a blush. "I learned everything from my mother and grandmother."

"You are the best! Can you help find him something basic that's leftover?"

"Clothes... for a human?" She looked at Mathew's peculiar outfit and tilted her head.

"No. Our clothes." Aitu held up her loincloth.

"Oh! That should be easy. Come here Mathew." Katwaii beckoned for the human to approach. The two females undressed him from his tricky human clothes, leaving him naked. The human's face turned a shade of red, but he didn't panic. Normally Mathew would've been mortified and embarrassed at the scenario, but their tribal culture had him somewhat accustomed to nudity. Katwaii was more interested in his pants than the human's anatomy.

"I can cut this part and make it into a belt." She held the hem of his pants up. "Or bands for above one's ankles."

"Hmm. A belt." Aitu imagined what it would look like.

"Don't cut them! Leave them that way." Mathew wanted a backup pair if something bad happened to whatever tribal outfit he would receive. Katwaii set them aside and tapped her muzzle in thought.

"So what are you going to pick?" Aitu looked over his shoulder at the pieces laid out. Mathew tried taking a closer look, but a pair of hands grabbed his waist.

"Hold still. I don't want to mismatch you." She held a loincloth over his rear making sure it properly covered everything like a tail would. "Ok..." The she wolf made a mental note of length and set the garment aside. "Let's save that for last. Do you want anything else to wear too?" She asked, ears perked forward attentively.

"Well..." He looked around the collection of old and half finished bracelets, necklaces, arm bands, and spare leather strings.

"He doesn't have anything." Aitu piped up. "What you see is all he owns."

"Nothing?" She tilted her head and scratched an ear. Katwaii dug through a basket and tossed out a few articles. Mathew picked up a squirrel fur garment.

"That's a chest cloth for females." Aitu whispered to him in a giggle.

"Oh!" He immediately dropped the piece as Katwaii found something of interest.

"You may have to dust them, but try this around your upper arm." She handed him a small piece of leather that could be made into a band.

"This is for his hair." The she wolf gave him a small string of leather. Aitu quickly snatched it up and carefully pulled the human's hair back.

"Be gentle Aitu." Mathew felt the she wolf fumble with his hair.

"Don't fret." She tied his hair in typical wolffish tail fashion.

"You're very handsome for a human." Katwaii looked Mathew over keenly with a sly smile.

"Oh, uh thank you." A light blush formed along his cheeks.

"Don't stare, he needs a loincloth Katwaii." Aitu quickly reminded her friend with a strong nudge.

"Hmm." She wrapped her large canine hands around his waist to judge which size would be appropriate. The she wolf quickly went over to the ones laid out and picked a bunch. "Here. Hold these to his backside Aitu." Katwaii gave the wolfess some. "And see if their length is good." Mathew patiently waited as each she wolf held garment after garment to his waistline until they found two that would fit properly. The separate pieces were laced together around the human's hips. Aitu tightened the first string so that the loincloth wasn't loose over his front. Katwaii bit her tongue in concentration doing the same at his backside to ensure everything was even.

"Is everything ok?" Mathew looked at both wolves kneeling around him.

"You don't have a tail so I need to shorten the string." She tightened the leather strap around his slimmer body and looked over him closely. Katwaii's hands rested satisfied against her hips. "Looks good!"

"I feel... Bare." Mathew nervously looked down at the front and back loincloth.

"Hey you have two loincloths because you don't have a tail." Aitu pointed out the extra garment that he was thankful for. However a gust of wind or even walking fast would have both garments flapping in the wind, which would render the whole purpose of wearing something pointless.

'At least I don't have anything to make it stick out in the front.' He thought about how a male wolf's sheath was constantly upright.

"You look better than wearing those rags." Katwaii pointed to the small pile of the human's old torn clothing. "Especially with your hair in a tail." The polychromatic wolfess pet the human's hair that barely touched his back. Aitu shooed her friend's paw away.

"Ok. Do not tuck them or fold them. You always let the fabric hang naturally. Of course running and other things ruffle each, but that won't be a problem."

"Why not tuck them?" Leaving them to freely flap in the wing defeated the whole purpose of wearing one to him.

"It looks bad, and requires more sewing and thread. If something itches, try to scratch without any watching eyes."

"I kind of figured that." Mathew looked around his back at the second loincloth concealing his rear. Normally a wolf's tail would serve as a natural barrier, but a human didn't possess a tail. It wasn't hot like Nepheira, but it was warm enough to forgo clothing. The wolves didn't need to wear them often even for warmth, but they served to cover the most intimate area. "It isn't very warm." He rubbed his arms. Aitu furrowed her brow in thought and looked around Katwaii's home. She found the rabbit blanket he used and gave it to him.

"Wear the blanket if it feels too cold." She reasoned. The rabbit fur would easily keep his skin warm outside during the autumn weather. A tug on his arm pulled him to the door flap. "Come! I want to show you to my parents!" She excitedly barked tugging his arm.

"Bye!" Katwaii bade them farewell for the day. Aitu quickly led him through the village and ducked through a specific door flap. Her parent's hut was decorated with many deerskins and the typical set up of small pots, baskets, hunting equipment, a spear, sling, and other various items.

"Hi mom! Hi dad!" She greeted the pure black wolfess and merle coated male.

"Hello Aitu." Her mother turn seeing her daughter enter.

"Who is-Mathew?!" Soga tilted his head in confusion.

"Look at him!" She presented Mathew's new tribal look.

"Good spirits!" Her mother opened into a big smile as they huddled into a small circle and touched noses.

"You look better." Her dad grinned. "And smell better." He added with an inhale.

"All you need is more fur to be a wolf." Nahua patted his shoulder.

"I don't think it is possible for me to grow fur." He shrugged.

"You still look handsome this way." Nahua admired his new appearance.

"Thank you." Mathew stiffened in his seat feeling his genitals touch the deerskin freely. 'I have to get used to this.' He sat down in wolffish fashion the best he could.

"Who made the cloth? It's very nice." Nahua asked.

"Katwaii. She chose from a group already made." Mathew's face reddened several shades as Aitu's dad lifted his loincloth and pointed to the stitching.

"See? Katwaii sews just like your mother did Nahua." Soga smiled. "And with the same quality."

"Your skin changed colors!" Nahua gasped seeing Mathew's red face. He frowned wishing the wolfess hadn't brought attention to it.

"You're right." Aitu looked at his face.

"Do you need to see the shaman?"

"N-No!" He stammered pulling the loincloth out of Soga's hands.

"I thought your clothes were attached to you at first." Soga chuckled.

"You're okay, right?" Aitu asked quietly.

"Yes!" Mathew insisted, feeling better while covered. The conversation changed to many different things that didn't relate to the human's new outfit.

"So do you plan on staying for something to eat and sleeping here?" Nahua asked hopefully.

"Sorry mom, maybe another day." Aitu sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "I'm going to cook chunks of deer meat and potatoes tonight. It's one of Mathew's favorite meals."

"I can see that he is fond of your cooking Aitu." Soga pointed at the human's grin.

"Like you are of mine?" Nahua nudged his side. Everyone laughed.

"I won't be able to cook at my hut if I'm sitting here." Aitu rose from her seat ready to leave.

"Thank you for visiting." Soga openly smiled patting Mathew's back. "You two look after each other."

"We will." Aitu grinned and stuck her tongue out. "You two do the same."

"Please visit again." Nahua called out as they left. Mathew adjusted his loincloth while he walked.

"You seem to be nervous around my parents." Aitu looked down at the human questioningly.

"I'm not nervous around them! It's-" He could feel his cheeks warm. "Your dad just lifted my loincloth suddenly."

"Your loincloth? No one minds seeing your sheath." She couldn't understand why that would bother him. Mathew shook his head but a soft ripping noise caught his attention.

"Oh no." Mathew looked down seeing that the sole on his right shoe had ripped apart.

"What's wrong?" Aitu asked. Mathew held up the ruined shoe. "Oh. Matzo can probably fix that." She looked at the mangled shoe.

"He can?"

"Yes. He lives in that hut." The she wolf pointed towards a hut not far away. "You can do that and I'm going to start something to eat over a fire." She grinned before walking away. The promise of his favorite meal was certainly something to look forward to.

"Uh. Matzo?" Mathew stuck his head inside the door flap. A light brown and white wolf sat up and looked at the human entering his home. Two white braids of hair rested over his brown and white chest. His dark eyes focused before opening widely.

"Huh? Oh you're the Mathew!" He remembered the human's name as he knelt down before the wolf. They touched noses in a friendly greeting.

"I am. You have a lot of weapons." Mathew looked around the male's hut. A decorative shield in the back adorned with feathers and colorful rocks acted as a center piece for the entire hut.

"That's what I do with most of my time, creating or repairing."

"Repairing. Do you think someone could make something to replace these?" Mathew held up a shoe. Matzo curiously looked over the strange object and scrunched his nose. A wolf never had to invent footwear for a sturdy paw.

"I think I can make something to cover your paws." He nodded looking over the entire shoe. "And it won't smell bad either." Matzo added with a smile grabbing a thick piece of leather. The creative wolf went to work cutting and sewing while looking at the old shoe for reference. The human busied himself looking around the decorated hut. There were plenty of fancy knives with handles carved from wood, antler, and even bone. The blades were polished giving them a sleek appearance. Two spears hung on one side of the wall with the same polished appearance.

"What are these?" Mathew picked up one of the flat blocks of stones that resembled a refined piece of lumber.

"Whetstones. You sharpen blades on them." Mathew accidentally dropped one causing an excruciating noise for the sensitive canine ear. "Don't drop a stone on another!" He grabbed his ears from the sharp slap.

"Sorry." Mathew separated them. Sometimes it was a curse and a blessing to have such great hearing. Mathew patiently waited the following hour and watched Mazto construct two shoes. He finished by sewing together a thin sole on the bottom made of tough rawhide to help the bottom last over any terrain.

"I'm lucky that I had some materials ready. Try them on." The wolf handed the new footwear to Mathew. He slipped them on and took a few steps.

"They fit!"

"That's good." He folded his arms with a smile.

"They're perfect. Thanks Matzo!"

"What do you want to do with these?" The wolf wrinkled his nose pointing at the shoes.

"You can use them for something. I don't need them anymore."

"I will bury them then." He sneezed making Mathew laugh. The powerful canine nose couldn't tolerate the smell.

"I take baths in the creek!"

"Every pup says that." He grinned. "If they tear just come visit for a while." The tan brown and white wolf offered.

"Thank you again Matzo." The human waved and left the wolf.

"You're welcome. Keep your paws safe!" Mathew walked outside with the new footwear that was surprisingly comfortable and well fitting.

'They are better than my old shoes.'

"Hi Math-" The human bumped into someone small as he stared at his walking feet. A little grey wolf stepped back with a startled yap.

"Sorry Watambi. I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you hurt?" He peered closer at the cream and grey pup covering his nose. When Mathew was close enough Watambi bumped noses with him.

"I got you!" He giggled as the human ruffled his mane.

"Sneaky wolf."

"What's on your paws Mathew?" The grey pup looked closely at the strange new footwear.

"A moccasin!" Or a paw cover in English.

"Why are you wearing it?"

"I don't have thick paw pads like you do, so I need to have something to be a pad for me."

"So it doesn't keep you warm like the rabbit fur does?" Watambi grabbed Mathew's blanket.

"Hey! I need this to stay warm." He wrapped himself up tighter. "But maybe I could borrow your fur instead."

"You can't have my fur!" The pup hugged himself as if it could be taken off.

"That isn't a problem." Mathew swiftly picked him up. "I will have to hold you all day then."

"Hey! Let me go!" He laughed. The two braids of hair dangled over the pup's shoulders. A stick whizzed nearby through the air and landed in the grass. "What was that?" Mathew set Watambi down.

"A stick." The wolf kicked the small piece of wood. Four pups immediately ran from around a hut and charged at Watambi. The wolf jumped out of the way. Loincloths flapped wildly as the four found the stick and wrestled for it.

"What are you pups playing?" Mathew inquired when the victor stood up.

"Hey flat face! We're playing with a stick." He held up the half gnawed piece of wood in his mouth. Another pup suddenly yanked it out and handed it to the human.

"Can you throw it for us?"

"Don't throw it over a hut please." Another added. Watambi joined the group of pups wanting Mathew to play.

"Alright, go!" He threw it a fair distance and the pups dashed after it. A tumbling bundle of fur rolled on the ground before one emerged triumphant with the stick in their muzzle. The action was repeated with bounds of laughter and barks again, and again. "Don't try hitting me next time!" Mathew threw the stick further away. The human stood back while everyone dashed for the thrown wood. "Hello." He noticed a tall grey wolf beside him with brown markings, but didn't recognize him. Two dark grey braids rested along his back where the rest of his hair was left untied. Necklaces, armbands, a quiver, and even an anklet adorned him.

"I'm Tarkan, and that's my son." He pointed wearing a grin to the small white pup running around.

"Dad! You're back!" One pup broke off seeing the spear wielding male walking towards them. The pup's father had gone to a Massanonoota village to help fight in a Flower War a month ago. Nagao could probably field two hundred warriors from his village alone. From each of the four smaller villages within the entire tribe he maintained, Nagao could field a total of four hundred to five hundred warriors. Depending on how alliances lasted with other tribes a coalition of over one thousand wolves could be assembled within one week. However, a war of that scale rarely happened in one's lifetime so it was fairly common for warriors from Massa to assist other smaller villages of their tribe. Mathew watched the dad pick up his son with an open smile, tongue lolling out jovially.

"You grew so tall since I left!" He lifted his son up high before hugging him.

"I want to be as tall as you!"

"Let's go and surprise your mother." Tarkan carried his son away through the huts.

'He's lucky to have a father.' Mathew thought about Nepheira for a moment before returning to the other pups to play. Gradually as the sun began to set all had retired to their respective huts, including the human. Aitu was already preparing for the night by the low fire.

"You were gone for a long time." She noticed the human enter.

"Oh. I played with Watambi and some of his friends after Matzo made these." He held up a moccasin.

"It looks strange." She peered closely at the leather item. "What is it?"

"It's a moccasin. I can walk anywhere with the sturdy bottom because I don't have tough paws." He showed the bottom to her.

"That was very nice of him." She liked the replacement for his shoes. "But did you forget that I cooked your favorite?" Aitu looked dejected. Mathew looked at the fire pit seeing a small pot having forgotten she made dinner. The human quickly found himself in a head lock with his face buried in black fur.

"Ah! Aitu!" He couldn't squirm away.

"How could you Mathew!" The wolfess faked anger.

"I couldn't smell it! Honestly." He pleaded wearing a smile.

"You can smell me, but not food?" She kept the lock around his head for another moment before changing it into a small hug.

"Thanks." He picked up a bowl and ladled himself a healthy portion. In a minute the bowl was empty and he ate the rest with gusto. "That was delicious! Thank you Aitu." He grinned setting the empty bowl aside.

"You're welcome." Her tail wagged, quietly thumping on the deerskin. "You will sleep well tonight then." She put the fire out.

"Oh, um. How do I sleep with this?" He pointed to the loincloth he was now wearing.

"You don't sleep wearing anything." She found his assumption funny and proceeded to take off her own. Mathew looked at his plain tribal clothes and knew Aitu was telling the truth. The human quietly slipped his garment off and lied down with his back to the fire pit. The rabbit fur blanket was securely wrapped over his body. The fur against his naked body felt nice and soft.

"Sleep well."

"Sleep well." She replied from her deerskin and went to sleep. The first hour of the night was very cold for the human, and even with Aitu's extra blanket the home didn't retain adequate insulation, especially for the cold stiff ground beneath his fur mat.

'Nepheira was never this cold.' Mathew clutched the blanket closely and shivered quietly by himself. 'She doesn't even need her blanket.' He eyed the wolfess lying across the hut with half of her upper body willingly exposed to the elements without worry. Aitu didn't even need a chest cloth. Mathew closed his eyes and shivered clinging to the animal fur, wishing that it could warm the air.

"Ahem." A voice gruffly interrupted his chills. He looked up, surprised to find Aitu kneeling by his side. Her long raven black hair spilled down from her shoulders and neck, nearly touching Mathew's face.

"Y-y-yes?" He bit his tongue to prevent his teeth from chattering.

"Come over and sleep with me. You'll freeze to death without any warmth." She offered with an extended hand. Her deep brown eyes didn't display any malice, and he accepted the generous offer.

"Your hand is warm." He grinned feeling the dual sensations of her pads and fur. She pulled Mathew up and led him over to her bedspread which consisted of one large animal pelt and a smaller thinner fur acting as a blanket. Aitu laid down with Mathew pressed against her back. He looked down remembering that he was naked, but it didn't seem to bother her. The wolf's fur felt great against his bare body, and so did the blanket. 'Wow she's warm!' He snuggled up close to the she wolf. The thinner animal pelt was tossed over his back and both settled down for the night. Her long hair made a perfect pillow for his head, but he didn't dare put his hands anywhere other than her shoulders. "Thank you." He almost stuttered keeping his face warm in her thick black fur.

"Sleep well." She mumbled, happy that her ears could no longer hear the chattering of his teeth.

Aitu blinked awake and yawned revealing her sharp pearly white teeth. The pitch black furred wolfess tried rolling over but felt a weight against her back. Her brow furrowed until she realized it was Mathew. The she wolf looked over her shoulder and saw his entire front, from face to paw, pressed against her.

"Clingy human." She noticed his arm wrapped over her midsection, along with his head implanted into her back. 'I can't even see his face.' The she wolf held a laugh back at his humorous appearance. "You need to wake up Mathew." Aitu nudged him.

"Mm. Huh?" The human removed his face from her back and rubbed his eyes. "Oh. Morning Aitu."

"Wolf or not, males wake up the same." Aitu tittered. Mathew looked down and quickly covered himself with a blanket.

'Humans are strange.' She couldn't understand his embarrassment. "You're the first human I know of to sleep with a wolf." She changed the subject and stretched looking back down at him. Mathew watched her body turn slightly towards him hearing her back crack. Aitu was pretty despite being a wolf. The wolf part came into mind as she placed her hand on his chest. Five black claws lightly prodded his skin. He tried to sit up, but her hand easily pinned him. She grinned looking at his little plight.

"You could let me up."

"Ok. Get dressed. You seemed to sleep well enough through the night." She moved her arm.

"It was warm... and safe sleeping with you." He admitted rolling over to retrieve his loincloth and rabbit blanket. The she wolf's ears pinned back with a grin briefly.

"You have to watch and play with a bunch of pups today." The tip of her tongue stuck out in a smile. His face lit up remembering the commitment he made a few days ago.

"You're right!" He quickly dressed and hurried outside with the rabbit blanket.

"Forgetful." Aitu stretched wearing a grin and reached for her loincloth and chest cloth. The wolfess quietly hummed tying the leather strings together before straightening out the deerskin. She could smell her own scent intermingled with Mathew's. 'He really smells like a wolf now.' Aitu mused crawling outside. The black she wolf stood facing the sun's morning golden rays. She ruffled her belly fur and sunned herself for a minute. No matter how cold the morning was, fall or winter, the wolf's fur always kept her warm. Hearing her stomach growl hungrily, Aitu went to the storage hut where meats were smoked and preserved. The large hut was filled with plenty of preserved carcasses, ready to be cooked. After slicing off a nice piece of meat from a deer, the wolfess returned to her hut for a quiet meal. 'Peaceful.' The wolfess thought to herself listening to the fire while the meat cooked. Movement by the door flap caught her eye. "Ah, hello Washaya." She smiled seeing her brother crawl inside. He smelled the air and looked around the hut before sitting across from her and touching noses.

"Hi Aitu. I wanted to stop by and check on you."

"You never visited me this much since Mathew lived here."

"I don't trust a flat face-" The grin left her muzzle.

"Human, Washaya." She corrected him.

"You're defending him again." Her brother crossly replied.

"Did you come to visit me or him?" She growled.

"You of course!" The black wolfess wrinkled her snout in annoyance.

"Just eat something." Aitu smelled that the meat was finished. They both paused to take a skewered chunk apiece.

"Even though you're my sister I have trouble understanding you." He sighed taking a bite.

"Mathew is harmless to any wolf. You should have trouble understanding yourself." She retorted.

"What do you do with this human? Sleep with him?" Washaya huffed.

"Only when he is cold."

"You let him sleep with you?!" The mottled grey wolf coughed, almost choking on his bite of food.

"Only last night because it was too cold for him. I want you to sleep with him at my home until I can think of something better."

"What!? He isn't a newborn pup. That flat face is fully grown!" The male pouted.

"He doesn't have fur, so it's either me or you in the same deer skin as him." She stared at her brother with a grin.

***

"Don't roll around." Aitu's brother growled before laying his head down.

"I won't." Mathew quietly scooted next to the warmer wolf on the deerskin.

"You two stop playing around over there so I can sleep." Aitu barked. Her brother glared angrily over at her backside. It was nighttime and Aitu pressured her brother enough to keep Mathew warm for the night.

"Of all the ridiculous things!" Washaya hissed trying to make himself comfortable. Mathew stayed motionless as Aitu's brother fumed well into the early night.

Mathew opened his eyes seeing Aitu dressing herself by the fire. Early morning rays of sunshine filtered through the door flap and hole in the roof giving the hut a golden appearance. The she wolf was quietly humming to herself as bulky fingers expertly tied the leather strings to her garments securely. The long black hair descending from her mane was already tied together in a "tail" with a small leather strip. The smile on her lips was contagious and the human was content with watching her.

'She is beautiful.' His mind briefly dwelled on the thought. He blinked when brown eyes met his own.

"Did you sleep well Mathew?" Aitu approached the waking human with his loincloth in hand.

"Thanks to your brother I did." He stretched and sat up on the mat noticing that the wolf was nowhere to be seen. "Where is he?"

"He left at sunrise because he couldn't sleep at all." She chuckled sitting next to him. The black wolfess gave him his loincloth to dress. "My brother isn't one to sleep well with others, so I guess you'll have to sleep with me until spring arrives."

"Are you sure that's alright?" He hummed as her warm padded hands made contact with his skin.

"Well if you want to freeze at night then that's your choice." She noted how his skin couldn't hold up to the elements.

"I'll accept your generous offer then." He smiled and shook her hand.

"Good. You freeze too easily." Aitu chuckled and sat back on her hands. Mathew tied his loincloth on but felt the cool air bite at his skin. He quickly wrapped himself up in the warmer rabbit blanket. "Do you have to be anywhere today?"

"No. Do you?" The wolfess shook her head causing her black hair to slowly sway.

"We could... do something together." She offered.

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you." Aitu grinned. The two thought for a moment.

"We could join a pack for a hunt." Mathew suggested.

"No. It's too late for that unless you want to return home in the dark." She shook her head.

"Do you have any ideas?" The wolfess shrugged and nibbled at her lip in thought. Her black ears were pointing outwards. "We could walk out into the moor." He suggested. A grin grew along the she wolf's thin black lips.

"I'd like that." She nodded. Aitu gathered a few things while Mathew waited. The small circular piece of wood with leather stretched in the middle caught his eye. Tassels and feathers hung from the outer rim neatly. "Ready?" Aitu headed through the door flap. He looked back at the funny ornament hanging in the she wolf's hut before following her outside. It was cloudy and windy, typical for a day in the village, but the wind was very fierce!

"This wind is something else!" He maintained his hold on the rabbit blanket. Aitu's hair whipped around wildly. The wolfess seemed to enjoy it.

"I feel like a flying bird." She held her arms out and closed her eyes. Mathew nudged her and they started walking away from the village together.

"I miss the warmer weather from summer." He wiggled his nose in the nipping cold air.

"There's hardly any difference." The wolfess grinned feeling her fur ruffle in the wind. "Besides, an early winter means and early spring."

"I'm waiting." He replied as if speaking to the moor. They both laughed at that. "Where exactly are we going?" He asked looking across the relatively flat moor ahead of them.

"The marshes." She flicked her tail.

"Why there?"

"It is quiet and peaceful there, even during a windy day." She mused.

They reached the edge of the marshes northeast of the village by the afternoon. The wind continued its fierce gusts, but luckily there was no promise of rain. Aitu found a nice area of moss and grass by the water and laid down with a happy sigh.

"This is nice." She spread her limbs and smiled at the human sitting beside her. Aitu's winter coat was starting to come in, and it gave the wolfess a softer fluffier look. For a wolf wielding claws and fangs, she appeared harmless. Mathew leaned back and stared up at the cloud filled sky.

"It's nice to just lay around for a while." Not worrying about something was a luxury to the human. Aitu watched him for a while without interruption. The content expression on his face made her content. The wolfess propped herself on her side to face Mathew. The human didn't notice her predatory gaze for a while, but the grin on her muzzle and look in her eyes made him lean back a little more. "You're looking at me like prey." The salacious smile unnerved him.

"Mmm." She licked her lips and bared her teeth. "Maybe." Mathew shook his head but noticed she was wearing something new.

"What did you bring in the pouch?" Mathew eyed the leather sack on her hip.

"Deer jerky." She hungrily pulled out two pieces and handed him one.

"Mm. Thanks."

"It tastes better than human."

"Yeah-Wait, what?" He looked at her quizzically. The wolfess laughed. "You wouldn't eat a human." Mathew took another bite.

"But some pups are told stories about humans eating them if they misbehave." That didn't surprise Mathew, and he could guess that humans in New Haven and other settlements would tell similar stories to their kids.

"Where did you hear that?"

"A wolf can hear many things with their ears. Stories are the most common." She pointed at the furry triangles atop her head. Her ears swiveled revealing a small red cut on one.

"What happened to your ear?"

"My ear?" She felt over the back of the aforementioned spot finding a small cut. "Oh. I scratched it yesterday morning, apparently too rough."

"Does it hurt?" He reached out to touch it.

"No. I was half asleep when it happened anyway." She grinned turning her head for him to see. Mathew drew over the scab's red line on her ear. The roughness contrasted with the soft fur on her ear.

"I hope it heals quickly." He stopped noticing her hand moved towards his. The wolfess grabbed the human's hand and held it between them on the ground. The claw on her thumb traced over his skin.

"Do you like the cloths I chose to wear?" Aitu lifted an arm and leg as if to display her athletic body. Some of the black hair draped over the she wolf's chest cloth from the movement. The soft leather wasn't very different in itself, but along the outer sides of her smaller breasts were small tassels. Her loincloth was even more basic laying across her leg with the single string holding it together.

"I think they're nice." He nodded. Her tail wagged briefly at the comment. The she wolf's only two garments gave her a simple yet wild appearance. Aitu sat up and shook her body causing hair and tasseled to sway in a midnight shimmer.

"Could you brush the dirt off my back and hair?" She looked over her shoulder.

"Yes." He knelt behind her. The human went over her black hair and fur. Bits of dirt and grass began to fall out of the she wolf's pelt. His thumb suddenly caught the leather strings and untied them. 'Oops.' The leather unraveled and fell off her chest.

"Mathew." She turned around letting him see her petite black furred breasts. Although he had seen them countless times, for some reason the situation made his cheeks turn a light shade of red. Aitu smiled at his reaction, finding it cute. "What is this? A creek?" She laughed at the piece in her lap.

"Hey, I didn't mean to." He nervously grinned.

"That's fine. I'll put it back on when you're done." She turned back around for him. Mathew resumed combing his hands through her soft fur, ridding her beautiful black coat free from any remaining dirt or grass. "Are you finished?" She grinned and looked over her shoulder.

"After going through all that fur I am." He teased ruffling a spot on her back before standing up. Aitu stuck her tongue out at him and quickly tied on her chest cloth. The tassels jingled like silent bells reminding Mathew about the thing hanging in her hut. "Aitu."

"Yes?" She tied a secure knot and faced the human.

"What is that thing hanging in your hut that Nahua made for you?"

"A thing hanging in my hut?" Her head tilted slightly. "Oh! The bad dream catcher!" She drew a circle in the air.

"Yes. You said that it helped someone fall asleep."

"It does! A bad dream catcher prevents bad spirits from giving you bad dreams."

"But how?" The human didn't see how the two were remotely connected.

"How should I explain this..." She wagged her tail in thought. "It isn't difficult." The wolfess stated with a nod. "You have to make the wood in the circular shape and then have a pattern of leather strips in the middle. My mother made mine with a piece of stretched hide. Then you add feathers or make tassels for it and hang it in your hut."

"But how does that stop someone from having bad dreams?"

"Ah. Usually a shaman chants a special song and holds the bad dream catcher to a low fire while burning incense. It's spiritual." The importance of good dreams didn't make sense to the human. Sleeping was normally a time of vulnerability where precautions had to be taken.

"I guess wolves have many tales about dreams then." He presumed. The she wolf smiled showing her teeth.

"Oh there are many stories about dreams. There's the one about the wolf and the moon, the village hidden in the moor, the one where the spirits told a coyote to prepare for a harsh winter. Dreams are very important."

"Kithos mentioned that they are important."

"Mmhm. That is how the spirits usually communicate to us, although a shaman can see and hear more from the spirits. They are sensitive to nature." She explained it so fluidly to him.

"Humans don't dream of spirits." He found it odd to say. Mathew didn't know what a dream with a spirit would be like if they actually existed. He found the wolves' concept of nature and spirits very strange. He wished that they were real and could give him answers.

"If humans don't dream of the spirits, what do they dream of?"

"Nothing good." Mathew could only remember nightmares when waking up.

"You would say that." She nudged his shoulder, but the human shrugged it off. Mathew hadn't said a pleasant thin about New Haven or his old home in Nepheira to any wolf. Aitu wanted to know more about him and humans in general, but she didn't press the troubling issues that he concealed to himself. Aitu looked around the marsh for something to change the subject. The she wolf didn't want their day together to end on a bad feeling. "Have you gone ansava before?" Aitu asked.

"Ansava?" Mathew looked at her questioningly.

"Catch things from the water with... a net or something." Aitu explained the word for fishing.

"Sometimes in Nepheira, but not very often. Can you catch a fish in here?" He wondered looking across the water.

"The water doesn't even reach my knees, so it would be a very small fish. How big are they in Nepheira?" Mathew held his hands out a good meter. "What?! A fish that big!" Aitu barked.

"Yes it is true." He mused at her expression. "They're caught and eaten all the time."

"You have to show me how." She readily stood up.

"It's easy." He stood up beside the taller wolf. "You'll cast a line far out or you will have a giant net to let fish and other things trap themselves."

"How does one cast a line?" She found the translated expression confusing.

"It's similar to a thin leather string, but attached to a rod. You'll fling it out to cast it." He demonstrated with his wrist.

"That's all? Flicking your wrist."

"Then you will pull in whatever you catch."

"The string doesn't break?"

"No. If they did then most humans on the coast would not eat well." The wolfess thought it spectacular that a giant fish could be caught by such a thin line.

"I think it would be best for a wolf to hunt rather than fish." She admitted. "I walk better than I swim." They both laughed at that and looked across the still water hearing crickets and other nocturnal noises around them. They were soothing sounds that the wolfess had heard her entire life.

"Should we walk back to Massa soon?" Mathew asked looking inland seeing how late it was. Aitu spun around seeing the sun arcing down the sky as it always did when the evening drew late.

'Already?' She frowned and pinned her ears back. 'We were having a great time!' She wanted to scold the day for having so little time. The black wolfess's quick temper got the best of her, and she stomped her paw causing the soil to squish loudly. The soft peaty dirt gave way under her large paw, and the wolfess fell backwards into the brackish water.

"Aitu!" Mathew jumped forward and grabbed her hand as a splash and bark pierced the windy air. "I got you." He hauled her out of the water and onto dry land. The shock of the cold wind snapped the wolfess from her stupor.

"C-c-cold!" She shook her body. He covered his face feeling water droplets splatter everywhere as she dried herself of excess water. The wolfess was soaked from her shoulders down with the exception of her arms.

"You need to dry your fur!"

"B-b-back to vi-" Her own chattering teeth stopped her mid sentence. The wet leather against her body made a slushing noise.

"Take your clothes off or you'll freeze faster." He undid them without bothering to ask for her approval. Luckily she wasn't in much of a mood to argue as the wet leather was abandoned.

"Bu-b-" She stuttered running beside him.

"We can send someone to return them." He huffed hurrying over the uneven terrain. Gusts of wind marred their travel in the moor with nowhere to escape the chilling air. The wind stung his face and body painfully despite wearing the warm blanket around his back. A grimacing whimper sounded from the icy wind. Cold wind on a wet body had to be unimaginably painful. "How far is Massa Aitu?"

"F-f-far!" She stuttered running beside him. Mathew did his best to not stumble while helping her. He tried finding some sort of landmark to indicate how far they had to go, but the moor seemed to stretch on endlessly ahead of them.

'I can't keep going, and she needs to warm up.' Mathew knew they couldn't reach Massa before dark. "Aitu, we need to rest." He looked over spotting a tree nearby. The wolfess agreed without argument and followed him. She stumbled to the lone tree with a yelp before sitting down. Her breaths came in pants.

"Arooooo!" She howled for help, but the prevailing wind blocked her message from reaching the village. Aitu crossly shook her head knowing a reply wouldn't be given. "This is all my fault!" She whined through chattering teeth. "Lanathsak!" She barked angrily before dissolving into a whimper. The wet wolf was shivering incessantly.

'Think of something Mathew!' The human sat behind the wolf as an idea came to mind. "Press your back to my front for body heat-!" His breath was nearly squeezed out of his body as she shivered leaning back on him.

"Ma-Mathew! I'm s-so c-cold-d!" Her teeth chattered painfully. Her claws nearly pricked his skin as she clutched onto his legs for life. Despite the danger of getting his skin wet, Mathew tightly hugged her and began rubbing her body.

"Rub yourself or you will freeze!" He insisted. Aitu shivered while trying to warm her arms. The chilling cold from the wind made it difficult for the wolfess and human to think. Mathew's hands rigorously rubbed over her legs trying to warm and dry the wolf's damp fur and skin. 'There has to be a better way...' He watched her painfully shiver before a realization struck him. Her core would cool down faster if her chest remained wet. Aitu stiffened and growled quietly feeling his hands rub her front, including her breasts, to stay warm. "I'm sorry Aitu, but you can kill me tomorrow." He earnestly continued running his hands over her. She remained silent as the human rubbed her front creating a damp ruffling noise.

"I have heard of a pup loving a breast, but this is unreal." Her teeth chattered.

"Sh! Try not to let all the warmth out of your mouth." He chided her.

"Ha Ha." She mumbled with an unseen grin despite the gravity of their dilemma. A paw brushed against his leg sending a violent shiver up his spine. "Your paw pads are freezing!" He cringed feeling their icy chill on his warm skin.

"S-sorry." She whined holding into his legs again. Aitu's shivering lessened as Mathew rubbed her front and she dried her arms.

"Are you warmer?" The human asked. "Aitu... Aitu!" He nudged her.

"I'm... Tired." She yawned and chose to hold onto his legs. The hands on her pads were surprisingly warm and dry. Mathew gave a sigh of relief but didn't stop rubbing her body. The sun was starting to set as well. Neither of them were going to reach Massa soon.

"Try to sleep. I'll keep you warm." He returned to her sides. "Then we can hurry back to Massa."

"What if I don't wake up?" She asked fearfully. A chilled silence passed at the worst scenario that could potentially happen.

"Don't say that." His hands rubbed faster. "I'll be right here, and besides, you stopped shivering constantly a while ago so you will be fine." Aitu nodded and did her best to relax catch some sleep. Mathew didn't dare stop rubbing her. They were in a difficult situation. Aitu was wet, darkness was fast approaching, it was windy, cold, and the marshes were a few miles away from Massa. Mathew pressed his ear into her furry neck. She was breathing. 'You're not going to freeze. You're not going to freeze. The spirits won't let you freeze.' He chanted to himself over and over trying not to cry as the sun slowly finished creeping below the horizon. He didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Mathew paused a second to feel her body heat against his own before resuming. The human hadn't felt attached to someone so strongly since his mother was alive. Mathew couldn't do anything to prevent his mother from dying all those years ago, but the human would be damned if he couldn't save Aitu.

The human's hands were raw and red by the time the sun peeked above the horizon. His quivering lips and exposed skin were chilled to numbness. The wolfess in his arms was able to sleep through intervals most of the night, and best of all, her fur was completely dry.

"I'm alive." She yawned waking up. Her fur was a disorganized mess from being wet, then dried by hands all night.

"This i-is the warmest I've been at night in a l-l-long time." He joked despite the cold chilling his exposed areas.

"What about those winter nights where you nearly froze without me?" She quickly stood up. "I'm cold, but we can get back to the village easily." Aitu pulled him up only to notice that Mathew was the one shivering now despite the rabbit fur around his back. His lips were even a funny bluish color. "Let's hurry to the village. You don't look well." She rested a hand on his cheek feeling how cold he was. Mathew nodded and stumbled forward before regaining his balance. "Are you ok?" Aitu jogged with him over the moor.

"Yes." He nodded and hurried to keep up with her. Aitu began to worry at how clumsy the human's steps were, and how he had trouble jogging with her. The she wolf wanted to carry him, but she was tired as well from the entire ordeal. Mathew shivered holding onto her hand as they trekked over the dewy grass of the moor.

It was a difficult trip back to Massa, but the wolf village finally came into sight on the horizon.

"We're almost home!" Aitu triumphantly declared seeing huts on the horizon. Mathew kept pace with her but the adrenaline rush from running was wearing off, and exhaustion started overcoming the human.

"Ah! I can't feel my legs." He winced at the cold. The black she wolf desperately tugged him along.

"We're almost there!"

'Thank goodness.' He thought. Wolves were insight as well starting their day.

"Quick! Mathew is freezing!" Aitu barked alerting those nearby. Those already starting their day rushed to help, and others poked their heads outside to see what the barking was about. Mathew was surrounded as he collapsed to all fours. Strong arms swiftly lifted him up. The grey morning sky blurred in his vision.

"Relax. You're in our hands now." Mathew heard a whispering voice say beside him as he was quickly carried to Kithos's hut.

***

Mathew opened his eyes finding himself in Kithos's hut.

"You're finally awake." A voice said beside him. He turned seeing Kithos sitting beside him.

"Kithos?" Mathew started to sit up.

"Rest. Don't strain yourself." A clawed hand nudged him back down.

"Is Aitu alright?" He remembered passing out when Aitu reached the village with him.

"Thanks to your quick thinking she will be fine, but you're the one who had us worried."

"Worried about me?" He asked.

"You don't have any fur for weather like this. Besides, your back resembled ice when you fell unconscious."

"Where is Aitu?" Mathew inquired. Kithos pointed with his nose over to their right where a black wolfess was slouched against the medicine hut's wall, sleeping securely with a rabbit blanket. His apprentice was beside her keeping a watchful eye.

"We sent someone to retrieve her garments, but they won't dry for a while."

"Thank you." He sighed.

"Here. You must be hungry and thirsty." Mathew propped himself on his elbows and gladly accepted the food and water.

"Thanks." The human smiled while chewing. The shaman and his apprentice merely grinned. Aitu's black nose wiggled smelling food. The she wolf stretched and opened her eyes. Mathew noticed her wake up. Their eyes met for only a second before the naked wolfess pounced and had the human tightly wrapped in her arms. The wolf licked him as if he was a tasty morsel. "Ah! Aitu!" He pleaded and laughed as a broad pink tongue washed over his cheek

"I'm so sorry Mathew!" She whined wagging her tail. The lapping tongue didn't cease its ministrations.

"Let go!" He pleaded, unable to handle so much wolf at once.

"You're not leaving my arms at night, no excuses!" She clutched his form tightly in a hug.

"Careful, he just woke up Aitu." Kithos tried to intervene. A quick nip at his hand ruffled his fur.

"I woke up too." She closed her eyes and buried his face into her toasty neck fur. The shaman couldn't help but grin seeing that she wasn't hurting him. The strong smile on Mathew's face was enough proof to convince him.

Chapter VIII

The only noise in Hushi's hut was the sound of a low fire burning. Mathew laid her daughter Kiita down on a deerskin mat. The sleeping pup mumbled and rolled onto her side. She looked adorable with her tail tucked between her legs.

"I never thought she would tire out." Hushi whispered with a hint of amusement. Kiita loved to play hard, and wrestling was apparently her favorite no matter the season.

"Neither did I." Mathew sat down with an evident exhale and smiled at the mother. He folded the pup's loincloth and set it by the deerskin. The mother wolfess was reclined on a neighboring fur mat. Her son Tendo was almost done feeding from the bottom breast. "Don't your breasts get cold?" Mathew looked at the mother's visible pink nipple. The fire helped keep the hut warm, but frostbite there wouldn't help a mother in the slightest outside.

"I have a pelt of thicker fur to wrap over my chest when I'm outside." Hushi pointed over to a covered basket. "Rabbit fur works best, but squirrel is fine."

"I certainly could've used it a while ago." He recounted saving Aitu from the cold a few weeks ago.

"We still enjoy hearing your retelling, especially Kiita." She wagged her tail. A human saving Aitu was better than most tales, and it actually happened! "Everyone knows it now." Tendo fell asleep at his mother's breast and was gently removed. Hushi wrapped an arm around her pup and licked his forehead. A pup usually fell asleep by the mother's breast at night.

"I'm glad I could help here." The human waved to the family goodnight.

"Thank you again for helping me watch Kiita. Stay warm." She quietly bade the human goodnight.

"Goodnight." He left into the night. Outside, the full moon and starlight illuminated the village very well without any clouds nearby. Mathew clutched the rabbit fur close to his body as he walked. His breath was visible in the chilled air. The village was quiet except for loud laughter or voices escaping the hut walls. 'No gunshots or screams.' Mathew looked over his shoulder from experience half expecting both to occur. He only saw two wolves holding hands for a romantic walk around the huts. They shared tongues occasionally and talking only in sweet whispers to each other. The human continued to where Aitu's hut was located by the edge of the village. A few huts he passed glowed from the edges of the door flap signaling a lit fire inside. 'Uh oh.' He looked up seeing a cloud overtake the moon. Without enough light to see well, the human stumbled across the ground feeling his way around. 'Hurry. It's dark!' He told himself.

"Mathew?" A voice broke through the darkness.

"Aitu!" Mathew looked down finding the black wolfess sitting in front of the entrance to her hut. The thoughts about being in Nepheira dissipated.

"I've been waiting for you to return. A cloud just overshadowed the moon." She crawled inside with the human on her paws. The low fire was a welcome sight to the human. He could visibly see the hut's familiar surroundings. They sat down together on a deerskin, but Mathew was visibly shaken. "You look as if you ran into an evil spirit." She noticed the scared look on the human's face.

"It's so cold and creepy out there." He couldn't see far into the pitch black moorland where the sun had set.

"You shouldn't be fearful of the night or any darkness."

"I have been very afraid of the dark ever since I was little." He explained. "It was very dangerous in my old village after the sun had set."

"Let's watch the stars then." She crawled to the entrance and tugged his arm to follow. Wrapping himself in a blanket, Mathew followed her back into the chilly night a few steps out from her home. The moon was no longer blocked by a rogue cloud and he could see his breath in the air. They sat down in the grass and looked up at the star filled sky. Mathew calmed down sitting beside the wolfess, after all, what could be a threat outside when a wolf was beside you?

"What do you see up there?" He glanced at the wolfess staring up.

"Can't you see the shape of a crow?" She pointed to a patchwork of stars.

"Shape?" He questioned gazing at the countless twinkling dots of stars.

"Yes. You connect certain stars and they form something." He looked up at the sky unable to make anything of the countless sources of light. "Can't you see? Those form a deer." She pointed at the sky.

"I guess so..." He had trouble seeing anything in the clusters of stars.

"I'll show you." She lifted his chin with a warm hand. Claws lightly touched his cheek. "Do you see that lonely star?" She pointed.

"Yes."

"That forms the nose. The ones to the left and right curve up some to make antlers. The two above are ears." She pointed to the respective areas.

"Oh! I can see a deer!" He began to see the image. Aitu pointed out other shapes in the celestial sky, and Mathew was able to see them with her guidance.

"This reminds me of a good story about the moon." She brought an arm around his side. The human rarely found himself outside of her arms at night. "The land was once inhabited by very powerful and prideful tribes. Villages were very large-"

"You use tribe and village almost interchangeably, is there a difference?"

"Yes! Village is one village which is a piece of a tribe, and tribe refers to multiple villages under a single group. Our tribe is the Massanonoota and our village is Massa. It's easy to remember." She told him before returning to the story. "Anyway, villages were large and everything existed like today. There were Flower Wars and-"

"Flower Wars?"

"We use the word Flower Wars between other tribes. Fighting is like any flower. It blooms vibrant colors, but only shortly before wilting away." She explained. "Both chiefs negotiate a truce that requires at least one full season of peace. It's very dishonorable for the entire tribe if someone refuses peace after losing or breaking a truce."

"Oh."

"Back to the story..." She tsked tapping his shoulder with a claw. "There were Flower Wars and times of peace. Generations of families lived in a single village. Wolves hunted, played, bathed, and relaxed together." It sounded like a dream to Mathew, but Massa village was like that today! "However, no one dared to go outside of their village or home during nighttime." Aitu's voice turned low and spooky.

"Why not?"

"Because they were afraid of what they could not see. Evil spirits and many other dangers lurked behind the thick veil of darkness." She pinched his side making the human jump.

"Aitu!" he found himself stuck in her grasp.

"Hey it's a story." The black wolfess grinned. "One day a wolf from a small village decided to leave his home in the middle of the night. No one dared to stop him, not even his family because of their strong fear of the unknown. The strange sounds of the night scared the strong male, but none of them wavered his courage."

"Wasn't he in danger?" Mathew stared out into the dark moor.

"The wolf wouldn't let that fear control him. He boldly walked through the night to the top of a hill, unable to see beyond his nose. He lifted his head and howled at the moon to show itself! The black clouds cleared and moonlight shone onto the moors, lakes, and forests revealing that there weren't any monsters lurking in the shadows. Any evil spirit who troubled someone at night fled immediately, now seen. From that day forth the village treated him like a hero and nobody feared going into the dark anymore. And that's why wolves howl at the full moon sometimes. To show there is nothing to fear about the unknown." She finished the elaborate tale.

"That's a good story, but were wolves really afraid of the dark long ago?"

"It was long ago from what I've heard. Life was different at that time."

"Different?" He looked at her questioningly.

"Yes!" She looked into the night sky with a scheming face. "Things were very different. Some villages were built to live in the ground, others were built in the trees. Wolves hunted with their bare hands and ate everything raw. Your nose had to touch someone's paws in greeting! Some wolves even shaved their tales!" Her tales grew more outlandish, bordering in insanity. "-And. Haha! Your face is like a frog!" She held her muzzle and cackled. Mathew shivered shaking his head. Even when she was laughing at him it sounded nice. Mathew rubbed his legs feeling the cold creep along his exposed skin.

"It's cold out here. Lets go back inside." He stood up.

"Mhmhmhm. Ok." She finished her giggling and followed him inside. The hut was warmer by a few degrees from the fire, but the real warmth would come from Aitu and the deerskin mat. True to the wolf's word, she never let Mathew sleep on a separate mat since he saved her. They discarded their cloths and lied down on a deerskin. Mathew lied down facing the dormant fire as he normally did, but this time, the she wolf lied down facing Mathew. Aitu furrowed an arm under his head, acting like a pillow of sorts. The other rested over his front and pulled him closer to her warm furry body. The padded fingertips rubbed his chest for a moment keeping him comfortable. Mathew bit his lip hearing her breath so close.

"You're... Please don't bite me."

"Bite you?" She looked at him bewildered.

"Where will you put your muzzle?" Mathew looked over his shoulder at the wolf's long snout.

"Here." She plopped her muzzle down above his head so that her jaw rested on him. "And so you won't freeze..." An arm hugged his front keeping him close to her.

'Smart wolf.' Mathew settled down contently with the best warmth he could have. He wasn't the only one to enjoy the quiet closeness. "So..." Mathew found the closeness and arms around him protective rather than restrictive. "Where did you hear that tale from?"

"Which one?"

"The good one about the moon." He frowned thinking about the other ridiculous things.

"Oh. I think my mom told me that one when I was little. If not, then it was my grandfather." A claw tapped his chest in thought. "Most in the village know it. Why do you ask?"

"I was curious." He held her hand and closed his eyes. "Thanks for sharing it." A rumbling murr behind him seemed satisfied.

"Sleep well." She quietly spoke curling her tail over his leg.

"Sleep well." Mathew closed his eyes feeling her arm hug him.

Mathew ducked through the medicine hut door flap looking for Kithos, but a smaller wolf was alone by the low fire grinding herbs.

"Oh hello. Are you Kithos's apprentice?" The brown and white wolfess was fairly young and went about without wearing any clothes or bands in shamanic tradition. Although loincloths and chest pieces weren't very much to begin with. Her body had not started developing breasts and she was half a head shorter than him despite having digitigrade legs. Maturing growth spurts would have her looming over him soon enough.

"Y-yes." She stuttered. "I am Oshku." They touched noses briefly.

"Where is Kithos?"

"He is by the edge of the village where the moor is flat." She pointed north, cutely wiggling her nose.

"Thank you." Flurries danced in the cold air as Mathew kept his rabbit blanket tightly wrapped around his body. His moccasins lightly crunched in a thin dusting of snow in the grass around the village. 'I wonder how New Haven is dealing with the cold.' He thought. Getting firewood from outside the palisade would be dangerous, especially if they had attacked a patrol or pack of wolves. That fear would easily keep any resident inside. The human found the shaman sitting where Oshku told him, naked as always.

"While sitting still, lonely. We envy the dancing wind of the moor." He softly chanted.

'He's not good at singing.' Mathew warmed his nose and waited for the naked wolf to finish. He motioned a hand for Mathew to sit beside him.

"I suspect you have questions for me." Kithos grinned looking up at the human.

"What is all of this stuff?" Mathew wiped some away before joining the shaman.

"Haven't you seen snow before?" The human shook his head looking around at the light powder covering the grass as more light flakes descended from the sky.

"I haven't seen anything like this in Nepheira." He stared at the flurries whisking around them in the cold air. "They're cold."

"When it's too cold to rain this happens. It doesn't happen often though, but it is very beautiful." The shaman admired the winter scenery. He appeared happy despite being naked in the middle of the wintry village. Mathew joined him and looked at the snow falling onto the moor. His mind wandered staring at the snowy world that was empty and quiet.

"Is it true that humans inhabited this land long ago? Before wolves?" He asked the shaman.

"Questions I see? It sounds like you already believe one of the stories about how life started." He smiled. "There are strange things in these lands that the spirits tell me do not belong to wolves, or of any tribe I know. The tale of how everything came to be has no uniformity."

"What are some of the variations to the tale?" The shaman thought for a moment.

"Hmm... Long ago the land was once empty. There was nothing except for a clear sky and endless dirt. Not even a breeze of wind passed the empty plane. But a ground spirit sprang forth in a sudden burst from within the ground one day. The scattered dirt became rocks, mountains, and level spaces. Then grass, trees, rivers, flowers, and other features filled the new land followed by all kinds of animals from the burst's energy."

"Wolves too?" Mathew asked.

"Yes." Kithos nodded. "The story tells that wolves quickly formed into clan based villages, and this is true. Long ago villages were divided into clans that fought anyone not directly related to them by blood. Flower Wars lasted generations rather than half a season like today. But after so much unnecessary bloodshed the spirits intervened. The spirits instructed that if fighting was to resolve a conflict then it shouldn't last longer than a season. That is why Flower Wars last the life of a flower." The shaman added the random fact. "From then on villages like Massa developed and formed larger tribes that banded villages together."

"Wow. All from a spirit bursting into the world?"

"The world must start somewhere." He grinned. "But as I said, it is merely one of many tales concerning the beginning of all things long ago."

'Long ago...' Mathew remembered the ridiculous customs practiced long ago. "Are there any strange customs that villages or wolves practice?"

"What kind of strange habits?" Kithos tilted his head questioningly. Mathew fidgeted with his fingers.

"One night Aitu talked about how some wolves long ago that did a bunch of strange things."

"What kind of strange things?"

"Aitu said that wolves used to live underground, hunt without tools, eat raw meat, small each other's paws to say hi, and shave their tails..." Mathew listed some of the odd practices. "... Did anyone do those things?" The shaman's ears nearly popped off his furry head.

"Where to begin..." His head shook. "For strangeness: I have heard of a village very far to the north that practices bathing someone else while forbidding to bath oneself. The paw one is from a story about a wolf with the keenest nose who could tell where you had been any given day... You didn't believe Aitu did you?"

"No! Of course not!" Mathew stated with a flustered face.

"She is a good storyteller." Kithos smirked. "She mostly made that stuff up."

"But why wouldn't a village allow you to bathe yourself?" He could imagine a claw cutting his more delicate areas.

"I do not know. Maybe it's to encourage you to trust your fellow villagers from a young age."

"That's a strange way of doing it." Mathew looked around noticing the light snow had stopped. His nose was numb as well.

"Not as strange as what Aitu tells you." He chuckled. "Do you have anymore questions in your curious mind?"

"No, but if I have more I will see you again and ask." Mathew stood up from the cold ground and walked back to Aitu's hut.

"Goodbye." Kithos returned his gaze to the white covered moor. As soon as Mathew returned, he started a fire to warm the hut. Aitu would be back soon from hunting with a pack for the whole morning.

"That's what we need!" He smiled seeing a spark catch the small pile of tinder. A flame grew and soon the fire pit was alive once again. He gathered the softest deerskin and went outside to rid as much dust from it as he could. 'I hope this is good.' He went back inside setting the fresh mat down near the fire. It wasn't long before he heard rustling by the door flap and the black wolfess entered with her hunting equipment.

"Hello Mathew!" The wolfess shook her coat clear of snow.

"Hello. You're finally back from hunting." He greeted her but jumped back when their noses touched. "Your nose is freezing!" He said making her laugh.

"Brr!" She giggled. "It is cold outside." Aitu shook her fur wearing a pleasant smile and sat down on the provided mat. The she wolf, like every other wolf, didn't seem to be bothered very much by the cold air alone.

"You wear clothes meant for the summer." Mathew pointed out to the tribal garments that were relatively the same for all seasons with the exception of the loincloth having an extra layer or being made of rabbit or squirrel fur.

"My winter coat is better than any cloth." She rubbed her shoulder revealing the thicker black fluff. Her hair remained the same though with its small half dozen braids and tail. "Although I wish I had more fur between my toes and on my nose." She outstretched her legs towards him. The digitigrade black paws were scrunched together from the bitter cold. "I ran over a stretch of cold dirt that was wet. Then I dried them on colder grass." Mathew picked up a cold paw and gently began rubbing the bottom. Aitu didn't pull away. She found the touch very pleasant and pressed both legs forward for him to continue. The big pad on both paws felt leathery and silky as they started to warm. The wolfess's tail started wagging quietly behind her. "Ah." She sighed contently. "Thanks." Her tail wagged appreciatively feeling his thumbs rub in generous circles around her main pads.

"Your paws are soft." He was surprised the outdoor pads that treaded over numerous terrains could be so healthy without callous.

"You can do this any time you want with my paws." She lied down on a deerskin and relaxed into his gentle touch. With her main pads warm, he ventured up to four bulky toes atop each. They spread open, welcoming his touch. Each small black pad was akin to a little cold stone. Mathew rubbed each until they were warm and supple. The black claws atop each were large and carried bits of dirt underneath, but pitch black like the rest of her body. They were so different physically, yet man and wolf were almost alike. He sat there with his fingers entwined with her stubby clawed paws feeling her warmth gently radiating into his palm. It reminded him of sleeping with her, being warm and safe.

"They feel warm now."

"Mm. Thank you, they are warm." She sighed wiggling them as much as his fingers would allow.

"How did your hunt go?"

"Very well, but it was a long chase!" She excitedly replied and propped herself on her elbows. "Ikki and his sister were in our pack, and they decided to split up as the wind changed course-" Aitu began retelling the story of how their hunt was almost ruined. The wolf's ears were pointing at him throughout its entirety. "So we finally found Ikki by following his paw prints in the snow!" She laughed.

"I'm surprised you all could catch something that way." Mathew chuckled. Aitu nodded with a smile, and curiously looked at his hands that were still attached to her paws.

"Oh! I didn't mean to hold them for so long." His hands retracted.

"That's fine." She grinned leaving them in his lap. Mathew returned a nervous grin resting his hand on one. The large claws poked between his fingers. Their quiet moment ended as distant shouting could be heard from outside. In an instant Aitu was on all fours poking her head outside the door flap. "Come look Mathew!" She waved a hand. He hurried outside with her. The snow outside had already melted, but Aitu wasn't concerned about the snow. The human's eyes widened seeing a herd of sheep being led to the village from the east. Five wolves were barking and chasing the animals. Two in particular held guns in their hands.

'The shepherds by the village!' Mathew remembered.

"They raided a human pasture. A big one." She told him while they watched three dozen or so sheep being led past the huts down to the creek.

"Oh..." He watched the last ones disappear from view. Most, if not all, would be traded with other villages within the tribe. Aitu looked back at the human. Mathew looked saddened at the reminder of his human village.

'I want to take his mind off the human village.' Aitu stared at her paws. She appreciated him warming them from the cold. The wolfess concentrated before coming up with a splendid idea. "Do you want to go somewhere for the afternoon?" Aitu offered in a cheerful manner.

"Where?"

"Half Moon Lake. It's a disappearing lake."

"A disappearing lake?" He wondered what that was like. To his surprise, Aitu stood up wearing a grin.

"We can go see it if you want. It's not far from here."

"Why do you want to show me this lake?" He asked bundling up in his rabbit blanket.

"Think of it as a reward for keeping my paws warm." She stuck the tip of her tongue out and led him into the moor stretching northward. The cold fields were quiet as they walked, but the two warmed up a conversation.

"My hair is getting long." He found the shaggy strands annoying and constantly adjusted himself.

"You're starting to look good." She grinned holding up a lock in her hand. "Maybe I can fit a braid in soon."

"A braid?" He imagined how strange he would look with one.

"Probably a tail to start with." She looked at his hair and imagined it a little longer. The pair continued along the moor and reached a small grassy hill. The mound looked different than the others he had seen around Massa, almost as if it didn't belong. "We're almost there." Aitu walked ahead of him, climbing up its gentle slope. The ground beneath their feet was softer and left behind noticeable tracks in the dirt and snow. The she wolf's physique allowed her to stride ahead of the smaller human. Mathew's foot caught something causing him to trip and fall face first into the ground.

"Ah. Why me?" He brushed himself clean. 'Huh?' Mathew peered down where he had fallen noticing an odd bulge in the ground. He cleared away a snowy clump of dirt and peered closer at the troublesome item. Rust and vague streaks of steely grey were uncovered. Metal! Panic spread to every nerve in the human's body. "Radiation!" He crawled away before scrambling to his feet. Aitu spun around hearing the dread in Mathew's voice. The human was sprinting back to the village as fast as his legs could run. The wolfess sprinted after him. Her powerfully built legs had little trouble catching up to him.

"Mathew! Stop!" She grabbed his arms and stopped the panicked human. Mathew struggled wildly and screamed. "What's wrong?!" She yelled frantically trying to calm the human down.

"No! Get off!" He struggled and flailed. His hand hit the wolfess during the conflict, unbeknownst to him. Aitu stood back in shock from the slap as he escaped out of her hands and ran off. The wolfess placed a hand over her cheek and watched Mathew flee as if his loincloths were aflame. Her face didn't hurt, but the nonexistent sting was more than skin deep. Mathew looked behind his shoulder only to see Aitu chasing after him with bared teeth. The wolf easily caught up to him and tackled the human to the snowy grass. Aitu snarled rolling the human to his back and pinned him.

"What is wrong with you!?" She barked angrily. Her hands gripped his arms tightly, but the she wolf's rage mixed with confusion seeing two tears run down his cheeks. Why was he the one crying? "Talk!" She barked.

"Th-uh... B-block." He sobbed incoherently. Aitu didn't know what to make of the human crying beneath her. She waited for Mathew to explain himself, but the look in his eyes were completely controlled by fear. The wolfess let her anger subside. "Sh. Stop crying." She whispered and wiped his eyes. He managed to nod feeling the soft pad rub over his skin. It oddly reminded Mathew of the first days in her hut. Aitu got off the human and helped him up. "You hit me." She said above a whisper. Her black ears rested flatly against her skull.

"I'm sorry." He choked back a sob and hugged her. She comforted him.

"What scared you so bad back there?"

"I-I think we're going to die." His voice choked.

"Die?" Aitu couldn't understand the human's logic. Mathew explained the best he could about the whole phenomena of magnet radiation to the wolf as they hurried back to the village. However, Kithos couldn't understand the human concept of magnet radiation either.

"I don't understand." Kithos listened to Mathew's account. The shaman's ears and brow were pinned deep in thought. "So any piece of metal I find from the land is dangerous?"

"Yes! And I touched it!" Mathew trembled holding himself. Kithos paused to think.

"How many times have you walked by that area Aitu?"

"Many times in packs or with friends and family since I was a pup." She insisted.

"But how?!" Mathew couldn't understand. "It's radiation."

"Is that a tale or have you seen this happen before?" Kithos questioned.

"Every human knows about it-"

"But have you seen it before?" He asked again.

"Well... No." He admitted.

"Then by the spirits how is it real?" The shaman wondered. Mathew was at a loss for words. It was a fact every human lived with. It restricted movements for generations based on the fear alone! Yet, no one observed it.

"Are you saying it is fake?" Mathew desperately asked.

"In my entire life, my predecessors, and ancestors have never seen anything you have described. Neither have the spirits have described anything so strange." Kithos cooly replied. Mathew frowned hearing the shaman discuss spirits again.

"Mathew..." Aitu laid a hand on his shoulder. "When he says that the spirits have no explanation, it is absolute. It cannot exist." She softly explained. Mathew shook his head unsure what to believe anymore if Kithos was correct.

'So none of it was real?' He thought.

"By the spirits you are lucky that the sharp item only chipped your claw." Kithos pointed to the human's foot. "Any cut can become infected and would require strong medicine." Mathew nodded staring at the deer mat he was sitting on. If magnet radiation wasn't real anymore, what else from the human world was not true? Kithos eased back and relaxed. "I think you two should get a good night's sleep to start a fresh morning." He grinned.

"That's a good idea." Aitu agreed and helped the quiet human from his seat. They waved before crawling out of the hut's door flap.

'He's the only one to visit me twice in a day and be perfectly healthy.' Kithos brought his pestle and mortar back out to grind. The two retired to Aitu's home for the evening. Both sat down on adjacent deerskin mats facing each other. There was a moment of silence between the two.

"Thanks for not hitting me." He gave a faint smile looking up at her.

"If I hit you Mathew, you're head might fall off." She smirked stretching her legs out to him.

"How many times do I have to rub your paws until you forgive me?" He asked setting both in his lap before starting with the right one.

"Ah, I don't know Mathew." She replied with a heartfelt sigh and grinned feeling his thumbs circle over the main pad. "Many seasons I suppose." Aitu stuck the tip of her tongue out.

Chapter IX

There was a warm break in the last week of winter, at least enough for a wolf to go to the beach.

"The warmer weather is a promising sign of spring!" A solid grey mother wolf breathed in the invigorating air. The sound of waves lapping against the shore grew louder as they approached the endless lake. Mathew was among the small group of five from Massa heading to the endless lake for the day. An odd sense of nostalgia washed over the human as the water came into sight. An entire year had almost passed since he arrived in Hibernia on that cramped wooden boat. But that was the past now. Watambi couldn't seem to discard his loincloth fast enough as he charged down the sandy shore. The cream and grey pup jumped over a little wave and splashed into the frothy seawater. His mother and father set their cloths neatly aside in a patch of grass before heading down to the water as well. The oldest male jammed his spear into the ground and reclined in the sand away from the lapping waves. He smiled as the sea wind buffeted his fur. Asaru, the oldest male, was in charge. His fur coat was brindle with a faint black stripe running down the middle of his back and tail. His arms and lower legs had a browner complexion, and his muzzle was ticked with white.

The mostly brown hair descending from his mane was organized into a dozen small tails wrapped into a long brown cloth to make a larger one.

"How often do wolves from Massa come to the beach?" Mathew asked Asaru and sat down beside the wolf.

"Whenever they want clams or to play in the endless lake." He scratched his jaw. Mathew nodded and looked back out at the sparkling deep blue sea.

'I wonder what else is out there if the radiation doesn't exist anymore.' The human could only guess since eighty percent of the world had been untouched since the apocalypse. Low tide waves gently rolled to shore while he thought. Watambi barked and yelled merrily as the smaller waves crashed into him.

"You should help us look for clams and oysters Watambi!" Ensha, his mother, sat up from digging. Her paws were covered in wet sand that resembled mud. The little wolf splashed over to his mother was excavating. Watambi's dad, Ixaki, joined them in the search nearby. Watambi and his mother started digging together in the sand where the water was shallow. It was amusing to watch them dig with their tails pointing straight up as foamy water washed over their paws.

"Hey, Mathew." The older male looked over at the human.

"Yes Asaru?"

"Let's collect some wood and dry grasses for a fire. We should cook some of what they catch to eat."

"That's a smart idea." They both stood up and headed inland along the shore. The two walked along the top of the beach and collected the plentiful driftwood dotting the beach.

"The view is beautiful and we can get away from all that sand for a while." He added brushing some out of his ankles and paws every dozen or so steps.

"Get away from it?" Mathew mused.

"Ugh. Sand always sticks to my loincloth." Asaru grumbled seeing the tan and brown specks on his draping cloth.

"It will come out." Mathew watched the old wolf set his collected driftwood down and grab his garment.

"But it's so annoying!" He flapped the end in the air trying to rid himself of the granules. Some sprinkled onto Mathew.

"Why did you come to the endless lake if you don't like sand?" He asked as the wolf picked his collected wood back up and regained his composure.

"I like to see my family playing together." He grinned. "I never did that enough before my mate traveled to the spirits' hunting grounds." The wolf stared at his own paw print in the sand. Wind ruffled Mathew's hair. The human didn't know what to say. "Alright," Asaru picked up another piece, "I think we have enough for a decent fire. Lets head back."

"I hope they caught a lot." Mathew walked beside him.

"Do you like clams and oysters a lot?"

"I haven't tried any before, but I want to taste one."

"Mm. They are delicious!" Asaru hummed. "But my son's mate doesn't like them. She says they are too slimy." The two walked back down the beach where the others were. Watambi and his parents were sitting in a semicircle in the sand close to the encroaching waves. Their fur was soaked thoroughly from being in the water and plastered tightly to their naked bodies.

"Hey! Where did you two go?" Ixaki waved as they approached.

"Mathew and I combed the beach for some wood to cook a few clams that you caught."

"Cook? They taste better fresh." Ixaki insisted.

"You don't want to steam a few?" Asaru asked seeing his son and grandson pop open fresh clams.

"Cooking them will take too long!" Watambi splurged his down.

"Well, I can't argue with that." Asaru joined his family and grabbed a clam. "Sorry Mathew. I guess we walked around and gathered wood for nothing." He chuckled.

"I don't mind walking." The human sat down in the sand.

"Don't eat too many Watambi or you won't have any room for dinner." His mother flicked away a third empty clam.

"I always have room for milk mom." He giggled trying to open his fourth one.

"What did you find there Watambi?" Asaru pointed at the ground in front of the little wolf.

"I found a shell." Watambi held up a sand dollar with some seaweed stuck to it.

"Wow. It's very beautiful like your mother." Asaru made Ensha's ears swivel. The wolves helped themselves to a few clams while they sat together.

"Do you want a clam Mathew?" Ensha offered one already cracked open.

"Sure." Mathew held the bivalve in his hand noting the odd smell.

"You eat it this way." Watambi used his long tongue to slurp the insides out. Mathew mimicked the motion the best he could and haphazardly swallowed the innards.

"Mm. It's different." He grimaced a little feeling it slide down his throat.

"You don't need to eat another." Ensha grinned. "I think they're slimy."

"Slimy means good to me." Asaru grinned noisily slurping another down. Watambi buried a few shells in the sand using his paws finding the adult talk boring, even if it was about clams.

"Let's play in the endless lake one more time!" Watambi jumped up from his seat. "Before we have to leave." His dad was quick to join in.

"I'll race you." Ixaki hopped to all fours. The two took off down the sand before splashing into the water. Ensha was quick to follow her mate and son.

"Do you want to play in the waves?" Asaru asked the timid human. Mathew stared at the endless lake without an answer. It did look fun. The pup ran back up the beach seeing that Asaru and Mathew were slow to rise.

"Come on grandpa Asaru!" Watambi cheered tugging on the elder wolf's arm.

"Okay! Okay! You'll pull my arm off." He followed his grandson.

"You should come too Mathew." Watambi waved for the human to follow.

"You want me to play in the endless lake too?" He found it odd to play naked in the ocean with a family of naked wolves, but it did look like a lot of fun.

"Yes!" The pup cheered.

"Don't stay alone in the sand Mathew." Asaru convinced the human to join them.

'Why not? There isn't any radiation to be afraid of.' He thought to himself untying his strings. They both set their loincloths aside and followed Watambi into the ocean with his parents. The water was cool, but exhilarating to the human. All of them held hands and waded about waist high in the water. A low wave rolled by before crashing to shore.

"Here's a good one!" Ixaki looked over his shoulder. Everyone yelled as a wall of water crashed into their backs. The wave continued to shore leaving them soaked. "Ready for the next one?" They yapped jovially as wave after wave crashed into their backs. Eventually they waded back to shore.

"Isn't the endless lake fun Mathew?" Watambi splashed in a little wave.

"Yeah, it is." He ruffled the pup's wet hair. Each wolf shook their bodies sending salty droplets across the sand and headed up the beach.

"Let's dry off in the grass before we head back to the village." Asaru suggested and gathered his loincloth. Everyone else followed suit leaving behind a mix of footprints and paw prints in the sand.

"Aha!" Watambi tumbled into a short patch of field grass where he spread his limbs and soaked up the sun.

"Aha!" His mother barked and pounced. Ensha pinned her son before rolling onto her back beside him. Mathew lied next to the old male and Ixaki. Legs lifted and bodies turned making use of the sunny sky. As usual, Mathew finished drying in the sun before anyone else. "Your skin dries so fast Mathew." Ensha proper herself on an elbow and looked at the human tying his loincloth on.

"That's because he only has two patches of fur. See?" Asaru grinned lifting the human's front loincloth.

"Hey! Don't lift that up." Mathew twisted around only for the fabric to untie and pool around his ankles.

"Curly." Ensha smiled at his groin fur. "Wolves don't have curly fur."

"A wolf's sheath would look strange with curly fur." Watambi giggled.

"Maybe curly fur would help my mane dry faster." Ixaki mused. There were three types of fur to a wolf: the regular fur that covered most of their bodies; the mane which was thickest around the back of their necks; and their hair that resembled human hair and descended from their manes to their tails.

"It would probably dry the same." Mathew guessed tying his loincloths on for a second time.

"If not you could dry it like this." Asaru lifted the human's loincloth a second time and started flapping it in the air. Mathew rested his hands on his hips.

"Having a grandpa wolf dry your cloth is not customary." Everyone laughed at that. The wolves gradually dried their fur and dressed, then the group was on their way back to the village.

"That was fun!" Watambi bounded through the tall grass in front of them.

"It was." His dad smiled carrying the basket full of shellfish.

"Mmhm." Asaru hummed strolling across the grassy moor.

"My fur is rough mom." Watambi brushed his hands over his front.

"The salty water makes fur rougher." Ensha explained.

"Does that mean we can go to the creek tomorrow and bathe together?" The pup was already thinking of all the fun he could have.

"Mmhm. We will go in the morning." She promised.

"Are you going to join us dad?" Ixaki asked Asaru.

"I wouldn't miss it for anything." The old brindle male couldn't wait to rid his fur of the bits of sand left in his fur coat, and more importantly, spend the day with his family.

"What?" Mathew noticed that everyone was looking at him expectantly.

"Are you going to join us at the creek tomorrow morning?" Ensha asked.

"Yeah Mathew! We can throw a stick back and forth or something with my dad and grandpa Asaru."

"I can if you want." Mathew agreed. He did have a lot of fun at the beach.

"Everyone together. This sounds fun." Asaru grinned. Mathew gazed out across the moor looking forward to the next day. The elder male brought his muzzle to the human's ear and whispered, "I can't thank you or the spirits enough for keeping this family together." Asaru rested his arm on Mathew's shoulders and pulled the human close to his body. The coarser fur felt different from the endless lake's water.

"Oh... You're welcome." Mathew grinned. He felt a small amount of happiness swell in his chest.

The late evening cloudy sky hid the sun's gradual journey to the horizon. On the small hill overlooking the village across the creek, three wolves watched the small group returning from the endless lake.

'He returned with Asaru's family.' The chieftain stared at the human in particular.

"Thinking about the flat face Nagao?" An old wolfess with a dulled golden and white fur coat stated, sitting beside the focused male. She leaned back and extended her digitigrade legs while a third wolf braided and organized her dusty golden and white hair.

"Yes. He is communicating very well in such little time. He even dresses like a wolf now."

"What will you do with Mathew when he tells us about his kind in that strange village by the salt waters?"

"I am not sure. He looks after pups and learns very well. The mothers do not have anything bad to tell about him."

"That friendliness may not last." The wary wolfess commented. Nagao paused to think.

"You are the only one in the council who wants him to leave." The chieftain looked at her.

"Yes. I believe it will be best for the village." She nodded.

"What do you think Kithos?" The chieftain asked. The naked brown wolf looked up from braiding the female's dusty golden and white hair.

"He looks lost when alone. A lone wolf is a sad wolf." He took another puff of smoke from his pipe and returned to braiding.

"I wonder if his kind are the same as ours." Nagao pondered.

"You can't assume that the rest are like him." The wolfess reminded her chieftain.

"Mathew is certainly more of a wolf than a human now."

"What do you see in him that is so promising?" The wolfess looked at the chieftain.

"The same as any wolf." He replied watching the group go their desperate ways into the village. Mathew ducked and disappeared into Aitu's hut as Asaru split up from his family.

"You thought he would try to swim away Oxka." The shaman mentioned. She merely folded her ears crossly. "Nagao, I don't think he wishes to return to that vile human village."

"You're right. He doesn't face his home yearning like my father did when he was captured by the Takeda tribe so many full seasons ago.... I will talk to him. Then I will decide whether he can stay longer or leave." Nagao closed his eyes reaching a decision.

Mathew looked out to the field in front of him. Spring wasn't far from full bloom. The blades of grass shimmered like the sea as a breeze passed through the area bringing flowery aromas with it. His shoulder length brown hair whipped in the wind, but remained together in the tribal styled "tail" that he now kept it in. He often stared out into the field when there was nothing else for him to do. It was peaceful, a sense that he was beginning to understand now. Mathew turned hearing encroaching steps from behind, but stiffened realizing which wolf was approaching him.

"Hello Mathew." The chieftain greeted the human and craned his neck down to touch noses. Jaws that could've killed him in an instant remained stoic and shut. Mathew shivered only for a warm gusty exhale to wash over his face as a braid touched his skin. The whole gesture easily intimidated the smaller human.

"H-hello." He looked down after the damp nose parted with his own.

"Enjoying the beautiful meadow I see." Nagao grinned and turned to face the empty grassy plain. Mathew froze up, unsure what to say in response. Nagao's nose could smell the nervous fear from the human. "Let's sit down." He suggested kneeling down in the short grass. Mathew nervously joined him and stared out into the moor. Mathew's mouth dried as silence ticked by. The black, brown, and auburn wolf glanced at the quiet human. The human could almost feel the wolf's eyes looking at his body. "You are starting to look like a wolf." He looked over the human's appearance. The loincloth, the tiny leather band holding his longer hair together, and his healthier slim build were great improvements to the average wolf.

"I don't think I am a wolf." Mathew humbly replied.

"Nonsense. You talk like us, and you even smell like us now." Nagao placed his hand on Mathew's shoulder. The human stiffened feeling the warm pads, fur, and claws touch his bare skin. 'Silent male.' He thought to himself. "Did you enjoy going to the endless lake with Asaru's family?"

"Yeah. It was a lot of fun." Mathew grinned.

"Did Asaru complain about the sand?"

"He kept complaining that it was in his loincloth, but it was probably in his nose, sheath, and ears too."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Nagao smiled seeing the human loosen up and motioned for a hidden wolf nearby to approach. The female delivered three rifles much to the human's surprise before leaving. "How does this thunder stick work?" Nagao handed him one of the guns. The wooden rifle felt surprisingly natural in his hands despite not holding one since nearly a year ago.

"Thunder stick?" Mathew questioned holding the rifle.

"Yes. This is one of your kind's thunder sticks." The chief picked up another resting beside him. The literal name made sense to Mathew. It was a really loud type of stick.

"Well... You aim with this piece here," Mathew touched a tip of metal, "so that it lines up with this notch." A wolf's eyesight wasn't as good as a humans, but the concept was still the same.

"I see." He stated. "But they're bad to hunt with. Too loud."

"Yeah they are loud." He could easily remember the loud shooting echo that each trigger produced.

"This part creates the thunder." Nagao's claw tapped the metal trigger. "If you have this." He held up a bullet in the other hand.

"How did you get them?" Mathew noticed the third gun beside Nagao.

"We have many from fighting... eh, your people." He scratched his mane. "What are your people called?"

"The simple way is humans. I am a human." Mathew explained pointing to himself.

"Human." Nagao spoke slowly. "What do humans call wolves?"

"Wolf." Mathew said the English word.

"Sounds like a wuff or a low bark." Nagao chuckled. Mathew grinned finding the wolf far less intimidating than the first day he saw him.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Um... What happened when humans first arrived here and built the walled village by the endless lake? Was there always fighting?"

"Before me was my father Terranon, and before him was the great white wolf Huvnar. Pashoon was the chief before Huvnar and during his time is when the first humans arrived on the shore nearby." Nagao nodded, successfully unraveling a brief history of the village's most recent chieftains. "That is when wolves learned about the thunder stick and its deadly purpose. To kill. Wolves are normally very curious, but our ancestors were very cautious towards your kind. Besides, something coming from the endless salt lake sounds unreal, even compared to a story." He mused.

"The unknown can be intimidating." He agreed. "When I first saw a wolf's claw and tooth, I was very afraid." Mathew recalled Captain Ducroix showing the items during his first day in New Haven. "The human that showed me held up both, and I had never seen anything like it."

"A human had a tooth and claw from a wolf?" Nagao growled. "Taking parts of a wolf as a trophy is disgusting!" He barked, startling Mathew. The great wolf closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't hate you Mathew." He calmed himself. "But I hate those in the human village that needlessly kill. It angers me so much that they thrive in war eternally." A moment of silence passed.

"It's very odd." Mathew began. "A friend of mine didn't believe that peace existed for wolves. In fact, most humans believe that every wolf is evil and wants to kill for no reason at all. The fighting and fears continue forever with no hope of stopping. Darren died because of it, and I lost my mom at a young age from it." Nagao noticed the human's discomfort discussing the subject. "But here, there isn't fighting. Everyone has parents, siblings, friends, and usually grandparents. Fighting is brief and far away for wolves. You permitted me to live and even stay..." He trailed off staring at the brown and black wolf. "Why did you spare me?" The human had narrowly evaded death many times, but none were so close to the day he was chased into the village.

"Spare you?" The great wolf's head tilted ever so slightly raising one ear higher than the other in question.

"Yes. When I first ran into the village. Everyone surrounded me but I didn't die. Someone held me until I was unconscious." The canine's powerful brown eyes stared into the human's.

"I am the one who picked you up around the neck." He nodded. "I wanted to kill you, but someone had just told me moments before that a human safely led Watambi home and spared a wolf who tried to kill him. You are that human."

"Why did you allow me to stay?"

"It was a lengthy discussion." He remembered the arguing between his council. "Half on my council decided to let you stay, and the other half wanted you to be thrown out leaving me divided. However, Kithos and Aitu swayed me to spare you and let you stay in the village so I may learn about your kind."

"To learn about me?"

"Yes." The chieftain nodded. "What you knew about the human village, how humans fought, anything! But most importantly why you did everything as a human. I would watch you many days at a time wondering what to do with you. At first some said that you were very afraid and nervous, maybe planning another escape, but as spring turned to summer then fall others told me you would watch pups and help parents look after them if needed. I wasn't sure to sincerely believe them until our shaman affirmed what most had told me... I thought you were a murderous animal, but I'm glad that you proved me wrong." His long hair flowed in the gentle breeze.

"I thought Wolves were murdering animals too, but I know better than those humans living by the endless lake."

"What is it like living in that palisade village?"

"I don't know, but probably very bad." Mathew assumed. The wolf looked at him suspiciously.

"Why don't you know?" The tips of his incisors were bared in frustration.

"No," Mathew shook his head, "I had just arrived there from Nepheira the day before, and it wasn't very different from my old home." The chief's temper cooled hearing this.

"Aitu told me that word, Nepheira. What is that place like?"

"It's across the endless lake," he started only to remember all the reasons why he left on the dangerous seafaring trip to the extreme northwest. "It was my old home before I came here. People never died from aging, only murder and starvation. Those who have power control others and the land. You steal to survive and you must look over your shoulder to make sure no one follows you. People kill each other every day... And bathing is almost impossible. Everyone is afraid." It wasn't difficult for the human to remember the horrors of living in Nepheira. The wolf appeared very disturbed at the concise description.

"What are the other humans like? Animals?"

"They are very afraid of what they do not know or understand. This fear of death has a strong hold over everyone."

"So humans do not understand wolves, therefore they fear them?"

"Yes. Humans always live in fear."

"Kill... to not be killed." The wolf shook his head unsure how that way of life could exist. Nagao relaxed having all the answers that he wanted about humans. "Kithos told me about a sickness that you said is spread from metal. Is this one of those fears?"

"Yes. It's why many humans fear leaving their homes no matter how cruel and terrible. It probably existed long ago, but not anymore." No one would know for sure. Any records from before the apocalypse were destroyed and anything made of metal would either be rusted or too damaged to use.

"You are not like those humans." Nagao pointed out. "Do you like Massa village?"

"I do. This village is a great place to live." He grinned. It was the new haven he had sought for when leaving Nepheira. The wolf rubbed his chin wondering something else.

"That makes my next question more difficult to ask." The chieftain admitted.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"My council has been divided on whether or not you should stay in the village or be forced out. However, that has changed. Those who wanted you to be banished seem more neutral on the decision, so I must ask you myself as the chieftain of the Massanonoota."

"What?" Mathew wasn't sure where he was leading him.

"Do you wish to return to your village?" Mathew was taken back from the question. He blinked several times as Nagao waited for a reply.

"Return?" Mathew fumbled the word.

"Yes. By my orders no one will stop you. You have spared Ashan and Watambi from untimely deaths, but we have only spared your life once. I can gather all of your things and you can leave today and reach the wooden palisade village by nightfall." Nagao offered. Mathew couldn't believe what he was hearing, and the human didn't want to. He couldn't go back to New Haven where fear controlled everyone, but more importantly, he didn't want to leave the wolf village. Despite what Mathew was to them, some gave him more respect than any human ever had. They even respected Nagao as their chief, not out of fear but from trust and faith in his character. The Massa village was kind and good.

"I'll do anything to stay." Mathew blurted out, surprising himself with his suddenness. The wolf broadly smiled and placed a hand on the human's shoulder.

"I think you've already proven yourself." Nagao stated. "You will always be welcome in this village, human or wolf."