The little wolf pup trailed after the adults through the thick layers of blinding white snow, bounding up and over the heavy drifts in an attempt to keep up. His siblings trailed behind him even further behind the main pack, three small canines almost lost in the melee of snow, ice, and fur.
The pup ahead, the most dominant of the four, and also the most distinguished in coloring, with a body covered entirely with inky black fur and dark, all-seeing eyes, suddenly kicked into a higher gear as the sweet smell of blood punctuated his keen nostrils, tantalizing him. He gave a high pitched squeal of delight at the thought of fresh meat from a successful hunt and eventually made it to a clearing where seven full grown grey wolves had gathered around a struggling caribou. It pitifully groaned as it fought to take last breaths magnified in the otherwise silent forest.
“Sita! Come! Gather your brother and sisters!” called his mother Lina, the beautiful alpha female of the pack with fur so white it nearly camouflaged her completely with the snow. This gave her an advantage in the hunt, because she could stalk the herds closely and pinpoint one specific animal to target before being spotted. Timing was everything in the hunt, and with Lina’s natural camouflage and hunting skills, it meant this wolf pack rarely lost a meal.
A body slammed into Sita from behind, and he growled in the most menacing way he could as his brother and sisters regained their footing next to him. “Success!” cried his youngest sister, Ella, a small pup with a light grey body and a kind white face framed by startling blue eyes.
“Of course. Mother and father always succeed,” agreed his other sister, Kira, a strong female pup with dark gray fur, so dark it was almost black, with vibrant white legs and a blaze of white leading down her head and onto her delicate snout. Her chocolate brown eyes glared at Sita as she said: “and there was no need to outrun us, brother. We will still have our bellies full no matter how far behind we may fall.”
“Unless of course you were captured by an eagle!” teased Sita, spinning around in the excitement caused by the hunt.
“An eagle!” exclaimed the last pup in a startled voice, a submissive male called Nika. Nika panted heavily as he stared up at the crystal blue sky, as if he were expecting the giant bird of prey to dive down and scoop him up.
“Hush Sita! You are scaring him!” growled Kira, nuzzling the tired younger male reassuringly. Sita rolled his eyes and stared at his brother in poorly disguised disgust. Sita loved his brother dearly like he did all the members of his pack, but he was less than impressed by the way Nika always seemed tired after trailing the hunt, and the way he was scared of other predators, such as the flying eagles and brown bears. In Sita’s opinion, there was no higher being in the forest than a wolf.
The four pups hung back several meters as the adults began to close in on the caribou, an old male with a bad hind foot. The prey animal was breathing heavily, and crimson blood dripped from his nose. As they watched in awe and committed every move to memory so that one day they would be able to imitate the adults exactly made, a massive gray wolf with a tuft of fiery red fur hinting subtly on lighter parts of his coat leapt on the animal and closed his powerful jaws on the throat of his prey, ending the creature’s struggle in one quick snap. This was Kassian, the alpha male of the pack, and the pups’ own father.
Pure adrenaline rushed through Sita’s veins as he rushed forward amid the fierce growling and snarling of his fellow wolves, his siblings right on his heels. As one, the pups descended upon the carcass and filled their bellies, while Kassian and Lina blocked the other wolves from the kill until their offspring had had their fill.
Sita, having gorged himself on the tasty caribou meat, finally stepped aside and the adult wolves inherited the food, each establishing his or her own place along the dinner table. Lina and Kassian, side by side, had the privilege of consuming the higher quality meat, since they were the Alpha male and female.
Next to them came the Beta pair: a black wolf with fluffy white fur on his chest and paws named Mihas ate, accompanied by a strong dark gray wolf named Dima. They were ahead of two other light gray wolves called Avel and Tekla, who snarled aggressively at each other as they both tried to get to the better meat. Eating the poorest quality meat at the lowest position in the pack was Artemi, the dark young Omega male who had recently transferred from another pack and had yet to prove himself a stronger pack member.
Eventually the adults too grew full and abandoned the rest of the caribou to the scavengers. As one, the pack trotted happily to a small, protected cave away from the swirling snow and freezing temperatures. The cave had a floor of soft dirt and fluffy leaves gathered earlier in the year. The walls were rough and dark, perfect cover from the biting wind of the Alaskan winter. The cave was large enough to accommodate all of the pack members comfortably.
Panting heavily out of deep satisfaction, the members of the pack lay down in the warm space.
Lina and Tekla lay at the farthest end from the entrance to the cave, licking Ella and Kira to clean their fur. Mihas was licking the left front paw of Dima, who had stepped on a sharp branch during the pursuit of the caribou and now had a small wound on her pad. She whimpered softly as Mihas cleaned the wound, then rested her head on his furry back and closed her eyes in contentment. Avel sat near the entrance to the cave next to Artemi, who was entertaining young Nika with a story of a fight between a brave lone wolf and a dangerous polar bear, a story that was more than likely completely false, but had the youngest pup in a trance.
Kassian lay in a corner of the cave, where Sita rested while gnawing a caribou bone in his mouth, desperate to get to the delicious marrow in the center.
“Sita?” asked Kassian, smiling inside at his son’s persistence. At the sound of his father’s voice, Sita abandoned the bone and gave the larger wolf his undivided attention, staring at him with his wide, dark eyes.
“Yes father?” Sita said eagerly.
“What did you think of the hunt today? Did you see everything? Did you understand everything?” Kassian asked.
“I saw everything father, just like you told me to. But I do not understand why we had to wait and single out just one. Do we not have the strength to take on them all? And why did we leave the rest of the caribou? Could we not have brought it with us?” Sita responded eagerly.
Kassian laughed quietly, or as much as a wolf could appear to do so, several deep pants with his eyes closed. He looked his son up and down, admiring his early knowledge. He waited a moment to ensure that Sita was listening, then he answered thoroughly: “we only take the ones who are not strong. This makes sure that the prey continue to breed, so we may always have food to eat. Why did we take that caribou?” he tested Sita.
“Because he had a bad hind foot,” Sita answered at once.
Kassian nodded in assurance. “Your mother saw that he could not outrun us. The pack must work together to hold just one caribou. Because, as strong as we are, we are stronger together. As big as we may be amongst ourselves, the caribou and elk will always be larger. But not when we are as one. Do you understand?” Sita nodded, and so Kassian continued.
“You are correct to think that we could have brought the caribou with us, but it is against the rules of the forest.” Sita cocked his head questioningly. “We must leave our kills for the scavengers to forage. They have a need to eat as much as we do, so that every speciee survives to see another winter. If, when we return, there is more left, we may claim the caribou again.” Kassian finished.
“But what if another wolf scavenges it?” Sita asked.
Kassian growled, softly, yet undeniably threateningly. “Another wolf would not dare cross the boundary, Sita. What have I told you about other wolves?”
“Each pack or individual must stay in their own territory. If they do this, then we will all live peacefully. If not, you may fight to defend.” Sita recited. “Father, have you ever had to defend your territory?”
Kassian nodded and began to speak when a distinct shadow crossed along the light of the cave. Slowly, the light began to fade, and was replaced by darkness. Sita watched it go, staying completely silent until all the light had vanished. Only then did he look back at his father, excitement bubbling to the surface at once when Kassian nodded slightly and rose to his feet.
When the other wolves saw their alpha walking toward the entrance to the cave, they also stood and followed him out into the new darkness. In the west, the remnants of the brilliant sunlight of the day still shone dully. Stretching toward the east were several different patterns of colors, from a muffled red and orange, to pink, to light purple, to midnight blue. Directly overhead, tiny sparkling stars were appearing in constellations.
When the entire pack had assembled outside of the cave and when Sita could no longer contain his eagerness, Kassian let loose a howl so high pitched and invigorating that Sita felt himself shaking. As one, all the wolves joined it, creating a natural chorus so beautiful it is one of the most notable sounds in the forest. Each wolf had his or her mouth pointed to the sky, letting their presence be known and strengthening the bond between them.
For several minutes the chorus continued, balanced perfectly with the deep howls of Kassian and Mihas and the high pitched howls of the pups. Every howl was distinctive to each wolf, so if they were ever lost, the pack would recognize the howl.
When at last Kassian lowered his great muzzle and silence sliced through the forest, the pups ran down the incline of the cave, their adrenaline pumping through their veins. They began to play with each other as only wolves can; pouncing, leaping, and pinning each other to the snowy ground in shows of dominance, the pups practiced the hunting moves they had seen their family execute earlier in the day.
Surprisingly, the adult wolves joined in the playing. As dusk is the time when wolves are very active, each wolf found new reserves of strength to play with each other. This play was very important to the pack structure; it strengthened the bond between the individual wolves and reinforced the social positions.
Mihas and Avel rolled around in the snow, biting at each others’ throats, though smiling while they did it, for the intent was not to hurt the other. Lina and Kassian pounced on each other happily, licking each other in the face whenever they stopped for a rest. Artemi, Dima, and Tekla chased each other to the edge of the forest, snapping at each other’s legs. The wolves treasured this time of day; it was a time to forget all the seriousness of survival and act like pups again.
When the last of the light rays of the sunset were no longer visible due to the blackness of night, Lina called the pups into the cave to rest for the night. Lina lay in the most sheltered corner, and the pups followed her lead, snuggling into her warm fur and resting against each other for body heat.
Sita’s mind was still racing, though his limbs ached with tiredness. He replayed the hunt over and over again in his mind: his mother lunging at the male caribou, startling all the others around him, his father leading the race after the tired male, the pack surrounding the defeated animal when it could run no longer. At some point during this recollection, Sita’s dark eyes closed and he fell into a deep, contented sleep, surrounded by his family.
It was the last time he would ever do so.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Early the next morning, Lina roused the pups with a gentle licking. Slowly they all rose to their feet, but even Sita was still exhausted from the previous days exertions. For a full grown wolf, the running was normal and even fun, but for the pups it was downright tiring.
“Mother, I’m tired,” complained Nika, stretching his limbs stiffly.
“A wolf is never tired,” snarled Sita, ashamed at his brother’s weakness. Lina gave him a warning look.
“You have a right to be tired, my dear. We will not go far today.”
Dima trotted into the cave and dropped a dead, dark brown hare on the floor in front of the pups. Dima was gifted with incredible stealth, even for a wolf, and she had caught three hares that morning. One, she had given to the alpha male and female, Kassian and Lina. Another, she gave to the other five wolves after eating some herself. The third, she gave to the pups.
Once the hares had been devoured, Lina led the way down to the river. The pups hung back, trotting slowly next to each other. Even Sita stayed near the rear, not having the strength to go any faster, though he would never admit it. Mihas brought up the rear, occasionally saying words of encouragement to keep the pups going.
Sita was relieved when he saw the rushing rapids of the river and heard the water slamming against the rocks ahead. He knelt down and took a long drink of the icy cold yet crystal clear water. Ella, Nika, and Kira drank on either side of him gratefully. Sita’s paws throbbed painfully and his joints were stiff and awkward.
Sita sat back and panted heavily, refreshed yet still tired. He glanced around the river, taking in the snow covered pine trees and snow mounds, along with his family. Mihas and Dima were trying to catch a salmon in the river, while Artemi, Avel and Tekla sniffed around the tree level for small game. Kassian was licking Lina affectionately. Everything seemed normal, until Kassian suddenly threw up his head in alarm.
Sita started when his father gave a harsh bark. Mihas looked up and ran over to Kassian’s side. As Beta male of the pack, he was often the main protector, alongside Kassian. Kassian spoke swiftly to Mihas, and both wolves glanced up at the cloudy gray sky. Sita followed their lead, as did most of the other wolves.
At first, Sita saw nothing amid the haze of clouds. Then a shape emerged from them and dove, flying low to the ground and making an unmistakably loud humming noise. It was shaped like a bird, with wings stretching ten feet on either side. The body was painted metallic black, and a strange, fast movement was coming from the front. Sita tilted his head as he tried to process the information. As far as he knew, this was just a large bird of prey. Coming strait toward the pack.
“An airplane!” called Artemi, bounding forward to his alpha male. Kassian watched the airplane for a few seconds, then turned called a brisk order, his voice full of a fear that Sita had never heard before from a wolf: “RUN!”
Kassian, Lina, Dima, and Artemi ran for the cover of the trees. Avel and Tekla met them there, and they all ran into the thick forest. Ella, Nika, and Kira bounded forward after their mother, but Sita was frozen in amazement. He kept his eyes on the airplane, watching as it descended closer and closer to his open position.
Suddenly he felt a tug at the back of his neck, and he was flying along toward the trees, hanging by the scruff of his neck in Mihas’ gentle mouth. The two black wolves galloped away from the river, until a harsh and violent snap came from above.
Sita tumbled to the ground, hitting and running over the snow. He looked behind him and saw that Mihas had fallen, and was now whimpering pitifully on the ground, dark red liquid turning the white snow red from a wound on his back. Sita squealed and run toward the Beta wolf, but Mihas yelled at him in a rasping voice: “No! Run Sita! Leave me and go!”
Sita whimpered. Wolves rarely left an injured member of the pack, and it was against Sita’s nature to go on alone. The airplane flew over him, chasing after the pack.
Finally fear and obedience came into play and Sita began to run. He ran as if he had never run before in his life. He was desperate to get to his pack; to tell them what had happened; to go back to Mihas and help him.
Sita shuddered as three successive cracks sounded again from above. He kept running, hoping that the trees would protect his parents, his aunts, and his uncles. As he leaped over the snow mounds, another three cracks came from the airplane. The little pup ducked under a small pine tree and cowered beneath the branches, shaking uncontrollably.
“Sita?” came a small voice.
Sita turned around and saw three pairs of eyes staring fearfully at him. Hesitantly, Nika crept forward and sat next to his brother. “What happened? Where’s Mihas?”
“He-he fell, back by the river. He told me to keep going, to leave him…” Sita’s voice broke as he pictured the crimson blood leaving the strong wolf’s body. “What happened to you? Where are mother and father?” Sita asked.
“Mother told us to stay under here until she came for us. Then she ran off with the others. Sita-you don’t think…” Ella said, nervously speaking for the first time.
None of the pups waited for an answer. They all broke through the shelter of the pine branches and darted through the forest, calling for the pack. No sound greeted them in return.
Desperate, Sita howled and then listened for a return. Nothing.
“Nika! Sita! Kira! Ella! Over here” came a familiar voice after they had been running frantically for over an hour.
All the pups stopped abruptly and ran toward the sound of the voice.
Artemi stepped out from behind a pine tree, limping badly from a wound in his left paw. He winced painfully as the wound hit the ground and more blood spewed over.
“Artemi!” cried Nika, Ella, and Kira in relief, ambling over to the gray wolf. Artemi nuzzled him affectionately. Sita hung back, looking around for the other adults. Trees and snow were the only thing he saw however, and a sinking feeling appeared deep in his chest.
“Where are mother and father? Where are Tekla and Dima and Avel?” the pups asked at once, their happiness at greeting Artemi short-lived.
The older wolf sighed unhappily and closed his eyes. He lay down by the side of a thick tree, and was silent for a long time. The pups waited.
“We are our own family now.”

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 22.02.2010

Alle Rechte vorbehalten