Copyright (c) 1996 by Asikaa.
The right of Asikaa to be identified as the author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988.
All rights reserved. This text may be copied and freely distributed as
long as the following conditions are adhered to: 1. No profit is made
from the copying and distribution of this text. 2. The text remains
intact in its entirety, including this header. This arrangement is
liable to change at any time without notice. Any queries or comments
should be directed via electronic mail to the author at asikaa@poboxes.com.
Charlotte trod confidently over the rough track that led down the
mountainside to the town. Nestled close to the protective bulk of Mount
Terson, the small town of Garrelside consisted mainly of little wooden
houses and a scattering of trading posts. It was strange to see the dark
roofs in sharp relief to the green gardens and well-kept verges. The
winter had been long and harsh. These vibrant colours of Spring had
seemed reluctant to shake off the glittering layer of snow. Charlotte had
grown so used to seeing the town under its white blanket that the
explosion of colour was all the more vivid.
Her cowhide boots crunched over the shale, never slipping, always sure and true. Charlotte turned twenty-three next week. She was looking forward to getting home to Redstone where she could meet her friends from her college days, get drunk and maybe fall asleep in the arms of an old flame.
Looking down at her feet striding over a small ditch, she decided that the denim shorts were a good choice. Since she had lived in the mountains the constant walking had firmed up her legs nicely, and now the pink light of the rising sun made the skin glow with health. Not a bad set of pins, she thought to herself, smiling.
The sudden increase in exercise had improved her state-of-mind as well as her body. She had gained confidence in her physical abilities, and even taken up Tae Kwon Do with old Bill Tak Wei in the town. She was now a blue belt, with lightning reactions and one hell of a roundhouse.
In fact, a lot of her friends would probably have difficulty recognizing her nowadays. With her hair back to its natural dark blonde and cut short, and her sinewy five foot seven figure, she was a far cry from the slightly chubby schoolkid they had known.
******
The jingle of the bell made Jimmy look up from his book. "Interview With The Vampire" by Anne Rice. All thoughts of what Lestat and his fellow characters were up to were banished by the woman that had just stepped into the shop.
"Hi there Jimmy" she said casually.
"Uh... uh... hey Charlotte."
Charlotte saw Jimmy put his book down on the counter out of the corner of her eye. She headed for the meat chiller and picked out two steaks. She'd have one for dinner tonight and freeze the other.
"Do you have any frozen french fries?" she asked without looking up from a can of tuna.
Jimmy stuttered that he didn't, and that he was really sorry.
"Hey, that's okay... Say, do you know if this tuna is dolphin-friendly?"
"Yeah, I think it is. Dad couldn't sell any of the other stuff."
Jimmy Stratton was Frank Stratton's only son. He was fifteen years old and doomed to spend the rest of his life tending his father's grocery store and reading horror novels. Charlotte sparred with him at the Tae Kwon Do club. She knew that he had a crush on her but did her best to act indifferently around him.
"Just these then, please. Oh, and gimme a box of matches."
Man, does she look good today, thought Jimmy. Those shorts... that tight white t-shirt... whew!
He rang Charlotte's groceries through the register and put them into a paper bag. "You want to spar some more on Tuesday?" he asked her, looking into her green eyes and feeling himself turn red. Suddenly a point about a yard from her feet became very interesting, so he stared at it.
"I can't come to class next week. I'm going back to my parent's home for a few days."
"Oh, okay." He looked downcast.
"Bye then."
"See you... oh Charlotte?"
She turned at the door, framed in the brightness of the new day.
"Have a nice time."
"Thanks."
******
The comforting fingers of the warm breeze toyed playfully through the trees as Charlotte strolled through the small copse between her cabin and the town below. Her bag of groceries tucked neatly under one arm, she popped a peppermint into her mouth from the pocket of her shorts.
Charlotte pitied Jimmy, trapped in his father's store, but could not bring herself to respond to his obvious enthusiasm for gaining her attention. She felt that it would be unfair of her to do anything that might encourage him, getting his hopes up only to be dashed against the rocks of disappointment.
She reached her door, and fished her keys from her jacket pocket. Turning the lock, all these thoughts dissolved at the sound of a chest-rumbling growl from within.
The door swung open with a quiet squeak as she dropped the grocery bag, the thud of impact and the rip of brown paper went unnoticed. Charlotte stared at the terrifying vision before her.
A huge mountain lion stood crouched in the centre of the planked floor, a side of smoked ham half-eaten between it's massive forepaws. Slivers of shattered glass littered the floor where the cat had forced its way into the cabin, hunger driving it to thievery from humans.
Charlotte nearly choked on her own heart, which had just taken a rapid upward excursion from its usual place. The mountain cat glared at her, its whiskered lips curled back to expose thick white needles of ivory, ripping agony embodied in their glinting wickedness. The sandy beast's tail whipped its fury out behind its coiled hindquarters. Charlotte was frozen, petrified by fear, her mind screaming at her to run but her legs simply quivering as her bladder let go. A bizarre image of her mother scolding her for being a dirty girl flicked through her consciousness.
The lion sprang, reaching out with skewer-tipped paws, ready to rip through cloth, skin and flesh. Charlotte screamed and turned to run at last. Her left foot slipped sideways and she fell. I'm dead, she thought as a silver streak flew over her defeated form. The angels have come for me.
But there was nothing. Nothing but blue sky. Charlotte sucked in air, a huge gulp of the sweetest air she'd ever known. She raised herself up on her elbows. What she saw plunged her back into the nightmare from which she had become detached just a moment ago.
The lion was still there, its ears flat against its tawny head, lips still drawn back over wicked teeth. But now there was something new... Fear. Real, genuine fear in its yellow eyes.
Charlotte's angel of salvation was a wolf. It stood squarely between her spreadeagled form and the hissing feline. Four red gashes dribbled blood on the wolf's shoulder, but the cat was hurt more seriously. A chunk of flesh was missing from its upper foreleg. Blood stained the grass as it poured from the wound, a crimson flood that surely spelled the end.
The wolf's ferocious growls all but drowned out the lion's defeated hissing. Again the wolf lunged, powerful jaws fastening around the cat's pink nose and muzzle. The lion squealed, its good paw raking down the wolf's chest, drawing fresh blood. Still the wolf did not release. Instead it bit down hard. There was a muffled crunch of bone, and the feline screamed in furious agony. It ripped free and fled, blood streaming from its crushed face.
The wolf turned, panting hard. Charlotte tipped over on one elbow. The horror welled deep down and rose fast. She threw up. As she retched on an empty stomach, a warm tongue lapped behind her ear.
[ Don't be scared. Everything's okay now. ]
Charlotte thought at first the wolf had spoken to her, but the words had simply floated into her mind. In fact they weren't even words, more like raw emotions and intent... the wolf wanted her to believe it was alright now, and it had translated into this thought. It was almost too much to take in after her ordeal.
"Wha... What? You just..."
[ Don't worry about it now. I'll explain later. Are you hurt? ]
"Uh... no. I can't underst..."
[ Be quiet now. ]
It was a soft command, but strangely compelling.
[ Let's go inside. ]
Charlotte picked herself up and followed the wolf into her cabin.
[ Close the door and sit down. ]
She obeyed. The wolf sat on the rug before the fireplace and stared right at her.
[ I have much to tell you. ]
Charlotte nodded. "No shit. Listen, you're hurt. Can I help?"
The wolf glanced down at his slashed fur, now caked with darkened blood.
[ I will live. ]
"No" she said, regaining some of her natural control. "You're hurt. Wait here."
Charlotte picked up a feeling of incredulity from the animal as she crossed into the kitchenette.
She returned with cotton wool, antiseptic and some bandages.
"We'll soon have you cleaned up."
The wolf flinched briefly at the initial sting of the antiseptic lotion. Charlotte gently cleaned the wounds and closed the cuts with medical tape.
"This stuff doesn't work too well on your fur."
[ It is very kind of you. ]
"Hey, you saved my life."
As she worked, Charlotte noticed how beautiful he was. His poise was confident, his expressive face full of noble serenity. He watched her, curious at these human methods of healing. She giggled as his warm breath tickled behind her ear.
As Charlotte was sitting back in the easy chair, the wolf again fixed her with his calm stare.
"How about some introductions here?" asked the girl.
[ I do not understand ]
"Names. My name is Charlotte. What's yours?"
[ Ti'rathi. It means Flanker. You may call me Flanker if that is easier for you ]
"Okay Flanker. So how come you can talk?"
[ If you mean the telepathy, it is there for a purpose. ]
"What purpose?"
[ I'm sure you have many questions. I will try to explain. Do you believe in reincarnation? ]
Charlotte blinked. "Never given it much thought."
[ Well, you and I are special cases. Our fates are closely entwined. ]
"What do you mean?"
[ I saved your life today because if I had not you would have become the mother of my pups. ]
"Huh?"
[ There is much to tell. ]
Flanker lay down and rested his head on his paws. He began his story.
He told Charlotte that he was a chosen one; a wolf with special gifts. He could see parts of the future and communicate with any living being. A wolf-shaman of sorts. When he was young he had a vision of terrifying intensity, where the wolves were involved in an all-out war with humanity.
[ All this would be caused if I outlive you. Should you die before I do, then you will return as a wolf, for that is your destiny. ]
Flanker took a deep breath.
[ And then I would meet you and fall in love with you. We would become mated, and one of our pups, a female, will grow to be a great leader. ]
"This is all a bit heavy" said Charlotte.
[ But it is imperative that you believe me. I have travelled a great distance to cease the chain of events that would have led to your death. ]
"I believe you, but it takes some getting used to."
[ Of course. Try to stay with me. I will continue. ]
"Hold on. Why is it so bad that our daughter become a great leader?"
[ Because she will witness the slaughter of her pack at the hands of human hunters. She will then use her extraordinary powers of persuasion and leadership to gather wolves from far and wide. With this army of wolves she will wage war on the two-legs. ]
The big wolf lifted a hindpaw and scratched behind his ear.
[ That will spell the end for my race. Many will be killed, both human and wolf, but the humans will win the battle eventually. Then the wolf will be no more. I cannot allow that to happen. ]
"But why don't you just refuse to acknowledge me when I reincarnate?"
The wolf smiled wistfully.
[ Even a chosen wolf cannot resist the greater power of love. It is one of the eksmana - the unchangable happenings. ]
Charlotte smiled back. "Do you love me now?"
[ Of course. Your basic personality will not change, no matter how many times you are reborn. I love you now as I love the nature that surrounds me in my territory; the fragrant spruce in Spring, the chatter of starlings, the burble of the mountain brook. ]
"But what will happen now that I will outlive you?"
[ Do not assume that is the case. I have many seasons left, and danger can arise within the blink of an eye. To answer your question; there are two possibilities. The first is that everything will remain as it is now. ]
"And the second?"
[ The second path could be beautiful... if certain events occur, humankind may finally admit to their shortcomings, and a new era of harmony will come about. ]
Charlotte shook her head. "I can't believe I'm part of such a... such a big picture."
[ We are all part of a big picture, no matter how insignificant we may seem under the vastness of the night sky. ]
"Is this anything to do with God?"
[ It is Nature. Nothing more, nothing less. Humans are unique in their personification of Nature. ]
Flanker stood and stretched his aching limbs.
[ Now I must leave you. But I will always be near, to protect you until my time comes. ]
"But I have so many questions..."
[ I fear I do not have the answers that you seek. Farewell my love. ]
The wolf, who had crossed to the doorway, turned to leave.
Somewhere a quiet but insistent bleeping grew steadily louder. Charlotte felt herself lifting up and up, until suddenly the sensation of levitation was replaced by a groggy confusion of light and deafening sound.
She turned over and hit the top of the alarm clock until it quit the racket.
Warm sheets, soft pillow. Jeez girl, your imagination really goes into overdrive sometimes...
Charlotte's stomach grumbled as an image of coffee and hot buttered muffins floated into her mind. She reluctantly swung her legs out of bed and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Throwing her gown around her shoulders, she went into the main room and lit the fire. Although it was Spring, the mornings were still fairly chilly. Turning to head for the kitchen, Charlotte nearly tripped over a bottle standing on the rug.
A bottle of antiseptic lotion.
