FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

When I am

in her arms,

my mother resembles

our Mother Earth

A fire crackled quietly in the center of the hut. Lenape hummed while she checked a few skewered morsels above the orange flames. She glanced at her son with a little smile.

"Staring won't make the meat cook faster." Lenape teased at the human sitting intently at the edge. John did not know what she was cooking, but his mouth watered at the tantalizing aroma caressing his nose. Venison was cooked regularly by the natives, and was a central staple food thanks to the plentiful herds during most of the year. The human's eyes carefully watched it cook. Lenape removed one from the flames and handed it to John. The boy blew on it until it was cool enough to eat on one bite.

"Mm!" He hummed with a smile. The portion was small, but it was the first warm bit of cooked food he had eaten in days. John devoured the other pieces and licked his fingers to capture any lingering taste. He looked at the fire hoping that there was more, but all had been eaten.

"I see that you liked it!" Lenape smiled at his eagerness. "But that won't be your only diet." She patted her lap. John settled beside the wolf and reclined into her lap. The low fire quietly crackled while the human latched on and ate. "Normally newborn pups are nursed until the age of four before being introduced to other foods." Lenape explained while he ate, despite knowing that he wouldn't understand her. "Their diet remains a mix of food and milk until they reach adolescence when they wean completely." Her smile lessened at the thought. Lenape glanced down at his body and looked at the thin darker hairs beginning to form along his legs. She wouldn't have the opportunity to raise him from infancy to adulthood, but the wolf was more than happy to care for him. "You rely on me for everything right now... That means it is my duty to teach you foraging and hunting, unless you show a liking to farming or fishing." Their village didn't farm a lot of food, merely a plot or two, but fishing was more prevalent because of the river's close proximity.

"But," she spoke again when he finished suckling, "I'll need to teach you our tongue before we can start doing those things." She headed for the hut's entrance. John didn't know what she was saying, but followed her out of the hut anyway. The cool morning air chilled his exposed skin for a moment before the sun warmed him. 'This thing doesn't keep me warm at all.' John looked at his loincloth for a moment. Although, his old clothes wouldn't serve much use either when winter arrives.

"Follow me." Lenape motioned to him. The boy walked behind the she wolf. Her long dark grey hair blew in the light breeze. When everything settled down, it reached the base of her tail.

'Where is she taking me?' He wondered as they left the cluster of huts. Nearby, a few wolves with quivers on their backs, knives hanging by their waists, and bows in hand were standing in the sunlight before embarking on a hunt. 'Why are they standing there?' John wondered.

"John?" Lenape noticed that her son wasn't beside her. She looked back and the human was standing in the grass, watching a hunting pack about to head out. A small smile formed on her muzzle as she walked back to him.

"Huh?" John nearly jumped as a hand rested on his shoulder.

"You see them?" The charcoal grey she wolf nodded towards the wolves sunning themselves. John returned his gaze towards the pack. "Hunting pack." She spoke the phrase. "Hunt."

"Hunt. Hunting pack." John pieced the words together. 'They're going to get something.' He could tell from their weapons on hand. All of them had long hair and wore loincloths, but some possessed armbands, necklaces, and anklets of lace. After a moment, the armed wolves walked away from the sunny spot. They headed out towards the forest single file. 'What are they going to hunt?' John wondered.

"Let's go." Lenape stood up and took ahold of his hand. They walked a short distance from the tribal village and across the field of grass. Lenape stopped at the top of a gentle slope overlooking most of the village and a neighboring farm. They could see several villagers starting their day around the huts. John watched her sit down with her legs stretched out. "Sit here." She patted the grass beside her. He understood and joined the female wolf. Lenape placed an arm around the boy to give him a sense of security. The wolf's muzzle always gave him the feeling that she appeared much closer.

'Why is she staring at me?' He felt nervous and leaned back, but the wolf's arm held him steady.

"Don't feel shy." She spoke softly and smiled at the boy. "Where to start..." Lenape looked around. There was so much that he didn't know, but needed to learn. John watched her look around before intently settling her eyes on him once again. She reached out slowly and tapped his forehead. He blinked as she pointed to her muzzle.

'What does she mean?' John didn't have to wonder very long. Lenape reached out to the ground beside him.

"Grass." She brushed her hand over the green blades before plucking one. John looked at her pinched fingers where the little piece was held.

"Grass?" He spoke the word carefully.

"Yes. Grass." Lenape nodded.

'Grass...' John looked across the field.

"Tree." She pointed towards a lone elm growing across the field.

"Tree..."

"Wolf." She pointed to those in the village and herself.

"Wolf." The word came perfectly.

"Yes! I am a wolf." Lenape nodded. "Woof!" The boy jumped at the quiet bark to her surprise and amusement. "No! Don't be scared!" She retained a laugh and kept him from leaning away. 'I don't think humans can bark...' She wondered. Lenape had seen a few adult humans before at a Nanu village to trade, but none of them had barked that she knew of.

'She barked at me.' John didn't know what to make of it.

"What are you two doing?" A familiar white wolfess approached them. Her long white hair flowed freely behind her back. She wore only a sole loincloth and bracelets of leather string, leaving her upper body topless.

"Hello Asawa." Lenape smelled the air. "You smell like a bunch of herbs and medicine."

"I was lingering around the medicine hut too long." She comically sighed and sat down. "Kazana needed help cleaning out some of the old herbs. All she did was complain that there was no shaman in training to help out."

"That sounds like her." She chuckled. "What about Amu? Isn't she back in the village?"

"I do not think so, but I am glad that Kantala has not shown any interest in medicine or the spirits." The white wolfess nodded. "So how has both of your mornings been?" Her muzzle flashed a smile at the human.

"I'm starting to teach John how to speak our tongue." Lenape proudly smiled.

"Aww, hello John." The white she wolf peered down at the human boy.

"You remember seeing Asawa, John?" The boy leaned back and hid behind Lenape's shoulder.

"He's shy like Kantala." Asawa mused.

"He will open up in time." She patted his arm. "Where is Kantala at?" Lenape noted that her friend's little white furred pup was absent.

"Practicing archery with a few other pups and elders."

"Where's your mate?"

"Fishing and crabbing by the river. Although I like to check up on him occasionally when he does."

"Why?"

"I caught him napping on a warm sunny day when he didn't catch a single thing!"

"A lazy wolf!" Lenape chuckled. "But that doesn't sound like him."

"The other day I was cleaning the blankets and pelts like I usually do a few times each season. My mate comes over and asks me if I needed any help."

"What's wrong with that?"

"I was almost done! So I told him to go away for a while." Asawa chuckled.

"He probably didn't know that." Lenape gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"Hardly." The white she wolf wiggled her black nose. "He did the same thing the last time I cleaned the pelts and blankets."

"Oh! Please tell me the details."

"It's a long story... Everything I say is a long story." She chuckled. The boy listened to the two female wolves talk in their strange language for a while. But as with anyone his age, boredom crept into his thoughts. He wormed out of Lenape's lap and walked away from the two. The two females didn't say anything, but watched the boy intently.

"Aren't you afraid that he will turn and run?" Asawa whispered. Lenape shook her head.

"No." She softly answered. "He won't run, and in any case I can follow his scent like a trail now." Her eyes watched the human meander through the field. John looked around the gentle grassy slopes. He could see for miles in almost any direction. Rolling meadows were to his left and right, a forest was far behind him, and beyond the adjacent village appeared to be another forest. He looked back at Lenape. The charcoal grey wolfess smiled at him, but made no move to stop him.

'She's okay with me walking away.' John thought to himself and walked to the village of wooden and earthen huts. It was one of the few moments where she wasn't by his side, and he wanted to explore a little on his own. "No boats, guns, houses, or roads." He stepped through the wild grasses. Even though there were huts that made up the tribal village, it still felt as if he was living in the naked wilderness. He reached the first huts and noticed that only a few villagers were outside. He saw one wolf crawl out of a hut before trotting off somewhere.

'What a strange place.' He thought and looked around the tribal community. The boy was accustomed to cramped houses, tall structures, noisy streets of asphalt or dirt, and until recently the sound of the ocean along a busy dock. None of that urban environment was present. It was quiet and calm where a breeze could be felt and heard. Distant barks or talking could be heard and faint trails of grey smoke rose from a few of the humble dwellings. John had no clue how far the village was from the coastal settlement of Wexford. Running night and day through the Hibernian wilderness after the attack was akin to a nightmare.

'Will she keep me here for a while?' He wondered why the she wolf was taking care of him, and feeding him in such a strange way. He wiped his mouth at the thought of nursing from her. 'Why is she nursing me?' John knew the wolf ate solid foods like a regular person. There was a lot he wanted to ask her, but the boy only knew a small handful of words to understand. He cautiously walked through the outer edges of the village, losing sight of the fields. Little paths of the ground were barren from years of trafficking paws. A male wolf exiting a hut caught sight of the boy. The canine's face appeared uninterested as he walked away.

'Are they all taller than most humans?' John wondered, feeling a little vulnerable. He continued walking and spotted a female wolf seated towards the front of an adjacent hut. The anthropomorphic canine villager had a typical pattern of light grey and white fur, but with hints of brown in her back, sides, and elsewhere. Long hair of matching color trailed down her back to the base of her idle tail.

'What's she doing?' John paused at the back of an adjacent hut. Her hands were busy with some garment, but a small figure was reclined in her lap. 'A pup!' His eyes could see a muzzle latched on and feeding from her breast. The mother was nursing her infant pup while mending a tasseled buckskin garment. The pup was too young to wear anything, but he was completely innocent of the fact. John watched them from around the edge of a hut. The mother wore a happy grin while she watched her pup nurse before returning her focus to the garment. Her hands were dextrous despite their bulkier build and claws. The little one suddenly finished and squirmed out of her lap. He rolled around on the ground before rising up on his little hands and hind paws. The adult kept an eye on him but continued her work without a missing a beat. John started walking towards the next hut, but a little yapping bark caught him off guard. The little wolf pup was facing him intently.

'Uh oh. He sees me.' John froze. At first, the mother eyed the presence of the human boy suspiciously, but the pup's curiosity didn't take notice of any potential warnings. The little canine started walking towards John on all fours. The human took a step back from the advancing pup, but his heel caught the ground. "Ah!" John fell backwards. The stumbling little furry body collided into his legs, barely propping him up from falling completely onto John. The boy tensed at the open jawed wolf pup. Plenty of sharp teeth were on display, ready to bite. He held up the little canine and sat up. "You're a heavy guy for your size." John noted the pup's round belly. The little wolf pup sniffed the air curiously and licked his nose. He noticed another pair of eyes looking directly at him over the pup's shoulder.

'Uh oh.' The mother wolf was looking directly at him. She waved for him to come over. The human nodded and approached her with the babbling infant in his arms. He sat down beside the wolfess without saying a word. Even seated the adult was much taller than the human boy, and well built for an active life like Lenape. The wolf's silence was as imposing as her stature, and he was afraid to move.

'Is she going to punish me?' He worried.

"What is your name?" The adult asked without pausing in her busy work. He merely blinked. "Your name..." She glanced an eye at the human boy.

'She said name.' He realized. "John." He answered. The wolf slowly nodded as if to imagine how she would pronounce the sound.

"I am Sanuswa." She motioned to herself.

"Sa-nu-swa..." John quietly sounded out the mother wolf's name. It almost had a musical tune to it. The pup wriggled around the human's lap until he was stretched out, belly up.

"He is my son," she spoke, "and his name is Tekobu."

"Tekobu?" John spoke the word. The pup's ears perked up at the sound of his own name. His little jaws parted revealing little sharp teeth.

"Aooo-oh!" A cute whine quietly echoed. The sound made the hairs on John's neck stand up straight.

'Please don't howl again.' John placed a hand on the pup's downy tan furred underbelly. Tekobu blinked and became fixated at the arm before his nose as the human's hand began petting him. John watched the lighter fur ruffle under his touch. The canine's fur was soft... "Ow!" He yowled in pain at the mouth clamping his skin. The pup had bitten his arm! The small jaws immediately released him and ears fell back guiltily from the shriek. Sanuswa chuckled before scolding her son.

"Tekobu..." Her voice hinted at a growl. His ears remained sadly pinned against his skull for a moment. "He bites." She calmly warned after the fact. Luckily, Tekobu lost interest in the human. The pup crawled out of his lap and played in the sparse grass behind Sanuswa. John observed the few huts he could see and the slow activity of the village. The few native villagers he could see were never within sight for more than a moment. Long hair, tails, muzzles, and not to mention fur. Nothing about the village was like the human towns and settlement he had lived in. A spear propped against the wall of a hut; a clump of fur strewn among the grass; a few sharp barks from nearby made Tekobu's ears perk up. The sounds of someone grinding something with a stone... All of which were foreign to the boy. And there were no humans present, nor were there any signs of their existence within the village.

He looked over at Sanuswa sitting beside him. The she wolf possessed bulky digits, but they didn't impede her from working on the unknown fabric. Each stitch she completed was seamless. Above her working hands were a pair of naked breasts covered in lighter brown fur with heavy hints of darker chocolate and brown hues towards her sides and neck. She lacked fur around her nipples like Lenape, but to a greater extent. John glanced between her unflinching gaze and her bare chest. The mother she wolf didn't appear ashamed of her toplessness before him or the rest of the village. It was something that the boy was becoming accustomed to. Without the taboo his gaze lingered elsewhere. The only clothing she wore was a simple loincloth that she was sitting on. One of her ankles and an arm had leather strings tied around with tiny feathers attached. Sanuswa had long grey and brown hair loosely bound together mid length by a similar leather string. A breeze only lightly ruffled a few loose strands. But her colorful fur made her appearance anything but bland.

"Sanuswa..." John quietly asked. The mother wolf paused and looked over at him.

"Yes?"

"Have you seen my dad?" He asked the she wolf. Her ears shifted at the sound of his human tongue, but it was clear that she didn't comprehend him. John knew it wasn't possible, but he wanted to remain hopeful. Maybe there were others who escaped into the wild like he did. Then he could talk to someone who spoke his language.

"There you are John!" A familiar voice called out.

"Huh?" The boy turned and noticed that Lenape and Asawa were standing behind him.

"Hello Lenape. Hi Asawa." The mother happily greeted the grey and white wolves. The two females knelt down and joined them for a moment.

"I see that you have met John." Lenape happily spoke as she placed an arm around the boy.

"He was watching us from around the hut, as if playing a war game." She half grinned. "Until Tekobu decided to 'attack' him." A few giggles escaped her muzzle. "I was surprised that Jin... er."

"John." Lenape spoke.

"Yes. John." Sanuswa licked her nose. "I was surprised that he carried my pup back and sat down beside me."

"How's your son?" Asawa couldn't help but inquire about the feisty pup playing at the hut's entrance.

"He's getting bigger every day, and hungrier."

"He looks just like you."

"Thank you, but don't say that around my mate too much. He already wants another one; one that looks like him."

'What are they talking about?' John looked back and forth as they talked. He couldn't comprehend anything being said. Lenape suddenly looked at him in mid sentence.

"I'm starting to teach him our tongue."

"I wondered if he could speak our tongue." She looked at the boy. "He didn't say very much."

"He will be able to say a lot more soon." The charcoal she wolf promised. "Thanks for keeping him company."

"You're welcome. Come visit again."

"Let's go back to the field John." Lenape pulled the boy to his feet. He looked back at the mother wolf and her little son before following Lenape back into the fields. Asawa bid them farewell for the day and parted ways.

***

After a lengthy day of speaking foreign words, John and Lenape returned to their hut just as the evening was coming to a close. Lenape looked over her shoulder. The boy looked solemn sitting by himself next to the dwindling fire. His unfocused gaze watched the remaining dancing flames.

"John?" Lenape turned to face him. He blinked and looked up at her. Clearly his mind was elsewhere. "Are you feeling ok?" She sat down beside John. He looked up at the wolf as she placed an arm around him. Her eyes stared at him softly. She made him feel safe and secure despite being so far away from any human home. He nibbled his lip and dropped his gaze. The human stared at her dark grey fur for a moment. Covered by his shadow with only a low fire, her soft coat resembled a forest or an ocean.

'How do I ask her?' John wondered. The hand on his shoulder began rubbing his skin, encouraging him to speak. "Mom..." His voice whispered.

"What?" She attentively listened.

"Wolf." He pointed at her.

"Wolf." Lenape nodded. John then pointed at himself without saying anything. 'Oh.' The wolf understood. "Human." She pointed at him.

"Human!" John was surprised that the word was the same in their tribal tongue.

"Mmhm." Lenape grinned and nodded.

"Humans...?" He asked and motioned everywhere.

"No." She softly answered and shook her head, confirming that he was the only human in the entire village.

"Oh..." He sadly frowned. "My dad wasn't with me when Wexford was attacked." He explained, but knew that she wouldn't understand him. "I guess he is not here." The boy had to accept the truth that he would never see his dad again. The hand holding John pulled him closer. The human found himself leaning on Lenape in a warm hug.

"Hmm. Mm. Mm. Hmm." Her voice softly hummed against his cheek, comforting the boy. The two sat together like that for a long moment, simply content with the other's presence. John could've fallen asleep had she continued. "Let me tend to a few things." Lenape stirred him awake loosened the embrace. "Bed." She pointed to the deer pelts and his rabbit fur blanket. "Sleep." John shuffled over to the bedding and laid down. He patiently waited and watched Lenape put out the fire. A cozy darkness enveloped the interior of the hut. Eyes could only distinguish outlines and shapes among shadows.

"I'm coming." Lenape's voice spoke up as she crawled towards him. He grinned, but held back a chuckle at how her breasts hung freely when she was on all fours. The wolfess laid down facing him.

'We're both naked.' John thought to himself how odd it was compared to living a human life. 'But she has fur.' The human snuggled closer to the she wolf's warm front anyway. He couldn't deny how soft and warm the wolfess was. An arm protectively wrapped around his back under the blanket. John didn't mind as long as he was with her. "Mom?" He softly asked one of the few words he knew in the native tongue.

"Hm?" Lenape felt a smaller hand rest on her breast and looked down. He wasn't a wolf, but she could see the nervous expression on his face. "Aww. You don't need to ask if you are hungry." She nudged him closer and patted his back. With a little encouragement the human boy latched on. He looked up at Lenape whose soft eyes watched him eat. A big grin was etched on her canine face. A wolf's smile was a little different than a human's because of the muzzle, but it still had the same meaning. A warm fuzzy feeling radiated inside his chest, making him regret ever running away.

'She's smiling at me just like Sanuswa smiled at her son...' He suddenly felt happy about it.

John stared at Lenape standing in front of him. The charcoal grey wolfess had her back to him, and the village behind them. The long hair from the back of her head and mane rested flatly on her back. A little breeze made some strands move. His gaze moved to her hand. He didn't know why she was carrying a small basket made of woven sweet grass.

'Are we going to get something?' He wondered. Unlike the hunting pack he saw yesterday, neither of them had any weapons on hand, not even a basic knife. Lenape started walking ahead of him into the field.

"John." She motioned with a hand and continued walking. He blinked at her swishing dark grey tail.

'She must want me to follow her.' John walked into the field with her. The grasses quietly crunched beneath their steps. Lenape and John stopped at the top of a little hill overlooking the landscape.

"The river." She pointed from north to east. The whole area was low and flat. The opposing side had a small fen with thick lush grass that transitioned to a hilly heath further away. To the north, beyond the narrowing upstream river that led downstream to Wexford, was a vast hilly moorland with only dots of trees. Even further were small mountains poking the sky and horizon itself.

'It's only a dozen or so meters across.' John noted that the river itself was not very wide. Two wolves were knee deep fishing with a net. "Who... are they?" He used what few words he knew so far.

"They are from our village." She motioned to the village behind them before waving at them. One waved back before returning to the net.

"Village?" He questioned the word.

"The village." She pointed again but his confused expression didn't resolve. 'Hmm...' Lenape thought to herself for a moment. "Here." The wolf set the basket down. The human blinked as she picked him up. Lenape hoisted the boy onto her shoulders so he could see everything better. John looked ahead as she motioned with her entire hand. "The village." She spoke again.

'The village...' He looked at all of the visible huts. 'Does she mean a town?' He guessed at the equivalent meanings.

"The village is part of a tribe."

"Tribe?"

"There are villages within a tribe. Sometimes a tribe is small with only a handful of villages, or big with many villages." Her explanation overloaded his limited vocabulary. The boy stared for a moment until something damp touched his skin. John looked down only to find out that the she wolf was trying to look up at him with a canine grin. Her canine muzzle and nose reached pretty far. A pink tongue suddenly flicked out, catching him by surprise. He laughed and grabbed her furry cheeks.

"He's pulling my fur!' Lenape winced and crouched back down for him to hop off. "Okay," she flattened her fur, "let's go." She picked up the basket and led John towards the woods. He closely followed her through the field of grass. Other villagers could be seen walking about, but John didn't have much time to guess what they were doing. They left the field behind and entered the forest. Towering trees replaced the open moorland and the sounds of birds replaced the wind. The wooded area was damp from a light rain during the night. The smells of peat, wood, and old leaves filled his nose. John stayed close to Lenape's side, but it wasn't easy following the adult wolf's longer strides over the uneven terrain. She carefully navigated around thorn bushes and avoided snagging tree roots for him. Thankfully, Lenape decided to stop along the edge of another field.

"Here." She knelt down and waved for John to join her. "The reason we are out here," Lenape spoke, "is to gather some acorns." The she wolf held up the little dark brown nut.

'Acorn.' John said the word in his mind.

"You have been eating well and I think we should make some more bread." She noticed how the human boy didn't appear as scrawny as before. She put it in the basket and briefly searched the ground. "We do not want ones like these." Lenape held up one with holes and a little root growing from the bottom bonfire tossing it away. She placed the basket between them and began scrounging around the ground. John peered closely at the ground and was surprised to find hundreds of the little nuts scattered across the grass.

'There's so many!' He picked up a few with one sweep of his hands. Lenape dumped a handful into the basket with him. John watched the wolfess scrounge over the ground for acorns. Her breasts moved as she did, and even jiggled from her subtler movements. 'They move so much.' John held himself back from snickering. The boy thought it was funny the way that her breasts moved when she was kneeling in search of unblemished acorns.

"What are you smiling about?" Lenape grinned over her shoulder at her son. He didn't say anything and quickly returned to picking through the grass. They quickly filled up the basket to its brim with the capped nuts without moving far. "There. This should be enough." The wolfess deposited her last handful. She stood up but hesitated heading straight back to the village. John looked at her and the pathway leading back through the forest.

"The village?" He pointed where they had come from.

"No." She shook her head and took ahold of his hand. "I want to take you somewhere else." Lenape walked with him. Beyond the edge of the forest was an expansive moorland with stone dotting the hilly landscape. Deer and other wildlife appeared as mere dots so far away. A stream was nestled at the bottom of the field ahead with a few scattered trees for shade close to the embankment. The colors of late blooming wild flowers added to the greens and earthy tones. The clouds themselves added more shades to the landscape. Their individual shadows could be marked clearly. The autumn colors of the land were stunningly beautiful. The human hadn't seen anything quite like it before. Lenape smiled at his in-awe reaction.

"The meadows are beautiful this time of year." She placed a hand on his back. The she wolf took a deep breath of the warm air as a breeze ruffled her fur and hair. The wild scents of the open landscape contrasted sharply with those of the forests. Her heart skipped a giddy beat as an idea formed. John didn't notice the canine's eyes settle on him. A pair of hands grasped under the boy's arms.

"Huh?" John blinked as he was suddenly lifted into the air. Lenape playfully barked once and dashed down the hillside with John leaning forward in her arms. He yelled as he appeared to fly above the ground while the wolf carrying him ran. After the initial shock John held his arms out and openly smiled. Lenape lifted John into the air several times before collapsing onto the ground with him. They laid in the grass laughing together. It was the first time Lenape had heard him laugh loudly, and her ears loved the sound. She held his hand, never feeling so proud and happy in a long time.

"Arooo!" She gave a short howl that echoed into the wind.

"That was fun!" John stared up at the blue sky. He hadn't felt so happy in a long time, and it was wonderful. The wolf beside him panted and regained her breath.

'I know you enjoyed that.' Lenape didn't need any language to understand. She looked to her side only to find her son standing up. John pointed at his loincloth before walking a couple of steps away. Lenape sat up in the tall grass. "John?"

"Mom..." He pointed to his loincloth before turning around and taking a few steps away. Lenape watched his back curiously and heard a steady stream hit the ground.

"You're raining." She spoke up.

"Huh?" John turned around when he finished.

"Rain." She pointed to the spot where he went. The boy looked around in confusion.

"Rain?" He drew a line from his body to the ground. 'That means the bathroom?' He thought to himself. The she wolf nodded.

"Yes, rain." Lenape pointed and stood up. John simply stood beside her and looked around the area. The she wolf's gaze settled on one area in particular. 'We're close to where... he is buried...' She realized.

"Huh?" John felt her grab ahold of his hand.

"Follow me." Lenape told him once again. The tall grasses fell beneath their steps. She led him down the rest of the gentle slope and halted between the creek and forest where the ground was bare. "This place is very special to me." She smiled at him. John didn't see anything out of the ordinary except for an oddly placed lone stick. It stuck up from the ground at an angle with two solid stones acting as support. A hand rested on his shoulder. John looked up and found her staring intently at him.

"Wait here." Lenape lightly pressed his shoulder. He stood still and watched her take a few steps forward. The charcoal grey wolf sat down before the stick. Her long grey hair covered her back like an enshrouding veil. Lenape stared at the item the boy considered no different than any other stick. His lack of understanding was innocuous but it reminded her that there was so much she had to teach him as a mother. Lenape reached out and placed a solemn hand on the rock. Its rigid gritty exterior was the complete opposite of the worn wood. Many personal notches and marks had been carved into the wood some time ago. A drawn out sigh blew past her lips. A strong mixture of emotions always welled up inside the wolfess when she visited this personally sacred spot.

"I miss you so much... Even after all this time has passed, it still seems as if one sunrise has passed." Lenape whispered. "But I can feel happy again as if you were still around." Her whisper found strength. "We finally have a pup Yehtnu," The charcoal grey wolfess glanced over her shoulder, "although he isn't exactly the pup we could've imagined, but I know you would love him the same." Lenape returned her gaze to the stick. "He even has your eyes." She softly smiled and took a moment to reflect. "The spirits have blessed us."

"What is she doing?" John watched the wolfess. The human boy wondered what she had said, and why she had talked to a stick in the ground. It was another layer of tribal life that he didn't understand. The silence lengthened and he looked around the quiet field anxiously. "Mom?" He spoke and her triangular ears immediately perked up. A canine face looked back at him before lifting into a pleasant grin. The boy's muscles tensed for a brief second. The glimpse of a fang still brought out an innate fear from within. Lenape stood up and approached him. John blinked as she sat down in front of him.

"I'm so happy that I found you, John." Lenape reached out and hugged the confused boy. John didn't understand but hugged her back anyway. The wolf was always warm and soft to hug. "Oh?" Lenape glanced up at the sky as she undid the hug. She had hardly noticed the gathering of grey clouds. "It might rain soon." She pointed at the sky.

"Rain?"

"Not this rain." She grinned and pointed to her loincloth and then the ground. "That rain." Her finger pointed up at the cloudy grey sky. John stared up and wondered what she had meant until a drop of rain hit his forehead. "Ah! Rain!" She exclaimed and jumped to her feet as the droplets became numerous.They ran up the hill and retrieved their basket of acorns along the way. Both huddled beneath a large tree overlooking the downward sloping grass and creek. The air cooled as the rain continued in earnest. In moments a shower descended on them. The pattering sound of rainfall soon drowned out all other noises around them.

"We're not too wet." Lenape looked over herself but felt a nudge. The boy nuzzled closer to the warmer body of fur beside him. "I guess we'll have to stay here a while." The wolf smiled, not minding at all. A gentle hand rested on his arm, and rubbed up and down his skin. The claws that touched the human no longer bothered him. He felt safe in her embrace. John looked at the fur on her arm.

'It's like a field of grass.' He thought to himself and stared at the field beyond as it rained. He fell asleep listening to the she wolf's calm breathing and the autumn rain.

John stayed close to the hut's fire. The heat and sputtering crackles gave a cozy feeling to the simple dirt floored dwelling. It was the middle of winter, and a chilly breeze could sap body heat right from his skin. The temperature had gradually cooled, but a recent cold snap had the entire area at freezing. He had never expected anything like it since he and his dad arrived in Wexford. It was never very cold where the boy was originally from. Only some nights were cool, but never close to freezing. The bed of two deerskins was now a small pile of various animal pelts and blankets. John didn't need all of them if he slept close to Lenape, and the wolf only needed one during the night.

"Are you ready, John?" A soft voice asked. The human turned his head as Lenape knelt down beside him. Despite the cold weather she was only wearing a typical loincloth and a necklace. A few winter time feathers adorned her mane and long hair as well. Natives didn't need many clothes because of their fur, especially with the ability of growing a winter coat.

"Mmhm." He nodded.

"Di you eat enough?" She checked. His eyes glanced down to the wolf's bare chest. The charcoal grey she wolf's areolae and nipples were completely void of fur, but the rest of her body was sporting a thick winter coat of grey fur. The fluffier appearance made the wolfess appear a little bigger, and very soft. All of the natives, wolf or not, appeared fluffier in their winter coats.

"Yes." He nodded and looked at his moccasins. The odd native designed footwear was created to resemble his shoes that were worn out and buried somewhere. John grabbed a thin blanket to stay warm and followed her outside, away from the warmth of the fire. The cold air fiercely bit his skin. John held the blanket tightly and clenched his teeth. His breath appeared like a cloud in front of his face. It was easily the coldest day he experienced inside the village. 'It must be freezing out here!' He feared. The other wolves he managed to see were dressed very lightly like Lenape. Only a few bothered wearing or carrying around blankets for extra warmth. Lenape took little notice of the biting cold. If anything, the mother wolf enjoyed the nipping cold on her uncovered nose and chest. Paws quietly crunched over the frost covered grass until a tug stopped her.

"M-m-mom." John's shaky voice pattered.

"Are you feeling ill?" Lenape crouched down and clasped his shaking hands. The sensation that greeted her palms shocked the mother. "You're cold!" John grabbed ahold of her and leaned forward. His hands sunk into her thick mane and his head rested against her warmer shoulder. He held the she wolf's coat and sat still while she rubbed warmth back into his body. The canine's warm embrace was like that of the little fire in their hut.

"I need... clothes... I-I'm c-cold." His teeth chattered.

"Humans need clothes to stay warm?" Lenape felt dumbfounded.

"It's too cold." He nodded.

"Let's go back." She picked the boy up and carried him back to the hut. Inside, the shivering boy watched Lenape search for something. "Here." She retrieved a heavier blanket, and placed it around his shoulders and back. John eagerly wrapped it around his vulnerable skin. It was much thicker and protective than the first blanket.

'Wool?' He recognized the material. 'Did they get this from a human?' He wondered. John hadn't seen any sheep since stumbling across the village after Wexford was attacked. There weren't even many sheep in the human settlement that he could recall. "Thank you mom." He felt better. The wolfess grinned and let her tail wag for a moment.

"I think I need something as well." Lenape didn't want him to feel out of place. She retrieved and tied on a chest cloth made of rabbit fur.

"Why?" He had never seen her wear one before.

"It's cold there too without my fur."

"Oh." He understood. 'Like me.'

"Come. Follow me." Lenape held out her hand. A kind grin looked at him expectantly. John grasped the larger hand covered in fur and pads. They left the hut and Lenape led him outside the village. Paws and moccasins quietly crunched over the field of frosty grass. The wool blanket resisted the cold and even a strong icy breeze. They left the village and passed the barren ground where potatoes were grown during the spring and summer. He could see a small snare set for an unlucky wandering rabbit. Lenape frequently walked with John across the moor or through the woods to teach him the native language while collecting firewood, foraging, or exploring the land around them. She took him west of the village where there was a large dense forest. The normally noisy woods were quiet in the colder weather. John could see the cloudy grey sky through the clutches of naked branches.

"The forests have many paths." Lenape pointed at theirs that forked. The trails that networked through the forests and fields were virtually invisible to the untrained eye. The wolfess sat down on the fallen tree and patted her lap. John sat down and arms protectively held him. The human snuggled into her furry warmth surrounding him. Lenape smiled and lowered her head to his shoulder. Her whiskers teased his skin before her fur warmed his cheek.

"Do you see the pine tree over there?" She pointed ahead with a claw.

"Yes." He nodded at the evergreen. The deciduous trees had lost their lingering colorful leaves weeks ago. All that remained were their bare limbs.

"Good. Can you hear the bird?" Lenape asked next. John blinked and hesitated. The grey wolfess dialed her ears to give him a hint.

"Oh." He thought aloud and listened. His ears located the short chirps, and he looked at the tree to his right.

"Very good." She smiled. "What about my paws?" She asked without moving her gaze. John hesitated before looking down. Her bulky grey digitigrade feet wielded thick black claws. His looked so frail compared to them!

"Yes. I can see your paws." The boy pointed down her legs. Her tail wagged proudly.

'His tongue is quickly learning.' She excitedly thought. He could understand so much after nearly two seasons of living in the village. "Let me tell you a story." Lenape suggested. "Stop me if I say any word that you don't understand."

"Okay." He nodded.

"Chief Yama was a powerful wolf of a far away village. He was tall with fur as black as night without the moon. He lived in a village like ours, and cared for everyone's well being. The wolf could catch a piece of moonlight between his fingers like so." Lenape demonstrated by pinching the air.

"Catch moonlight?"

"Yes. Catch it." She grasped the air as if something were there instead. "He was able to put all of the stars into the night sky that way so they could shine from dusk to dawn. However, one day a bad spirit decided to steal all of the stars and the moon from the sky. He was a sneaky fox who walked through the shadows at night to reach a nearby mountain."

"Tallest mountain?"

"Yes, a very big hill. The fox spirit could jump very high to catch the stars from the mountain." John barely noticed Lenape move her arms to his sides. The she wolf suddenly lifted the boy into the air. "He jumped and jumped to catch every one!" She continued the story. He laughed as she lifted him into the air multiple times.

"Then what happened?"

"But Chief Yama heard what the fox was trying to do, so he wanted to stop him from stealing the stars. He found a pouch of buckskin that the fox used to hide all of the stars, and tore it open. All of the stars flew back up to the sky!" Lenape's arms held his sides once again. John cheered as she lifted him into the air once more. "But the wolf worried about the bad spirit stealing the stars again. To hide them from the fox, chief Yama made it so that many nights are cloudy. The fox spirit could not find the stars, but he never stopped looking."

"Why didn't the fox stop looking?"

"I don't know." Lenape admitted. "But some elders say those who search for something out of reach that cannot be seen reminds them of the bad fox spirit."

'A fox and wolf who could catch stars...' John looked up at the cloudy sky and hopped off her lap.

"Was that a good story?" She stood up.

"Yes!" He nodded. Lenape happily watched her son look around the patch of woods they were in. On occasion he would pick something up or point and ask what it was. The wolf couldn't help but feel a strong sense of pride radiate throughout her core. "Let's go back to the village." Lenape motioned to the pathway.

"Okay." He followed the she wolf, tightly holding his blanket. They walked through the wooded pathway back to the village. Just as they passed the first huts, something small caught the boy's eye. A little white dot. 'Huh?' He thought it was just his imagination until another white flake whisked by him. Looking ahead, there were more falling just like it. "Mom!" He tugged the wolf's arm excitedly, almost startling her. "What is that?"

"What?" She looked around at a typical view of the village during winter.

"The white falling." He looked around as more descended from the grey sky.

"Oh!" She smiled at the realization. "That is snow." She pointed at the flurries. John blinked and watched them flutter down to earth.

"Snow..." The word stumbled out of his mouth. Such a thing didn't exist where he was from. 'How can something so cold look so soft?' He stared at the crystal flakes of white slowly descending to the ground.

"Sometimes I like to think each snow flake is a dream that the spirits had about us." She looked up at the grey sky. 'That would be many dreams.' She thought. Lenape started walking back to their hut but John remained in his spot. "John?" The wolfess looked at him expectedly.

"Can I watch the snow, mom?" He asked.

"Mmhm." Lenape nodded and returned to their hut. The human looked around his frigid environment and the little white flakes falling from the grey sky. John walked around a few huts and enjoyed watching the frozen precipitation. He held out a hand and waited for a flake to land on his palm. As soon as one did, it melted on his skin. "Wow..." He looked at the tiny droplet of cold water remaining. 'Huh?' John looked over and spotted a young raccoon kit standing nearby. A black mask of fur covered his grey face and two dark brown observant eyes. Long strands of grey fur were visible beneath the thin blanket around his shoulders. Despite living alongside the native peoples under Lenape's care for more than one season, the sight of different anthropomorphic species still surprised the young human. The raccoon curiously watched the boy before scurrying away. John didn't mind and continued watching the snowfall. Most villagers around his age were nervous about approaching him, and the feeling was mutual. Although, there was one in particular who always boldly came to him.

"Hey!" A female bark startled the boy. He turned and found himself facing a young wolf.

'It's her!' John recognized the young adolescent she wolf with cream fur markings, the same one who bothered him when Lenape took him to the creek. She took a surprising step towards him. He started to turn and walk away only for a strong force to swiftly tackle him to the ground. "Oof!" The human huffed as she sat on him for good measure. The furry body sitting on him shifted slightly as she loomed over him. Her long hair almost reached him, and acted like a shroud. 'Uh oh.' John feared what she would do to him. He closed his eyes as she leaned closer. A sense of dread came and went as he expected something bad to happen. Something touched his nose instead. "Huh?" He peeked and found her touching noses with him. A little shiver made his back shudder. The cool damp sensation reminded him how cold it was outside. Her blue eyes stared at him, even as she sat up.

"Hi. What's your name?" She boldly asked. John blinked at her for a moment in confusion. The wolf's tail wagged impatiently. "Your name." She poked his chest.

"John... Who are you?"

"I am Azande." She cheerfully grinned at him. "What are you doing?"

"Looking at... snow." He quietly answered. The young she wolf turned her head and looked at the scarce flakes falling on them. She wiggled her nose as one fell on her black snout. A pink tongue swiftly licked it off.

"Why?"

"I've never seen snow before." His answer baffled the adolescent wolfess.

"Really? It snows here almost every winter." Azande remarked.

'Each winter?' John took a moment to put her words together. The wolf wasn't keen on waiting for an answer and began investigating the human. She parted the sewn pelts that he wore and placed a hand on his chest. John held his breath. He expected her hand to be cold from the winter weather, but the palm lightly pressing against his skin was lukewarm. He could see claws on each fingertip almost touching him by a hair. The human stared up her furry arm at the inquisitive canine face studying him. Her cheek fur appeared very fluffy.

"Your skin is warm." She spoke. John dumbly nodded and placed a hand on her arm.

"Your fur is soft." Her ears moved in response.

"Azande? What are you doing?" A familiar adult voice interrupted. John peered to the side and saw an older, adult version of the young adolescent perched atop him.

"I wanted to say hello." She quietly explained. The mother gave her a skeptical look.

"Oh! Lenape's pup!" Amytis blinked at the boy laying on the ground. "Get off him, please!" She barked. Azande's ears fell back and she quickly obeyed. Her mother was wearing typical articles for the winter: a standard loincloth and chest cloth made from rabbit fur. Their winter coats of fur were more than enough to insulate themselves from the winter cold. The wolfess knelt over the boy and offered a hand. "Are you hurt?" She helped him to his feet.

"I didn't hurt him!" Azande whined.

"Then you shouldn't sit on someone like that." Amytis frowned.

"No." John adjusted his blanket of pelts. "I am not hurt." He reassured them both.

"You speak our tongue very well already." The adult she wolf's ears were surprised.

"He told me his name is John, and that my fur is soft." Azande piped up.

"You must be cold with only that blanket around you. We can take you to your hut, if you want." Amytis offered.

"Okay." He walked alongside them around the huts to the one he lived in. "It's this one." The human trotted ahead to the door flap.

"We'll go in with you." Amytis spoke and crawled through.

"Do humans live in huts?" Azande asked as she crept inside beside the boy.

"Huh?" He didn't know what to make of her question. Inside, Lenape was seated close to another wolf. His mottled black and brown fur was thick and fluffy for the winter, like everyone else in the village. He looked big and strong even compared to Lenape and other adults.

"Oh, hello Mankato." Amytis was surprised to see him.

"Hello Amytis." A deep voice greeted her with a brief toothy grin.

"Mankato?" John blinked at the mottled brown and black wolf. He didn't remember seeing the canine villager before. "Who is Mankato?"

"Our chief." Azande whispered.

"Oh!" John knew that a chief was the equivalent of a leader where he was from.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we just wanted to walk John to his hut." Amytis spoke up.

"It's fine. I just came by to visit and talk." The well built male explained. "You two can stay."

"No." Amytis insisted. "We can come by another time. Let's go Azande." She retreated to the door flap.

"Okay..." Azande quietly followed her mother back outside. Another missed opportunity to talk with the human pup. John crept over towards the grey she wolf and sat down beside her. With the warmth of the fire, he set the thick blanket aside but held onto it. Despite living in the village for more than a season, seeing villagers who John didn't know made him nervous. Lenape placed an arm on the boy's shoulder to put him at ease.

"Hello there." Mankato looked at the human.

"Hi." The boy's quieter voice replied.

"How has he been? He looks healthy."

"He's as healthy as any pup I've seen." Lenape smiled. "He eats well," she placed a hand on her chest, "and has learned to speak some of our tongue already. He's shy. Which is understandable." She happily explained. "We were just coming back from the forest a short time ago, but he wanted to watch the snow before returning here."

"Watch the snow?" Mankato mused. "Sounds like something our shamans would do."

"Mhm. I forgot that his skin couldn't withstand the cold..." Her ears fell back briefly at the potentially grave mistake that she made earlier in the morning.

"Parenting has many surprises from what I've heard." He chuckled.

"It's wonderful to finally understand that." Lenape smiled. John watched and listened to the adults intently. The human understood most of the pieces and phrases, but there were several spoken words Lenape hadn't taught him yet.

"I do have some news that I wanted to share with you." Mankato spoke. "A small group of three have returned from scouting the human village. There is still no sign of anyone living there." He informed his sister.

"No one?"

"More than one season has passed. I think that it has been abandoned." Lenape didn't reply at first.

"Oh." She managed to say. The grey she wolf was silently thankful that humans were not returning to the settlement downriver at the mouth of the harbor. "Have the Yonekohtan been spotted close to the river?" Mankato shook his head.

"No. The fields and hills on the other side are clear." The Yonekohtan were known to attack human settlements too. Any raids by the warlike were carefully watched by their village and others beside the lower end of the river. On occasion their village was at war with the dangerous tribe to the northeast. "I think it was right to keep the human pup here." He brushed his muzzle against hers before turning to leave. "You seem happier with him." Lenape's tail quietly wagged at his words.

"Thank you for visiting." She smiled.

"Bye." A quieter voice stopped him.

"Hmm?" Mankato looked over at the human boy. His brown eyes stared unwaveringly at the young human. 'I know you're the reason why my sister is happy again.' The chieftain silently thought to himself. "I'll see you two again sometime." He grinned and left.

'My brother...' Lenape stared at the now motionless door flap. 'He's always looking out for me from afar.' The she wolf looked over and saw John looking at the center of the hut. He silently wished that more venison was cooking over the dormant fire pit. "Are you hungry again?" Lenape interrupted his gaze with the wave of a hand.

"Mmhm." He nodded. The grey she wolf slipped the rabbit furred chest cloth off.

"None left?" John pointed at the empty fire. Lenape shook her head.

"No, but I always have milk for you."

"Why?" He had always seen her eat solid foods cooked over the fire, yet he only had maybe one meal per day that way. Lenape tilted her head in question. "Why milk?"

"Milk is what pups eat until they are older." She explained and patted her lap. He understood that pups meant children in the tribal tongue, but how much older did he have to be to wean? "If someone stops nursing, then their milks dries up."

"Dries up?"

"Goes away." She told him. The boy accepted her answer and settled down. He couldn't complain about a meal when he was hungry. Lenape held him closely while he ate. One of John's hands rested on the wolf's arm while the other rested on her tummy. It brought both of them comfort. The quiet bonding moment lasted until he drank his fill from her breasts. John thought about the wolf girl who tackled him, her mother, the snow, and Mankato.

'Azande... She's very bold, yet friendly.' The cream and amber-red furred she wolf had no issues tackling him to the ground just to say hello. 'And Mankato is reserved.' The mottled brown chieftain was soft spoken as well to them. His gaze meandered up and found a furry canine face smiling at him while he ate. The she wolf whose fur was grey like stirred ashes was at the center of his new world. 'She's mom.' John simply laid in her lap after he finished.

"Are you alright?" Lenape asked. Her voice hinted that she wanted him to stay there for a little longer.

"Mmhm." He nodded and snuggled into the wolf's warm embrace. The charcoal wolfess was soft and tender, and her body heat made him feel cozy despite the cold weather outside. Lenape smiled.

"I'm always happy when I'm with you." She tightly hugged him.

A gentle breeze stirred the grassy moor. Strands of long grey hair moved with a subtle swaying motion before resting. Seated outside a particular hut, John watched a pair of clawed fingertips fluidly work. Lenape, seated beside him was sewing with a needle made of bone, and thread made of sinew. With one final tug of the needle, the line was tied into a sturdy knot and cut.

"There." Lenape smiled. "That's how you mend a cloth." She held up the once torn item. "It's not as good as Koan's work, but it will do."

"Koan... She's the old reddish furred she wolf?"

"Yes." Lenape nodded. "You met her once when we needed a loincloth for you."

"I remember." He looked at the garment at his lap. 'She sounded very old too.' The human looked up at the village around them. Huts and passing villagers were a normal sight for the human. A few villagers would say hello as they walked by, but no one lingered for more than a few brief words. John liked how quiet and calm living in the village had been so far. He didn't feel too out of place among the anthropomorphic canines. However, his eyes caught sight of two figures fast approaching them.

'It's her!' He recognized the young adolescent who gave him plenty of trouble. Azande, now thirteen season cycles old, had her eyes set on the seated pair. The wolfess was in her second year of becoming an adult. The physical changes of height were noticeable, but her budding breasts did not require a chest cloth yet. The white wolf pup accompanying her was seven or eight years of age, and smaller than John. The human scooted over and partially hid behind Lenape.

"Hello you two." Lenape greeted them.

"Hi. Kantala and I want to play with the human." Azande spoke up.

"That's fine with me." The charcoal grey she wolf smiled.

"So, is he friendly yet?" Azande noticed the boy partially hidden behind his mother. "You said that we are likely the same age."

"Yes I did." Lenape acknowledged. "But he is shy." Azande stepped to the side and loomed over John. The human looked up. The cream and amber furred she wolf wasn't physically mature enough to wear a chest cloth, but merely a few seasons stood in her way. Other than a standard loincloth made from buckskin she wore a small armband and a feather in her long hair.

"Hello." A warm smile greeted him.

"Hi."

"Wanna play with us?" She asked.

"Uh huh." He nodded. A hand suddenly seized his wrist. The excited look in her eyes unnerved him.

"Let's play!" She enthusiastically dragged him into the grass.

"Play nice Azande." John heard a voice before finding himself far away by the edge of the village. The ground quietly squelched beneath their feet and paws as they walked. The white wolf pup eagerly followed them, his tail excitedly wagged the entire way. Azande suddenly stopped and turned to face the human. Her brow furrowed for a minute as she stared at him intently.

'She's intimidating.' John nearly bit his tongue at the taller adolescent. The young wolfess wiggled her nose in thought.

"Can you speak more of our tongue? Your mother should've taught you how to speak, because if you're not on her teat, then you're by her side." The cream and red furred wolfess reasoned.

"Yes. I can talk." He understood her.

"Good." Her muzzle surprisingly curled into a tooth filled smile.

'I hope I didn't get myself into trouble.' The human thought to himself.

"How old are you?"

"Almost twelve..."

"I'm thirteen! We're almost the same age."

"What are we going to play?" Kantala impatiently hopped in place.

"Hmmm..." The female hummed in thought. She searched around before retrieving something from the ground. "This is what we're going to play!"

"A stick?" John blinked.

"Yes!" Azande threw it, and Kantala immediately dashed to retrieve it. John didn't know what to make of the spectacle. The white furred wolf pup ran with the stick in his mouth. His white hair flowed behind him like a second tail. "Why didn't you run to get it?" Azande questioned.

"Am I supposed to?" John didn't know. Kantala came back with the stick in hand.

"My turn to throw!" He barked excitedly.

"Hold on. John doesn't know how to play." Azande pointed at the stick. The pup handed it over. "Someone throws it and everyone else runs to catch it. You have to bite the stick to win." She chomped on the wood between her teeth to demonstrate. "Here. You try." Azande handed over the stick. John looked at the gnawed stick covered in wolf spit with a less than appealing expression.

"Uh..." He opened his mouth and lightly bit down on the toy.

"That's right, but you have to be the only one biting it." She took it back.

'Ow.' John rubbed his mouth.

"Ok Kantala, you can throw it now." Azande told the white furred pup. "I'll give you a running start." She told John.

"Okay!" Kantala threw the stick as far as he could. John ran after it. His short dash across the grass was easy. He snatched the stick off the ground, and turned only to catch sight of the cream and amber furred she wolf charging at him like a bull.

"I gotcha!" Azande dove and tackled the human. They rolled over the grass until John ended on his back with the wolfess straddling his waist. She pulled the stick from his hands with her jaws and triumphantly sat atop him. "I'll throw it next!" Her tail wagged happily as she stood up. John's world stopped spinning as he stood up. Kantala trotted to them, ready for another dash. With a stronger arm, Azande spun around and threw the stick to their right. John and the white wolf pup ran after it. The human was more evenly matched against Kantala, but still not a pushover. The three ran after, fought for, and threw the stick many times in the field. Nearly out of breath, John ran through the knee high grass but failed to notice a slippery patch. John slipped on the slick grass and fell onto the damp ground with an audible splat. He immediacy jumped to his feet.

"Ah!" He angrily looked at his leg, rear, and loincloth now covered in mud.

"What happened?" Kantala and Azande hurried towards him. The boy walked away with a hurried limp towards his hut, disliking the sensation of cold mud on his skin. Once inside, he found Amytis, Azande's mother, sitting inside with his mom.

"Oh? You're back." Lenape was surprised. Azande and Kantala piled into the hut behind him.

"It looks like your nose is raining." Amytis chuckled and tapped her black nose.

"I slipped in the mud." John showed his leg.

"It's all over you." Amytis noted.

"Aww. Come here." Lenape beckoned the boy over. "We'll get another loincloth until this one is cleaned. Lenape stripped the muddy garment off his waist and set it aside. She washed over his muddy skin with a damp cloth next. "There. Sit here and dry off. I don't want you to get dirty again. It's too cold outside to bathe."

"Yes, mom." The naked boy sat down beside her and wrapped himself up in his blanket. He blew an internal sigh of relief that he would not be wrestling another wolf for a stick for the time being. Azande and Kantala's tails drooped seeing that he couldn't play at the moment.

"His skin is much easier to clean than fur." Amytis grinned. "If only Azande was that easy to clean when she liked to play in the mud."

"Mom!" Azande pouted at the wolfess over the embarrassing detail. John looked at Azande and her mother curiously.

'Mom?' He looked up at Lenape. It was the same word that he called her. 'Why did she say that-?' The boy blinked as his mind fully grasped the tribal word's concept. The grey she wolf's name wasn't mom. 'She is my mother!' The realization struck him. The nursing, affection, and care all suddenly made sense to him. 'Amytis is her mother...' He looked at the older and younger she wolves that greatly resembled each other. 'Kantala's mom must be that white she wolf...' John figured it out only to blankly stare at the bare ground. He didn't even notice an arm rest on his shoulders.

"Are you alright John?" Lenape softly asked and nudged him. He pursed his lips and looked at the canine hand at his side. The grey furred, flexible, and claw bearing hand was anything but human when he first saw it, but it was the hand of his mother this entire time. He silently nodded and held onto her arm. A clawed finger earnestly poked his side.

"Huh?" John turned and found Azande by his side with Kantala.

"Hey. Do you want to play an indoor game instead?" She asked.

"Oh... Sure." He sat forward and the three youngsters formed a close circle.

The game involved tossing sticks, but John didn't pay much attention. His thoughts were focused on his mom. It was different being around her now. Lenape was in no way a wolf to fear, but one that cared for him.

When Azande, her mother, and Kantala left, Lenape readied the hut for nighttime. John idly stayed by the dwindling fire and watched the charcoal grey she wolf tend to things. He never experienced his mother's touch before, yet this entire time...

"Did you have fun playing with Kantala and Azande?" Lenape asked.

"Mmhm." John looked up and stared at her tail. His thoughts returned to her. 'But she's a wolf...' He told himself, but wasn't bothered by the fact anymore. "Mom?" He quietly asked as she flattened a wrinkle in the deerskin they slept on.

"Yes?" She turned to face him. John found comfort in her eyes gazing at him.

"What is your real name?" He asked. The grey wolf's head curiously tilted, but she answered him.

"My name is Lenape." She softly told him. The human liked her actual name, but he liked the sound of her first name more.

"Can I put the fire out?"

"If you are ready to sleep." She nodded. John quickly poured water over the low flame, and laid down beside her. There was just enough light from the dusk sky to see by. He stared at her charcoal grey fur, and nibbled his lip. A hand ventured out and touched her lighter tummy. The fur there was soft, and every breath caused it to rise and fall. He paused when another hand touched his head.

"You want to tell me something?" Lenape correctly guessed. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts.

"You're my mom." He simply spoke.

"Yes, I am." She grinned.

"My... Mom." John quietly repeated the words. He never imagined saying them before in his life, especially in the native tongue. "I... I never had a mother before." He admitted. A hand rested on his shoulder. The supple leathery pads felt nice against his skin.

"You do now." She grinned. "And you are my son." Her words meant everything to him. Without her that fateful day he would have died alone. Lenape licked his forehead. "I love you John." Lenape hugged him and tucked his head under her chin into her winter coat of downy neck fur. Despite the wolf's strength and claws, her embrace warmed the human to his core.

"Love?" He didn't know that word yet.

"Love..." She paused. "You feel it here when you are with someone," her hand rested over his chest, "that you care about, want to protect, and feel happy for."

"Oh."

"Understand?" Lenape asked. The boy nodded.

"I love you too mom." He hugged her in return. Her fur was warm, soft, and smelled nice. She nuzzled the top of his head with a proud smile. The wolfess couldn't have been happier to hear those words from him. John breathed in her funny canine scent that he grew to know. He wasn't going to leave at a fixed date. This was his home now. A hand rubbed his back, gently lulling him to sleep. 'I have a mom...' John slowly fell asleep under her gentle caress.

'Aww.' Lenape held her son close, and glanced up at the dream catcher hanging above them. "May the spirits guard your sweet dreams." She softly licked the human's forehead goodnight before tucking his face back into her neck fur. If there was any lingering doubt in Lenape's mind that he would never see her as his mother, it was now gone.

The sun was shining with renewed strength in the blue sky. An abnormal day of cloudless weather was meant to be enjoyed. John was seated behind his mother outside of their hut. It was just warm enough in the morning for the boy to discard his blanket and moccasins to enjoy the sunshine. The she wolf contently hummed. She was sharpening a dull stone knife while John ran his hands gently through the fur on her back. The human was grooming her fur to an extent. His mother's thick winter coat was molting, shedding away the heavier fur for a lighter coat. It was common practice for someone to help groom another villager, especially for hard to reach places. Thin clumps of fur were scattered around them, and little hairs floated in the air. The various grey colors ranged from light to dark from various areas of her body. John stood up and leaned on his mother.

"Why are you shedding so much mom?" He hugged her head. The she wolf chuckled.

"Everyone sheds their winter coats for spring." She spoke. "The air is warming." She nibbled his arm. John laughed and let go of her. "Thank you for cleaning my fur." She wagged her tail once.

"Mmhm!" He rolled onto the ground beside her. The boy bumped into her side several times.

'Spring must be getting into his head.' Lenape couldn't help but enjoy his playful mood. He was acting like his age for once, no longer a scared human in a native village. John wormed under her arm and partially into her lap. The she wolf looked down at him with an arched brow. He giggled looking up at her.

"If you're not nursing, then don't lay in my lap." She raised her arms for him to roll off. "Or do I need to wrestle you?" She challenged him.

"No!" He laughed and backed away from the she wolf now on all fours. Wrestling his mom always ended up with her nibbling along his cheeks and collar. A small breeze sent some of her old fur into their hut. Lenape wiggled her nose in irritation.

"Go play while I tidy things up here." She waved a hand.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be able to find you." She pointed at her black nose. John eagerly walked away to explore the edge of the village by the open fields.

'She always finds me by smell.' He slowed down to look around. Spring was blossoming throughout the Hibernian countryside and village. Many of the villagers were busily preparing for the height of spring and early summer. Fastening bows, restocking arrows, making new spears, repairing old fishing nets, and shaking musty garments into the fresh breeze were all signs of bustling activity. Barking pups playing outside could be heard by the carrying wind. The human's gaze turned to the equally peaceful moorland. Little white and blue flowers dotted the grassy landscape in faint patches as far as he could see. Even the grass itself was a refreshed green. Close by, an older ruddy furred brown she wolf was on her knees. She was fairly thin and wore a nice chest cloth as well as a more decorative buckskin loincloth. Her hands meticulously combed through the wildflowers. A small pile beside her was being used for her own purposes, perhaps to add a subtle aroma to a hut. The old she wolf spotted the boy and gave a short hello, but otherwise didn't pay much attention to him.

'Who is she?' He hesitated talking a step forward. Swallowing his nervousness, the human approached the busy elder. Her ears turned, detecting his grass crunching footsteps in advance. "Hi... What are you doing?" The she wolf turned her head completely and looked up at the human. John couldn't help but see the aged canine face as familiar, but the old winter coat was like a fog of fur.

"You're the human pup." Her brow lifted. "Lenape's pup." She clarified.

"Yes. I'm John."

"I'm Koan." She smiled, revealing a single missing tooth, but he name failed to ring clear in his memory. The old she wolf reached up and touched the end of his loincloth. "I see that you are still wearing the loincloth I made for you."

"Oh! You made this." He lifted the garment up only to hastily drop it. The she wolf cackled a rasping tune.

"Yes. I'm glad it is still holding together."

"Holding together? What does that mean?"

"Strong. Enduring." She clasped her hands together tightly.

"Oh. Okay." John nodded understandingly. "Why are you picking flowers?" He looked at the small pile she had accumulated.

"I'm going to tie some of them to my dream catcher." She explained. "And use the rest to decorate."

"Catcher..." John held up his hands mimicking a circle.

"Yes. A dream catcher." She refrained from chuckling and raised her hands to form a circle. The boy looked at her upper arm and neck, noticing her molting winter coat up close.

"Your fur is falling out." He picked a small bunch of dull strands off her shoulder. The elder wolf couldn't help but giggle a little.

"Yes it is." She nodded. "It happens to everyone with fur."

"I can get some of it." He offered and sat down behind the elder she wolf.

"Oh, you don't have to..." She tried to turn around and speak, but his hands were already combing through her fur.

"You have feathers in your hair." He parted the she wolf's long hair to see her back.

"I do... I do..." She hummed and tapped her tail while the boy groomed her. Brown and reddish fur began to pile up in the grass and wildflowers if the breeze didn't carry it away. Her back began to look sleeker, pristine and new as the spring morning.

"Done." John jumped to his feet. Koan turned to face him.

"Thank you for grooming me." She held his hand. John looked at the canine hand with its bulkier digits.

"You're welcome!" He shook her hand with both of his own. They both laughed and parted ways. John walked along the grass closer to the village, skirting the grass with his feet. Approaching a hut, he noticed a family using carved sticks to hit a large deerskin tied between two poles. He could see little dust clouds puff into the air from each thwack. Passing by, John's gaze met with that of a young coyote. Roughly the human's height, the gold and grey furred canine wore a typical loincloth, had his hair in two braids, and was every bit a native pup as possible.

"Hey-" The pup's ears dialed around before he hurried away. A little disappointment overcame the human, but he continued walking. But after passing a few more huts, he spotted a familiar person his age. A cream and amber furred she wolf.

"Azande!" He called out and waved. A young bark responded and she raced over towards him.

"Hello John!" The young she wolf bounced up to John.

"Hi." He greeted Azande.

"I knew you were right here."

"How?"

"I can smell you." The wolf wiggled her nose and grinned. "I can see your skin without that blanket again." She prodded his shoulder with a claw.

"Don't poke me." John pushed her arm away only to find plenty of strands of fur remaining on his palm. "Is your fur falling out too?" He pulled the loose tuft of cream colored fur.

"Spring means shedding." She giggled as he watched the hairs float by. The two words were almost synonymous with each other. "I can see you don't have any left to shed except here." Azande playfully ruffled his hair.

"Hey!" He batted her hand away. "I don't have fur."

"So you won't grow any when you're older?"

"No." He smoothed out what she had stirred up. "I will have to cut my hair when it grows too long."

"Too long?" Azande made a quirky expression. "It's so short! Why would you cut it?"

"Well..." He looked at her much longer hair that nearly reached the base of her tail. "I don't know." The human shrugged to her amusement.

"Do you want to catch fish with me in the stream?" She asked.

"Sure!" It only took a short walk to where everyone preferred to bathe, and going downstream was a little further. They eagerly hurried by the huts to reach the little stream. They passed someone shaking off a loose clump of fur, letting plenty of wild strands float in the air. Clumps of fur were strewn throughout the village. Everyone, young and old was shedding away their winter coats for a fresh new spring coat. Although, shedding took several days to complete making many villagers appear ragged and unkempt.

"It's just ahead." Azande took the lead as they passed by the last hut. Across a short distance of grass and through the shade of a few stray trees, they approached the trickling water's edge. Taller grasses like sedge bordered the calm water. They could see the river nearby where both waters met. A trio of older villagers were casting out and tending to nets from along the muddy bank. Their gazes settled on the more manageable stream. There probably weren't any fish in the shallow waters, but neither knew that. It was the thrill that enchanted them.

"Let's catch something." Azande tossed aside her loincloth, leaving the garment bundled in the grass. The young she wolf crept over the bordering sedge and quietly stepped into the stream. John looked down at his own garment.

'I don't want to take it off...' He thought. When he looked back up, Azande was crouching in the shallow water, hands ready to strike. The boy stepped through the sedge and into the water. "Cold!" He struggled to stop his body from shivering from the shock.

"Sh! You'll startle the fish." Azande warned him. The human settled down. He stared at the shallow water, but could only make out an occasional rock through the agitated silt.

"Where are they?" He whispered.

"Somewhere underwater." She peered without getting too close.

'How are we going to catch the fish?' John looked at his hands and then the wolf's claws. The she wolf's gaze darted about the water's unsteady surface before sharply lifting up. John blinked as Azande stared past him. "What?"

"Our moms are here." She spoke in a low voice. The human peeked over his shoulder and spotted the two adult she wolves walking in their direction. Her mother's thick winter coat was molting too. Duller patched of cream and red fur were loosely hanging onto a fresher spring coat underneath. Amytis stopped and waved at them before sitting in the grass. Lenape strode up to the creek.

"Don't get your loincloth wet." She reached over and slipped the cloth off John's waist.

"Mom! I wouldn't..." He grimaced at the fact he was standing completely naked in the water. He watched her walk away with his loincloth in hand and sit beside Amytis. "Uh..." He faced Azande. The adolescent she wolf glanced him over curiously, but without a word.

"Do you think the fish saw?" She whispered.

"Huh? Uh... No." John guessed. The human was just glad that she hadn't said anything about him being naked. Azande searched the water again, taking only a cautious step.

"Hey. Can fish see us above water?" She asked.

"Umm. I don't know." He shrugged. "Maybe?"

Meanwhile, Lenape and Amytis smiled as they watched their children playing together. It was a nice break from their daily chores.

"Your daughter looks taller each time she sheds her winter coat." Lenape remarked. "I remember she was once a tiny pup."

"You think I have not noticed?" Amytis grinned. "She'll be our height soon."

"What about John? Humans aren't tall like wolves."

"Then he will be shorter." Her friend assumed. "Which means you will always treat him like a pup." She mused. The thoughts of the human boy growing up so quickly through adolescence were like a whirlwind in her head.

"What does the village think of me raising John?" Lenape asked.

"I hear many whispers of doubts, but some see it as a good idea."

"I should've expected as much..."

"Let's not worry about those things now." Amytis suggested. "Tell me how John is doing."

"Oh where to begin..." Her grey hand combed over the shorter grass and clover between them. "He's talking more."

"That's good. Has he talked about his human village or his past yet?"

"No." She shook her head. "I don't want to force that onto him."

"You're probably right, but I can't help myself for being curious." She gave Lenape a toothy grin.

"He's very curious and always asking me questions about things... Just the other day, John gathered a small pile of my fur yesterday and kept it next to where we sleep."

"Sounds like he loves you, but what is he going to do with your fur?"

"I don't have a clue." Lenape chuckled to herself. "Maybe he will try to make something out of what I shed." Both mothers found the idea a little funny, but cute too.

"Are you going to skip trading at the Sanada tribe's village now that you have John to take care of?" Amytis asked.

"No. I wonder how John will handle visiting another village." Lenape gazed at the boy playing in the water.

"You're taking him with you to trade?!" The female was surprised.

"I want him with me." She firmly spoke.

"You can stay here instead."

"No. I want him to visit other villages. I don't want him confined to one place."

"Maybe humans prefer being in one place. They don't leave their settlements often."

"I'm raising him as a wolf." Lenape wiggled her nose to her friend's amusement. "I want you to keep him away from any humans while we are at the Sanada village." The request confused her friend.

"Why?" Amytis asked. The grey wolfess frowned in hesitation.

"I'm afraid that John will want to leave with them." She whined. A sympathetic hand rested on the grey she wolf's shoulder.

"It's only natural for a mother to protect her own." Amytis spoke from experience. "But I know that he will not leave your side just because he sees another human."

"But not even one full season cycle has passed Amytis." Lenape watched her son and Azande play in the water. They were laughing and jumping around as if they had grown up together their entire lives. "Oh, I hope you're right." She set her worries aside for the time being.

"I am." The cream and amber-red furred wolf reassured her grey counterpart. Lenape looked at the creek hopefully for a moment.

"I didn't tell you this yet," Lenape started, "but one night, John told me that I was his mom and that he had never had a mother before." A large grin emerged on the charcoal grey wolf's face.

"Aww..." Amytis cooed.

"When we were laying down to fall asleep, I told him that I loved him. He didn't know what that meant, but after I described it to him John said that he loved me too."

"That's so adorable!"

"I held him so tight and wanted the moment to last forever!" Lenape smiled warmly.

"And here you are worried about him running away." Amytis chuckled. "I think he understands that you two are a family now." Her friend's conformation warmed the grey she wolf's heart. A sudden series of splashes, a squeal, and a bark interrupted their talk. Azande and John were jumping through the creek without a care in the world. Sudden barks caught their attention.

"The food is ready Azande!" Amytis called out.

"Come here!" Lenape barked. The two splashed out of the water.

"What food?" John mentioned.

"I hope we're not too wet..." Azande shook her legs and hurried over the grass. "What are we eating?" She looked at the empty grass as both adults stood up.

"Sitka and a few others are cooking some venison and fish." Her mother explained.

"Yum!" The adolescent licked her chops and jumped.

"Are you dry John?" Lenape handed the naked boy his loincloth.

"My legs are wet." He tied the garment around his waist.

"You should be fine." She wiped his legs before standing. All four returned to the center of the village and reached a particular hut. Outside, three female wolves were seated, talking amongst themselves. One, a pretty mottled silver and white, was nursing a newborn whelp while another cleaned a stretched deerskin. They kindly greeted the four guests, but particularly eyed the human.

'It's noisy.' John noted before he even crawled through the door flap. Inside the hut were several villagers, mostly wolves. A male red wolf named Sitka sat in the center near the fire, laughing and talking with friends about a successful hunt. John couldn't help but notice the tribal attire within the household: antlers, hand woven baskets, animal pelts, various hand made hunting equipment, a dream catcher above the bed of deerskins. However, a sense that one couldn't see excited the boy most of all. The smell of cooked food was heavy in the contained air. John's mouth watered preemptively. His nose had never experienced such a delectable air before!

"I see a few more noses have been caught by the scent of food." Sitka joked.

"Maybe the whole village will show up." Another laughed.

"I see you brought the human as well, Lenape." Sitka approached the four newest guests. John hesitantly touched noses with the boisterous male, who promptly sneezed at the foreign scent.

"Thank you for sharing your fresh kill." The charcoal she wolf patted his shoulder.

"Sure, sure..." He greeted Amytis and Azande next. John's eyes were glued to the fire were the wonderful smells were coming from.

"Are you hungry?" Lenape guessed with a knowing smile.

"I want to try the fish." He nodded.

"You can, but I want to nurse you first, alright?"

"Mmhm." He nodded.

"Come over here." Lenape sat down in a quieter spot facing the hut's wall. It was a little more private than openly facing everyone else. John laid his head into her lap and made himself comfortable before latching on. He closed his eyes and drank his mother's while the other chattered behind Lenape's back.

"That's the barest I've seen your teats." John could hear Amytis whisper.

"Mmhm." He could detect a strong hint of pride in his mother's voice. "He's eating very well."

"That's good." Amytis smiled. John felt something by his leg and blinked. A different furry face was peering at the human.

"You still like your mother's milk." Azande stuck her tongue out and teased. John frowned at her and chose to stare at Lenape's grey chest instead. He felt a claw prod his leg next.

"Azande..." Amytis softly growled. A soft sigh of disappointment was heard as the young she wolf left them alone.