wolfishsurvivalist | ✖ Warou Tales: Part Three✖

How the High Alpha Lost Many Children

Long ago, before the First Burning, when carelessness chased Earth from her green throne so deep into the Woods that she has not been seen since though her song still echos in the oldest of places, and before Wind raced Raven to the four corners of the World, a great Danger had befallen all the peoples so that no one was safe.

The First Wolf, so brave and fierce that they had never yet learned what fear was, had grown to become a great shadow amongst the trees. There was no beast upon the earth in the old wood that was more wise, no gods-made thing of more terrible beauty, for the First Wolf had created the First Pack, their family had swelled in size, and they had become the High Alpha and knew that all things must someday return to their mother Earth who had made them. She had laid a great duty upon the beast, that by their wit and claws they would maintain the Woods in her absence, and so it had always been and would always be through the Alpha's children.

Yet the Danger came from beyond the Wood, and though the Alpha sometimes followed food into the grassy expanse, the First Wolf had not searched the ends of the earth like friend Raven had, whose wings bore him high above many things, and kept him from harm. Even with his song lost and his feathers painted the shade of Moon's vast shroud, his wings were strong and carried him over trees and vales as far as he wished. It was friend Raven that told of the coming trouble, and they took to Moon and Earth for council, for Sun was at her task and could not be spoken to for fear of being blinded by her fiery hide.

Friend Raven told tales of fire and great loss, of forests that had been strong but one summer before now dwindled to but a few trees, of lakes run dry and great rivers stopped up, things that made the First Wolf's great brow knit with concern. For if all these things were lost, there would be a great hunger upon all the beasts and creatures of both the earth and sky. Yet it was within the realm of Man, a place that the First Wolf could not go, for Wolf and Man were often at disagreement with one another, for Man often misunderstood Wolf's task. So Dog had gone to keep watch over the furless creatures, but Dog was not always as watchful as Wolf could be.

Knowing this, Moon and Earth devised a plan, that many of the First Wolf's children would go into the realm of Man and see what was happening, for the High Alpha was so mighty that no shroud could hide their greatness. Many of the wolves volunteered, for they had not learned what fear was, and the need was great among all the creatures. So Earth and Moon wove shrouds for the First Wolf's cubs, slipping the fur off their backs and wrapping them in their new hides. Moon taught them to stand upon their hind legs and walk like Men, and Earth spun clothes for them from her great bounty so that they could easily walk among Men, who could not protect themselves from heat and cold without covering themselves. So armed, Moon and Earth warned them of the dangers.

"Though you now look like them, you are still wolves, and must take care to hide your fangs so as not to strike them down with fear. You are to learn what has happened, nothing more." Cautioned Earth, her great head bowed to gaze down upon her transformed children.

"You have until the first frosts to learn what is happening, and then return, for that is when your winter coats will grow in no matter what form you take, for you are wolves no matter what your shape. Take good care of your hides, for those are the only way you will be able to return to the form you once had." Warned Moon, his eyes clouded with many things that troubled his heart.

"Go then, and do not tarry." Spoke the High Alpha, pressing their great nose against what little fur remained atop the heads of their transformed children, breathing out some of Wind's blessing upon them so that they would always remember who they are, no matter what would come.

Fleet of foot, they ran like Men in their strange forms, but the world spun by beneath their transformed paws, swifter than it would for any Man. For they were as tall as they had once been long, and their strides were vast, as they had been born to run and try to best Wind at his game. For many days they ran, seeing the terrible things of which friend Raven spoke, his shadow passing over them as he led them further on.

Soon they came upon the land of Men, and were puzzled by it. Strange sights and smells such as they had never encountered before in the Wood were there. Dwellings made of stone and felled trees, foods that were not simply meat on the bone. Stranger still that the people there were not afraid of them as Men are at the sight of claws and fangs, though the Dogs of that place knew at once what they were and were anxious, for the magic upon the wolves was strong and strange, and unlike any that had been seen before.

The moon waxed and waned as the days passed, the wolves learning more of Men and what was becoming of the world outside the Woods each day. The news troubled them, but not as much as the day the first frosts came, which was earlier than was wont. In their haste to return with news, some of the wolves took up their old skins as they ran, leaving Men and their females screaming as they saw the people like them become beasts and rush off into the forests. Others who had been doing tasks inside or out among the fields rushed out to see what happened, only to find the humans afraid and cowering.

Realizing that these other newcomers might also have this fearsome power, the humans panicked, and while some of the wolves were able to escape in the confusion, others were thrown to the ground and their old hides were taken from them. Afraid that the wolf hides were cursed, the humans threw them in the fires to appease their gods, thinking the creatures had been sent among them to punish them.

Howls of pain went up from the bound wolves, who felt the fire as if they themselves were in it. Tearing at their bonds, they broke free and rushed forward, snatching their old hides from the fire and fleeing to the forest, blinded by pain and ashes. There they hid themselves away, crying in pain and licking their sore flesh, which had grown dark and fur upon their heads had become blackened like their old hides. Stumbling, they returned to Earth's green throne, begging her and Moon to ease their pain and return them to what they had once been.

Saddened, Earth listened to their tale about the Men who had lashed out in fear at what they did not understand, laying out their ruined hides to see if she could mend them. Yet there was nothing she could do, her great tears falling upon their old skins, soothing the pain of the fires.

"My beloved, I cannot mend these, for the flames burned too hot and fire is the great destroyer as well as the life giver." Earth spoke these grave words with a heavy heart, knowing it would be a terrible burden they would have to bear ever after. "You have only the skins you wear now, as well as what you have learned among Men. Go and speak with your family, and tell them what has become of you."

So it was with heavy steps and heavier hearts that the burned wolves left the green throne to go tell the High Alpha what had become of them. The First Wolf listened to their tale, and pressed their great nose between their children's still pointed ears.

"Remember in your hearts that you are always wolves, and as such you shall always be my cubs. While your fur might only grow thick with the frost, your hearts will always remember what you truly are, and when you return to the great Woods you will return to me."

So it came to pass that the changed ones who took up forms like men and hunted like wolves, and always remembered the words their Alpha spoke in their hearts. No matter what they learned from Men, what tools or trade they learned, they would always return to the place of their people, and marked it upon their hearts. So was the birth of the Warou, They Who Remember.