connection, the energy pulsing through me, warm and wondrous. I wanted to run again, and Wolf, sensing my thoughts, immediately broke into a gallop.
We ran through the trees, in the morning mist, filling our lungs with cool air. Wolf saw a rise of hill, and images of wolves racing to the top rushed through me, so we raced to the top and then raced back down, and it was like being two creatures at once, or one creature in two places. We leapt over logs and drank in the fresh scent of pine and morning glory and…rabbit.
The smell slowed our steps, and we grew quiet, watching, listening. All my senses seemed heightened and right on the surface.
Something rustled in the brush just ahead of us. We circled it, Wolf on one side and me on the other. There was no need to speak. Wolf sent me an image of two wolves on opposite sides of a bush. One wolf pounced on the bush, and the other one caught the creature. I was to be the first wolf. That was the beauty of a pack. They worked together, seamlessly, cohesively. One.
I pounced on the bush.
The creature squeaked and hopped out the other side. Wolf leapt and caught a rabbit.
Breakfast.
On the way back to our camp, I gathered more berries.
I called up to Goldie in the pine tree, “We have breakfast!”
She didn’t answer. Still ignoring me and afraid of Wolf. Perhaps if she smelled breakfast, she’d come down. I went to work gathering wood and leaves to start a fire. I snapped my fingers to perform the drying spell. Nothing happened at first, but then a few tendrils of smoke rose up from the leaves, and a flame burst forth. I blew on it and added more sticks and leaves until I had a good fire going. I found two forked branches to make a spit. Wolf brought me the rabbit, and with a sharp rock I managed to skin it and get it roasting over the fire. I dusted off my hands, feeling quite satisfied with a job well done.
“Goldie, you’re going to starve if you don’t eat something. Come down.”
Still no answer. Not even a sound. I moved closer to the tree. “Goldie?”
She wasn’t there. I looked all around, by her bed of leaves, beneath the tree where I had slept, but saw no sign of her. Did she leave without me?
“Goldie?” I called. My heart was beating faster, panic rising in my chest. Horrible images of all the things that could happen to her raced through my mind. Bears. Mountain lions. Cliffs.
“Goldie!” I shouted.
Wolf brushed against my side, calming me.
Listen,
he said.
We held still and listened. I heard voices by the river. I hurried along the bank, straining to make out the words.
“Do you promise?” I heard Goldie say. I stepped through some heavy shrubs and found her. She was right at the edge of the bank, talking to someone.
“I promise,” said a deep, soothing voice. “Anything you want.”
My blood stopped cold in my veins. She was talking to a sprite. But she should know better….
No! She didn’t know better. Her memories of our previous encounter with sprites had been erased by the wine. She had no idea!
I ran toward her. “Goldie!” I shouted. “Get away!” She turned to me and frowned, then turned back to the sprite.
“I just want Mummy to love me,” she said. “Can you make Mummy love me?”
“Yes, yes!” said the sprite, her words honey, molasses, and syrup. “All that you wish shall be yours. Come now!”
Goldie stepped into the water. She stretched her hand toward the sprite.
“Goldie, no! Don’t touch her!” I shouted, but it was too late. Their fingers had touched. The sprite clasped Goldie in her webbed hands, and before Goldie could even utter a scream, she was dragged beneath the water.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Swimming with Sprites
The river rippled slightly and then flowed on like nothing had happened. The world was quiet, traitorously calm. Goldie had just been taken by a sprite! My mind raced for a rescue plan, but fear flooded all reason.
“Come with me,” said another sprite, reaching for me. “Don’t
We ran through the trees, in the morning mist, filling our lungs with cool air. Wolf saw a rise of hill, and images of wolves racing to the top rushed through me, so we raced to the top and then raced back down, and it was like being two creatures at once, or one creature in two places. We leapt over logs and drank in the fresh scent of pine and morning glory and…rabbit.
The smell slowed our steps, and we grew quiet, watching, listening. All my senses seemed heightened and right on the surface.
Something rustled in the brush just ahead of us. We circled it, Wolf on one side and me on the other. There was no need to speak. Wolf sent me an image of two wolves on opposite sides of a bush. One wolf pounced on the bush, and the other one caught the creature. I was to be the first wolf. That was the beauty of a pack. They worked together, seamlessly, cohesively. One.
I pounced on the bush.
The creature squeaked and hopped out the other side. Wolf leapt and caught a rabbit.
Breakfast.
On the way back to our camp, I gathered more berries.
I called up to Goldie in the pine tree, “We have breakfast!”
She didn’t answer. Still ignoring me and afraid of Wolf. Perhaps if she smelled breakfast, she’d come down. I went to work gathering wood and leaves to start a fire. I snapped my fingers to perform the drying spell. Nothing happened at first, but then a few tendrils of smoke rose up from the leaves, and a flame burst forth. I blew on it and added more sticks and leaves until I had a good fire going. I found two forked branches to make a spit. Wolf brought me the rabbit, and with a sharp rock I managed to skin it and get it roasting over the fire. I dusted off my hands, feeling quite satisfied with a job well done.
“Goldie, you’re going to starve if you don’t eat something. Come down.”
Still no answer. Not even a sound. I moved closer to the tree. “Goldie?”
She wasn’t there. I looked all around, by her bed of leaves, beneath the tree where I had slept, but saw no sign of her. Did she leave without me?
“Goldie?” I called. My heart was beating faster, panic rising in my chest. Horrible images of all the things that could happen to her raced through my mind. Bears. Mountain lions. Cliffs.
“Goldie!” I shouted.
Wolf brushed against my side, calming me.
Listen,
he said.
We held still and listened. I heard voices by the river. I hurried along the bank, straining to make out the words.
“Do you promise?” I heard Goldie say. I stepped through some heavy shrubs and found her. She was right at the edge of the bank, talking to someone.
“I promise,” said a deep, soothing voice. “Anything you want.”
My blood stopped cold in my veins. She was talking to a sprite. But she should know better….
No! She didn’t know better. Her memories of our previous encounter with sprites had been erased by the wine. She had no idea!
I ran toward her. “Goldie!” I shouted. “Get away!” She turned to me and frowned, then turned back to the sprite.
“I just want Mummy to love me,” she said. “Can you make Mummy love me?”
“Yes, yes!” said the sprite, her words honey, molasses, and syrup. “All that you wish shall be yours. Come now!”
Goldie stepped into the water. She stretched her hand toward the sprite.
“Goldie, no! Don’t touch her!” I shouted, but it was too late. Their fingers had touched. The sprite clasped Goldie in her webbed hands, and before Goldie could even utter a scream, she was dragged beneath the water.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Swimming with Sprites
The river rippled slightly and then flowed on like nothing had happened. The world was quiet, traitorously calm. Goldie had just been taken by a sprite! My mind raced for a rescue plan, but fear flooded all reason.
“Come with me,” said another sprite, reaching for me. “Don’t
Similar Books
