Tales of the Wolf: Book 01 - The Coming of the Wolf by A. E. McCullough Page A

only to be reborn as a shaman, becoming a member of everyone’s family.  Anasazi raised me for several years after my father disappeared and before I was adopted by the White Wolf pack.”
    Applying a poultice of herbs, Hawkeye redressed her wounds. “These herbs will deaden the pain and should make it easier for you to walk but it is only temporary.”
    Finished with her shoulder and leg, he let his gaze roam over her body. She was extremely beautiful. The muscles in her legs and thighs were tight and firm. As she rolled over, Hawkeye admired the flatness of her stomach and the roundness of her breasts.
    ‘By Luna she’s beautiful,’ he thought. ‘Never have I met a woman that looked like her and had such a fiery spirit, not even my late wife.’
    Feeling slightly embarrassed and saddened by his thoughts, he turned his attention back to the matter at hand, her bandages and reached up to check the bandages around her face.
    Flinching at his touch, Tatianna brought her hand up defensively. For a brief moment neither of them moved nor spoke. Lowering her hand, she blushed. “I’m sorry. I’m very sensitive about my face.”
    Hawkeye apologized. “No, I’m sorry. I should have asked you first. May I check your bandage? I promise to be gentle.”
    Nodding her agreement, Tatianna steeled herself for his touch. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her breathing until she felt herself relax.
    Reaching up, Hawkeye removed her bandages. His touch was as gentle as a feather. Continuing to check her wounds, he noticed the scars on her face were deep and very red, two very bad signs but he said nothing about them. He softly reapplied the bandages and added a poultice of herbs and berries. “This should help speed the healing process.”
    Feeling slightly embarrassed, Tatianna tried to change the subject. “How long will it take to get to Itasca?”
    “It’s only a three day run from the fork in the river,” Hawkeye replied casually as he stowed away his gear.
    Tatianna flashed him a crooked grin. “Is that as a wolf or human?”
    Now it was Hawkeye’s turn to be embarrassed as he sat back and laughed at himself. “I’m sorry, that’s as a wolf. I forgot you cannot travel that way.”
    As Tatianna joined him in their lighthearted laugh, Hawkeye thought her laughter was the most musical thing he had ever heard.
    He shrugged his shoulders. “I would have to guess that it will probably take us at least ten days, if not more. I have never traveled that distance on two legs.”
    “Well neither have I.” Struggling to stand, she spoke through clenched teeth. “I’ll try not to slow us down too much.”
    He walked back to the branches he had dropped earlier. “You won’t. This morning I made a travois for you.”
    Tatianna asked, “A what?”
    Hawkeye pointed at his creation. It didn’t look like much. Two saplings about twelve feet in length lying next to each other with leather straps and hides, taken from the dead hobgoblins, holding one end about two feet apart, while the other end was wider and blanketed with furs.
    “A travois. It’s a type of sled.”  Hawkeye pointed at the wider end. “You can lie on it here and,” gesturing to the smaller end, “I’ll pull it. We should make decent time and you won’t have to use your injured leg. The only major problem with this type of sled it that we will be easy to track but that can’t be helped at this point.”
    With Hawkeye’s help, Tatianna hobbled over to the contraption and laid down where he directed. Looking up at him, she asked, “How are you going to pull this?”
    Flashing her smile and a quick wink, Hawkeye let his change come over him. Tatianna once again watched in awe at his transformation from Highland warrior to the beautiful white wolf. Walking over to the makeshift harness, Hawkeye nosed himself into it before glancing back at her.
    Tatianna said, “I’m ready.”
    And he was off at a trot. Traveling through deep evergreen forests,