the wolves, long, long ago, though its meaning was lost to time and wind and weather.
‘For suns Wolfbane hid from Fenris,’ Fell went on cheerfully, thoroughly enjoying the attention he was getting, ‘and the lesser birds like the crow and the raven, the scavengers of the air, came to help him. They fed him and fanned him with their wings and brought him news of the world beyond.’
Larka felt a strange thrill as Fell spoke of the world beyond.
‘But at last, after Fenris had hunted amongst all the Lera, amongst the beetles and the fish, the snakes and the wild lynx, he learnt that Wolfbane was disguised as a bird in the valley of Kosov and he came himself as a golden eagle to hunt him down.’
Fell lifted his muzzle as he started to impersonate what he thought the god might sound like.
‘ ‘‘Wolfbane,’’ cried Fenris in a terrible voice, ‘‘you have disobeyed my commandment, Wolfbane. And you must pay.’’’
Kar shivered a little as he thought of Huttser’s anger at what had happened that same morning.
‘‘‘But Lord Fenris,’’ answered Wolfbane.’ Fell had put on a silly, whining voice now, ‘‘‘I have come to love the world and the sunlight and the power I wield over the Varg.’’ ’
Larka giggled.
‘But at this,’ said Fell, ‘the god Fenris grew enraged with the Evil One, and quite understandably if you ask me, so he sent a great wind to blow Wolfbane out of his tree. Plop.’
Fell gathered himself again.
‘‘‘You dare to disobey me,’’ snarled Fenris furiously as he looked at the silly creature lying in the grass.’
Fell’s eyes twinkled, for he was trying to imitate his father now.
‘‘‘I made you, Wolfbane, and I made you as darkness. So you must stay in the shadows until I choose to summon you again. For it is my choice alone. And remember, Wolfbane, it is not you who have power over the Varg. For they are my children and it is I who do with them as I please, for good or bad.’’ ’
Kar and Larka were thoroughly caught up with the tale now, but Fell had paused portentously.
‘Well, Fell,’ cried Larka, ‘what happened? What did the Evil One do?’
‘Of course, Wolfbane knew that he must obey Fenris’s command to return to the darkness,’ shrugged Fell, ‘because Fenris was a god. But before he went he made the flying scavengers a promise, because they had helped him. That one sun he would return and give them mastery over the birds of prey and over the Varg whom he now hated, and swell their craws with seas of blood, till the noise of their feeding woke even the dead.’
‘There,’ said Fell, thoroughly proud of the way he had told the story, ‘what do you think of that?’
Larka gulped. She hadn’t liked the story’s conclusion at all.
‘Stop telling tales,’ she said trying to sound grown up.
‘Look, we’re falling behind.’
The cubs ran on and soon they had caught up with the rest of the wolves. On they went, and the sun grew in strength above them. It was a good hour before Huttser suddenly lifted his tail expectantly.
‘At last,’ he growled.
Larka was rather startled, for in the distance they saw a flock of birds wheeling and circling through the blue, flapping their black wings and diving suddenly through the empty air. The birds’ hungry cawing echoed through the day.
‘There must be carrion there,’ growled Huttser with pleasure, as the Dragga watched them. ‘This time the birds bring us meat. They want us to open the prey.’
The pack bounded on and soon the wolves had reached an area of flat ground on the edge of the forest. An old water buffalo had broken its leg and perished that same morning. The flock of crows had settled plumply around it and were flapping about noisily, cawing and screeching or jumping suddenly to peck at the creature’s lifeless eyes.
‘Mother,’ whispered Larka, as they approached, ‘do we ask their permission to feed?’
Palla almost laughed at
‘For suns Wolfbane hid from Fenris,’ Fell went on cheerfully, thoroughly enjoying the attention he was getting, ‘and the lesser birds like the crow and the raven, the scavengers of the air, came to help him. They fed him and fanned him with their wings and brought him news of the world beyond.’
Larka felt a strange thrill as Fell spoke of the world beyond.
‘But at last, after Fenris had hunted amongst all the Lera, amongst the beetles and the fish, the snakes and the wild lynx, he learnt that Wolfbane was disguised as a bird in the valley of Kosov and he came himself as a golden eagle to hunt him down.’
Fell lifted his muzzle as he started to impersonate what he thought the god might sound like.
‘ ‘‘Wolfbane,’’ cried Fenris in a terrible voice, ‘‘you have disobeyed my commandment, Wolfbane. And you must pay.’’’
Kar shivered a little as he thought of Huttser’s anger at what had happened that same morning.
‘‘‘But Lord Fenris,’’ answered Wolfbane.’ Fell had put on a silly, whining voice now, ‘‘‘I have come to love the world and the sunlight and the power I wield over the Varg.’’ ’
Larka giggled.
‘But at this,’ said Fell, ‘the god Fenris grew enraged with the Evil One, and quite understandably if you ask me, so he sent a great wind to blow Wolfbane out of his tree. Plop.’
Fell gathered himself again.
‘‘‘You dare to disobey me,’’ snarled Fenris furiously as he looked at the silly creature lying in the grass.’
Fell’s eyes twinkled, for he was trying to imitate his father now.
‘‘‘I made you, Wolfbane, and I made you as darkness. So you must stay in the shadows until I choose to summon you again. For it is my choice alone. And remember, Wolfbane, it is not you who have power over the Varg. For they are my children and it is I who do with them as I please, for good or bad.’’ ’
Kar and Larka were thoroughly caught up with the tale now, but Fell had paused portentously.
‘Well, Fell,’ cried Larka, ‘what happened? What did the Evil One do?’
‘Of course, Wolfbane knew that he must obey Fenris’s command to return to the darkness,’ shrugged Fell, ‘because Fenris was a god. But before he went he made the flying scavengers a promise, because they had helped him. That one sun he would return and give them mastery over the birds of prey and over the Varg whom he now hated, and swell their craws with seas of blood, till the noise of their feeding woke even the dead.’
‘There,’ said Fell, thoroughly proud of the way he had told the story, ‘what do you think of that?’
Larka gulped. She hadn’t liked the story’s conclusion at all.
‘Stop telling tales,’ she said trying to sound grown up.
‘Look, we’re falling behind.’
The cubs ran on and soon they had caught up with the rest of the wolves. On they went, and the sun grew in strength above them. It was a good hour before Huttser suddenly lifted his tail expectantly.
‘At last,’ he growled.
Larka was rather startled, for in the distance they saw a flock of birds wheeling and circling through the blue, flapping their black wings and diving suddenly through the empty air. The birds’ hungry cawing echoed through the day.
‘There must be carrion there,’ growled Huttser with pleasure, as the Dragga watched them. ‘This time the birds bring us meat. They want us to open the prey.’
The pack bounded on and soon the wolves had reached an area of flat ground on the edge of the forest. An old water buffalo had broken its leg and perished that same morning. The flock of crows had settled plumply around it and were flapping about noisily, cawing and screeching or jumping suddenly to peck at the creature’s lifeless eyes.
‘Mother,’ whispered Larka, as they approached, ‘do we ask their permission to feed?’
Palla almost laughed at
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