A different story...

[Wolf]

Yea, living in the woods is a hard deal, I am telling you, hard but honest. To survive in there is somewhat a matter of honor. We, the hunting tribes, love the freedom and worship The Hunt. In our wildlife the freedom is in air and the wish means action. Our spirit is somehow impregnated with independence, and the free will is our only rule.
There is another kind of life, those one of my canine cousins - the dogs. Tell me don’t you find them piteous, don’t you think their life is a drudgery? They are the disgrace of my glorious ancestral past … Shepherds?! Puff! Staying tight to juicy lams and nutritious sheep without any chance to test their meat…. that is against canine nature.
Or, say - the hounds. Ha, ha, hounds – fatuous, workaholic runners who pretend of being hunters. Whoa, even the thought about is disgusting enough to gives a good reason to kill them! Yea, time to time, when the prey doesn’t come easy or when the snows rise in the woods, these dunces pay their bloody fee to us…
Or these human toys – the companion dogs. Gosh! Originated from proud and fearsome tribes, packs of hunters who once made all of the ancient predators to step down of their kills, much latter those losers had been finally transformed into such a creatures….!? Their only purpose is to enjoy their boring masters – the humans.
Who am I!? If you still ask yourself this question, most probably you are not clever enough to take care for your life in the woods. I am those who gave a rise of the bloody legends among human folk. I am the Hunter! No matter that the slow-heads mentioned above call me with other name – The Wolf. Ha! They are that narrow – minded, to lose the memory of who they are. That’s why they gave me a name, name coming from their nightmares, name born during some of the long sober midnights when they had been listening with fear, the howl of my tribes reverberating through the woods. The call for the hunt begins.
Now, let me tell you the story. That’s right, you guess, it is a story of hunt. What, for God’s sake one might expect to be told by a hunter? But, enough about this! In fact, the story takes place in only a day of the woods’ life. It was the day when I met The Little Red Riding Hood...
There are partners in the woods, you know, and the best one is the Raven. That very day I was busy in following an old trace of a sick wild boar when crossing the meadow I was startled by well known croak from the upper boats of the oaks. “Good hunt, good hunt to you my Master!” Stopping I took a good look towards the direction, voice was coming from. “Good to you too”, said I “Anyway I know better days …”; I growled and then asked “ How about you?”
“You see my Master…”, started the squawking voice from the oak, “ …I dear to say your luck today is going to be quiet good. This very morning I saw the axe-man’s daughter coming towards your hunting ground, probably in order to visit her grandmother. The old woman, who lives in the small, wooden, careworn cottage, amid the woods. You Master and your worthy family had killed her livestock two winters ago, then we got serious hold-ups dealing with human chasers, I afford myself to say that … You had been badly wounded that winter, Sir, remember?
Even the old scar on my shoulder began to throb with glow in that bloody minute. “So, what?“ I was badly hungry that morning but then on top of all, I got really angry. “What, the hell, do you mean?” I growled sharply again.
“Well, I thought probably there is a chance to probe what her hand-basket contain, but now after meeting you my Master, why we don't think together about something bigger….?
“ No! “, I snapped him immediately, “ Don’t you know, Raven, that afterwards dozens of humans will come caring fire-sticks on their front-paws with the only purpose to kill us. Their frankly servants, these spreading stench, slowly, noisy hounds will forefront the party too… So soon after they come in the woods I would be urgent to assemble the hunters’ tribes to confront them in epic battle which no one knows how would be finished. These human rascals are sneaky killers know no honor to meet you face in face…That my friend is a bad idea!”
But that’s why I like the Raven – he is always prepared. “Very well my Master...”, he began, “ as always you are right, but tell me, don’t you sense the gale, the rain and the tempest comings over the woods? There will be storm tonight, storm this strong we haven’t seen for many winters. When that elemental disaster will be gone only Mountain’s Spirit knows.”
Well, my only hope is to be understood right: how furious on humans I was and how hungry after that flat day I was. Finally I agreed with the Raven, good friend he was…We set off. I easily followed his snaking fly through the ancient trees of the forest. Having tireless muscles and indefatigable will to hunt I rush along my hunting ground like The Spirit of Revenge. No long latter I heard the Raven’s squawk. Creature was close. Few more leaps and a blink latter I saw it. So, is this funny biped creature was a female, the daughter of the axe-man or as his damned name was? It was that funny that creature, moving clumsy through the enlighten green meadow. Ha! That one was the word…They were so equally looking all these ugly humans… This one was not only piteous, but smaller and somehow skinny. On its head the small female was wearing the most ridiculous thing I had ever seen – some shabby red rag tightly bind just under the jaw. Mach more latter I heard that it was so-called Little Red Riding Hood. Whoa! Human deals! I never understand them… Well, the part follow after was not so bat indeed, but I don’t thing I should share my killing tactics to you. Let me just say that after that nutritious meeting I was about 4 – 5 kilos heavier and the Raven was very contempt with founds into the creature’s hand-basket. Yea, as I said the red – headed or whatever she was, was puny. But the blood, the blood is the only think that drive me crazy, the only thing I can not resist on… How it smells, how it tests – unutterable! And the Raven who had always at least one more idea about hunt for my bad luck said after all: “My Master, we know where her grandmother is, and because you are still hungry, let we go there to finish the hunt. The storm is on its way.
Well, still hungry as I was I didn’t think twice. That was my unexpected chance for revenge. Yea, I use to be and still I am the Hunter! I am not going to bother you saying hollow vindications about why or what. I just would say: I have killed the old, bad smelled, horrified creature in the wooden frame-build cottage (these bungling humans, they even don’t possess skills to build a decent lair), and when I was on my way of howling my family to share my fresh kill, I was anxiously interrupted by my stanch friend Raven.” Chasers! ”
At the same moment I heard the bark. Yea, it was the chasing bark of these human servants – the hounds. The Raven flew back croaking breathlessly: “They are four hounds and a human male chasing you. Run my Master, run to survive..!” In fact my refined senses told me what and how many they are, even before Raven, so I was ready to make up my mind.
The time left to the storm is almost run out, my Master, let we hide! There is no way they find us…” It sounded logically, but I was no more logical. I was the Hunter with hot blood in my mouth and no fear in my heart! Sensing the fresh blood in my mouth I was in the way to feel how my own blood was burning my veins and my soul. After all I was the ruler in these centuries-old woods. I had proved that with blood. I wouldn’t step down… The raven desperately soared to the sky over the tops of the trees: ”Let the Luck be with you my Master! “ I didn’t heard more.
My first move was to howl. It was the howl of challenge: deep, long and severe. Challenge accepted! Howling that warned my own pack about the human pest. Then making no sound I rushed in run. It was the same ancient hunting run after the prey. I can run like that for days till the dear or the wild bull stops exhausted to meet his fortune… I made a full circle closing from behind of my enemies. Sounds of bark and hale were coming far away from my front. Stalking quietly paw by paw I made the distance between me and my foe shorter. I could sense the heavy swept smell of the human male. Soon after, I saw him. This one was bigger and smelled aggressively. He was caring a fire-stick. I knew these ignoble weapons. They were capable to make my wolfish brothers and sisters agonizing with pain. The stupid hounds were too far away getting mad with the fresh trace; they already neared the shabby cottage. My foe then was dependent only on his skills to fight. That was the moment. When remote flash flamed the sky, and thunder after, shook the woods to their roots I attacked the creature from behind. Ha! Knowing me you don’t expect to be a long fight, don you? Before he even moved I snapped him twice. That made the difference between live and death. The first my bite ripped his low abdomen and through his terrifying scream I glimpse his intestines out. The second bite tore up his throat, and stopped his scream. I pushed hard his convulsing body on the grass and leaved the corps shivering with the tremors of death. That was all about him… Then I herd the fighting roar of my tribe. I rush to the cottage with all my strength. Closing, I already could hear the sounds of the clashing bodies. I arrived on the scene just in time to see my two sons and my huntress smashing the dog’s resistance. I took my part of this bloody revenge tearing the hound’s leader to pieces. Yea, we served them right! That was the rule of the Hunt. Despite the storm which lasted for three days, we - the Hunter’s tribes had a bloody feast. Our howling calls were added to roar of the holly gale and were spread out over the woods to remind who the Master was.
And very long time after, each time we assemble the packs to battle our human enemies the Raven tells the story of honor….
One day, not so long ago he told me the story on the way the humans do. It was a whole Moon howl. Disgusting! What a stupid Lies those humans tell each other. Ha, ha, they were the winners? They can only wish to be…The woods have their eyes, they have their ears, and they know what the truth is. Yea indeed, make yourself trouble to think who is telling you the story now…?
Yea, he laughs best who laughs last…