Read Online Promise Of The Wolves by Dorothy Hearst - Free Book Online
Authors: Dorothy Hearst
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all.”
His annoyance amused me. I had the feeling the Greatwolves had not told him as much as he would have liked. I wanted to find out more from him. I wanted to know what the Greatwolves had really said, but I didn’t get the chance to ask. When Rissa called angrily to me, he took flight, and I pelted back to the clearing.
“Don’t wander off,” Rissa said as I slunk back into the gathering place. “Do you want to be a bear’s meal? You don’t know enough to be in the forest on your own.” I saw Unnan and Borlla smirking behind her and knew they’d told her I had left. “I know you are glad to be with the pack, Kaala, but do not forget you still have much to learn.” She licked me once and trotted off to rejoin Ruuqo and the ravens in their discussions. I looked off into the forest and saw a flicker of black and heard a rustling of leaves. I knew that somewhere in the bushes, a pair of beady brown eyes was watching me.
4
T he warm weather grew hot and the days long. As our bodies strengthened, we did not need so much rest and we began to keep the hours of wolf. We slept in the hot afternoons and played, learned, and ate in the cool dawn and dusk and in the moonlit night. We learned that the moon was not always the same, but rather changed each day in a constant and comforting cycle that helped us track time and seasons. Trevegg told us that by the time the moon grew round and bright five more times, we would be ready to hunt with the pack. We practiced, hunting the voles that ventured into our homesite, and learned more of play from Tlitoo and the other young ravens of Sleekwing’s family. Twice the moon was a bright, full circle, making me shiver in memory of our long walk across the plain.
I tasted my first meat at that gathering place, when Rissa would no longer feed us her rich milk, and the pack brought us back meat in their bellies. We were mystified at first, when Trevegg lowered his face to us. We smelled meat, but couldn’t figure out where the scent was coming from. Then Ázzuen narrowed his clever eyes and poked his nose in the corner of Trevegg’s faded muzzle. The oldwolf heaved twice, and good meat came from his mouth to the ground below. Once we all got the idea, we nudged the rest of the wolves and they gave us fresh, soft meat.
We grew strong and restless, itching to explore the world beyond Fallen Tree. We pestered our elders tirelessly, urging them to let us go with them as they hunted or explored the territories, but they would not take us more than a half hour’s journey from home. Finally, three moons after we arrived at Fallen Tree, we got our chance.
Sleekwing and Rainsong had flown lazily into the gathering place just after the break of dawn. Though we prefer to hunt at night, ravens are mostly day creatures, and we are happy to follow them to prey in the daytime. Sleekwing landed atop Ruuqo’s head as the wolf surveyed the clearing. Irritably, he snapped at the bird.
“Ungrateful wolf!” Sleekwing said indignantly. “If you do not want the news I bring, I will go to the Vole Eater pack. They will welcome me.”
Ruuqo yawned. “Vole Eaters never bring you anything better than a half-grown deer. If you start sharing prey with them, it will be a lean year for you.”
“I can always eat little pups if I get hungry,” Sleekwing retorted, and abruptly swooped at me and Ázzuen. We were ready for him. I dove to the right, Ázzuen to the left. Sleekwing pulled up short, and barely avoided crashing into the ground.
“You are going to have to be faster than that to catch a Swift River pup,” Rissa said. “What news do you have for us, Sleekwing?”
Sleekwing preened his feathers. “Since you ask, Rissa,” he said, glaring at Ruuqo, “there is a mare on the Tall Grass plain, freshly killed, and just one small bear eating it.”
Rissa opened her jaws, showing her teeth. “Then I think we should relieve the bear of its meal. How did a slow-bear catch a horse,
His annoyance amused me. I had the feeling the Greatwolves had not told him as much as he would have liked. I wanted to find out more from him. I wanted to know what the Greatwolves had really said, but I didn’t get the chance to ask. When Rissa called angrily to me, he took flight, and I pelted back to the clearing.
“Don’t wander off,” Rissa said as I slunk back into the gathering place. “Do you want to be a bear’s meal? You don’t know enough to be in the forest on your own.” I saw Unnan and Borlla smirking behind her and knew they’d told her I had left. “I know you are glad to be with the pack, Kaala, but do not forget you still have much to learn.” She licked me once and trotted off to rejoin Ruuqo and the ravens in their discussions. I looked off into the forest and saw a flicker of black and heard a rustling of leaves. I knew that somewhere in the bushes, a pair of beady brown eyes was watching me.
4
T he warm weather grew hot and the days long. As our bodies strengthened, we did not need so much rest and we began to keep the hours of wolf. We slept in the hot afternoons and played, learned, and ate in the cool dawn and dusk and in the moonlit night. We learned that the moon was not always the same, but rather changed each day in a constant and comforting cycle that helped us track time and seasons. Trevegg told us that by the time the moon grew round and bright five more times, we would be ready to hunt with the pack. We practiced, hunting the voles that ventured into our homesite, and learned more of play from Tlitoo and the other young ravens of Sleekwing’s family. Twice the moon was a bright, full circle, making me shiver in memory of our long walk across the plain.
I tasted my first meat at that gathering place, when Rissa would no longer feed us her rich milk, and the pack brought us back meat in their bellies. We were mystified at first, when Trevegg lowered his face to us. We smelled meat, but couldn’t figure out where the scent was coming from. Then Ázzuen narrowed his clever eyes and poked his nose in the corner of Trevegg’s faded muzzle. The oldwolf heaved twice, and good meat came from his mouth to the ground below. Once we all got the idea, we nudged the rest of the wolves and they gave us fresh, soft meat.
We grew strong and restless, itching to explore the world beyond Fallen Tree. We pestered our elders tirelessly, urging them to let us go with them as they hunted or explored the territories, but they would not take us more than a half hour’s journey from home. Finally, three moons after we arrived at Fallen Tree, we got our chance.
Sleekwing and Rainsong had flown lazily into the gathering place just after the break of dawn. Though we prefer to hunt at night, ravens are mostly day creatures, and we are happy to follow them to prey in the daytime. Sleekwing landed atop Ruuqo’s head as the wolf surveyed the clearing. Irritably, he snapped at the bird.
“Ungrateful wolf!” Sleekwing said indignantly. “If you do not want the news I bring, I will go to the Vole Eater pack. They will welcome me.”
Ruuqo yawned. “Vole Eaters never bring you anything better than a half-grown deer. If you start sharing prey with them, it will be a lean year for you.”
“I can always eat little pups if I get hungry,” Sleekwing retorted, and abruptly swooped at me and Ázzuen. We were ready for him. I dove to the right, Ázzuen to the left. Sleekwing pulled up short, and barely avoided crashing into the ground.
“You are going to have to be faster than that to catch a Swift River pup,” Rissa said. “What news do you have for us, Sleekwing?”
Sleekwing preened his feathers. “Since you ask, Rissa,” he said, glaring at Ruuqo, “there is a mare on the Tall Grass plain, freshly killed, and just one small bear eating it.”
Rissa opened her jaws, showing her teeth. “Then I think we should relieve the bear of its meal. How did a slow-bear catch a horse,
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