Chapter I - The Gracious Warrior

          The cool air fogged when I exhaled through my mouth. A light snowfall in the form of flurries danced in the air as they fell to the leaf littered forest floor. The naked trees extended their spiny towering grips towards the grey sky above. I stood in wait by a tall oak tree surrounded by the silence of a wintertime forest. I shrugged off the cold nipping at my nose and ears. My stern eyes were focused on a dirt trail that I once used not too long ago. My life had changed as much as summer to winter in the forest, and I had become bitter and cold too.

          My life had begun along the pastures and farms of the moorland and forests not far from the coast. Living as a farmer or shepherd was peaceful, but all of that changed when the wolves invaded. It began as simple raids by little bands of warriors. Important buildings were attacked from larger declining settlements, but little more was done to farming villages save for a raid or two on livestock. However, as time went on, the warrior bands grew to sizes of small armies. Their raiding and pillaging turned into occupation. Villages were destroyed, people were captured, and towns wholly remade if they weren't entirely abandoned.

          Their ferocity in battle was unmatched, and the local militias who rose up in my region were quickly vanquished like a kindling fire in a storm. Those who submitted were spared. My village was not so lucky. All that remained of my home was charred ashes and foundations. Just as I had become a man I was forced into the fray of battle, but what was left to fight for? I had nothing but a heart full of revenge to satisfy.

          My body tensed as a figure rose from behind the gentle slope along the edge of the woods. My brow furrowed deeply as I instantly recognized a wolf headed figure wielding a round shield and carrying a sword in bulky claw tipped hands. Digitigrade paws walked calmly over the leaf littered ground, not needing footwear. The wolf appeared feminine, but I could never completely tell from a distance. Some of their warriors were indeed female, and that had taken me by surprise at first. She was lightly armored with visible chain mail that covered her torso, and a leather vest. Nothing she wore was for warmth since she had a full winter coat of fur already.

          The fur I could see was light grey and brown mixture, reminiscent of the winter sky. This was my opportunity. I waited as she walked along the path to see if there were any others, but she was alone. I thought about my smoldering village and all of the attacks. I didn't know if this particular wolf was responsible for any of it, but I didn't care. If killing one of them, or even dying while trying was achieved then I could feel some vague sense of revenge on my part. They were marauders, so why should I feel guilt? Their invasion and settlement had upended everything that I once knew.

          Clenching my spear tightly in hand, I charged out from behind the oak tree and rushed her from the side. Her ears quickly detected my presence and turned to face me. She snarled revealing a muzzle full of teeth to me. My legs thundered forward as she readied her weapon.

          "Haahhhh!" With a guttural roar I thrusted my spear, and a loud clash erupted as I struck her shield. The wolf was quick to return an attack. Her sword struck at me with speed, but I blocked it with my shield causing a loud thwack to echo past the trees. Stepping back, I kept her at bay with several jabs, hoping to find an opening to finish the fight. However, she kept her guard up and matched my moves without faltering once. The light forest echoed quietly from our duel, exchanging blow after blow. I couldn't keep up the same attack forever.

          "Aaahh!" Stepping closer, I lunged a powerful thrust at her head, but the wolf's round shield rose up in time and deflected my blow. She was quick to step to my side and strike. I swung my spear but it was caught against her shield. I hurried to lift my own defenses and felt her sword slam against my wooden shield. She swung her blade once again, and I lifted my shield to block her the same way. But this time there was no strike.

          For a brief moment I felt something, but I kept my guard up. I prepared to lunge again when a pain in my side caused me to lean to the left, but it quickly worsened. The wolf stepped back and lowered her weapon. The sword was stained a wet crimson red. I staggered back a step and felt my body turning numb from shock. The stain of red just within my sight spelled certain doom. I was hit. Everything was over for me.

          I collapsed and fell onto my back in a dizzying motion of defeat. Utterly helpless, my jaw quivered as I struggled to cover myself in vain with my shield. Emotions rushed through me; grief for the destruction of my home, fear of death, anger at the invaders, and regret for not getting revenge. But I could only stare at the grey sky and breath with death looming near. The flurries fell on me with gentle numbing kisses.

          Paw steps rustled close and approached me. The wolf loomed overhead and obstructed my view as my vision darkened. Her mouth moved, but I couldn't decipher a word. She faded, and so did the flurries, and finally the grey sky itself. There was darkness, and my breathing, but finally there was nothing...

          I didn't know what was supposed to happen after death. There were many tales describing the possibilities. A terrorized soul, a lost and wandering spirit, a mystical paradise, or something entirely unknown. I found myself in the last group. All of my emotions were gone, floating in a calm numbing sea. A cozy warmth surrounded me. It was an odd but comforting sensation as if I had woken up from a long sleep. My eyes preened open, just enough to see. However, everything was blurry. Shapes and earthy colors were blended without focus.

          'What the?' I didn't know what I was seeing at first, whether it was real or some hallucination. My head soon became dizzy as if I had been spinning in circles performing a childish game. I took a deep breath and wondered what was happening. Was this a nightmare? Was I really asleep at home? All of my guesses were quickly forgotten as I blinked my eyes several times. My vision gradually cleared and I realized that I was staring at a timber ceiling. Despite knowing what it was, I had no recognition of seeing it before. It wasn't familiar.

          I lifted a hand but felt soreness ache through my arm and shoulder. I grumbled and grimaced lazily before resting my arm. My hand touched something soft laying across me. Once my dizziness had subsided, I managed to look down. At least one blanket and various pelts were draped over me, but I could distinguish the shape of my resting body underneath it all. The veil of sleep was only gradually lifting as I observed my immediate surroundings.

          'Where am I?' I finally formed a coherent thought, but I still felt utterly lost. I carefully moved my head and found walls made from timber just like the ceiling. I heard the soft crackling of a fire nearby, but I didn't know from what direction. The thought finally clicked that I was inside, but where inside? A soft padding and clicking sound made me pause.

          'What makes that sound?' I wondered as movement caught my eyes. An ominous figure standing near me eventually took shape as my focus sharpened. I was staring at a face that was unlike my own. A black nose at the end of a long cream and brown canine snout pointed down at me from two radiant moon-like eyes of gold. There was fur; cream with varying accents of light grey and light brown. Her long hair was a light ashen grey, but similar to how a mane appeared.

          "Y-y-you!" I stammered feeling a sense of dread grip me. It was the same wolf I had fought! I was too shocked to say another word. She stepped closer, and I instinctively reacted. I strained to sit up, but an immense pain in my side made me tense and cry out. I laid flat on the soft pelts and felt my jaw quiver from the sudden jolt. Only laying perfectly still made the excruciating pain cease. Swallowing nervously, I felt sweat had had already formed on my brow. My clammy skin reeked of fear. She reached out towards me, but I reacted again with the same result.

          "Get away!" I balked at her and tried moving again only to groan and feel pain shoot through my entire body from my side. I breathed through my mouth for a moment and kept still.

          "Stop." Her voice calmly ordered. By now she was looming over me from the side. She reached towards me and rested a hand over my stomach. I held my breath. The black claws on her fingertips reminded me of little daggers. The image of her bloodied sword flashed in my mind. In an instant I felt the battle resume where it had left off. I closed my eyes feeling terror seize every muscle in my body. I started trembling violently, but I couldn't control my body even as the pain coursed through me.

          "Calm down!" Her voice rose close to a bark. The wolf quickly grabbed my wrists to restrain me. She held me tightly with strength I couldn't have matched during our fight.

          "Get off me!" I spat only to choke on the last word. I was powerless, unable to defend myself, and that truly terrified me. My eyes watered as I struggled not to break down and sob. Through my blurring vision, the female wolf was nearly on top of me in the bed to keep me pinned. Even her leg kept both of mine from kicking. I could feel her breaths gently exhaling onto my face. Her black nose was mere inches from my face, and her golden eyes stared at me without blinking. Our gazes became fixated on each other for an unknown amount of time. It was difficult to see her clearly through my misty eyes, and every other moment my body shook within her grasp.

          The adrenaline pumping through my body eventually dwindled and I went limp. All of my unbridled fear induced energy had drained away, leaving me mentally and physically exhausted. I found it difficult to keep my eyes open, but it was nearly impossible to see through my own tears. My arms felt exhausted so I couldn't even lift them and wipe my eyes. Still breathing through my mouth, I watched the wolf, wondering what she would do.

          Her gaze remained steady, but she gradually eased off me. I blinked several times only to feel soft fur brush against my face. She dabbed my eyes with the back of her hands so I could see with a touch of dignity again.

          "Don't move. You are very hurt." The wolf told me, but I looked at her with a scowl of confusion as to what she meant. She seemed to easily detect my distrust within the span of a single glance. The large blanket and pelt were pulled off me in a swift motion. The cool air graced my skin, but my stomach flipped inside me when I looked down. I didn't recognize my own body at first. My entire left side was wrapped carefully in bandages, stretching across part of my torso and up to my shoulder. 

          All of my memories rushed back to me in a single wave. I remembered my village burning, the invasion of warriors, my rage, and then finally my duel with the female wolf. My lips parted, but I couldn't utter a sound. My anger was replaced with shock. I couldn't believe it. I wasn't dead. But how?

          'Why am I alive?' I didn't know how to explain what had happened to me. The bandage was obvious. I had been wounded by a sword, but how did I survive that? I cut my own thought short as I noticed something else.

          'I-my clothes!?' I blinked and realized that I was completely naked too. My face flushed an embarrassed red as I barely managed to grab the blanket to cover the lower half of my body. The wolf didn't flinch at my flurry of embarrassment and stupor.

          "Lay still. Get as much rest as you can." She ordered me politely before stepping back and leaving me alone altogether. I blinked, still clutching the blanket in my hands. I relaxed and laid my head back down, and found myself breathing through my mouth. I felt exhausted as the adrenaline rush from earlier faded away.

          'What happened?' I closed my eyes, unable to make sense of it all. She was the same wolf as the one I had fought, but she hadn't killed me? Shouldn't the blow to my side have killed me? I wasn't even sure where to begin. Without panic coursing through my veins, I searched my surroundings with a level mind, but tired eyes. I was laying in a raised bedding with furs and blankets all around me. I could see the flames of a small fire from the corner of my eye, but no hearth. The ceiling above me hadn't changed, so none of this was just my imagination. It was all very real. I had no idea where I was exactly. It was clearly no home I had ever set foot inside.

          I coughed twice only to groan quietly in pain. Squinting through one eye, I looked down at the blanket I held. Gently lifting it, I glanced underneath only to feel my face turn pale. The bandages were real as well, and so were the faded stains of blood underneath. I let go of the blanket with a shaky hand, covering my bandaged wound from view. I clenched my teeth to prevent nervous chattering. The subtle padding of steps with clicks caught my ear. The female wolf reappeared again and the hairs on my arms reactively stood up.

          I took fistfuls of the blanket as the terrorizing image of her fighting me flashed in my eyes. My mind and body still expected a fight, but there was no present threat before me. Standing a pair of steps away, she gave me enough distance to feel 'safe' but also see her fully. The female wolf stood with a tall stature, but she wasn't wearing her chain mail anymore. No sword was being pointed at me nor a shield raised in self defense. She was unarmed. In fact, the female wolf wasn't wearing anything at all. Her winter fur naturally covered her nakedness with little trouble; but my eyes were not searching for romance.

          Our eyes were locked in a tense stare, waiting for the other to make a move. I was vulnerable and she could take advantage of that at any moment. However, the tense standoff wasn't meant to last. A normally mundane sensation drew my attention away from her.

          'Oh no.' I felt a familiar pressure down low that made me worry. I needed to relieve myself. Her ears wiggled inquisitively as I covered my mouth and nose in frustration. I didn't want to speak it out loud for vanity's sake, but I needed her help. I quickly gestured to her, and she seemed to understand without any words. The wolf briefly disappeared and returned with a wide empty wash bowl. I had to pull back the blanket covering my bandaged body, leaving myself naked before her eyes.

          "Pull me up..." I groaned and lifted both arms. Her triangular ears folded back as she reluctantly set the bowl aside.

          "Stubborn human." I swore I heard her mumble the words. Her large canine hands carefully grabbed ahold of my wrists. Pain greeted me as soon as my upper body began to rise. I clenched my teeth and swallowed the agonizing pain radiating throughout my torso. The female wolf frowned and leaned closer to place a hand on my upper back. I suddenly found my face beside her own, I could feel her cheek fur touching the side of my face. I closed my eyes so I couldn't see her. She pulled me up without too much pain and turned me to the side of the bed. My legs hung over the edge and touched the ground. I managed to hold onto the bedside by myself while enduring the throbbing pain in my side. The wolf backed off and I opened my eyes with a little strain.

          Glancing down, I could see the bowl hovering below me. I had to concentrate to relax the correct muscles, and soon the streaming sound greeted my ears. The immediate relief was only physical. Having to rely on her to simply relieve myself was humiliating. Once I finished,  I quickly eased back and fell onto the pelts with a dull thud. A sharp pain jolted through my side, but quickly subsided. I grumbled, but quickly relaxed on top of the pelts and blanket. I was already exhausted simply from sitting up and relieving myself.

          I barely noticed the wolf disappear and return. A subtle shift along the bedside made me open an eye. I found the wolf sitting beside me, watching over me without much emotion on her facial features. I couldn't really tell what a wolf was thinking or feeling. An unseen noise from nearby suddenly caught both of our attention. Her large ears turned away, an odd canine facet, as we heard the sound of someone knocking on wood. The wolf quickly rose to her paws and disappeared from view. I didn't know what was going on, and it was difficult to focus when my side was in constant pain.

          "So you did bring that human back..." A masculine voice reached my ears.

          "You know why..." A female voice murmured. I tried listening to what they were saying, but the low voices were difficult to decipher given my circumstances. I grumbled, unable to even sit up on my own. The seconds ticked by as the female and mysterious male talked privately just out of view. A horrible possibility made the knot in my stomach return and tighten.

          'What if they kill me?' The lingering fear still plagued my thoughts. The image of a wolf walking up to me and ending my life with a single blow terrified me. I covered my eyes with a hand, still wishing that everything around me was an elaborate nightmare. But I remained in the bed of pelts and blankets when I opened my eyes.

          'How do I escape?' I wondered only to feel pain in my side. 'I couldn't escape if I wanted to.' I gritted my teeth. I had no idea exactly where I was, presumably the wolf's home. The murmuring voices soon stopped followed by a brief noise. I was left in silence, except for the crackling of the fire. An unknown amount of time passed before the female wolf returned without a word. This time she carried a different small bowl in hand. I tensed as she approached the bedside.

          "You need to eat something." She lowered her hands and revealed the contents. It looked like oatmeal, but I wasn't sure. I glared at her and stubbornly refused to eat. I didn't trust her. How could I? Worst of all, I felt a disgusting guilt lodged within my stomach. It sapped my appetite as much as my distrust of her. My home was razed to the ground, my life upended, and now I was wallowing in a bed barely capable of sitting up on my own. It was the worst humiliation. I had failed to even get revenge on a single invading wolf. I had never felt so worthless in my entire life before!

          Rolling onto my side despite the throbbing pain, I wanted to fall asleep and wake up as if nothing had happened. She didn't say or do anything behind my back. The wolf didn't need to. The pain nagged me to change positions soon enough. I carefully rolled onto my back once again only to notice that the wolf was still seated beside me. The patient look in her canine eyes lit a a flare of anger that tightened my muscles. I wanted to blurt out my rage towards her, but withheld it instead.

          "Why didn't you kill me?" I asked her in a choked voice. Of course I was happier alive than dead, but I just couldn't make sense of my situation beyond my own nose and depressed thoughts. What was going on and why was it happening to me? Her response was demeaning silence. She looked away as if I had fallen asleep. I grumbled out of annoyance and pain, unable to do anything else.

          My gaze lowered to the small bowl. Her bulky hand was holding a spoonful ready for me. I swallowed whatever pride I had left and craned my neck closer. Hunger gnawed at me enough to take an exploratory bite. I immediately found myself taking a second and then a third bite. Hunger quickly flared inside my belly. If my spirit and will to survive had dwindled, then my body's need for food hadn't diminished. Before I knew it, I had devoured the entire bowl of whatever its contents were.

          I laid back with heavy eyes, content to have some thing on my stomach. A padded fingertip kindly wiped the drool off my lip. I was too exhausted to put up a fight, which was good for both of us. The female wolf stood up and set the bowl aside before draping the blanket over my naked bandaged body. I fell asleep even with the pain constantly drumming along my body, silently wishing to hear the songs of my ancestors.

          I woke up without the grogginess I had previously experienced. I didn't know how long I had slept, but I felt fully rested to some extent. I started to stretch only to feel a sharp pain that made me freeze.

          "Ugh." I frowned and opened my eyes as the pain radiated out from my side. I clenched my teeth and waited a few seconds for it to dull. I exhaled a hasty sigh and glanced around. The home was no different than when I was last awake. I was laying in the same bed too. However, the wolf was nowhere to be seen. I felt a little relief that she wasn't looming over me.

          'What time of day is it?' I didn't know if the daylight was the following morning or afternoon, although, it didn't really matter. I didn't hear any sounds inside the dwelling, so I assumed that I was alone for a short amount of time. The seconds passed by agonizingly slow while I laid motionlessly with nothing more to do than stare up at the ceiling. I didn't want to lay in a bed forever while I slowly healed, or rotted away. The thought of dying this way gripped my soul with terrifying strength.

          I didn't want to call out for her help, but I hated laying in bed waiting for something to happen to me. I slowly shifted around and plucked enough courage to try and move in my own. It took several attempts and silent prayers to move my arms enough without using any muscles in my torso.

          'Okay... Push up.' I clenched my teeth. A dull ache made me sick to my stomach, but I was ecstatic about being able to prop myself up onto my elbows. I waited a few moments to adjust my position and prepare myself. I moved my legs next, but didn't feel any pain unless I moved my lower back too much. I pushed up using my arms once again, and this time managed to sit upright. A jolt of discomfort radiated through my side. It was still painful, but if I only used my arms to steady myself then it was tolerable.

          'Uh oh.' I gripped the edge of the bed as a wave of lightheadedness passed. Balancing between periods of dizziness and pain, I held fast to the bedside like it was a ship rocking at sea. The moment of sickening pain and discomfort ebbed just enough for me to gather the courage to stand up. The dizziness returned with vengeance coupled with lightheadedness, but I tensed my legs to stand strong. I managed a few balanced steps without too much additional pain. My legs were fine, just stiff and a tad unbalanced. Although, if I had to be honest, I was still worried. I felt like a tree that could snap from a gust of wind. It didn't even need to be a strong breeze.

          The sound of someone entering through an unseen door made my body halt completely. Glancing to the corner of my vision, a familiar figure stepped into view. The grey and light brown furred she-wolf froze in mid step. She looked alarmed at the sight of me standing upright on my own. My heart raced. I felt like a child about to be scolded by its mother. Her focus immediately tightened and turned into sternness.

          "You will pass out if you push yourself too hard." She wisely warned me. "And if you fall, you'll hurt yourself even more." I frowned at her words, not wanting to believe them. Yet, I knew she was right. I looked away with frustration as she approached me. I couldn't look her in the eyes mostly due to fear, but also a little bit of shame. I had just accomplished something on my own, and it felt like she had taken it away from me. 

          A padded hand touched my shoulder with surprising gentleness. The hair on my arms raised up, but I was defenseless against her. She could have blown air from her lips and toppled me with ease. The wolf helped me inch towards the small dormant fire one step at a time. Once I was close enough, she helped ease me down to the floor.

          “Careful…" I gritted my teeth, but she was gentle enough. I was shivering once she left my side, and that caused my wound to ache again.

          “Here." I heard her voice return a moment later. Glancing over my shoulder, she was carrying a blanket in hand. I soon felt the softness of wool touch my skin. The wolf was kind enough to wrap the blanket around my shoulders so I wasn't completely naked. Although, the kindness didn't matter much to me. The whole act of being helped to walk, and then sit at a fire was humiliating but necessary. I couldn't admit it, but I needed her help.

          I settled down once the wolf disappeared again, and focused on the heat from the fire for a while. My skin warmed as I watched the flames dance calmly before me. No longer cold, I stopped shivering and the pain in my side subsided. My eyes began to wander and search the small abode I was being kept in. There were two small walls at both ends of the bed to give a little privacy as well as protection. I couldn't imagine an intruder wanting to break in, but it likely helped with keeping out the cold.

          The female wolf returned with three modestly sized fish skewered onto slim sticks, and placed each one on the fire to cook. The wolf left without a word again, so I watched the fish slowly cook over the sputtering fire. However, my thoughts wandered away from the pleasant smells emanating from the fire. My brow was knitted closely in a concentrated frown. I could've brushed the previous day aside as a twisted dream or something to forget; but I couldn't. It was impossible now.

          "I'm alive..." I whispered quietly causing her sensitive ears to shift; but I did not care. I finally accepted the fact that I somehow lived when so many others like me had perished. Death hadn't snatched me away. I was indeed alive. The wound on my side wouldn't heal overnight either. It would almost certainly leave a visible scar, and remind me of everything until the day I actually died.

          An odd sensation of elation passed through me like a chilly breeze. The subtle throbbing pain in my side made me feel vulnerable and very aware of my mortality. It was unsettling to think about.

          My eyes traveled from the fire and floor to the opposing wall where an interesting item was on display. I stared at a sheathed knife hanging on the wall across the fire pit. It was a well crafted weapon, plain as day, and obviously a prized possession; but my admiration turned towards darker ideas. The thought of concealing it and attacking her flickered in my mind like a hot flame in the fire. However, it was doused by the image of a potentially violent struggle and my eventual demise. I shuddered at the thought and shook my head feeling my forehead break into a sweat.

          'Stop. I can't kill her no matter how much I try.' I told myself and remembered the final sword swing that led to my defeat. The wolf could've killed me at any moment, and why she didn't confused me to no end. That made it harder to let go of the fight. I was still angry at her, but my emotions had dulled from the blind boiling rage and the reactive terror I once had. I still hated, distrusted, and feared her; but I didn't want to act like a wounded animal trying to fight her.

          I paused in my thoughts as a the wolf silently stepped up to the fire and sat down beside me. She didn't speak or make any sound to me. I stubbornly refused to pay her any attention, but ultimately curiosity nudged my eyes to look at her. Wolves like her had a frightening appearance. They weren't human, and yet so human-like. We shared many traits, but the mixture of similarities and differences were confusing rather than reassuring. Even her eyes had this wild fierceness resting dormant within them.

          A dark black nose rested at the end of her snout, but the rest of her body was much lighter by comparison. She had a light cream coat with some subtle brown markings along the bridge of her muzzle and ears; but also plenty of ashen grey along her lower legs, arms, and tail where the tip ended in a dark charcoal color. The entire thick coat appeared well groomed, but that struck me as odd for a ferocious warrior. I would've expected matted fur or a shaggy appearance.

          A bushy grey tail was partially hidden behind her. Long hair, some of which was braided, was also partially visible behind her. Her legs were spaced far apart despite being completely naked. The fur on her groin was more than thick enough to hide her womanhood, or whatever she was hiding under there. I quickly averted my eyes out of modesty. Other than her own fur, the wolf didn't have much else. She wore a loose necklace made from a single thin string of leather. It was decorated with a few tiny stones and a single tooth at the middle. I wondered what animal it had belonged to. Thankfully it wasn't human.

          “It looks done." She quietly spoke and pulled the fish from the fire. Hot steam rose into the air and the smell of a hot cooked meal made my stomach achingly growl. She blew on a single piece and her jaws gave a testy bite.

          “Here." She handed me one to eat. I cradled the stick in hand and stared with a watering mouth. I ate the hot meal with hunger driving my appetite. The heat burned, but the taste was incredible. I tore into the cooked fish until I found myself with little more than bones remaining. The wolf handed me the second fish and I ate it nearly as fast as the first. I felt a little satisfaction and forgot about my pain as I dropped the thin empty skewer and wiped my mouth.

          It was the first real meal I had in recent memory, and I quickly became sleepy. Even though I likely had not been awake for more than an hour or two, I would've believed an entire day had passed already.

          “You're dozing off..." Her voice stirred me awake.

          “Yeah." I quietly nodded only to realize that I had dropped my guard over food. I frowned and started to scold myself only to sigh. Resting my forehead in my hand, I was too tired to care.

          “You should lay down." The wolf spoke as she finished eating and stood up. Out of habit, I shifted to stand only to feel a nagging pain in my side. Standing up from a sitting position was going to be impossible without her help. Glancing at the ground, a pair of sturdy paws were beside me. I felt her wolfish hands carefully grasp under my arms and lift me. Once I was back on my feet and steady, she helped walk me back to the bed.

          With her furry body pressed up against my uninjured side, I could smell her. She unsurprisingly had a unique odor, but I couldn't describe the specific subtly pungent aroma. It wasn't human, but it didn't have a foulness to it either. Her fur also smelled faintly of smoke from the fire. That was a familiar odor to my nose, and comforting in a way.

          “Slow down." I pursed my lips and eased my way into the bed with her hands guiding me. I let out an exasperated sigh once I laid down. Taking those less than a dozen steps had been the most difficult ones in my entire life. Sleep was not far off, but I opened an eye to look at her again. The wolf backed away from looming over me, but continued watching me. Her golden eyes were impossible to read.

          "Thank you..." I grumbled with a hint of true gratitude for the first time. I noticed her pointy ears perk up before closing my eye. I quickly fell asleep, but this time without worrying about her.