By The Fire
1127 Words
Khalood and Nancy had a long conversation explaining to each other the beautiful results of not giving up. Khalood gave a clear description of how he catches his prey during his hunt in the forest.
Khalood: Whether big or small, I wait until there is a chance to attack. They are smart. That is one unique feature given to them by the Author of creation.
So you don't have to be careful, be confident and your prey will fall into your trap.
Nancy was awed by Khalood's tactics in hunting.
The sun is setting, the village folks are heaping woods in the middle of the village It was a bonfire.
“What is the heaping of the woods for?”, Nancy asked.
Khalood: It is for a bonfire. Grandmother is about to tell us a story. We do this at every full moon.
Nancy: Oh, every full moon? Since the very day I was told that I was a half-blood, I got discouraged. Many people are inspired by the full moon.
For me, it is a night of tragic incident, my mom died at a full moon.
Khalood: I'm very sorry about your mom's death. You must have loved her very well
Nancy: She was the only one who spent much time with me when father went to war or was at a council meeting.
My uncle Leslie, was always thirsty to be the Alpha.
Khalood: Hmm, that explains why he attacked your family. It is because with your father out of the way, he can be the Alpha.
Nancy: I guess so!
Khalood: When did your dad disappear?
Nancy: Three days before my mother's murder.
Khalood: I see. I have a feeling your father is still alive. If you want to get the cub, get rid of the lion first. The lioness will fight to protect its cub.
Nancy: I hope so. It would be indescribable joy for me if he was still alive. I miss him so much. I truly do.
Khalood: I'm sure he does too. Come on, let's go and hear Grandmother's story.
Khalood walked with Nancy down the hill to the down. All were set, the village folks with their children sat round the fire to hear the story.
Khalood got a thick cloth for Nancy to cover herself and keep her warm. He sat close to her as the old woman started to share her story.
Old woman: Good evening my people. Today, because of Nancy we won't continue the story about the porcupine and the hunter. I want to tell you all, a true story about wolves.
At the hearing of the word “wolves” from the old woman, the village folks were unbelievably quiet except for a cricket making a “krrrr, krrrr, krrrr” sound at the background.
Old woman: So listen up. The first Alpha of wolves had two sons. Leslie and Zika.
Both were strong energetic wolves. The Alpha loved Zika more because he was capable, loving,, and very assertive.
Leslie on the other hand, was dominative, commanding, and bloodthirsty.
After the great famine war, Leslie developed a high taste for human blood after his first encounter with devouring one.
The Alpha went to war against an enemy wolf pack. Unfortunately, he lost his life, and one of his sons had to be Alpha.
Leslie stood and said that as long as he was the firstborn he deserved to be the Alpha. But the chancellors had a different message from the late Alpha before he died. The late Alpha disapproves of his elder son of being the Alpha after him. The chancellors must fulfilll the late Alpha's wish and make Zika the new Alpha.
Zika built a castle and called it the Medieval Castle after his late father. Leslie was filled with rage and jealousy of his brother and found a trap for his brother after Zika married a human lady, one of the survivors of the great famine war.
The village folks listened attentively with undivided gaze as the old woman narrated the story. Nancy, on the other hand was familiar with the characters of the story except for her grandfather which she didn't meet in person.
Every time her father's name was mentioned in the story, she misses him the more. She wished Zika was there with her at the very moment the story was told.
Old woman: Now you may ask, this happened at the wolf land! You've been here for a long time and you can't approach the wolf land without being sensed. Those beings have a great sense of smell. Yes,, all those questions are true.
But what if I tell you that the Alpha himself visited me to tell me this story?
The village folks opened their mouths in astonishment including Nancy. There silence in their midst was even more intense than when the story started to be narrated. There was not even a “krrrr, krrrr” sound heard anymore,
8 was astonished by the very words it just heard. We don't know!
The old woman waited for a while to admire the look on their faces and asked,
“Any questions?”, while she raised her right hand.
All the village folks including Nancy and Khalood all raised their hands and pleaded “Me, me, me, choose me, chief choose me!”
The old woman overwhelmed by all the uncountable fingers raised in mid-air, announced, “I will only answer three questions”.
The old woman looked randomly and picked one teenager “Yes, you!”.
“How did he know here?” the teenage boy asked.
“He grew up here”, the old woman answered.
“Woooow!” the village folks exclaimed in unison.
Looking randomly again, the old woman picked a child less than 7 years old to ask a question.
“Yes, you! , my child”
“Was he having sharp and scary teeth?”
“Haha, he was in his human form whenever he visited” the old woman answered.
“Wooooww!” the Nomads repeated in unison.
Nancy was to ask the last question because this story was for her.
Nancy: Was he not affected by the pelican flower?
Old woman: No my daughter, Zika had a secret passage here. So he doesn't get anywhere close to the flowers.
Nancy nodded with thanks. The Nomads clapped for the old woman and they were all dismissed. Nancy had a last short conversation with Khalood before each went their way.
After their conversation, the old woman approached Nancy and said,
“Tomorrow you will tell me what happened before your mother's death my lad!”
Nancy nodded respectfully and proceeded to the hut to take a rest.
- Writer
