“Arroooooooooooooooh!”
The faraway chorus of bloodcurdling howls reminded me of what I had to do. I had to hide myself in that miserable pool until the moon set and the wereing was over.
But I hesitated. This was the third night of the wereing, my last chance to experience my new power. And besides, I wasn’t like those monsters of the night, right? I was beautiful, my body strong and sleek.
It was the night creatures who were evil and ugly, not me.
Why should I hide in a muddy pool, miserable and shivering, when I could be racing the wind and tasting all of life in the air?
Because, said my Gruff-self, glum and practical, if I didn’t escape the wretched werewolves, they would make me one of them. Ignoring my raging heart, I pushed the desire for freedom out of my mind and set off for the hiding place.
“Aroooo-rooo-rooooh!”
The horrible yowling of the monsters grew louder with every step. They were right in my path! Listening carefully I could hear them dancing in a circle in the darkness. My ears picked up a splash and suddenly I knew what had happened.
The werewolves had discovered my hiding spot and had it surrounded! If I tried to get to the water they would capture me. Besides, what good was the muddy pool if they knew about it?
The wild part of me leaped in the air for joy. Whatever happened, it wouldn’t mean another night of freezing with nothing but my tormented thoughts for company.
The Gruff part of me was only a tiny voice in the vast night. The little voice kept saying there were lots of other pools in the swamp and that only in the water would I be safe from the powerful senses of the night creatures.
But the wereing had taken hold of me. I wasn’t thinking like Gruff, but like the werewolf he had become.
The swampy wind felt delicious, ruffling my fur, and the moon bathed me with cool light. The night beckoned me to taste all it had to offer—for one last time.
I turned my back on the slavering night creatures and began to run in the opposite direction. They’d never catch me. I could outrun the wind! Faster and faster I went, my feet scarcely touching the ground. The moon filled me with magic. I cleared trees in a single graceful leap and the grassy bogs were no more than puddles to me. I never even got my feet wet!
To keep out of the clutches of those monsters, I could outrun the moon.
The only thing I couldn’t outrun was myself.
Chapter 22
In no time at all I came to a place in the woods I had never been before. The ground was drier and I could sense all sorts of creatures who lived here. I started to feel even more excited—a whole new world to explore!
I sniffed carefully but found no sign that any of my wolf family had ever been here. Why? It was a perfect hunting ground. I would bring them here, I thought proudly. This was my discovery!
I sat on my haunches a moment, sad that my family couldn’t be with me on this wonderful night. If they could only see, they wouldn’t be frightened, they’d be proud. I was no monster like those other beasts. I was magnificent!
Leaping straight up into the air, I landed high in a tree for no reason except it felt so good.
I looked back toward my home. But though I could sense Wolfmother curled around the cubs in the den and Thornclaw and Sharpfang prowling the edges of the clearing nervously, even I couldn’t actually see that far.
I swung around on my branch to look the other way—the way I was heading. And what I saw there surprised me so much I almost fell out of the tree.
In the distance mysterious lights twinkled, like stars fallen to earth. But where the lights were, there was no swamp, no woods.
The swamp came to an end! Never having left it, I hadn’t thought about what might lie outside our swamp. I just figured it went on forever, some parts boggy and dangerous, other parts dry and covered with trees.
What magical place was this?
One light, brighter than the others, drew me. It was like a beacon, shining just for me.
But instead of jumping from the tree, I climbed down slowly. I had to go to the light, I could feel it tugging at me. But I was frightened, too. What could it mean, twinkly lights out here at the edge of the swamp?
Could this be where stars were born? A little whine rose from my throat. That would be magic even too great for me. I hesitated. Maybe I should come back another night with Wolf-mother. She would know what to do.
Growling at myself, I shook off these useless thoughts. Wolfmother had never been here before, my nose could tell me that much. And, as a puny Legwalker, it would take me half the night to reach this place, if I could even find it.
I ruffed out the fur along my shoulders and stood tall. What did I have to be afraid of? I, a being so powerful that all the creatures of the swamp fled the instant they sensed me.
Lifting my head, I howled at the moon. Its light poured down my throat, energizing me from within.
I began to run toward the light.
The ground was a blur under my feet, and the light grew brighter and brighter. It winked and sparkled at me, almost calling out for me to run faster, come quickly!
And then, as the trees began to thin, and odd bulky shapes loomed, the light grew so bright, it dazzled my eyes. I wanted to get up close to it and let it pour into me like moonlight.
The forest began to thin out until, finally, there were no more trees.
