Little Wolf The Promised Mate

Running Bear "Good morning, Father. I am off to work at the trading post. Can I bring anything home for you today?" Little Wolf asked as she went running out the door. "Slow down, Little wolf. One of these days, that girl is going to just explode." I have worked at the trading post since I was sixteen. Now that I am in my last year of school, I get to work extra hours and interact with my people more. Sometimes, I get annoyed with our tribal rules. It seems to me we have too many warriors in charge. The chiefs son is very arrogant and pushy. I hate it when he comes into the store. My father, Running Bear, is the medicine man of our tribe. Under his orders, I have to be nice to Stalking Tiger.I can't wait til I turn eighteen. Then I can leave the village and go live in the city with my sister. My day passes by so fast that I don't even realize my shift is over until my boss points to the clock. "Hello, mother. What's for supper?I think I am growing. I feel hungry all the time." "No, little wolf, you just use it all up with all that energy you seem to have. Remember, tomorrow, we will go to Nightingale for you to be fitted for your dress. Your coming of age dance will be coming up soon." "I don't want a coming of age dance. Please don't you understand I am not staying here. I am going to live with Star. Mom, I want to work with animals. I have always felt a calling to them. Don't promise me. I want to pick my own mate." "Little wolf, the chief picks your mate. I can't change that. You know the rules of this tribe. We are different from most. Don't make it hard for your father. He's the medicine man and holds a high place in the circle. Maybe you should ask your spirit animal to guide you. Stop being so stubborn." "Yes, mom, I will follow the rules. But please don't let them pick Stalking Tiger. He's annoying and selfish, and I get a bad feeling from him." The warriors had started the fire and were gathering with their animal skins. We were all sitting around listening to their stories. Some of the women were doing the rain dance. Asking the Great Spirit for water for the crops. One warrior had his wolf skins on and kept coming closer and closer to me. He got right up to my face and howled. My father stepped in front of me and sent him back to join the dancers. My heart started beating so fast. I could hear the wolves howling in my ears. I remember things getting fuzzy, and my head started spinning. I jumped up and started running. Where I was going, I wasn't sure. When I finally stopped, I was at the wolf den. Sitting on the rock, I felt cold and scared. In my mind, I was trying to figure out why I kept coming here. "Little wolf ." I heard from behind me. "Come in and get warm." But when I turned around, the female wolf was standing there , not a human. "How do you know my name? Why can I hear you?"I spoke out loud. "Little wolf ."I heard again in a loud male voice. "Come back to the fire. I am sorry he scared you." My father grabbed me up and carried me back to the village. That night, when getting ready for bed, I asked my mother why this happened to me. Why I always go to the wolf den. Why I feel so drawn to the animals around me. She touched my head and smiled. "Little Wolf, you think too much. Don't worry. Someday, you will understand all of this." "Running Bear soon, we will have to tell her of her powers. We have kept it from her all this time. There is one child in this village that has good shape, shifting spirits, and one who has the skin walker in them. Soon, all of this will be revealed, and our village won't be safe on its own. We will have to join forces with the next village. You and Chief Talking Bird will have to go to them. " "Yes, Morning Dove, the chief and I have talked about this. He feels that if we seek the safety of the next village, our children and people will be safe in their tribe." "Father Wolfy has no idea of her powers. She just knows that she loves the wolves. Not all of us can change into our spirit animal and have the power she will have. Her powers have been handed down through the centuries. You will have to help her understand how her powers work. But remember, if a skin walker gets her to mate with them, they can gain her powers and use it for evil against the tribe."Flying Eagle reminded him. "Tomorrow we are going to the next village to ask if we can join them. Their chief knows of our Little Wolf. We are going to see if us joining together can protect her and the tribes. I will stay the medicine man, and the two chiefs will choose Wolf's mate." "I will escort you there along with two other warriors. We must protect her and what we know. She will be of age soon, and her powers will start showing themselves. At sunrise we will leave." Flying Eagle tells Running Bear. Morning came, and the warriors, along with the chief and medicine man, made their way to the next village. Stopping them at the gate, the Moon warriors asked them of their business. Telling them of the meeting, they showed them to the chief's office. "When the chief walks in a breeze flows by Running Bear." "I am told you would like to join my tribe. You seek this protection for two children who have powers passed down to them from the Great Spirit. I can sense one has very special powers, and once they become of age, it will be seeked by many." Chief Rivers sons join the meeting. Hawk shakes their hands and takes a seat by his father. Standing Wolf reaches out to shake Running Bears hand. Suddenly, the scent of wild flowers fills his nose. He lets out a soft growl and shakes his head. Looking at Running Bear he asked, "Who is she, and where is she?"It takes Running Bear a few minutes to rejoin the conversation with the two chiefs. "Yes, we ask to join your village to protect them. We also know that one of your children has also been chosen.If we join forces, we can protect them. Alone, we have no chance." "I feel we need to join our tribes and build great warriors. Flying Eagle, I hear you are a great warrior and will make a great teacher.How soon can you join us. They are all becoming of age, and their powers will start to show. They must be taught how to control them." Chief Rivers asked. "We can let our tribe know and get them ready. It will be one month till they become of age. That will give us enough time to get everyone ready for the move. It will take a little bit of time to get them all moved over here. We are small in numbers and won't take up much room in your village. You can have your warriors show us where we are to go. Then we will merge our warriors and yours together and create a good army of warriors to protect our people. We thank you for letting us join you." Chief Talking Bird shakes the chiefs hand. At the tribal meeting, they announced the merging of the two tribes. There was much joy among the people, but Little Wolf didn't share that joy. She knew that the village was farther away from the wolf den and that whoever she was promised to would be revealed. She didn't want to be promised. She wanted to find her own love and do her own thing with following her dreams. Little did she know her true mate had gotten her scent and was trying to find out who she was. Running Bear could see that Wolfy wasn't happy. He tried hard to make her understand that the two villages needed to become one to survive and be strong. "Why do we have to move. I like my home and my bedroom. Working at the trading store has been great for me. I don't want to change schools. This is my final year."Little wolf told her father. "Oh, wolfy. Our school will be joining their school. Some things will be different but your friends will still be there with you. Sleep now, and we can talk more tomorrow ." Running Bear covers her up and turns out the lights. At Moon Village Standing Wolf can't get the scent of wild flowers out of his mind. 'Who is she? I must find out.Why does it make my wolf come to life?" he thinks to himself