《Wolf Knight》


 Chapter 1

    Fourteen-year-old Caleb trembled as he sat alone in the jail cell in Summit Point, Montana, fearful of what would happen next. Whatever happened, he knew it would be bad. The deputy sheriff would soon return to send him back to the foster home¡ªor worse. He knew stealing was bad, very bad, but he''d thought he didn''t have a choice. He had spent his last few dollars on food three days ago, and, this morning, he''d been so hungry he''d stolen a couple of sandwiches from the deli case at a local curb market. When he''d been caught, he''d wished he could just sink into the pavement. As Caleb reflected on his situation, he heard the deputy sheriff''s boot pounding the corridor.


    The deputy sheriff had brown hair and smooth skin, and he was thin. Caleb doubted the guy had even hit thirty. The tall man opened the cell and said, "Come on. It''s time for us to have a talk." Seeing no other choice, Caleb got up, followed him to his office, and took the chair next to his desk. A 2006 calendar from a local drug store hung on the wall behind the desk, and Caleb saw that no one had torn off the April page, though it was mid-May.


    "What''s your name?" the deputy sheriff asked.


    Caleb had been questioned by the police before, so he played it tough and kept quiet. He focused his attention on a wall clock over the deputy sheriff''s head. The second hand spun around for nearly a minute.


    "You''re not helping your situation, you know."


    Still, Caleb said nothing.


    "You know that if I don''t return you to your home, I''ll have to call the state juvenile authorities."


    Caleb crossed his arms and kept quiet.


    "The store owner is furious. He wants to slam you in jail."


    "Better that than being in a foster home," Caleb snapped.


    "So you do talk. Hi, my name is Ben, and you can call me Ben." The deputy sheriff smiled and extended his right hand to shake, but Caleb kept his arms crossed. "Are you hungry? I am."


    Caleb said nothing, but Ben picked up the phone, called a Chinese restaurant, and ordered two meals. "Life is always better when you''re full," he said.


    "So how did you wind up in our fair town?" Ben asked, while they waited for the food.


    "I hitchhiked from Nolen''s Butte, caught a ride in a battered pickup with some creepy, short guy with a big nose. After I got in, I saw he had a gun, and I got scared. I thought he might try to kidnap me or something. When he stopped to get gas, I said I had to use the bathroom, which was at the back of the building. Then I ran behind the buildings along Main Street, while the man was pumped gas, and ducked into that curb market." Caleb realized he was chattering like a three-year-old and shut up.


    "He may have been harmless," Ben offered, "but better safe than sorry. I suppose you know it''s dangerous to hitchhike. Where were you heading?"


    "Nowhere in particular."


    The deliveryman arrived, and Ben paid him, opened the bag, and pulled out several containers of food, drinks, and chopsticks. He slid two containers and a drink across the table to Caleb. Then Ben started eating his meal with the chopsticks.


    The smell of chicken with Chinese vegetables rose in the air, making Caleb''s mouth water, but he made no move to eat until Ben had half-finished his meal. When he couldn''t stand it any longer, he opened up his container and started to reach in with his fingers, but Ben stopped him by clearing his throat and passed him a plastic fork. Caleb took a bite of food and asked, "Do you hate me, too? Everybody hates me."


    "No, I think you''re a nice kid who has had it real bad. Why did you run away from your foster home?"


    Caleb looked down and said, "I was afraid. They were going to beat me up again."


    "Guys at school?"


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.Caleb nodded and said, "I tried to fight them, but they always ganged up on me. And I''m the one who gets in trouble."


    "What about your foster parents, didn''t they help you?


    Caleb shrugged, staring at his hands. "No, they didn''t believe me. They wouldn''t do anything about it."


    Did they punish you?"


    "No, they just ignored me when I complained about it. They said I just made it up."


    "So where did you hide?"


    Surprised, Caleb looked up. "In the library. How did you know?"


    "I knew another boy with the same problems." The deputy sheriff paused and smiled. "He eventually solved them."


    Caleb stared at the man a long minute, and then the realization hit him. "It was you, wasn''t it?"


    "Yes." The deputy sheriff smiled again and said, "I''m an orphan."


    Just when Caleb was beginning to relax a bit, he thought of something that made him tense up. "How do I know you aren''t lying?"


    "I don''t have a reason to lie. I believe you aren''t lying. I think you''d rather go to jail than lie."


    "I never get away with lying. It just makes things worse." Caleb looked down and sighed. "Jail''s better than being beat up."


    "Fighting is never good. Getting beat up is never good. Running away is never good. Sometimes you don''t have a choice, but you can''t let people keep beating on you."


    "How do I stop it?" Caleb asked.


    "I can''t give you a good answer to that." Ben looked Caleb directly in the eye and said, "I feel the answer you need may come sooner than you think."


    "You''re not going to tell me, are you?" Caleb asked, feeling bitterness and disappointment.


    "The only thing I know to tell you is that you have to learn to defend yourself. You can''t afford to let yourself be beat up."


    Caleb started to ask how, but the deputy held up a hand and said, "You''re still in big trouble. I''ll have to put you in the jail cell while I try to fix this problem you have."


    "And then you''re going to call the juvenile authorities, aren''t you?" Caleb asked, while looking at his feet.


    The deputy sheriff sighed and said, "I have to." He put Caleb in the cell and left the office. Caleb spent a long, lonely hour stewing over the situation. When the deputy sheriff returned, he opened the cell. "It seems your name is Caleb," he said, as he led him back to the office.


    As soon as he entered the office, Caleb noticed the front door was slightly ajar. Another man stood in the middle of the room¡ªa very tall, broad-shouldered man with a large knife tucked in his belt. The man looked at him with hard-set eyes. Caleb spooked and bolted out the door.


    The sun shone brightly outside, but before Caleb could get his eyes adjusted to the light, he crashed into a wall of flesh, bounced back a step, and looked up. A massive, spotted gray horse stared down at him.


    Caleb looked up and saw a young, redheaded girl looking down over the horse''s shoulder. "She''s a Percheron. She''s a real beauty, isn''t she?"


    "She''s a monster!" Caleb yelled.


    A hand on Caleb''s shoulder turned him around. The big man looked down at him and said, "You''d better come back inside." Caleb followed him back into the office and sat in the chair in front of the desk. The man pulled another chair up close to Caleb and sat down.


    "I''ve made the call to the state juvenile authorities," the deputy sheriff said. "It seems they know about you, Caleb. Someone must have it in for you. You have quite a long record of running away from foster homes. They want to send you to the juvenile center. Do you understand what that means? It means no foster homes, no running away, and no freedom. It means you could be behind walls until you''re eighteen. Not just overnight."


    "I''ll escape," Caleb snapped, but he began to tremble and clenched his hands into fists, hoping the men didn''t notice his white knuckles.


    The deputy sheriff said, "I doubt it. The juvenile center is like a prison. Kids just don''t escape from there. The state is sending a car down here to pick you up. It should be here within an hour, maybe sooner. The report says you''re an orphan. Do you remember your real parents?"


    Caleb looked down at his lap and mumbled, "No, I was a baby when they died. I cried a lot, and nobody would adopt me. Nobody will adopt me now."


    "You have no family, no other relatives?"


    Caleb mumbled, "No."


    "Foster homes don''t seem to work for you, and your prospects of being adopted are slim at best. Unfortunately, the folks at the juvenile center think they''re well-equipped to handle you."


    Caleb''s shoulders twitching. He blurted out, "I can''t go there. I''ll die! I''m too small. There are gangs there. They beat up kids like me. Just let me go. I''ll leave. You''ll never see me again."


    "I can''t do that," Ben replied softly. "It would be wrong for me to turn you out like that. If it means anything to you, I really don''t think you should go to the juvenile center. You''re a good kid. You didn''t do anything to deserve this. Sure, you stole a couple of sandwiches, but feeding yourself is just basic survival. It''s just not my decision." He paused a moment and said, "However, I can give you another choice, one the juvenile authorities don''t like, if you''ll take it."


    "What''s that?" Caleb asked, almost pleading.


    "Go with Raven here." The deputy pointed at the large man sitting next to him. "If you leave with him, the juvenile authorities can''t touch you, at least not for a while."


    Caleb looked up at the big man and asked, "Who is he?"


    The deputy sheriff answered, "He''s called Raven. He''s a friend of mine, and he''s just now leaving town. I guarantee you''ll do better with him than with the state."


    Caleb took a closer look at the man. He had huge hands. He wore a dark green jacket and trousers with knee-high, soft, leather boots. The man''s eyes spooked him; they were a flinty gray, hard set in a weathered face. He looked to be very tough and ready for a fight.


    Raven said, "I can promise you that you won''t be locked up. You won''t go hungry, and you won''t be beaten or abused. There''ll be some hard work involved, but I think you can handle it. However, if you don''t like it, I''ll bring you back here."


    "Why should I go with you?" Caleb demanded. "You''re just going to cut me up with that knife. How do I know you''ll bring me back here? Besides, what kind of name is Raven? It sounds like a girl''s name."


    "It''s just what I''m called." Raven paused a moment before saying, "I can promise you the adventure of a lifetime. You''ll get a chance to do things you never imagined possible. For a start, you''ll learn to ride horses. What you can and will do is up to you. It seems to me to be much better than your other choice."


    Caleb looked down at his feet and considered this for a long minute. For some reason, he believed the man. The hard work part scared him, but the adventure part drew him in. He had always dreamed of escaping to a different world. Ever since he had discovered adventure books in the library, he had wanted a different life. He looked at Raven and then at Ben and asked, "Why are you doing this?"


    The deputy smiled. "Like I told you, you remind me of myself when I was young. I don''t want you to go to the juvenile center. I think you can do better if you have a chance. If you continue the way you''re headed, I think you''ll have a bleak life. Living on the street or in the juvenile call is an invitation to gang violence. Raven helped me once, and I''ll bet he could help you. He didn''t tell you, but the hard part is that he''ll make you keep up with your schoolwork."


    "Do I have a choice?"

 Chapter 2

    "Yes, of course you have a choice. Raven is a fair and good man. And he''ll teach you how to defend yourself against bullies. His word is gold, and he''ll do right by you. In the juvenile center, who knows what''ll happen to you? I think you''ll do much better with him. I think you''ll find it interesting and fun." Ben leaned forward, looked Caleb in the eye, and asked, "Do you want to keep running away like you''re doing now?"


    Caleb considered it a long minute. This had to be better than prison. He could always escape. He said, "Okay, I''ll go with Raven."


    "Good," Ben said. "You''d better be going because there isn''t much time before the state car gets here. I''ll see what I can do to placate the store manager. I''m a good friend of his son." Raven and the deputy signed some papers. Then they all stood up, and Raven said, "Let me properly introduce you to Amara."


    Raven led Caleb outside to meet the redheaded girl, who now stood on the ground. She held the reins to four horses. Raven told Caleb, "This is Amara." Turning to her, he said, "This is Caleb." Amara quickly nodded and said, "I prefer to be called Red."


    Caleb thought Red was a year or two older than he was, and she was a little bit taller than he was. She extended her right hand, which was small and calloused, took his hand, and shook it with an iron grip. She dressed similar to Raven, but she also sported a gray, hooded cloak with her curly, copper hair spilling out, brilliant in the morning sun.


    "Why don''t you like to be called Amara?" Caleb asked.


    A small storm passed over her face. "Just call me Red, and we''ll get along," she snapped. Then, in a calmer voice, she said, "Here, let me introduce you to Easy Rider." She passed the leads of three horses to Raven and led out a brown horse with the white legs that was saddled and loaded with large bags. "You''ll ride him. He''s a gelding and quite gentle."


    "But I''ve never ridden a horse," Caleb said.


    Red smirked and said, "Well, you could walk, but I wouldn''t suggest doing that. We have an awfully long way to go. Besides it''s easy."


    He suddenly got a cold feeling in his stomach about the whole adventure. "I don''t know," he said.


    "You could still stay with the deputy," Raven said. "You don''t have to come with us."


    Caleb had heard enough. Just the thought of the juvenile center made him shudder. He walked over to Red and whispered, "How do I get on him?"


    She smiled and showed him how to get onto the horse by first mounting the horse herself. She dismounted and had Caleb place his foot in the stirrup, grab the saddle, stand up on the stirrup, and swing his other leg over the saddle all in one motion.


    Red kept the reins, tied a lead to them, and then she mounted the Percheron. She turned to Caleb and said, "It''s easy to sit on the horse. Don''t kick or squeeze with your legs. It''ll confuse him, and he might try to run away with you."


    Raven tied the brown packhorse''s leader to his own black horse''s saddle and quickly mounted.


    Ben looked up at Raven and said, "You''d better hurry up. The state car will be here soon. I can''t keep them from taking him if they show up. But before you go, I have something for Caleb." He stepped into his office and came out with a heavy coat with a deputy sheriff''s badge on it. He pulled the badge off, handed the coat up to Caleb, and said, "You''ll need this."


    Caleb took the coat and thanked him, not wanting to appear ungrateful. He put the coat on despite it being too large and too warm.


    Raven clucked his horse to a walk and turned it down a side street. Red followed on the Percheron with Caleb in tow. He found it easy to sit on the horse just like Red had said. He had only the saddle horn to hold onto, but he felt relatively safe.


    They quickly reached the edge of town, started up a large, grassy hill, and soon entered a line of trees. "Watch your head or a branch will knock you off," Red remarked looking back at Caleb. He thought, She ought to watch out herself, sitting on the huge horse. They continued ascending through the trees, not seeming to follow any marked path.


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    When they reached the top of the hill, they entered a large clearing in the woods. "We''re going up there," Red said, pointing up at several mountains in the distance.


    Caleb was taken aback by the immensity of the mountains, which didn''t look that far away. "How long will it take to get there?"


    "About a day and a half, then we go through the pass between those two peaks." She indicated two of the closer mountains. "Then it''s one more day."


    Caleb tried to figure the distance just in case he decided to escape. "How far is that?"


    "Farther than you can walk in a week. It''s all rough, up and down, switchbacks and rivers."


    "Where will we stay tonight?"


    "We''ll camp out in the open. Camping is fun, but sometimes things don''t go as expected, and you wake up with a wolf in your bedroll." Caleb almost gasped, but she grinned and winked at him, and he quickly realized that she had played with him. "Just kidding, but you really do get used to sleeping outside. Besides I''ve never seen a wolf in these parts."


    They continued past the clearing, going back into the woods and following a mostly western course up and down hills until they eventually descended into a forested valley. The trees were enormous and spaced well apart. The going was easy, with very little undergrowth to slow them down, the ground, almost level and soft. The horses'' breathing and hoof beats were the only sounds.


    They soon came to a stream, and Raven stopped to water the horses. Red pulled three packets from the Percheron''s saddlebags and gave one packet to Raven, who took it, went over to a large rock, and sat down to eat. She then gave a packet to Caleb and motioned for him to follow her.


    They went upstream about fifty meters, found a log to sit on, and started to eat their dried fruit, which tasted surprisingly good. It consisted mostly of dried apples, pears, and raisins dusted with cinnamon and some other spices. "Do you like it?" Red asked. "I made it myself. Raven taught me how."


    "Yeah, it''s pretty good, if you''re into this sort of stuff."


    Red grimaced and said, "You''ll eat plenty of dried fruit and vegetables in the next few months. You''ll appreciate the variety soon enough."


    Caleb looked in the direction of Raven and said, "He doesn''t talk much does he?"


    "No, but when he does, it''s important. He teaches mostly by example. Pay attention to what he does." She brought up a soft, leather water skin and offered him a drink. Caleb suddenly realized how thirsty he was. He took several big gulps before he handed it back to her, and then she took a large swallow.


    Caleb asked, "Why is he called Raven?"


    Red chuckled. "That''s easy. He''s called Raven because he''s a tracker. He finds people. Ravens are good at finding things. He received the name when he became a knight."


    Caleb stared at Red in disbelief. "A Knight? There are no knights. You''re joking, right?"


    Red crossed her arms and gave him a challenging stare. "He''s a knight. You''ll see."


    Caleb also crossed his arms. "I don''t believe you."


    Red shrugged and looked darkly at him. "Look, I''m not going to waste my breath. Wait and see."


    Something about her manner said not to challenge her. "Okay, have it your way. He''s a knight." Then Caleb asked, "Where are we going?"


    Red''s eyes lit up. She said, "We''re going up to the high country, to the valley where we''ll camp during the summer."


    Caleb asked, "What do you do there?"


    "We ride a lot, take care of the horses, learn self-defense, and archery.


    "I mean what do you do for fun?"


    Red laughed, "When the day''s work is over, I get to ride Mary a lot. There''s always something fun to do. Besides, most of the work is easy."


    "Just us? All summer?"


    "Oh, heavens no! Most everybody will be there." She spread out her arms to indicate a lot of people. "And yes, all summer. Isn''t it magnificent?"


    Caleb gulped, not sure he wanted the answer, and asked, "Who''s everybody?"


    "Just about the whole school."


    "School?"


    Red looked perplexed and said, "Well, yes. It''s more like a summer school."


    All of a sudden, it came crashing down on him, his worst nightmare. School, the place he hated the most. It was the reason he''d run away this last time. He''d been bullied and beaten, and his lunch money had been stolen. Boys would trip him in the halls, and girls would laugh at him. There had been no help from his teachers or foster parents. Now he was going to a school he couldn''t escape from. He exclaimed, "I hate school!"


    "Why?"


    "Because."


    "Because what?"


    Caleb ground his teeth. "Just because."


    Red was quiet for a minute, but then she sighed and said, "You must have your reasons. I won''t ask again, but I swear to you this school is like no other. This school is really good. The classwork is hard, but we have a lot of fun afterward."


    Caleb asked, "What do you do there?"


    "We ride a lot and take care of the horses, learn self-defense, and archery."


    "I mean what do you do for fun?"


    Red laughed. "When the day''s work is over, we get to ride the horses for fun, play horse games, and other silly stuff. There''s always something to do. Besides most of the work is fun."


    Some music came through the trees. Red pulled a small fife from under her cloak, signaled back by playing a similar tune, and said, "Raven is calling us. It''s time to get going." They returned to the horses, which were grazing by the stream.


    Raven went over to the packhorse and retrieved something out of its saddlebags. Walking over to Red, he whispered in her ear. She nodded pulled some clothes out of one of the saddlebags, and handed them to him. Raven looked at Caleb and said, "Why don''t you come with me? You need to do something."


    Caleb decided it must be important, so he followed Raven downstream. When they were out of sight of the horses, Raven said, "Take off your coat."


    "What?"


    "Take off your coat."


    "What? No."


    Raven furrowed his eyebrows and repeated in a more stern voice, "Take off that coat, or I''ll take it off for you."


    That got Caleb''s attention. He opened his eyes wide, but quickly slipped the coat off and handed it to the Raven, who tossed it aside. "Now what?"


    "Here are some clean clothes. Amara is loaning you one of her uniforms. You''re going to take a bath"


    Caleb yelled, "No, no way! Besides, I don''t know you!"


    "Before you get back to the horses, you''re going to wash up, both you and your clothes. You smell like a goat."


    "No!"


    "Suit yourself." Raven grabbed Caleb by his belt and shoulder, lifted him, and tossed him into the stream. He landed with a large splash and was completely submerged before rapidly coming up, struggling for breath. The shock of the freezing water seized up his muscles, and he couldn''t speak.


    Raven reached into his pocket, pulled out a bar of soap, and held it out to him. "I''m going back to the horses. Wash everything, especially where the sun doesn''t shine. Then wash those clothes and throw them on the bank. When you''re clean, get dressed and come back to the horses. We''ll be waiting on you." He turned, climbed the bank, and walked upstream.


    Caleb hastily pulled his sweater off and started scrubbing it with the soap. He tossed it on a rock then started with the rest of his clothes. He managed to clean his clothes and himself while freezing in the process. He rapidly climbed out of the stream and put on the shirt and trousers Raven had left for him. Then he slipped on the deputy''s coat. He walked upstream to where Raven and Red were waiting, his sneakers squishing water.

 Chapter 3

    Caleb reached Red and she removed her boots to hold them out to the boy. "Here, wear these, you need them."


    "I''ve got my shoes."


    "They''re wet and need to dry."


    "But, you''re barefoot. I can''t do that."


    "Nonsense, my feet are tough; I run barefooted."


    Caleb put them on.


    The Raven spread the boy''s clothes over the back of the pack horse to dry. He told Red, "It''s time to teach him to ride a horse for real."


    Red held Easy Rider''s reins while Caleb mounted up. The boy almost went over the other side of the horse, and panicked, squeezing his legs hard while trying to keep from falling. The horse reared, and Red dodged its hoofs as she tried to regain control. He desperately held on to the saddle horn to keep from falling. The Raven stood back and watched, as Red subdued her horse. The boy quickly dismounted, shaking.


    Caleb, wild eyed and angry, sputtered at Red, "You''re trying to kill me!"


    Red calmly asked, "Are you ready to get back on?"


    "What!"


    "Are you afraid? Are you ready to get back on the horse? He spooked because you did something wrong. I''m going to teach you to ride."


    Caleb blurted, "I''m not afraid," his voice betrayed him and he meekly asked, "OK, what do I do?"


    Red made him remount Easy Rider, and she mounted up behind him, holding on to the horse''s reins. She reached around the boy and showed him the basics of riding. In fifteen minutes, he gained enough skill to follow the other horses on his own. Red remounted Mary and directed the boy go ahead of her and follow the pack horse.


    They rode four more hours, and crossed several streams, being careful to water and tend the horses. At one break Caleb asked the Raven about using the bathroom. The man handed the boy a small folding shovel and quietly instructed him on the proper way to do his business in the woods.


    Caleb walked down a ravine until he found a suitable location and dug a shallow hole to do his business in. As he finished he heard a whimpering noise from further down the ravine and the hair stood on the back of his neck.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The plaintive noise compelled him so he carefully walked further down the ravine to investigate it. He rounded a tree to confront a very large dog with its leg caught in a trap. Light headed he faced the very wolf that had been in his dream, the wolf he had seen chasing the deer.


    Caleb''s wanted to turn and run, but his legs wouldn''t move. The wolf growled very quietly, its head low, as if to spring at him. It jumped, but awkwardly fell, dragged down by the chained trap. It yelped in pain then immediately sat still; visibly shivering and whimpering from the injury. The boy stared at the wolf for a long time, and the wolf did the same to him. At last the wolf lowered its eyes and the growling stopped. It licked at its bleeding leg a couple of times and whined. Caleb shivered; the wolf would die. He furrowed his eyebrows in determination; he would try and help it.


    Caleb slowly advanced towards the wolf and knelt down in front of it, with his arms tight at his sides. The wolf, clearly larger than him, stared intensely, but didn''t move. Very slowly the boy reached out, and carefully put his hands on the springs of the trap, trying to not hurt the wolf any further. The wolf again whimpered in pain, but didn''t move.


    The boy closed his eyes and said a quick prayer. He quickly pressed down on the springs with all his strength, allowing the trap jaws to fall open.


    The wolf instantly jumped, ran up the slope out of the ravine, and disappeared into the trees. The boy released the springs, letting the trap snap close.


    After his heart calmed down, Caleb walked back up to the horses, not sure how the Raven would react if he told him about wolf. He had the feeling that the man would be angry with him. So he said nothing about the incident, but packed the shovel away and mounted Easy Rider.


    At one stream the Raven said "It''s a steep trail ahead, make sure everything is secure."


    Red dismounted and indicated for Caleb to do the same. She showed him how to check the saddle and tack on the horses. They checked the pack horse''s gear and pulled out two large water skins which they filled from the stream and hung from Mary''s saddle.


    They remounted and started up the slope, at angles. It seemed like they would never stop climbing and the temperature rapidly dropped to freezing. The boy started to appreciate the warm coat the deputy had given him, it blocked out the biting wind. Finally they reached a flat on the slope where they could rest and water the horses. They were well above the big trees and had a clear view of the whole valley. Caleb could see forests and open quickly crossed the gap, and started to descend into a smaller valley. This one much higher than the one they had just left. It took only a short while to reach the floor of the valley, and they stopped at the first stream to fill their water skins again.


    After about fifteen minutes, they reached the edge of a clearing, and the Raven ordered camp. As soon as the sun fell below the next ridge. It started to get bitterly cold and twilight set in. They dismounted and Caleb almost fell down, his rear end sore and his legs wobbly.


    Red chuckled and said, "I told you, you''re soft."


    The Raven removed the saddle and gear from his horse, and unloaded his pack horse. Red and Caleb worked together on Easy Rider and Mary. They finally hobbled, and turned the horses loose.


    Red laid out her bedroll and then went about collecting twigs and sticks, which she piled into a small mound. Caleb, without asking, helped her. She took out her knife and with the back edge started to scrape one of the sticks until she had a palm full of hair like shavings. She put these under one edge of the mound, and then walked over to the pile of supplies, and pulled out a bow and a quiver of arrows taking a small coil of string from a pocket inside her coat. She used it to string her bow. It looked like the bows seen on ancient Greek pottery.


    She took two arrows from her quiver, which were very long compared to any arrows the boy had seen before. The head of the arrows were the real thing, small flint, and finely made with wicked looking barbs.


    Red looked at Caleb with a grin, "Let''s go hunt dinner." Cautioning the boy to be quiet and stay behind her, they walked out of the clearing. At a small meadow she stopped, placed one arrow on the bow, brought it up, drew it to full extension, and stood still, like a statute. Caleb held his breath; he just couldn''t see what the girl saw.


    Suddenly the arrow let loose with a sharp twap, and an animal exploded up into the air. falling back down, dead before it hit the ground. Before Caleb could react in surprise, the second arrow let loose from her bow, and a second animal jumped. This one didn''t die, but hopped away.


    Red dropped her bow, bounded, and dove at the animal. She landed with her arms outstretched, her knife nailing the animal to the ground. She stood up, holding the bloody animal by the knife, and gave the boy a wicked grin, "Rabbit."

 Chapter 4

    Pulling the knife out of the now dead rabbit, she held it up by the arrow, and then retrieved the first rabbit, walked over to a large rock, and laid out the carcasses. Using her knife, she sliced each rabbit down the length of its belly, cleaned out the bloody guts, and then carefully skinned each one, taking care to remove the arrows intact.


    They walked back to camp where Red used some of the contents from her water skin to clean the rabbits, their skins and her hands.


    "Is there anything you don''t do?" he stammered.


    "I don''t know," she replied, holding the skinned rabbits for him to see up close. "How about we cook dinner?" She placed the rabbits down on a cloth, took a small packet from her saddle bag, poured some powder onto her palm, and rubbed it into the flesh of the rabbits.


    She opened a small tin can and pulled a piece of charred cloth to put under the wood tender she had prepared earlier. Using a small piece of flint and the back of her knife blade, she struck a small shower of sparks, which landed on the cloth. It started a tiny glow, and by gently blowing on it, she lit a small flame, which set the fine shavings and sticks aflame.


    She sharpened the ends of two long sticks of green wood, skewered the rabbits and propped them over the fire. With full darkness set, they sat down to relax and watch the rabbits cook.


    The Raven came walking out of the woods, carrying his longbow and two arrows. He came over to the campfire, and with a wry grin said, "I see you had good hunting. We have company; a wolf has been shadowing us, walking real light on one of its legs, probably wounded. We''ll worry about it later. The rabbit smells good, let''s eat."


    They ate heartily, using their fingers to pull the meat off the bones. The boy and girl splitting the larger rabbit and the Raven had the smaller one. They finished the meal off with some dried apples, raisins, and hot tea.


    After the meal, Red and the Raven entertained Caleb with some tunes, played on their fifes. The Raven then told them a long ghost story about a boy who lost himself in the woods never to be seen again, but he often could be heard crying out for his friends. Caleb did not hear the end of the story, for he had fallen fast asleep where he sat. They gently tucked the boy into Red''s bed roll. The Raven went to his own bed roll. Red, having lent her bed roll to the boy, went to find Easy Rider. She lay down next to the horse, using him for warmth.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    In the morning Caleb opened his eyes and saw Red and the Raven sitting on a log, staring at him. Stiffness and soreness filled his body. "Why are you staring at me?" he mumbled, still sleepy.


    "I was honestly joking yesterday," Red said with a straight face.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "When I joking about waking up with a wolf in the sack."


    "What? So?"


    "Well, look," Red pointed at him.


    Caleb realized he had his arm draped over something furry. He jerked his arm away. The wolf uncurled itself and silently scrambled to its feet to limp off into the trees, the same wolf he had saved the day before.


    The boy struggled out of his bedroll and tried, valiantly, to get to his feet. It took a while, but he finally got his sore legs to work right. Then his eyes opened in sudden realization, "It could have killed me!"


    "Not likely," replied the Raven evenly. "He''s injured and can''t catch food, so he''s come here looking for some. He probably didn''t have the strength to leave last night, and just lay down beside you. He must like you, besides, wolves just don''t eat people."


    Caleb not satisfied, pleaded, "But, why me?"


    The Raven thought for a moment then shrugged his shoulders, "I''ve heard of wild wolves befriending people before. Why you? I suspect he just sees you as a friend."


    The boy decided, more firmly, to not mention rescuing the wolf from the trap. He might have done the wrong thing in releasing the wolf.


    They broke camp and the boy helped Red with the chores. They packed the saddle bags, and cleaned up with Caleb noting everything Red did.


    They rode across the small valley in only two hours and started up the slope on foot, leading the horses. During the slow climb and the pack horse balked a lot before they reached the gap in the high pass and found some level ground. They stopped to water the horses and ate a quick lunch.


    By this time Caleb''s legs were again like rubber, his muscles sore, his ears burning cold, and it felt like his lungs would explode. In the worst pain of his life, he felt complaining would be of no use, the only way down involved more walking. Red surprised him by boosting him up onto Mary, who looked back at him and snorted. She seemed satisfyingly warm and didn''t try to bite him. Red also gave him some warm leather mittens, lined on the inside with fur and made from rabbit skins.


    The rest of the way downhill went quicker once they had remounted their horses, the boy again on Easy Rider. They quickly reached the valley floor and started across.


    When they reached a stream the Raven called a stop to camp for the night. They ate fruit and dried meat, but were unable to find rabbit. With everyone dead tired this camp didn''t have the good feeling of the previous night''s camp.


    After everyone went to sleep a wet tongue again licked Caleb''s nose and face. He instantly opened his eyes jerking his hand up to fend off the wolf. The animal backed up and he crawled out of his bedroll. He couldn''t believe it was happening again. He stood and started running, desperately trying to escape the man and girl, but most of all, and the wolf. He looked back and saw the wolf running behind him. He tried running harder, but the wolf kept pace with him.


    His lungs about to burst, Caleb broke through an opening in the trees. The short man with the big nose and gun stood in front of him. The boy looked back one more time, and saw the wolf leaping at him. He felt its paws on his back, and he slammed to the ground. Crack, blasted the big gun.


    Caleb tried moving, but the wolf snarled angrily. Feeling the weight of the wolf let up, he stole a glance back at the animal. He saw the wolf bound forward to viciously attack the short man who screamed, but then vanish. The wolf returned to the boy and licked his face. Blood dripped from its side; it had taken the bullet meant for him.


    Caleb''s eyes jerked open to stare at the glowing remains of the campfire.

 Chapter 5

    In the morning when Caleb awoke, the wolf lay curled up next to his bedroll. As soon as the boy stirred, the wolf stood up, trotted off into the brush at the edge of the woods, and disappeared.


    Red and the Raven were already packing up their saddlebags, ignoring the wolf. They broke camp, saddled the horses as fast as they could, and started to ride west across the valley. After an hour the sun arose and the woods started to look different; the undergrowth and the ground had been cleared of deadwood.


    They came to a large clearing, planted with a vegetable garden, behind which stood a small cabin with a giant of a woman at the doorway. The Raven rode right up to the cabin, dismounted, and gave the large woman a warm hug.


    "It''s about time you arrived; I''ve listened to you clump across the valley for the last hour," she scolded while still smiling, "and you''re late."


    "We had a little diversion," the man replied, pointing at the boy. "He had a bit of trouble. So we took our time getting here."


    The woman beckoned to the boy who dismounted and walked over to her. Her weathered face smiled at him and with a hoarse voice, she said, "You''re new to horses, Caleb. It''ll get better, the soreness I mean. You will get used to them soon enough. Be good to them, one is going to save your life." She laughed, and then bent over to give the boy a tight bear hug. "Hello, my name is Maud."


    How did she know my name?


    Maud turned to give Red a bear hug, and she looked to be just as crushed as the boy had been.


    "What can we do for you Maud?" asked the Raven, while un-strapping the largest load on the packhorse.


    Her eyes twinkled, "Well, since you''re volunteering, I could use some roof repairs. I''ve made some tea and cookies for you."


    The Raven puffed up his chest and said, "Well, we had better get to work." The man told Red to set up the ladder while he fetched the tools, shingles, and nails from the shed behind the cabin. He ordered the boy to help Maud with the supplies.


    Caleb helped the woman finish unloading her supplies from the packhorse. They carried the bundles into the one-room cottage and placed them on the bed, and then invited the boy to go for a walk with her to fetch wood for the stove.


    She said, "You haven''t been to this school before, have you?"This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The boy still didn''t know what to think about this large woman and said, "No, Ma''am."


    She said, "They''re the nicest bunch of people you''ll ever meet; always helping out."


    Caleb stopped and looked up at her, "You''ve been to this school?"


    She threw her head back and laughed. "Nah, they just come by here every once and a while, bringing me my supplies, just like the Raven''s done here. Let''s talk about you."


    "Me, why me?" asked the surprised boy.


    "You have a big future in front of you. Grab it all. Take everything they give you and make it work for you. The Raven is a great guy. Listen to him. They don''t come any better."


    "Who is he?" Caleb asked somewhat miffed that he still didn''t know anything about the man.


    "He is a teacher," she paused, and then said, "and he once saved my life."


    "Oh," said the boy as he looked at the man working on the roof.


    Maud continued, "As I said, you are destined for great things. You will save lives; if you make it through your youth alive."


    Caleb''s head jerked up, his eyes opened wide, and he gulped, "How''s that?"


    "You just are. You aren''t out of trouble yet. I feel it in my bones. Trouble will come at you from the strangest places and try to hurt you bad. You have to learn to trust your gut; it will help you make the right decisions. Also, watch out for Red; protect her, she needs your help. But, enough of that, things are looking up for you, and you''ve already made one good friend."


    He looked over at the cabin, "Who? Red?"


    She responded by pointing up to the top of a low hill. He followed her finger and saw the wolf sitting there, looking down at them.


    All of a sudden Caleb felt a desperate urge to talk. "Ma''am, can I tell you a secret?"


    She spits in her palm and offered it to the boy. He stared at it a moment, then he realized what he had to do. He spits in his palm and grabbed her hand. As they shook she said, "I would give you my very life to keep your secret."


    Caleb described his encounter with the wolf and the trap, his dreams, and its reappearance in the morning.


    "The wolf saves your life."


    The boy''s eyes opened up wide, "Ma''am?"


    "He will save your life."


    "I dreamed it; how did you know?"


    She ignored his question. "First you have to save his life."


    The boy tried to make sense of what she had said. It didn''t sound quite right. "But, I did."


    She said, "Not yet." Then as if nothing had been said, she responded, "Let''s get this wood back to the cabin."


    They gathered the dried firewood from a pile into the canvas carriers she had brought, and they returned to the cabin in silence.


    When they returned to the cabin, the Raven and Red had finished repairing the roof, putting the ladder and tools away, and were inside the cabin unpacking supplies, which included seeds, sugar, and tea. With everything put away, they all sat down for some tea and large fresh hot cookies.


    While Red whispered to Caleb a story about hunting rabbits, the Raven brought the woman up on the latest news of the world. When he got to the part about the troubles in the Amazon, the woman took in a deep breath, "The world needs young knights. People free to fight evil. You have two in your charge right now, see well to their education."


    The boy and girl stopped what they were talking about and looked at the woman with questioning eyes.


    The Raven promised, "I''ll give them all that I have."

 Chapter 6

    With tea over the big woman gave hugs, went to a cabinet, pulled out a pile of papers, folded them into an envelope, and handed it to the Raven.


    The three riders went outside, checked their horses, and reloaded the remaining supplies onto the packhorse. Mounting up, they crossed the stream to head for the trees. Maud stood at her cabin door to wave after them. When the boy turned to look back one final time, she no longer stood there.


    With the packhorse being unburdened, they made a much better time. The horses were able to trot at a fair clip, causing Caleb to bounce on the horse''s saddle. When they stopped for lunch they boiled water to make coffee and oatmeal. The Raven cut up some pieces of dried fruit along with ground cinnamon and added it to the oatmeal. The break was pleasant, and the warming day promised to be better.


    Caleb asked Red, "Who is Maud?"


    "She''s a hermit and she has been there for as long as I can remember. She gave me this cloak."


    "Can she tell the future?"


    Red looked at him kind of funny and said, "She told you something, didn''t she? She did that to me once. I think she''s crazy!"


    They remounted and rode on for about an hour when they stopped and the Raven said, "I''ve had important business to take care of. I think Caleb is safe on the horse and you know the trail; so take over and bring him to camp, just stay safe." The Raven handed the pack horse''s leader to Red and took off up the valley, at a canter to disappear among the trees.


    "What''s up?" Caleb asked.


    We won''t see the Raven again, not until we get into camp."


    With that, she took the pack horse''s leader, tied it to Mary''s saddle, and told the boy to follow behind the packhorse. She led them in a different direction.


    "Why aren''t we following the Raven?" asked Caleb.


    "He is going straight to the pass. It''s a steep and rough path, too dangerous for Mary or the packhorse, they are loaded down. However, Midnight can make it. We''re taking the old trail; it''s longer but safer and well hidden."


    "Who is the Raven?" asked Caleb.


    Red answered with pride, "He''s a knight, a ranger, a healer, and the best tracker I know."


    "Is he your father?"If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "No," said Red. "You are direct. He''s my teacher and I''m his squire."


    "Does he have a name? Who is he?"


    "I don''t know his real name. I''m sure he has one; it might even be Raven, but he''s never told me. It wouldn''t be polite to ask. I''m sure the deputy knows it, and the adults in the school know, but he''s just Raven to me."


    "You said you''re his squire?"


    "Yeah, it''s an old term for a person who serves a knight and is in training to become one. All of the older students are called squires. I''m his student and his aide."


    "You want to become a knight?" Caleb asked with an air of disbelief.


    She beamed, "More than anything."


    Caleb looked at his feet, this girl wanted to be a rough and tough knight. The whole idea of knights in this day and age felt weird. "What''s your name?"


    "I''d rather not talk about it," snapped Red, perturbed with the boy and his persistent questions said, "Besides, like I said it''s not polite to ask. We need to get going."


    They started up a trail by again doing the zigzag maneuver on a narrow path up the rocks. After a few minutes, the trail got steep and narrow and Red called a halt. They dismounted and walked the path up the side of the mountain, leading the horses. "It''s just too steep to ride; the horses don''t need to be worrying about us on these rocks," she informed him.


    They continued up the slope until they reached a gap between two peaks. Crossing the gap they mounted up and followed an open path just below the ridgeline. They crossed another narrow gap where they dismounted and were challenged by two boys. "Halt! Who are you?" the first boy demanded. They both looked to be about a year older than Red and were twins.


    Red looked him in the eye and replied, "Two children of the forest."


    "What''s the password?" the second boy demanded with a feral grin on his face.


    Red said. "You know that I don''t have it yet, we''re just getting here."


    "Without the password, we can''t let you through," the second boy said with an air of authority.


    "You know me, let us pass," Red growled through her teeth.


    "We can''t do that," the first one said as he crossed his arms and grinned.


    Red''s eyes narrowed and her face flushed. She snapped, "Let us pass or so help me I''ll gut you like the little weasels you are, skin you, roll you in jalapenos, and slow cook you in lemon juice until you plead for mercy!"


    Together they cried, "MERCY!" and ran up to hug her. The first boy said, "Why didn''t you say it was you, Red."


    Red scolded, "If I was as lame-brained and blind as you two seem to be, I''d still be circling the foothills. You know me."


    "Glad to see you too," the second boy said laughing.


    Red over her anger and with a big grin said, "So how did you two get guard duty together?"


    "We got into a fight over who''s a better rider," the first boy replied, smiling.


    "Who won?"


    Together they boasted, "I did!"


    Red turned to her charge, "Typical boys. See what I have to put up with? This is Bob and Bill, our own troublemakers. They''re more trouble than a wolverine." She turned back to the twins. "This is Caleb, a new kid."


    "I hate it!" Caleb spits out.


    The others looked at him, saying nothing.


    "I hate my name. I hate Caleb."


    Bob and Bill looked at each other, smiled, and said together, "That''s not a problem." They each grabbed one of the boys'' hands, shook it and gave him a hearty slap on the back. "Glad to meet you, we need some new faces around here," said Bob.


    Red asked, "So what is the news?"


    "Not much except the Raven came through here earlier this morning, going fast as blazes."


    Red declared, "We''d better get on into camp. I''ll deal with you two later."


    "We look forward to it," they chimed together, smiling.

 Chapter 7

    The boy and girl remounted their horses and continued down the trail, descending into the valley. After a couple of hours of riding their horses through the forest, they broke out into the first meadow.


    There they saw two big muscular Percherons, bigger than Mary, teamed together. They were pulling a large log, with older boys riding in the saddles. The boys smiled, waved at Red, and she stood up on her stirrups to wave back.


    Caleb whistled gently, "Does everybody have big horses? What are they doing?"


    Red turned in her saddle and looked at him, smiling, "Most of the squires do. They''re hauling logs up to the camp, mostly for the horse stables. We take care of the horses first, you''ll see."


    "So, when do we get to camp?"


    "Soon, in about an hour." They rode the rest of the way to camp without much talking, he boy observing all the activity happening around them.


    After stopping once to water the horses, they met more students. Some were as young as ten and others were as old as eighteen or more. All were involved in some sort of activity. A lot of the younger ones were collecting berries and fruit. A couple of older boys were engaged in cutting down a tall dead pine tree, while others were cutting logs to length. Red waved at them all.


    Caleb noticed that they were all wearing green uniforms, similar to Red''s, with patches of some sort over the heart.


    When they finally reached camp, they passed a long row of stables, open on one side. Opposing them was another row of stables, still under construction. Older students and adults labored at the task.


    There were several rows of small round tents, leading away from the stables to a group of big tents. The biggest tent stood surrounded by about twenty banners on poles. One banner had the same blackbird on white background, which the Raven and Red wore on their jackets.


    Caleb all of a sudden realized he could not escape from this. Whatever would happen to him would happen inside the tent in front of him. He had forgotten about leaving, but he now felt like turning and running. He felt apprehension; if only he wasn''t on Red''s horse.


    They rode right up to the big tent and dismounted. Red tied their horses to a hitching post. She looked at the boy and must have seen the fear on his face. "It''s going to be all right; they have always been fair to me." She led the boy into the tent. There were several tables, on which boys and girls were working in groups on maps and books.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    At a small table in the center of the tent sat the Raven and two other men. One wore a dark red tunic with a black patch, which had an orange dragon embroidered on it.


    The other man appeared much older. He had dark gray hair, a short beard, and a large white handlebar mustache. He wore all black with a red patch over his heart on which a golden lion reared up.


    The Raven waved them over, and as they approached, the three men stood up. The Raven introduced the boy to the older man, "This is Sir John, the Lion. He is the headmaster of the school and a Knight of the British Realm."


    Caleb gaped at the man, "You''re a real knight, with armor and swords?"


    Sir John smiled and shook hands with the boy. With a British accent he said, "Well actually yes, I have armor and a sword. I''m a real knight. But, enough about me, this is all about you. I''m glad to meet you. I''ve already heard a lot about you from the Raven. I''ve been told you are a hard worker and learn quickly."


    The Raven continued, introducing the other man. "This gentleman is the Dragon. He is the principal teacher."


    The man shook the boy''s hand, "I''m pleased to meet you."


    When introductions were over, the Raven dismissed Red to look after the horses.


    The Lion indicated for the boy to sit down at the table and the men joined him. The Lion smiled, waved his hand around, and in a proud voice said, "You are probably wondering who we are and what you are doing here."


    Caleb thought about it a moment and decided not to challenge the man. He seemed to be trustworthy. "Sir, Red said this is a school."


    "Indeed, this is summer school. For the rest of the year, we have a regular school, the Knight Riding School. The Raven is one of my best teachers. He is also one of my liege knights, sworn to serve those who cannot help themselves. Some of my students become knights; others will become ladies, and most go on to higher education. I try to make it so all my students are successful. The Raven feels that you would make a good student. He tells me you are a quick learner."


    "But, Sir, I have no money, I can''t pay for this."


    "I don''t expect you to. I have several discretionary scholarships each year, and I''m considering offering you one."


    Caleb spread his arms, "Why me? I''m just an orphan. Nobody cares about me." The stress of the last few days hit him and tears started to roll out of his eyes.


    The Lion gently clasped the boy''s hands in his own and brought them together. "I care about you. I''m offering you the opportunity to attend our school because you listen."


    The tears stopped and Caleb gulped, "What?"


    The Lion offered a handkerchief to the boy who blew his nose. "You pay attention. You pay attention and learn. I need students who are willing to learn. I need young knights."


    The boy''s eyes opened up wide, "You want me to be a knight?"


    "Maybe; you will eventually have to prove yourself worthy." The Lion let that last statement sink in. "I feel you will learn a lot here, regardless of what you do, and you''ll enjoy doing it."


    "What if I don''t make it? I mean I was in jail. You could easily send me back there."


    "You won''t go back to jail or Juvenile Hall for that matter. We have a good lawyer. I will personally see that you find a good home. It''s going to be your choice, but I urge you to give us a try. At least take some time to explore around and meet some of the other students. Tell me what you think of this school afterward."


    Caleb surprised that the man would ask his opinion said, "I think I can do that."


    The Lion took a rolled-up paper out of a tube and spread it out on the table. It had been completely handwritten in a florid script.


    The Raven spoke up, "What do you want to do? You can leave with the next supply caravan, in about a week. Or you can sign this document in which you agree to stay probationary, for one month, with the option to join the school. It means we are obligated to take care of you for a month." The Raven went on to explain the terms of the document two times, just to make sure the boy understood it completely.


    Caleb had already made up his mind; he would give this school a month. In a serious voice as he could muster he said, "I''ll sign it."


    The Raven pointed to the paper, indicating where to sign. It was marked, ''witnesses''. The boy shivered a second with nervous energy, and then took the offered pen. The boy hesitated for only a second, looking at the three men, and then he signed the paper. He felt relief, he had committed himself.

 Chapter 8

    The three men each in turn also signed the paper. They all stood up and shook the boy''s hand again.


    A thought came to the boy''s mind, "Do I have to use my real name?"


    "No, you don''t. May I inquire why?" asked the Lion quietly.


    "It''s just I don''t like it. They used to laugh at it."


    Sir John smiled and said casually, "I understand a wolf sleeps with you."


    "Not because I want it to," replied the boy, somewhat annoyed that the story had spread, apparently by the Raven.


    The Lion, taking no notice of the boy''s reply said, "Never the less, it accounts for something. You shall be called, ''The Boy Who Sleeps with Wolves'', ''Wolf'' for short. It is a good strong name and it will serve you well.


    The boy huffed, "What if I don''t like it?"


    The Lion looked kindly down on the boy, "Sometimes we don''t have a choice. But, consider this, what can you do to muck up a name like Wolf."


    "There is the small matter of guardianship for you," the Lion continued, "you have to have someone responsible for you. The Raven will serve until a more permanent one can be assigned to you. There is nothing for you to sign because you don''t have a choice in the matter."


    Sir John dismissed Wolf. The Raven took him to the entrance of the tent and stopped the first page to come running by. He instructed the page to outfit and billet Wolf with the other pages and to familiarize him with the camp.


    The page who looked younger than Wolf and a couple of inches shorter introduced himself, "Hi, I''m Wart."


    "Ca... I guess you can call me Wolf."


    Wart offered his hand, "I take it you just arrived in camp?"


    Wolf shook it, "Yeah. I came in with the Raven."


    "Cool. He is such a cool teacher. He knows everything about the forest and the mountains. I wish I could go out on patrol with him."


    Wolf rolled his eyes, "All we did was ride up and down mountains."


    "He must have taught you something. Did anything exciting happen?"


    That question gave Wolf pause, "Nah, I just meet this queer old woman named Maud."


    "Maud! That is so cool. I''ve heard she''s a fortune teller. Not many people see her."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "She seemed friendly enough. She''s big and hugs real hard. She makes good cookies."


    "Maybe I''ll meet her someday. Hey, I''m forgetting my duty."


    Wart took Wolf to the large Quartermaster''s tent where three page''s uniforms and a pair of boots were issued to him along with other supplies. Wart managed to get Wolf assigned to his tent. It was around four-man tent, which Wart called it a ''Yurt''. There were four cots set around the sides and a small table in the center with short logs for chairs.


    Wolf deposited his supplies on the empty cot and changed into his page''s uniform and boots. It felt good; he hadn''t realized how old and nasty his clothes were. Wart then showed him where the boy''s latrine stood, and all the other important places in camp. His tour ended at the stables where some of the horses were already billeted.


    Wart explained that the stables had to be rebuilt every year, because they were built from dead or found wood, and were torn down every fall for safety. Nobody would remain in the valley to maintain them during the winter. The horses were free to roam the glen, the stables serving as a shelter in rain and as storage for feed and saddles.


    They heard three deep loud blasts of a horn, and Wart gleefully announced, "Dinner is served." They ran for their tent to get their mess kits. Wolf found out that running got him a good spot in the serving line.


    They went to the sunny side of a small hill to sit down on the grass and enjoy their dinner. He couldn''t remember having such a good meal in a long time, better even than Red''s spiced rabbit.


    After they finished up their stew, they laid back to enjoy the late afternoon warmth. This was the first time Wolf relaxed in several days. He quietly asked Wart, "How long have you been here?"


    "This is my second summer here. I just finished up my first year at school."


    Wolf'' took in a breath and asked his big question, "What''s school like?"


    Wart sighed and stated, "It''s hard. You wake up at five to take care of the horses; you have classes all morning and practice all afternoon. By the time you have supper, you''re beat. But, then you get to ride your horse. At night you study until you''re ready to go to bed."


    Wolf looked down, "Doesn''t sound like much fun."


    Wart laughed, "Oh, we make up fun all on our own. We''re encouraged to be creative in our games." My roommates and I like to play tricks on the squires and instructors. You also get time to ride your horse for fun.


    Wolf sighed, "I don''t have a horse."


    "Don''t worry; a horse will be assigned to you."


    "What about here? All I''ve seen anybody do is work."


    "Well, we do work a lot, although it isn''t that hard for the younger pages like us. We do different things in the afternoon, most of it interesting; you''ll see."


    He continued, "A lot of us, like me, love it here. It''s just too much fun. I''m glad my parents found out about this school. It''s better than the academy."


    "You''re rich?" Wolf asked looking surprised.


    Wart looked down, "Yeah. Well, being rich isn''t all it''s cracked up to be. I''ve got more friends here than I ever had at home. Besides, it''s not like I have a lot of cash. You really don''t need it."


    They spent the rest of the evening together, with Wart showing Wolf around the camp, and introducing him to the other pages. Most of them were glad to meet Wolf and a lot of handshaking and pats on the back were given.


    However, a few of the pages got testy when they found out he wasn''t a regular student. One of them, a tall boy, confronted Wolf.


    "So, you''re a charity case. They shouldn''t allow anybody here unless they can pay for it. You won''t last long; as soon as they get tired of you, they''ll kick you out."


    Wolf''s face went flush with embarrassment. All of a sudden he was afraid. His hands got clammy. He managed to stutter out, "I-I''m not a charity case!"


    The boy stepped right up to Wolf and looked down at him. Two other pages flanked him, "You''re nothing; go away, or I''ll throw you out myself."


    Wart quickly grabbed Wolf by the shoulder and pulled him away from the pages, who started laughing. He sized up the tall page, "So you''ve set a new record for making another enemy."


    "Wart, you should know better than to mess with his kind." The tall page turned and left, his two friends following.


    Once they out of earshot of the pages, Wart whispered to Wolf, "That jerk is Wayne. He thinks he''s better than everybody else and God''s gift to girls. They''re rich kids. Some of them don''t like it here, and some just hate common kids, like you. Stay away from him," warned Wart. "Wayne is a pain to me. We got in a bad fight. He beat me up pretty bad."


    Wolf winced, "What did you do? Did you get in trouble?"


    Wart chuckled, "Of course I got in trouble. We both got in trouble. You can''t hide a shiner. Listen, this is the most important thing I''m ever going to tell you; don''t rat on anyone. Just say you tripped or something like that. You take your punishment without complaint. It''s just extra work. You can take self-defense courses and defend yourself the next time. It works out better."


    Wolf did not expect what Wart had told him. "Why are you telling me this? You want me to get hurt?"


    Wart beamed at him, "Oh heavens no. I want you to beat the snot out of him. If anybody can, you can."


    Wolf opened his eyes in surprise, "Me?"


    "Yeah, you; he won''t suspect it. When you take self-defense from the Wolverine, and you will, you should pay attention. A bully won''t pick on someone who can defend himself. You''ll learn all about it."


    Wolf looked down, "Is everybody going to pick on me?"


    "Not if you''ve got friends.


    Wolf kicked some dirt, "I''ve never had any friends."


    Wart, clamped his arm around Wolf''s shoulder, "You do now!"


    "Thanks," Wolf replied looking at Wart with a broad smile.

 Chapter 9

    On his first morning in camp, Wolf slept late, along with everybody else in his tent. He didn''t see the wolf that slept next to his cot, because it got up and left the tent. He awoke when Wart shook him, "Quick wake up or we''ll miss breakfast!"


    Wolf bolted from the cot, half asleep, pulled on his trousers and boots, slipping his pages tunic over his head. He, Wart, and their tent mates ran to the mess tent, to collect their breakfast of sausage and eggs. Only after he sat down on the hillside to eat did Wolf realized the sun hadn''t arisen over the rim of the valley. He started to shiver in the cool dewy morning and quickly ate the hot food.


    Wolf finally had time to be introduced to his two other tent mates Harold and George. They were nice enough and were interested in where Wolf came from. When the boy hesitated, George declared it didn''t matter. "If you''re Wart''s friend, you''re my friend." Harold agreed. Before they finished their breakfast, the sun had fully arisen and the boys were starting to feel a little warmth.


    Just as they finished eating the horn sounded two blasts, and everyone ran to put away their mess kits. Then they ran to the main tent to receive their assignments.


    There the Dragon caught up with Wolf. He took the boy to a corner of the tent where they sat down at a small table. "I need to talk with you, to find out what your education level is so we can determine what your needs are."


    Not knowing what to expect, the boy hesitated before quietly saying, "I almost finished sixth grade."


    The Dragon beamed, "Excellent, but that is not quite what I mean. We''re on summer break and most of the education we do here is physical, but we can''t ignore your schooling. I need to find out what your reading and math levels are, in case we need to bring you up to speed before school starts. Trust me, this will be painless."


    "Sure," the boy replied skeptically."


    "First let''s start with reading. I''ll give you a series of short stories to read and ask you a couple of questions on each one until I have a good idea of your reading skills. Then we can stop."


    "Yes, Sir."


    The Dragon gave the boy a sheet of paper with a simple story, too simple it seemed. The knight asked a few questions about the story. He seemed to be more interested in why the people in the story did what they did. Wolf had no problem explaining it. The next story turned out to be more complex. Again the man quizzed him not about what happened, but why people acted the way they did. The reading and questions continued until the last story, a convoluted mystery tale, which had a lot of big words, like ''infuriatingly'' and ''extrapolate.'' Wolf had problems trying to figure the story and the people out. Wolf started to get frustrated.


    The Dragon reassured the boy with a smile, "A lot of what people do in this world is not well understood. You read very well for your age. You must read books a lot."


    The boy puffed up his chest, "Yes, sir, I read a lot in the library, especially science fiction."


    "Good. It shows. I don''t think you will have a problem with the school. But, now I have to test you on math."


    Wolf groaned, "Not math."


    This time the Dragon gave the boy a page with math problems, starting with a simple multiplication. He spent a half-hour working his way through the increasingly difficult problems until he stumbled on a division of large numbers.


    The Dragon smiled again, "That is good enough. I''ll get you some help in math. You''ll get some extra work in English, and you''ll be ready for class when school starts up. First, you will be assigned to a mapping team every afternoon. Trust me; it will help you with your math."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Wolf, dismissed, took his free time to explore the camp further. At lunchtime, he found Wart and they went for some sandwiches and tea.


    Afterward, Wolf and Wart were assigned to a squire named David. David sent them out with four other pages to start mapping a part of the upper valley. The six of them went to the quartermaster and obtained compasses, notebooks, and safety harnesses.


    They marched north for an hour to their designated area in the higher part of the valley. During the march, Wart introduced Wolf to the pages, named Charles, Stewart, Dennis, and Frank. They were all pleasant and welcomed him to camp. Wart mentioned there would be a soccer game after supper and invited Wolf to play.


    When Wolf mentioned he didn''t know how to play, Wart laughed and slapped him on the back, "If you can run and kick a ball you, know how to play." Then Wart turned serious, "I''ll show you what to do first."


    When they reached a large glen, they broke up into three groups and went to separate edges of the glen.


    There Wart put on his safety harness first, and then he made sure Wolf wore his harness correctly. They climbed a tall holly tree with good level climbing branches. Wolf liked the security of the safety harness. He discovered himself to be very nervous about heights and had visions of slipping. Wart, seeing his nervousness, assured him it would get easier the more he climbed.


    When they reached a couple of good branches about ten meters up, they made themselves comfortable and secured their safety harnesses. Wart started to sketch a map of the clearing, being careful to include the location of the other two teams and their trees. Once satisfied with the sketch, he took compass bearings on the other two teams.


    Together the three teams formed a large triangle. Wart drew lines on his map, between their location and the others, and then marking the compass headings on the lines. He told Wolf to make another copy of the same drawing with coordinates on a separate sheet in the book. Once Wolf had finished, they started mapping in all the other landmarks they could see, a lone tree here, a large rock there.


    When they were finished, all three groups climbed down and met at a rock in the center of the glen. There they combined their data into a new map, taking more compass readings to as many landmarks as they could see.


    They used a hundred-meter long string, marked off in meters, to take distance measurements between the trees they had used for their observations.


    When all the data had been entered on the map, they relaxed and ate a snack from packets of dried fruit, mostly pear, and raisins.


    All of a sudden, one of the boys threw a small furry ball out onto the field and yelled, "Hare and Hounds." All of the boys scrambled to grab sticks. Wart tossed one to Wolf and yelled, "Get the ball to our tree." Wolf got the idea right away and joined in the melee. Together they managed, in a few minutes, to hit and kick the ball to their tree. Wart jumped for joy, and Wolf got into the spirit and let out a war-whoop.


    Red arrived, riding up on Easy Rider, and ordered the boys to report back to the main tent. She also told Wolf, that after he finished mapping duty, he had to report to the Raven. She wheeled Easy Rider about and headed back to camp at a full gallop. Wolf found himself admiring how effortlessly she rode and hoped he would be able to ride that well.


    The boys gathered their supplies and started running back to camp, but Wolf found himself short of breath. He had to slow down and walk. Wart stopped running to walk with him.


    As they walked back to camp, Wolf asked Wart how he got his name.


    "Wart was a nickname for King Arthur when he was just a kid and didn''t know he would be king. I got it when some of the older pages discovered I liked to read stories about him."


    "I''ve heard of him. Didn''t he have a round table or something?"


    "Better than that, he made his table round to show that no knight or king was of greater importance than the others."


    "Do you want to become a knight?" Wolf asked.


    "I haven''t decided yet. It''s really hard; you have to work at it day and night. You aren''t expected to decide if you''ll try for it until you become a squire. If you decide to, you''ll be paired with a knight. Most students don''t try for it."


    "Why haven''t I heard about these knights?" Wolf asked.


    "I don''t know. I hadn''t heard of them until my parents sent me here. They must be quiet about what they do. I see knights come and go. So I know there are more than just the teachers in this school, and they don''t always wear uniforms." Wart replied.


    They soon reached camp and proceeded to the main tent. Working together on a table with their drawings, the pages made a standard size map of the glen that they had just surveyed. Some of the older pages, using a type of math called trigonometry, checked all the numbers and verified all landmarks.


    Finally, David declared the map complete and thanked the pages. Wolf took his leave to go find the Raven.


    Wolf found the tracker sitting in front of his tent, studying a map and a notebook. The Raven looked up at the boy and smiled, "This is the first time I''ve had you alone to talk to. How has your first day been?"


    Wolf excitedly gave the knight a brief description of his mapping activities.


    "But, did you enjoy it?"


    "Oh yes, Sir," the boy replied without hesitation.


    "Good, I think you will do well here. Pay attention to all your lessons."


    The Raven fumbled through some papers in an obvious ploy to stall for time. "I hate paperwork. It is the bane of every teacher.


    "You won''t always enjoy the work. Everybody works here, and every job, fun or not, has a purpose. Whether you know it or not, you have already begun your education. We believe that everyone has something to learn from any experience.


    "Most pages here are not attached to a particular Knight but work in groups for whichever Knight or squire happens to need them. Generally, a Knight has a page assigned to him to act as a messenger.


    "Yesterday my page broke his arm and had to be airlifted out to a hospital. He will probably be going home for the rest of the summer. That is why I had to come to camp early.


    "I need a replacement page and want to offer the position to you. It will mean extra work, hard work, but you will have more interesting experiences. I teach wilderness survival and can use some help. Will you accept the position?"


    Wolf''s mouth dropped open.

 Chapter 10

    "You... You want me, you want me to be your page?" Wolf seemed flustered at the opportunity.


    "Of course I do. If I''m going to be responsible for you and your education, I need to see you often and this is the best way to do it." The Raven let that sink in. "Well, what do you say?"


    "Yes, yes, Sir, I''ll do it."


    "Good, we''ll talk more after supper. For now, go find Red and the two of you report back to me."


    Wolf set out to find the squire. Nobody seemed to know her location. He searched the camp before he eventually found her at the girls camping area, talking to a short stocky woman, who had long brown hair braided into a ponytail, her face weathered and lined, and older than the Raven.


    The woman wore a tunic with the badge of an animal that Wolf didn''t recognize. Wolf approached and Red who quickly introduced him to the woman. "Lady Knight Wolverine this is page, Wolf."


    "So, you are The Boy Who Sleeps with Wolves. I am so glad to meet you."


    "Thank You," he replied, trying to be polite.


    The Lady Knight grimaced then corrected the boy, "Thank You, Ma''am."


    Red explained that Wolf had not yet been instructed informal manners. The Lady Knight ordered, "Give him a lesson in manners by this time tomorrow."


    "Yes, My Lady," Red replied smartly with a bow.


    The Wolverine turned back to Wolf and asked, "Why are you here?"


    "The Raven wants Red."


    The Lady Wolverine couldn''t take it any longer and sharply said, "When addressing a Knight, or Lady Knight, you will use Sir, or Lady before their name, even if Sir Raven does not insist on proper formality."This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Yes, Ma''am," he replied, visibly shaken.


    Red made apologies to the Lady Knight, grabbed Wolf by the arm, and trotted him off for the Raven''s tent. When they were out of earshot of the Lady Knight, she hissed, "Thanks a lot; it''ll take me a month to get back in her good graces. You may never be able to do it.


    Do you know what a wolverine is? It''s a member of the weasel family that''s so fierce, even bears won''t mess with it." With that, she grinned at him, and with a smile said, "But, I think we''ll survive this time."


    They reached the Raven''s tent, where Red informed the knight of the encounter at the girl''s camp. He thought a minute and said, "We have a lot to do to make him presentable to the Wolverine, and not much time." He then gave the students a series of orders to carry out by tomorrow and ordered them to return with their supper for the boy''s first lessons in manners.


    The horn blasted three times for supper, and they ran to their tents to gather their mess kits. After being served, they returned to the Raven''s tent. There they had a sit-down supper at the small table, with Red playing the part of the lady, and the Raven the part of the gentleman. They put on a good, but exaggerated, show for Wolf. He almost felt that some of the things he would have to do were pointless. The Raven assured him of the importance of knowing the reasons and seriousness of customs and manners. The lesson well taken, Wolf learned proper table manners before the evening ended.


    When they left the Raven''s tent, Red informed Wolf they had to separate. After dark, no girls were allowed in the boy''s camp and no boys in the girl''s camp. There were squires posted on sentry duty at each camp throughout the night who could carry messages. This suited Wolf fine, and he went off to find his tent.


    When he arrived at his tent he had just enough energy left in him to crawl into his bedroll and fell asleep before the other three pages who shared his tent, including Wart, arrived. They were hoping to talk with Wolf but were disappointed when they found him asleep. They were not disappointed when they awoke in the morning to the horn blast and found a wolf sleeping beside the boy''s cot.


    Before the boy could wake up, the wolf stood up and hobbled out of the tent. When the pages opened the flap of the tent, the wolf had disappeared. They went back into the tent, awoke Wolf, and told him about the animal. He did not believe them at first, but they showed him the footprints in the dewy grass just outside the tent. The pages could tell from the tracks that one leg didn''t match the pattern formed by the three other legs. Wart pointed it out to Wolf and it seemed so clear once he saw it.


    By breakfast, the story had spread throughout the camp and Wolf had become a celebrity. He had to tell the whole story of the wolf that keeps appearing in bed with him and disappearing in the morning. There was a lot of speculation as to why the wolf kept appearing and disappearing and why it limped, but Wolf didn''t give any hints.


    After the horn blew to end breakfast, everyone left to do their assigned duties. Wolf reported to the Quarter master''s tent, where he explained his mission. The man helped Wolf trace out on black cloth the outline of a raven. He showed the boy how to sew it to a white square and stitch it to his uniform. The man gave him enough cloth with needle and thread to do his other uniforms and coat. He also gave Wolf some good bits of advice on dealing with women. The most important of which is, the woman is always right, even if she isn''t.


    "Why do all the women get such special treatment?"


    The Quartermaster looked down at the boy with furrowed eyebrows and took a deep breath. "Wolf, what is the difference between the Wolverine and the Raven?"


    Wolf knew that her gender was not the right answer. It didn''t seem to be what the man had asked. He finally guessed, "He''s a lot larger than she is."


    "Right. Most men are larger than most women. That alone demands that women should have certain rights and privileges. We have manners in part to protect women. It teaches us all that strength is not an acceptable way to deal with women."


    Wolf looked down, "Oh." I didn''t think about that.


    "Maybe you will the next time you talk to a girl. Now go on your way."

 Chapter 11

    Wolf then reported to Lady Jane, an instructor, and chaperon, for further lessons in etiquette. She was a short woman with black hair and wore a dress patterned on the standard uniform, the only woman or girl Wolf had seen at camp who wore one.


    Lady Jane taught him the proper way to bow, to set a table, the difference between a Mister and a Sir. He learned the difference between a Miss, a Mrs., a Lady, and Lady Knight. He learned when to use Ma''am and Sir, and how to address a lady depending on whether they were wearing a dress or trousers.


    Wolf went to his tent, washed up, and put on his best uniform. He borrowed a page''s formal cap and went off in search of the Wolverine. He found her in the stables wearing riding clothes and grooming Cloud, her horse. He approached ten feet of her, stopped and turned so he faced at a right angle to her, and stood quietly. She ignored him until she had finished grooming the stallion and saw to his feeding.


    She approached the page and asked, "What is your message?"


    Wolf bowed to the woman; "Lady Knight, I carry greetings from my master, Sir Raven, and bear invitation to dine with him in such a manner as one Knight would expect to be entertained by a fellow Knight. That such an adventure should be pleasant; this page is to accompany My Lady at the time of your choosing."


    The Lady Knight replied, "Inform your master that the Lady Knight wishes to arrive promptly at six o''clock."


    "He shall be informed. He also would know what time this page should arrive to escort you."


    The Lady Knight smiled thinly. "I will be ready at five forty-five. You are dismissed to return to your master."


    "Thank you, My Lady." With a deep bow, he excused himself and retreated at a respectable pace then ran to return to Raven''s tent.


    The tent had been transformed. It had been cleaned to a spotless condition. The table small and simple had been covered with a cloth with two candles in the center. Red carefully set the table, making sure both settings were equal.


    The Raven stepped out from the sleeping part of his tent, dressed up in a military uniform that showed off his excellent physique. Red immediately took Wolf to the back chamber and straightened him out. She gave him a pages dress tunic that had the Raven''s symbol embroidered on it and combed his wild hair.


    She showed him the food that had been prepared. There were fresh salad and fruits, small cakes, cooked vegetables, and best of all, two rabbits cooked in a sauce with wild onions. Red quickly showed Wolf his duties for the evening.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    It came time for Wolf to go escort the lady, Knight. He made his way to her tent where he encountered page Hildegard who bore the Wolverine''s symbol. He quickly explained that he had been sent to accompany the Lady Knight, to dinner. Hildegard disappeared into the knight''s tent and in about a minute the page reappeared and announced'' "The Lady Knight Wolverine." The Wolverine stepped out.


    She appeared magnificent looking. She wore a blue dress with long sleeves and a white sash, from which hung a sheathed long thin dagger, held by silver chains. Her hair had been un-braided and spread across her back.


    Wolf dumbstruck at the sight of the lady he beheld, finally managed to bow and speak, "My Lady, I am here to accompany you to my master''s tent."


    "Well spoken," she replied.


    Wolf held out his right arm, which she took with her left hand. Together they left the woman''s camp and took a meandering route to the men''s camp. While walking she asked about his past, particularly about his foster parents. She then explained that her title did not come lightly, but had been earned by skill in combat, her good deeds, and her knowledge in arts and science. She explained that to be a knight, one had to be very good at what one does, and had to consistently work for the good of others. She told him, it''s not only hard to become a knight, but it''s also a hard life with little reward.


    They arrived just at six, to find Red standing watch outside Raven''s tent. Wolf announced, "Lady Knight Wolverine to see Sir Knight Raven." Red bowed then disappeared into the tent. She promptly returned and announced, "Sir Knight Raven."


    The Raven appeared from the tent and promptly bowed, whereupon the lady curtsied. The Raven then took her left hand and led her into the tent, followed by Red then Wolf.


    Inside the tent, the Raven let go of her hand, turned to face the Wolverine, and announced, "I propose a toast." Wolf placed wine glasses in their hands and Red carefully filled them with wine. "To the flag of our country"


    "To the flag of our country," she repeated. They both took a sip of wine.


    She raised her glass and toasted, "To our school, and the children in our charge."


    "To our school, and the children in our charge," he repeated, and they again sipped their wine.


    He then invited her to sit at the table. Wolf held the chair for her as she sat down. The Raven sat down with similar assistance from Red.


    Red and Wolf then went to the backroom, and returned with the first course of the dinner, a salad, which they served. Wolf offered them oil and vinegar for salad dressing.


    The next course consisted of hot steamed vegetables, followed by the main course of rabbit and onions. The meal finished with a spicy ginger raisin cake and dry white wine. Red and Wolf then cleared the table and placed on it a platter of fresh fruit for the rest of the evening.


    Wolf handed Sir Raven his lute, Red produced her six holed flute, and together they played some quiet after dinner tunes. The Lady Wolverine joined in with a surprisingly beautiful soprano voice. To end their recital, they sang a couple of mildly bawdy tunes, for the amusement of the pages whom they knew, were gathered in the darkness outside the tent.


    At the end of the evening, Wolf accompanied the Lady Knight back to her tent, where he bowed and bid her good night.


    "Tell Sir Raven we must do this again soon."


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "You are excused." With that, he and his earlier etiquette faults were forgiven.


    When he returned to Raven''s tent, Red had returned the tent to normal. She informed him, "The Raven is asleep. I think what he would tell you, is this, around people you must give them the respect their title commands. They''ve earned it. It makes people feel good, and it commands respect for themselves."


    "I think I see what you mean. Why don''t you always use titles with the Raven?"


    "When we are alone we are more familiar. The Raven is somewhat easy about that, it''s his way. Don''t ever make that mistake around other knights, especially the Wolverine. She didn''t get her name for being easy, and she is a stickler for details. You need to get some rest; we have a busy day tomorrow."


    They separated to go to their tents. Behind the curtain of his sleeping chamber, the Raven smiled and then went to sleep.


    At his tent, Wolf''s mates peppered him with questions, mostly about the Wolverine.


    It turned out that everybody took self-defense lessons from the Wolverine, even the grownups. The boy found out she had a reputation for perfection in fighting as well as manners.

 Chapter 12

    When Wolf awoke in the morning there was no question in his mind; he had a problem. The wolf again lay curled up under his dangling arm. His tent mates were all staring at them, and nobody said a thing.


    He whispered, "Somebody, do something," but nobody moved. Finally, the wolf got up and slowly limped out of the tent. The wolf looked gaunt with its right front leg matted in dried blood. Wolf got up half-dressed and ducked outside of the tent. He could see the animal disappearing into the woods to the north. This time a dozen or so other pages saw the wolf as he left camp.


    Wolf ran to Raven''s tent where the knight and Red were already dressed in their forest clothes. They both had their bows and arrows.


    The boy declared, "The wolf is back again!"


    "We know," Red replied. "We''re going to hunt it."


    "No!" Wolf exclaimed.


    "We have to, he is badly hurt and either in danger of dying. He is a danger to all the other students." The Raven said very quietly. "You stay here and go to the stables to start your riding lessons."


    Wolf pleaded, "I need to go with you."


    The Raven gave him a questioning look, "Why?"


    The boy continued, not sure what he could say to keep the wolf from being shot, "It''s important to me."


    "This is serious business," Red replied without her customary smile.


    Wolf got very agitated, trembling with nervous energy, "There is nothing more serious to me. It''s important. The wolf picked me. He''s why you call me Wolf."


    The Raven bent down to him and said very quietly, "If you come you must understand, life is hard. You remember I said not all lessons will be fun. Here my word is the law, no exceptions. The safety of the students comes first; if there is any danger to them I will kill it."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Wolf pushed his opportunity, "I''ll accept your decision, but you must let me go. He''s been in my dreams."


    "How long have you had these dreams?" Red asked, suddenly interested in what the boy had to say.


    "Since the first night, I met you."


    "You can come with us; but not a peep," admonished the Raven. With that he turned on his heels and headed for the woods, followed by Red and Wolf. They entered the woods, not where the boy had last seen the wolf, but at the base of the hill where a small stream flowed. After walking a hundred yards into the woods, the Raven stopped and crouched down to look at the moist ground. He pointed at shallow depressions in the ground, and then to a bush nearby.


    Wolf knelt to look; it took him a few seconds to make out the footprints. The Raven quietly explained to the boy that there should only be two prints in the wolf''s gait as the rear paws stepped in the front paws prints. There were three prints because one leg was out of sync. The wolf was indeed lame. When Wolf looked at the bush carefully he noticed the morning dew had been brushed off of a few leaves, and a couple of hairs were stuck to a wet leaf.


    From here on the Raven did not stop, but slowed occasionally to read a sign, leaving Wolf and Red to try and find the signs on their own. After about twenty minutes they came to a rocky slope and stopped. There spotted a large hole, just a few meters up and easily reached.


    The Raven slowly strung his bow and Red did likewise. His hand signaled for Red to go left while he went right. There they would hold their positions. Wolf would advance up the center to the rocks. After Wolf got the plan straight in his mind, he nodded to the Raven.


    The two bowmen moved to flank, and Wolf slowly advanced toward the rocks. When he approached halfway he realized what the Raven planned. If the wolf came after him it would be caught in a deadly crossfire of arrows. He silently said a little prayer for the wolf to not move.


    He could see the hole up between the rocks. It appeared large enough for him to easily enter. He climbed up to the opening of the hole and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. He saw the wolf lying down at the back of the hole, panting, obviously hurting. With its snout resting on its good leg, it had the injured leg sticking out. To the boy it seemed an obvious thing; he had to attend to the wolf. He slowly crawled into the hole and carefully approached the animal on his hands and knees, trying to keep calm. The wolf whimpered a little but laid still. The Raven appeared at the entrance of the hole, his bow no longer in his hand.


    "Can you help him?" the boy asked hopefully.


    "I don''t know. I''ll have to check him out." The knight crawled into the entrance. He did a quick exam of the animal. "I think he has been shot in the leg, it''s badly infected and he''s very sick."


    "Can you do anything to help him?" the boy finally confessed. "He had been caught in a trap, and I released him."


    The Raven looked at him with a stern glare. "I thought as much. I can help him, but I don''t think he will be able to hunt well enough to survive on his own. He is very lucky his leg isn''t broken. That would have been fatal by now. I don''t believe he will ever be able to run long distances again. If he survives, he will be entirely dependent upon you. He came to you. He trusts you. You are the one who will make a difference for him."


    The boy pleaded, "But, I don''t know how to help him."


    Quietly the Raven said, "I''ll teach you what to do."


    The boy swore, "I''ll learn. I''ll do whatever it takes."


    "I''ll teach you," answered the man. Quickly he turned to Red, who stood at the entrance, and ordered her to go for his medical kit. He also gave her a list of medications to obtain from the school Veterinarian. Red put her bow and arrows down and took off running back to camp.

 Chapter 13

    The Raven had the boy lay down with the wolf while he attended the wound. He washed it with some water from his waterskin, and then he began a very thorough examination of the wolf. The wolf whimpered in obvious pain but did not move.


    Red returned after twenty minutes, riding Easy Rider. She jumped off of the horse, climbed up the rocks and handed Raven the medical supplies. Red then went about setting up a small camp with a rain poncho serving as a one-man tent.


    The Raven prepared a syringe from the medical kit and handed it to the boy. He had the boy take a large pinch of loose skin on the animal''s shoulder. The boy gave the wolf the injection in the hollow under the pinch. After a couple of minutes, the wolf relaxed and went to sleep.


    The knight went to work, taking a razor; he carefully shaved the wolf''s leg. He injected a syringe of antibiotics into the leg above and below the wound. The Raven had the boy trim the torn skin around the wound with a tiny pair of scissors.


    The Raven showed the boy how to sew the good skin together. He then had the boy apply adhesive and small strips of cloth over the stitches. The man wrapped the leg and then broke one of his arrows into two pieces cutting off the head and feathers. Using the pieces as a splint he finished wrapping the leg.


    "The trick," the Raven informed him, "is to get him to stay calm and not move. He is a wild animal and not used to people. The only one he trusts is you. You will have to stay with him for the next day or so until he starts to improve. One of us will stay with you for the time needed. We''ll take turns. I''ll stay here first then Red will relieve me. You sleep in the hole with the wolf and we''ll feed the two of you."


    The knight eased himself out of the hole. Shortly Red returned with a skinned rabbit which she cut into bite-sized pieces. After an hour the wolf aroused out of its drug-induced sleep, drank a little water and started feeding on the pieces of rabbit. After eating the wolf lay back down with his head on the boy''s lap and the boy stroked his head and soon the wolf again slept.


    The wolf slept fitfully, and it had a fever. The wolf would twitch a lot and every time its injured leg twitched it would yelp.


    Stolen story; please report.


    In the meantime, Red went back to camp to work and attend class and the Raven heated some beans and tea for the boy and himself. The Raven checked on the condition of the wolf and informed the boy that the wound looked fairly good. The wolf had a chance of living.


    The boy asked the Raven, "Why did you let the wolf live?"


    The knight stroked his beard before he answered, "The wolf has shown no intention of harming anybody, and the wound looked treatable. He would not survive if we had not treated him. That could not have happened if he didn''t trust you. As it is; if he survives he would still have a hard struggle to feed himself. I don''t think he can survive the winter. He may be dependent upon you. A wolf is truly a wild animal, they don''t get along with people and for them, that is a good thing."


    The Raven and the boy checked the wolf''s wound late in the afternoon and shortly afterward Red arrived on Easy Rider, leading Midnight. She brought meat stew and fruits which she promptly served. The wolf awoke at the smell of the stew but showed no interest in eating. Red took the watch and the Raven returned to camp on his horse.


    Red handed a bedroll to the boy who laid it out in the hole next to the wolf which again slept. Red then laid out her bedroll under the poncho tent, using a pile of pine straw as a pillow.


    The wolf again slept fitfully, still in obvious pain. The boy tried to calm the wolf down by stroking his head, but the wolf would have none of it and jerked its head around. The boy just lay beside the wolf and that seemed to work.


    When the boy awoke in the morning the wolf already awake rested his head on the boy''s chest, just staring at him. He could hear Red outside already awake, cooking. He called her and she came to the opening. She had several pieces of raw meat in her hand. The wolf perked up immediately and stood up on three legs.


    Red laid the meat in front of the wolf and backed away. The wolf started to eat the meat immediately, obviously feeling better. The boy crawled out of the hole and came down the rocks to the campfire, where Red had some stew and tea ready.


    "The Raven said, "If the wolf is doing better you need to return to camp. So how is he?"


    "He''s doing a lot better. I think he''ll get well."


    Back at camp the Raven dismissed Red but asked Wolf to stay and sit down. The knight hadn''t done that before. Wolf suddenly knew he was in serious trouble. The knight started, "I need to talk to you about something important. This is about you and me, and not about the wolf. When you saved the wolf from the trap, you should have told me. It is a matter of trust. Do you understand what I am talking about?"


    The boy looked down a moment then back up at the knight, "I don''t think so sir."


    "I have to assume that you tell me everything. Important decisions could be at stake. As an example, the trap had been set by an illegal hunter and that knowledge could lead to his arrest and save other animals.


    I don''t think he does, but if the wolf had had rabies, your very life would be at stake without prompt treatment. There is only a small window of time to vaccinate you. If you''re exposed but aren''t vaccinated and the disease becomes active, there is no cure; it is always fatal."


    "Oh," the boy shivered uncontrollably.


    "In this matter of trust, I must be able to depend on you as much as you have to depend on me."


    "Yes, sir."


    "As it is, you will have to be vaccinated starting immediately. It isn''t pleasant. We''ll talk more about this matter later. You are dismissed for the night."


    The boy started to walk away, then he stopped and turned around, "Sir, what about the wolf?"


    The Raven stared at the boy, considering his answer. He sighed and quietly said, "I''ll let you vaccinate him."

 Chapter 14

    Wolf finished up supper with the Raven and Red and helped with the almost ritual cleaning. The Raven while not the most organized of knights did insist on cleanliness. He expected Wolf to wear a clean uniform for supper and keep his fingernails clean.


    With the day''s work done Wolf left the Raven to go back to his tent when it happened. Wayne stepped out from behind a tree and blocked his way. Two of his buddies appeared on each side of Wolf; they had apparently followed him. Wolf had nowhere to go so he looked up at the page and snapped, "What do you want?"


    "I want you gone." To emphasize his point he gave Wolf a quick shove, knocking him off balance and over the outstretched leg of one of Wayne''s friends.


    Wolf went down in an awkward heap. Wayne instantly fell on top of him, hitting him in the face twice before a blur knocked Wayne off of him. Wart had come to his rescue.


    Wayne''s friends instantly went to work, one on Wart and one on Wolf. One of the pages hit Wart in the small of his side and he curled over in excruciating pain. They both received more blows to the face.


    Wolf and Wart were saved by the rude intervention of two Squires. They pulled the boys apart. "Who started this?" demanded Squire David. He got no answer, so taking charge of Wart and Wolf; he started forcibly marching them to the main tent. Squire Bill forcibly led the two friends of Wayne. Wayne had disappeared.


    When David, Wart and Wolf reached the main tent, the Eagle, the only knight present, made them sit in chairs in the corner. When Bill arrived with the two other boys, the Eagle immediately took them to the Lion''s tent. Wart and Wolf were left to sweat it out under the watchful eye of the squire, who warned them to silence.


    Eventually they were called to the Lion''s tent by the Eagle. Wolf entered weak in the knees; for once terrified of being sent away. He believed that if he was sent away for fighting, he could easily go to Juvenile Hall, despite what the Lion had promised. He knew fighting had been forbidden, and even if he didn''t throw a punch, there would be no excuse. His experience with grownups had taught him that they didn''t like excuses.


    They were placed in front of the Lion''s table, where the knight was writing in a journal. He made the pages wait until he finished writing and closed the book.


    The Lion looked up at them as if considering what he should say. Finally he asked, "You do know fighting isn''t permitted at this school; or any school for that matter?" Wolf started to answer when Wart nudged him with an elbow. The Lion seeing the motion turned to Wart, "What happened?"


    "I tripped, Sir."


    "And I suppose you fell down on each side of your face?"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Yes, Sir."


    The Lion stood up and slowly walked around from behind his small table to stand in front of Wart, "You shouldn''t be so clumsy. Report to the main tent immediately after breakfast for extra assignments. You are dismissed."


    "Yes, Sir." Wart looked at Wolf and slightly shook his head, then turned and left the tent.


    The Lion turned to Wolf, "I don''t suppose you could give me a better explanation about what happened?" He gently put a hand under the boy''s chin and turned his head back and forth; examining the damage that Wolf could feel becoming visible.


    "I tripped, Sir."


    "You can tell me who did this. It will be between me and you."


    "I really tripped, Sir."


    The Lion sighed, "I suppose I''ll never find out what happened." He pointed back at the book on his table. "I still have to make a journal entry. I have to account for every bruise and cut you receive. It is the most difficult thing I have to do as a headmaster. You will also report to the main tent in the morning. Later you will be assigned to a self defense class conducted by the Wolverine. Do you know who she is?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    The Lion stroked his short beard a moment. "Somehow I don''t think you really do. You are dismissed."


    "Yes, Sir." Wolf turned and quickly left the tent, relieved that he hadn''t been kicked out.


    The next morning after breakfast, Wolf reported to the Raven. He couldn''t hide the two bruises he had on his cheeks. The Raven didn''t say anything about them, but he obviously knew what had happened. The Raven dismissed him from all responsibilities for the day. He now knew he would be busy with whatever punishment he received. The knight immediately sent the boy to the main tent.


    Wolf arrived at the main tent to be greeted by Squire David. "You took your time getting here. That will get you an extra hour of work."


    Wolf opened his mouth to object, but thought better of it. "What do I have to do?"


    "Report to the stables and muck until one o''clock."


    "Muck?"


    The Squire''s eyes opened wide, but returned to normal. "Shovel horse manure."


    "But, that means I''ll miss lunch." Wolf thought about what he had just said and the stare he received from the squire, "Sorry, I''m leaving right now." Wolf ran out of the tent and down to the stables.


    When Wolf arrived he found Wart already shoveling. He quickly donned rubber boots, grabbed a shovel, and started to work. They started down one row while the other two boys they had fought worked the other row.


    As pages passed by them with their horses, they made jokes at their expense. It made for a long morning and he missed lunch. To make matters worse Wayne came by with his horse and whispered to him, "Leave." To make his point he had his horse bump into the wheelbarrow knocking it over. Wolf had to re-shovel the manure.


    With his punishment over, he reported to the Raven who gave him a packet of dried apples and informed him that he had to attend self defense class every morning.


    "Sir, why was I warned against reporting what happened?"


    "Who told you that?"


    There was a long pause when Wolf didn''t answer.


    The Raven started to say something, but stopped. He furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth, but still couldn''t talk. Finally he quietly said, "Wolf, the other boys and girls don''t like tattletales. You''re chances of finding friends would disappear if you did. By not talking you gain a certain measure of power over the perpetrators. They can''t claim to be better than you. You took the punishment we dished out and didn''t complain. That makes you just as tough as them. You need to be tougher. Pay attention to the Wolverine, they don''t come any tougher." The Raven considered it a moment then added, "Make no mistake, if I hear of you bullying anybody, you will have to answer to me and then the Wolverine."

 Chapter 15

    The next day Wolf ran to report to his first self defense class held in a clearing about a half mile from the main camp. The run left him breathless and he stopped before approaching the class. There were about ten students kneeling in a circle about two who were standing and facing each other.


    The instructor standing next to them was the Wolverine, barefoot and dressed in loose fitting shirt and trousers. The lady knight looked radically different from the last time he had seen her. She looked to be the toughest person he had ever seen. ''Great,'' thought Wolf, ''now I''m really in for it.''


    The Wolverine waved him over and he went as directed and knelt down facing her as the other students were. "Hello everyone I am your instructor in self defense. In class I am referred to simply as Master." She indicated two older students. "These two students are my assistants in this class. The purpose of this class is to keep you alive when you are attacked; either unexpectedly or by overwhelming force. I teach by example and constant repetition. What you learn today you will practice in the morning before breakfast, before lunch, before dinner and before bed."


    She and her two assistants then went through a series of moves in perfect precision involving steps, arm strikes, blocks, and turns. They repeated the steps two more times. She then had the students'' line up to start performing the steps. They repeated the steps over and over again. She walked around correcting the students to get their moves right. When she reached Wolf he asked without thinking, "Master what is the purpose of this exercise?"


    She smiled at him and said. "That is an excellent question." She called a halt to the exercise and had the students kneel again in a circle. She then had her two assistants stand to either side and had Wolf stand in front of her with orders to kick and hit at her when she approached him. She stood back a moment then launched into a flurry of action, performing the exercise at a much faster speed than the students had previously seen.


    As she confronted the two assistants their blows were blocked and deflected, but when she confronted Wolf, she blocked his punch with her left forearm and with her right hand she grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm down as her left forearm came up to his neck. She froze in that position and although he had not been hurt Wolf felt overwhelmed.


    "Those steps are precursors to defensive blocks and strikes, the repetition of these steps lead to speed and accuracy. Are there any more questions?" There were none. "Class is over."


    She stopped Wolf from leaving right away. "I just want to explain why you suffered through that demonstration. First everyone gets their turn to be a victim; secondly it is to impresses on your memory how powerful these skills are."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I think I understand master."


    The Wolverine put a hand under his chin, turning his head side to side, examining his bruises. She gently smiled, "I''ll tell you a secret; blocking is more important than punching. This course is called self defense for a reason. It''s to keep you alive. Learn to block."


    "Yes, master."


    "Good. I expect to see you an hour early tomorrow." She dismissed him.


    The next morning he ran to make the appointment. The Wolverine stood in the field practicing steps and moves and he came up to her and knelt down to watch. She performed a very intricate series of moves involving leaps, kicks and punches.


    When she finished she bowed and indicated for him to stand up and bow. She had him practice his steps over and over, while making adjustments to his form here and there. This continued until he started to sweat. She let him have a drink of water and a short break.


    After Wolf had refreshed himself the Wolverine had him restart his steps; only this time she met him step for step with the moves she had been practicing earlier. Every move, block or punch he made met an opposing punch or block. He was amazed at the efficiency of the moves and at how well he was protected.


    The Wolverine then did something unusual; she had Wolf sit opposite her, cross legged with his arms resting on his legs and his eyes closed. "Try to think of nothing, but your breathing and your heart beat. Listen to the sound your breathing makes inside you. Just relax and listen." He did as instructed.


    When he opened his eyes again, they were surrounded by a ring of students all sitting in the same fashion with their eyes closed. A lot of today''s students were older, including Red and Willow. Wolf could tell that today would be different.


    The Wolverine called an end to the relaxation exercises and they all stood up and started their self defense exercises. After a few repetitions she had the new students kneel while the rest of the students started a different exercise. When they were done a few more students knelt and the exercises got more complex. With each new exercise more students knelt down until only four were left standing, Red, Willow, Bob and Bill and they performed the most demanding and complex exercise of all.


    When all exercises were over Red and Willow bowed to each other and on cue engaged in actual combat, trading blows and blocks. It seemed that Willow would overpower Red, but despite Willows obvious size advantage, Red came off very well. The Wolverine called a halt and then it was the boys'' turn. They went at each other with equal ferocity.


    With the practice fighting finished the Wolverine arranged a demonstration. Six senior students held three jousting lances by each end in a large triangle around the Wolverine. She started into an exercise routine that Wolf had not yet seen. She began slow, going through the whole routine with kicks and blows to the lances. On the repetition of the exercise she became a whirlwind of fury, blowing through the whole routine. When finished the three lances had been broken into pieces by well placed kicks.


    The Wolverine ordered the students, "I expect everyone to practice their routines before each meal and bed, and I expect to see all of you running everywhere you go." The students were dismissed.

 Chapter 16

    "Today is the big day." Wart announced, "We get to prove our horse riding skills and really have some fun."


    "What are you going to do?" Wolf asked.


    Wart grinned, "I''ll race my horse cross country."


    "Are you any good at it?"


    "I''m better than most pages. It doesn''t seem to matter how old you are, if you like horses you''ll learn to ride. I''m not afraid of galloping hard anymore. It''s thrilling."


    Wolf suddenly thought about Red and her two horses, "What kind of rider is Red?"


    "She''s the best! She puts all the other boys and girls to shame. She''s the only one I know who can ride standing up."


    Wolf''s eyes opened up wide, "What? How does she do that?"


    Wart shrugged his shoulders, "I don''t know how, but she owns the best trained horses of any squire. They will actually come to her when she calls. What I hear she raised Mary from a foal."


    Wolf seemed surprised, "They''re her horses?"


    "Yeah, Easy Rider and Mary are hers, not the schools." Wart pulled Wolf close to him to whisper, "I don''t know how she did it. She''s like you; she has no family."


    That tidbit of information stunned Wolf, "Where did she come from?"


    "Nobody knows or they''re not talking. Some of us think she was left at the school as a baby, some think she was born at the school."


    Wolf realized that Red really was unusual, more so than himself, "What do you think?"


    "I think she is a knight''s daughter, maybe the Wolverines. They hang out together enough."


    "How old is she?"


    "Sixteen I think; at least she goes to class with mostly sixteen year old squires."


    "She doesn''t look much older than us!"


    "Yeah I know. It''s weird."


    Wolf stopped whispering, "So when do you race?"


    "Fairly late, you go before me."


    Wolf frowned, "I don''t have any horse skills, what am I suppose to do?"


    "Just get on the horse they give you and show them that you can ride and turn. You know, the basic stuff. All the new students have to do it. It''s sort of like being graded."


    "I think I can do that; it sounds easy."


    "You can do it easily," Wart said encouragingly.


    They reached the stables and went to the bulletin board to look up their assignments. Wolf''s riding test would be the first event of the morning, and he had to ride Easy Rider.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    He went down the line of stables to where he found Red grooming Easy Rider. She had already brushed him to a fine sheen and now she stood on a stool, braiding his mane. Mary stood next to them, looking magnificent. Her mane braided into knots every three inches and her tail braided short with a large knot in the end.


    Red announced, "I managed to get Easy Rider assigned to you since he is the only horse you''ve ridden. However you must saddle him up and walk him out. It''s part of the test and I''m not allowed to help you. You have to show the judges you can do it yourself."


    "Who are the judges?"


    "Some of the knights, maybe others; it really doesn''t matter. All the grownups are going to be there anyway. You had better saddle Easy and get going. I''ll be there doing the same thing with Mary."


    The boy started to saddle Easy by placing the horse blanket after careful inspection of his back. He prepared the saddle and then realized that he needed to clean and shine the leather to make it presentable; he had to show off. He started by brushing the saddle and tack with a soft brush to get all the dust off. When satisfied with the saddle''s cleanliness he used a rag to apply wax to the leather and buffed it to a shine using a large fine haired brush.


    Wolf finally ready to saddle the horse struggled to lift the saddle and put it on the horse by himself. He finally managed the job by standing on a stool. He cinched the straps tight, taking care that Easy didn''t hold his breath, thus keeping the straps loose. Next came the halter and bit. Once complete Wolf lead Easy out of the stables along with Red who had finished up with Mary.


    "You did a good job of saddling up Easy," commented Red, "I would have stopped you if you were doing it wrong. I think you have a good chance of making it in this school."


    Wolf beamed, "Really?"


    "Yes, really. The Raven is a very good judge of people and he picked you to be his page. I''m beginning to think he might be right about you."


    They continued walking to the lists. The lists being a long stretch of level ground at least two hundred meters long with a series of stakes going down the center and a ribbon tied to the top of the stakes dividing the lists into two lanes. Near the middle there were two low hills off to each side where spectators were milling about; the adults had a row of crude split log benches to sit on.


    When they were in the field with the other new pages Red told him, "Go ahead and mount up, don''t do anything fancy, but most of all be calm. Easy knows what to do; I trained him myself." With that she and Mary turned and walked away toward the other squires and their horses.


    Once he had mounted the Eagle came over and told him to line up with several other younger pages that were on their horses. He ended up being fourth in line which suited him, it would be over soon, and he would be able to see what the routine before he started.


    He didn''t have long to wait. The Eagle called up the first rider. The knight directed him into a series of basic maneuvers: turn around to the right, turn around to the left, walk forward, trot, stop, back up, trot around the pillions in a figure eight, stop, dismount, and remount. That completed the whole test. When Wolf''s turn came, he had a good idea of what to do. The knight signaled him to start the exercise. He walked Easy Rider up to the knight who examined the horse and tack.


    The Eagle ordered them through the series of maneuvers. Wolf pulled off the maneuvers well, except for backing up. The knight congratulated him and directed him off of the lists. As he exited the lists the Raven came up to him and congratulated him and said, "You have learned well from Red, but it''s time for you to take lessons for real."


    Wolf seemed surprised, "Red won''t be teaching me?"


    "She really doesn''t have time to teach you, besides her duties to me and her own lessons. You need to report to the stables in the morning, after your self-defense, for riding lessons."


    "Yes Sir. May I ask what is next?"


    "The knights are giving riding demonstrations. You''ll enjoy it, but first go fetch Midnight for me."


    Wolf ran to fetch the high spirited destrier. He noticed the saddle sat a little loose so he cinched it up like Red had taught him; by waiting for the horse to exhale.


    When Wolf reached the Raven, he informed him of the loose strap.


    The knight double checked the saddle. "Good observation, it''s not fun to fall off of your horse when you''re at full gallop. You might make squire yet. So stand back and enjoy the rest of the day, but look after Red. She could use some help when she rides. She''ll tell you what to do."


    Wolf ran to check on Red, she was giving a demonstration to the other squires on how to ride standing. She obviously didn''t need help at the moment, so he returned to the lists to watch.


    The Raven mounted Midnight and trotted to the far end of the lists where he turned and came charging at a full gallop. The boy saw the Wolverine galloping from the opposite end of the lists holding a sword up high. As they charged to meet at the center of the lists she brought the sword down in a sweeping motion at just the right height to cut the Ravens head off. But, the Raven wasn''t there.


    Wolf had closed his eyes in anticipation of the blood. He blinked again only to see the Raven back in the saddle. The two knights had reached the opposite ends of the lists and turned to come back at each other. They charged again and this time he could see the Raven slip completely to the side of his horse as the sword came sweeping over him. The Raven pulled himself back up in the saddle just as fast and everybody cheered.


    Soon the squires would be performing. While everyone waited, pages set up a series of stands in each lane of the lists. Each had an arm sticking out with a small ring suspended by a string at its end. The rings were of different sizes, some were about three inches in diameter, some two inches and a few were one inch.


    Wolf located Red among the other squires and ran to her. "Is there anything I can do for you Red"?


    "Yeah, wear this red scarf around your arm and if any squires or pages offer you any wager money, take note of whom they are and pocket the money, and for goodness sake be careful about it, if you know what I mean."


    "I think I do, no adults," the boy replied.


    "Yeah, now go fetch me a lance," indicating a pile of long poles. He went and fetched one and returned to her. She mounted up on Mary and then took the lance from him. "When I return, be ready with a new lance, but most of all keep track of the wagers."


    "What''s the game?"


    "Jousting."


    "Jousting? Isn''t that where you knock each other off of the horse, like kill each other?"


    "Sort of, but only the knights get to kill each other. We don''t wear armor so we joust and race for points; the skill is in snagging the rings. If you feel brave enough you can borrow a couple of bucks to bet on me. It''s my gift to you."

 Chapter 17

    With that Red and another squire cantered their great horses to the far end of the lists where they lined up in front of a knight holding up a green flag. As soon as the knight dropped the flag they were off at a full gallop. The boy had never seen anything like it. The big horses kicked up huge clods of dirt and the very ground began to pound.


    The squires lowered their lances down to level and about half way down the lists they began to snag rings from the posts. Red missed the first large ring and snagged the next ring, the smallest size and she continued to snag all the small rings. The other squire snagged a mixture of big and small rings and beat Red and Mary to the end of the lists.


    At the end of the lists a knight tallied the rings and marked their times. While a group of pages put new rings on the posts, Red trotted Mary up to the boy and handed him the lance. She jumped off of Mary and started massaging the horse''s legs. The boy put the lance in a stand then held up a bucket of water for the horse to drink.


    "We have about ten minutes before the next run, go check with the scorekeeper and see how I did."


    As soon as Mary had her fill Wolf ran to check with the scorekeeper, then ran back and announced, "You''ve won by twenty points!"


    "See it''s not how big or fast you are, it''s all about strategy; you can''t possibly snag all the rings, you have to go for the big points. The next round will be harder. That is where the money will be. Squire Willow is just as good as me and I can''t afford any mistakes."


    They watched the next three pairs ran and Squire Willow won her round by a larger margin then Red had won hers. Wolf knew that Willow was much older looking, a full grown woman, very tall and strong. She looked formidable and by her insignia she squired for the Wolverine.


    Red mounted up on Mary and Wolf handed her a new lance and she wheeled the giant horse around started a canter to the far end of the lists and arrived before Willow and her mount, Johnny, giving Red time to line up and calm Mary. The horse seemed to know exactly what she needed to do.


    When the green flag went up Mary jumped to a full stride ahead of Willow and her mount. Mary reached full speed before the first ring and Red had her lance down to snag it. Red continued to snag almost every ring and finished even with Willow.


    Again they deposited their rings with the judges. Red returned to the boy and handed him her lance then dismounted. Wolf again watered the horse then ran to get the judge''s decision.


    When he returned he announced, "You won by three points!" Red let out a yell.


    "Now I have a chance for gold." While waiting for her next run Red explained jousting a little more. "We do it a little different here then they do elsewhere. Our rings are larger, there are more of them and horse speed counts a lot, which is what makes it so hard. The faster you ride, the harder it is. You have to be a natural on the horse. David the squire I''m up against is very good I''ve beat him only once."


    "What are you going to do?"


    "Ride like the wind and snag all the rings."


    "All of them?"


    "Every last one."


    "You said it couldn''t be done."


    "Did I? I''ve been practicing and I''ve developed a few tricks of my own. Maybe I''ll surprise everyone."


    "I''ll bet on you."


    "You better or I''d make your life miserable." She grinned and winked at him.


    Wolf asked, "What odds should I ask for?"Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "You''re not so dumb either. Ask at least three to one."


    "I''ll get you five." Wolf made good on his word. The squire David seemed such a sure bet. With only a few minutes available for Wolf to take bets he scrambled. Unfortunately only a few squires and pages had the nerve to bet, but Wolf could remember them all. He knew he wouldn''t forget Wayne. The page made a snide remark about both him and Red not being worth the money, but he bet ten dollars. Once the bets were collected Wolf ran to attend to Red and tell her about the bets. She seemed to be pleased.


    Red asked for a particularly light lance which the boy handed her. This time she trotted Mary to the far end of the lists the other squire on her tail. The determination in his eyes made it obvious there would be no mistakes on his part.


    This time when the green flag rose they were off together. They reached the first ring together and both snagged them and the ten rings after. When it came to the last ring Red got hers and the other boy managed only to knock his off the hook and it went spinning into the grass. It looked good for Red, but the other squire''s horse being a head faster than Mary.


    Red did not return to the paddock, but waited for the judge''s call. It didn''t take long before Red was declared the winner by two points, the smallest margin of the day. A cluster of pages who had bet on her were cheering and hollering for her.


    There were other horse games to play and more demonstrations by the knights. The best action came near the end when the Raven and the Wolverine, clad in full armor on their war horses. They were in full frontal armor, carrying long lances with blunted tips.


    They started on opposite ends of the lists. Red started Midnight with a hearty slap on the rump. Willow did the same for Cloud. On the first pass the rider''s lances connected with the other''s shield and shattered in a shower of splinters. The entire school went wild cheering for one or the other.


    The second pass went better; the Wolverines lance shattered and the Raven drove her shield so hard with his lance that she almost lifted from the saddle. She managed to hang on and return upright. There was a hushed pause until the Wolverine lifted an arm. Then the cheering began anew. The boy ran to the Raven to see if he needed anything. He found the knight''s armor to be modern Kevlar with a thin layer of stainless steel bonded to it.


    "Are you alright Sir?" the boy asked.


    "I''m fine." the Raven answered. The Raven walked his horse over to the Wolverine and pointed his lance at her chest.


    "Do you yield, Sir Knight?" the Raven loudly demanded.


    "I do not yield," the Wolverine replied just as loudly.


    "Then I offer you another lance."


    "I accept." The Wolverine trotted her horse to the far end of the lists where she picked up another lance and waited for the drop of the flag. The Raven went to his end of the lists and exchanged his lance for a new one. After signaling his readiness the green flag raised and the two knights started their charge.


    They came at each other leaning forward in their saddles. Their shields pulled tightly to their armor. As their lances connected with each other''s shield, the Raven''s lance shattered and the Wolverine''s drove hard into his shield.


    This time the Raven was rudely dumped onto the turf. Red and Wolf were there in a flash to help him up. The Wolverine rode up and pointed her lance at him.


    "Do you yield Sir Knight?"


    "I yield," the Raven replied, holding an arm up in submission.


    The Wolverine removed her helmet and handed it to Willow, and then she dismounted and went to the knight and gave him a bear hug. More than a few pages snickered at the sight.


    With the jousting finished, it was time for the racing. While the racers prepared their horses, adults and non racers worked at removing the string and posts marking the two lanes of the lists. Riders slowly accumulated in a long line in the lists. The first to line up were the pages, Wart amidst them. The squires lined up behind the pages on a mixture of horses, including the Percherons.


    When the Green flag rose, a wild wave of horses moved out in a thunderous mass. The tumult of riders rapidly stretched into a long line. Wolf could see Wart riding among the faster horses.


    The racers galloped hard, streaming for the far end of the open part of the valley where a red flag could be seen. They raised a large cloud of dust. The line of racers reached the flag and rounded it to the left. The horses were allowed to slow some to save their strength for the obstacles. They crossed the valley from right to left splashing through several streams before they reached the second red flag.


    Rounding the flag the horsemen started the long return to the lists. The way back involved a number of obstacles to slow the tired horses down. The riders encountered a shallow stream they had to ride lengthwise for quarter of a kilometer. The next obstacle was a field of brush pine through which they had to weave their horses. Finally they rode through a stand of trees with low branches that favored the smaller horses and younger riders. The obstacles bunched the horses for the last dash to the finish line at the lists. The line of horses galloped through the lists kept the ground shaking.


    Wolf soon realized the loud din of the horses was matched by the cheering of the students. Wart placed well, finishing fourth among all the pages.


    Wolf took charge of Wart''s horse, walking it to cool down and then leading it to the water trough to drink. Red and the Raven rode the course to check on any stragglers and to note any damage to the land that would require immediate attention.


    Later Red and Wolf counted up the bets that she had won. She gave Wolf twelve dollars to pay his winnings. He marveled that he now had more money he had had in the last year.


    He asked Red with a bit of sarcasm, "Now that I''m rich what do I do with it? I haven''t seen money used at camp since I''ve been here."


    "Bet with it next week or keep it. You''ll get plenty of chances to spend when school starts back up. It''s how I managed to afford Easy Rider and his saddle; it''s how I pay for his upkeep. Saddles are quite expensive unless you can get a bargain on a good used one."


    "What about Mary?" he asked.


    "She pays for herself. She''s a working horse and the school values her to be worth her upkeep, besides she doesn''t eat that much. The school bought her saddle and pulling harness. They''ll keep them when I leave, so I have to earn a few more dollars."


    She continued on, "These bets are strictly under the table. It''s against the rules."


    "I figured that out, but why?"


    "A good number of the students here are rich, can you tell?" He nodded. "I thought you could. Well, some will try to take advantage of you, being all snobby. Don''t complain if you lose, just take your lumps. The school tries to weed the worst out. But, it also means you have to work harder. The school rewards hard work, but strongly discourages betting."


    "So how do you get away with it?"


    "I work twice as hard and study twice as much as the boys, which for a girl is an easy job. You''ve got to keep any betting strictly under the table; understand?" Red emphasized.


    "Yeah, I understand."


    "Good. Now let''s see if the Mess has any ice cream."


    The mood in camp that night was festive with a lot of singing, music, and storytelling.

 Chapter 18

    After breakfast Wolf reported to the stables for his first lesson. There were just a couple of pages and a squire cleaning stalls and laying fresh hay. Wolf introduced himself to the squire who set him to work shoveling manure.


    Wolf worked for about a half hour before the teacher arrived. "So you''re the boy who sleeps with wolves. They won''t sleep with you after mucking these stables. Wolves and horses don''t get along very well."


    Wolf''s senses went on full alert. There was something about this teacher he didn''t like. He sounded a lot like his last math teacher, who always called on him when a really difficult problem was being discussed. Then the teacher made little comments about his lack of knowledge.


    "Pull over a couple of stools so we can sit and chat." The boy did it and they sat down. The instructor started, "I said those things to you, not to make you mad, but to judge your reaction. Your face went flush and you stiffened up. Those are reactions any person, especially some kid who wants to have some fun at your expense, wants to see. The reason this is important is twofold: it teaches you that you have reactions that people use to judge you, and to introduce you to the possibility that you can control your reactions. Do you understand what I''m trying to say?"


    "I don''t think so sir."


    "It''s like this; people sense your reactions and act on them, horses do the same. If a horse senses you are afraid of him or that you don''t like him, you can be sure he will make your life miserable. Horses and people can be alike in that way."


    "Oh."


    "All horses are different, some are nice and easy going and some are downright hateful. And that''s just the tame ones. Let''s see if we can find the right one for you."


    "Thank you, sir." The instructor had just improved in his view.


    They went down the line of the stables discussing the merits of every horse and then they walked back to look at the school horses. In the end they chose a smaller brown and white one with a friendly disposition, named Pinto Bean.


    The next order of business being a saddle; he would have to share it among several pages. The instructor explained that this was normal and he expected Wolf to return it in as good condition as he received it or someone could be hurt. Safety being first priority; he would have to learn to repair his tack.


    Wolf had to be fitted for a helmet, a motorcycle helmet. The teacher explained it gave him the best protection for his head for when he fell, and expected Wolf to wear it whenever he rode a horse, at least until he qualified to ride just by himself. It felt weird and geeky.


    The instructor then explained that every hour of riding time required at least an hour of work to look after the horses. Horses required a lot of attention and all riders shared in the responsibility. When he was away from camp, someone else had to be found to take care of the horse. The boy had already learned this on the trip here and readily accepted the responsibility. The instructor then explained the boy''s duties at the stables, which had already started this morning. Riding lessons were to start for real tomorrow.


    The instructor left for another class and Wolf got to work cleaning his horse''s stall. After he finished cleaning he took time to get acquainted with Pinto Bean, feeding him a fresh apple like Red had taught him and then brushing his coat clean.


    Red came walking into the stables and took a look at Pinto Bean. She checked out the horse''s teeth and hooves. She seemed to be pleased, and then she rubbed the horse''s legs one by one.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    She stood up and turned to Wolf, "He''s a good horse. I use to ride him, he knows what is expected. He may be a little long in the tooth, but that is to be expected for a school horse. They don''t get too many young ones, they want experienced horses. I would say he''s older than you."


    "Isn''t that kind of old for a horse?"


    "Nah, He''ll live another ten years easily. Why don''t you saddle him up? I want to check out the two of you together."


    Wolf went to get the horse blanket, "Are you going to teach me riding?"


    Red grinned, "Nope, the horse is going to teach you to ride."


    Wolf furrowed his eyebrows. Red was up to something. "How is that?"


    "You''ll see." Red said with an innocent smile.


    Wolf finished saddling the horse and putting on the tack. Red walked around the horse checking the boy''s work. She grabbed the girth strap and eased her knee into the horse''s ribs; pulling the strap tight. "There, that should do it. You have to be careful about that. They love to hold their breath when you saddle them. It''s a trick a lot of horses learn. But, you already know that.


    "So what is this about the horse teaching me?" asked Wolf, still skeptical.


    "Just mount up and follow me." Red turned and walked out of the stables.


    Wolf hurried to comply, and soon walked Pinto Bean out of the stables behind Red. Once they were out of the stables and into the meadow Red turned on her heels to face the boy. Pinto Bean stopped without Wolf pulling on the reins.


    "How did you do that?" a surprised Wolf asked.


    "It''s easy; the horse followed me not taking orders from you. You don''t have the feel of riding him yet. But, you''ve noticed he didn''t try to go off on his own. I want you to ride in a circle around me, and carefully follow my instructions."


    The boy clucked the horse to a walk and started him around the girl. "Okay, now what?"


    "I want you to attempt to fall off."


    A surprised Wolf complained, "Are you trying to kill me?"


    "Please trust me."


    The boy looked at Red to see if she was serious. She appeared to be, so he started leaning over and instinctively squeezed his legs. He dropped his reins and put his arms out in anticipation of hitting the ground. He needn''t have worried, the horse instantly stopped and turned to stay under the boy. Wolf grabbed the saddle horn and pulled himself back up.


    Red had approached the horse, secured the reins and handed them back up to the boy. "This horse is very experienced with new riders. He will look after you. Pay attention to him, he will teach you a lot." Red started to walk away, but stopped and turned back, "Pinto Bean is all heart. Why don''t you ride him awhile and become acquainted."


    Wolf took her advice and trotted Pinto Bean out into the large meadow north of the stables. He found the horse eager to respond to the slightest command. The horse went right with a small pull of the reins. He gave the reins a slight pull to the left, and the horse turned left.


    Wolf decided to try the fall maneuver. He started to lean over and dropped the reins. Pinto Bean instantly slowed down and turned to keep Wolf up in the saddle. The horse quickly came to a stop. Wolf for once felt safe on a horse. It was a revelation for him.


    He gave the horse a gentle kick and they accelerated to a canter.


    It was easy. It was exhilarating. And it was a surprise when he ended up on the ground. When he got over the initial surprise, he remembered flying off to the side of the horse, hitting the ground, and rolling to a stop. He looked up and a large white horse appeared in his view. It looked familiar and the rider looked very familiar. The rider looking down at him was the Wolverine.


    The lady knight dismounted and knelt down to look at him closer. She placed a hand on the boy''s chest holding him down. "What is your name?"


    "Caleb."


    The Wolverine frowned. "What name do you use now?"


    The boy paused for a moment, "Wolf?"


    "Do you know who I am?"


    "Lady Knight, Wolf, no, Wolverine."


    "Just lay down, until the nurse arrives." The knight ordered her page, Hildegard, to fetch the nurse and let her use the page''s horse. Hildegard galloped off to carry out her orders. "So what do you think you were trying to do?"


    "Ride my horse."


    "You were going at a fast canter. You were leaning wrong when you turned. Did the riding instructor approve your riding that fast?"


    "No Ma''am. Red told me to get to know him. I thought the horse would turn under me."


    "Not while you are going that fast. I''m going to have a talk with Red. She knows better. How do you feel?"


    "I feel alright."


    "Good, I don''t want you to be in pain while you are mucking out stalls. Here comes the nurse, when she is done with you, report to my tent."


    Later Wolf reported to the Wolverine''s tent. The knight invited him in and he entered nervously. "Wolf, have a seat." The boy sat down in a camp chair and the knight sat next to him. "Wolf, I''ve talked to the riding instructor and to Red. Nobody told you that you could go that fast on a horse. They also didn''t tell you not to. You have to realize that when there is danger you have to go by the rules. I''ve decided what your punishment is."


    Wolf cringed.


    "You are going to muck Cloud''s stall for seven days. Also I am going to give you a personal riding lesson each day."


    "Yes, my Lady."


    "And Wolf¡­"


    "Yes, my Lady?"


    "Try to obey the rules. They are there to keep you out of trouble."


    "Yes, my Lady."


    "You are dismissed."


    Wolf, free to leave, reported back to the Raven, who agreed that the Wolverine''s punishment for him was fair. He sent the page to his next class.

 Chapter 19

    A week later, after breakfast, the Raven sent Red and Wolf to prepare their horses and draw supplies. They first went to the stables where they saddled Midnight, Easy Rider and Pinto Bean. They also saddled the Ravens pack horse with a utility saddle with large saddle bags and extra tie down straps.


    The students stopped by the Quartermaster, who gave them fresh bedrolls, rain ponchos and water skins. They visited the Mess tent where they loaded up on dried fruit, cheeses, dried meats, and fresh vegetables. Red mixed up some of her formulas of spices and herbs for cooking, and then made the selection of teas and coffee.


    Red explained the importance of the spices and teas. They would be without fresh cooked food so they need the spices to make the food they had more palatable and tasty. The teas were to help them keep up their fluids and to help them stay alert. Without the spices, eating on patrol would be bland and cheerless. The tea provided a little warmth and due to its caffeine a good boost in the morning it also tasted better than plain water.


    Red and Wolf returned to the Raven''s tent just as he finished packing. They loaded the horses and mounted up. They rode through camp to the weapons master''s tent where the Raven and Red each picked out a lance. Each lance had a razor sharp steel point. The points were broad and not barbed, designed to slice. Heavy leather caps were put over the points for safety.


    The riders started West across the valley floor and soon cleared the fields and entered the forest. They rode for a couple of hours passing the incoming patrol lead by the Eagle. He relayed the news of their findings and the disposition of the outposts.


    Red took the time to explain to Wolf how they managed the security of the valley. "The outposts are manned by two squires each. They''re posted at the three entrances to the valley. They are at the east and west mountain ridge trails and in south at the valley''s river exit. There are none in the north since there are no usable trails there.


    "The purpose of the outposts is strictly to provide control and warning of any intruders. We regularly patrol the valley. Frequently we patrol beyond the mountain ridges into other valleys as a service to the state. The outposts are manned in 24 hour shifts by the two squires. Two horse patrols are always circling the valley, like we are, visiting them.


    "We''re starting a three day patrol and expect to cover the entire rim of the valley. We''ll ride for long periods of time without a break other than to rest and refresh our horses. It will be tough on the horses and you."


    For Wolf it would be a true test of his newly acquired riding skills thanks to the lessons the Wolverine had given him. The Raven expected him to keep up with his studies and to learn what ever Red could teach him. Pinto Bean turned out to a very good horse and forgiving of the errors Wolf made. As old as Wolf, the horse seemed to be teaching him as much as Red and the Raven could. On dangerous steep trails the horse kept his footing, giving Wolf a sense of ease.


    Wolf had to keep performing his mapping. He frequently had to climb trees during rest breaks, and Red often climbed up with him and used the time to work with him on his math. Wolf had graduated from using a book of logarithms to do his calculations to using a slide rule. The slide rule enabled him to multiply and divide and to work trigonometric problems far faster and easier.


    The patrol reached the western mountain pass into the valley where they were challenged by the two squires on watch. "Halt; who goes there?" demanded Squire Jon.


    "Three children of the forest," answered the Raven."


    "What is the password?"


    "Pegasus," answered the Raven.


    "Horse feathers," countered Squire Mike.


    "Well meet," concluded the Raven.


    The Raven then took a full report from the two squires, Jon and Mike. There had been no trouble to speak of except some deer passing through during the night, possibly chased by wolves. They were sure they had heard the wolves howling.


    The Raven searched for the tracks with Red and Wolf following. The tracks were easy enough to find and they were cloven hoofed, but the Raven pointed out the pattern didn''t fit a deer''s track; the animal''s gait being too short and the impressions too deep. The Raven then pointed to some of the damage the animal had caused. He stood up and Wolf could tell by the Ravens dark expression that something was seriously bad.


    Red said it first; "Pig."


    "Wild boar," emphasized the Raven, "possibly a very dangerous one. You two boys are very lucky that it had been chased by wolves." He then issued orders for the younger squire, Jon, to carry news back to camp accompanied by Wolf.


    Wolf started to protest, but the Raven stopped him. "This is too dangerous for a new page; you have no weapons training and all students are to travel in pairs in this situation."


    The older squire, Mike, would ride with the Raven and Red. A suitable lance had to be fashioned for him as soon as a proper tree could be found. He and Red removed their arrows and bows from the horse packs, and Red checked her broad hunting knife.


    The Raven pulled out three swords one of which he gave to Mike and one to Red who strapped it to her back. The last weapon he pulled out was a small fearsome tomahawk and tucked in his belt. The blade on its head extended only sixty millimeters wide, but the other side of the head had a long sharp spike whose inner edge had been sharpened. It looked like it could rip through the top of an automobile.


    Raven then prepared a dispatch for Wolf and the younger squire to carry back to camp. They all mounted up and started down the trail into the valley until they reached the tree line and the track of the boar diverged off to the right. The Raven sent Wolf and Jon to camp with haste. When Wolf again protested, the knight reminded the page of his duty to deliver messages.


    The Knight turned his attention to following the boar''s trail. The boar traveled fast, but The Raven did not hurry. He told the squires the boar would head for water. He made a lance for Mike. A quick search found a small dead pine tree, which with a few chops with his war hatchet; he felled and stripped of its branches. He then attached a spear point to the end of the pole thus forming a very deadly lance. The Raven and Red then uncapped their own lances exposing the lethal points.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    The three horsemen mounted up and with lances pointing up they started hunting for the boar. The Raven followed the trail with Red twenty yards to the right and behind, Mike twenty yards to the left and behind thus forming a triangle. They slowly and carefully trailed it until they came to a stream where the boar had been. The banks of the stream were torn up from the rooting it had done.


    Without question this beast was big, at least two hundred kilograms. If left alone the boar would tear up a good part of the valley and possibly seriously hurt someone. It had to be killed.


    They crossed the stream and continued following the trail. They were in deep woods now and the Raven walked Midnight carefully, wary of coming upon the beast unexpectedly.


    Red''s had a dry mouth and sweat run down her forehead. She couldn''t swallow. Gripping her lance hard to keep it from slipping, she used her free arm to mop her brow. As they progressed through the forest she paid attention to not catch her lance on a tree.


    Every once in a while they came to a spot where the boar had dug a hole, rooting for a morsel. The animal would rub pieces of bark off trees with its deadly sharp tusks, an untiring machine of destruction.


    Red looked at Mike and saw her worries mirrored in his pale face. She looked around, trying to see things that weren''t there.


    The Raven the voice of calm, quietly reassured the two squires that they were doing fine. They kept advancing through the trees, the knight keeping to the tracks, the squires at his flanks.


    They did not have long to wait, they soon heard the boar rooting ahead and lowered their lances the rest of the way down to attack position. The boar seemed to sense their presence and went quiet. Tensely Red turned to the right, Mike turned to the left, and everyone held their position.


    The boar came from their left, bursting out of the undergrowth with surprising speed.


    Mike managed to prick the animal''s back, cutting a long gash. The boar wailed as it passed by the squire, crossing behind the Raven who couldn''t get his lance around fast enough. It ran by Red who instantly gave chase, spurring Easy Rider to action as the boar disappeared into the brush.


    Red and Easy Rider plowed through the brush after it. They broke out onto the bank of the stream. The boar had already crossed the stream and into an open field, while Red in hot pursuit, lowered her lance to the pig''s height. She finally caught up with it at midfield and managed to stab it in the back with weapon, but had to slow down to keep from overrunning the pig.


    They were only twenty yards from the edge of the field when the horse slipped on loose grass. Red went sprawling, rolled once, and managed to get to her knees. Red realized the pig had turned and now charged towards herself. She had lost her grip on the lance, so she pulled her sword from its scabbard over her shoulder. The boar was now too close for her to plunge her sword into its back. Desperately she dived to her left as it rushed by. Red then sprang to her feet and started running for the trees, but she knew she couldn''t make it in time. Seeing the lance on the ground pointing in the right direction, she dropped her sword, dived, rolled, and came up at the base of the lance.


    Red planted her right knee on the butt end of the lance, forcing it into the soil, grabbed the shaft with both hands, bringing the point up just as the boar reached her. The boar hit the point of the lance square in its breast. Its momentum carried it forward until a meter of the slicing point and shaft emerged out of its lower back.


    The butt end of the lance dug firmly to the ground and the boar finally collapsed, face to face with Red. It still swung its head side to side, the deadly sharp tusks inches from Read''s nose. It spewed blood from the massive wound. The boar still tried to get to its feet, and Red kept holding onto the lance for her very life.


    The Raven jumped off of his horse, pulled his tomahawk, plunged the spike into the top of the beasts head, and then gave it a hard twist that finally stilled the beast.


    Red had been splattered with blood from the massive pig. She kept holding onto the lance with an iron hard grip, until the Raven gently pried her hands loose. He kept reassuring her, "Everything is alright; it''s over."


    The Raven led Red over to the stream and carefully dunked her face and hands in the water to wash off most of the blood. He then took her over to Easy Rider, boosted her into the saddle, and gave her a bed roll to wrap herself in to keep warm.


    The Raven turned his attention to the boar and using his big knife quickly gutted the beast. He left Red''s lance still sticking through it, but retrieved his tomahawk. The Raven and Mike built a horse sled which they rigged together in a few minutes from their lances. Rolling the pig onto it they hoisted the long ends of the sled and secured them to the sides of the pack horse''s saddle.


    The trip back to camp gave Red time to calm down. The Raven and Mike walked the horses and Red rode Easy Rider in front. They were met halfway back to camp by the Wolverine, Willow, Bob, Bill, and Wolf who stared wide eyed at the boar.


    The Wolverine and Willow flanked Red, and the Wolverine started a tale, "I knew a young knight who had just earned his spurs. He was hunting for rabbit in a valley far to the north when he came to a large stream. It had some of the purest water imaginable, bone chilling cold. The salmon were swimming and jumping over the rocks. The knight put down his bow and quiver, and took off his boots to wade in and catch one of the large fish.


    "He snatched a jumping fish right out of the air, a huge fish. As he tried to make his way to the bank, a mother bear came wandering out of the woods leading her two cubs.


    "This knight stopped in the stream and looked at the bear then at his prize fish. Thinking quickly he tossed the fish onto the bank. The bear swiftly attacked the fish killing it with a well placed bite. The cubs attacked the knight''s bow and boots using them as chew toys. The knight didn''t run because he knew better than to turn his back on the bear.


    "Finally out of fear more than anything else he decided to fight the bear. Still standing in the middle of the stream he slowly slipped his coat off and waited. When the bear finished with her fish she turned her attention to the knight, and started growling.


    "The man didn''t hesitate, but charged the bear while swinging his coat and yelling wildly. The startled bear stared at the man for a few moments then stood up on her hind legs. The knight feared for his life, for there is nothing as fearsome as a mother bear. But, the knight kept charging at the bear, yelling and yelling. Soon they were face to face.


    "The bear was huge, and the knight was desperate. He almost dropped his coat to pull his knife when the bear turned and dropped to all fours. It had apparently tired of the game. She proudly walked away trailing her cubs."


    The Wolverine made a dramatic pause, looking straight at the Raven, "That night he returned to camp, much, much braver for having faced the bear, but alas without his prized bow, without his boots, without his fish, and without the rabbit he had been hunting."


    This and other tales soon had Red laughing so hard that she finally relaxed. More and more students arrived as they got closer to camp until it seemed the whole camp had decided to parade. Everyone wanted to see the pig.


    Back at camp Mike recounted Red''s exploit. Somebody penciled a drawing of the boar impaling itself on the lance, somehow the boar looked bigger and fiercer and Red looked smaller, but she liked the drawing. The Mess crew confiscated the boar, then butchered and cooked it. Dinner that evening turned out to be a big feast for all. The squires sang songs in praise of the hunt and Red, who started to get tired of all the attention.


    Bob and Bill made up a song.


    How do you hunt rabbit? Ask Red.


    If you hunt squirrel get Red instead.


    What if a turkey calls, you call Red.


    She once found a skunk, in her bed.


    Oh the lovely perfume she wore.


    She was ever so hard to ignore.


    When a boar in our valley strayed.


    It was Red who went to do the chore.


    Tracking is her skill and trade


    The beast had not a chance she swore.


    She skewered it on a lance well made.


    The beastly boar is now no more.


    Little Red is a squire and she''s OK.


    She sleeps all night and hunts all day.


    Little Red is a squire and she''s OK.


    She keeps the little piggies at bay.


    Little Red is our squire here to stay.


    We''ll keep her here for another day.


    David penned a poem.


    Little Red Riding Hood,


    At camp she became very bored.


    She wanted some food.


    Spent the day hunting for boar.


    Now we''re eating good.


    Later that night when Red and Wolf reported to the Raven''s tent for the next day''s orders Wolf mentioned that he felt really bad that he had missed out on the action. The Raven just reminded him how close Red had come to being run over by the pig and told him," Only her sharp reflexes and quick thinking saved her."


    He saved his criticism for Red. "It might have been pretty brave to blindly charge after the boar, but you foolishly put yourself in unnecessary danger. You did not account for something bad happening. You had extra resources, I''m a resource, and Mike is a resource. As a team we had time to do it right.


    "But, since you showed the bravery and quick thinking a knight should have. You should enjoy this day for the rest of your life. Tomorrow, early, we are going back on patrol." He handed her the lethal tusks that had been extracted from the boar''s jaws. "Here, make a necklace for yourself." The students were dismissed for the night.


    Red, exhausted, tried to sleep, but unable to, went outside her tent together some fresh air and came face to face with the boar. The beast chased her, running her down, and her arms and legs felt like lead. She couldn''t pull her sword from its scabbard or lift her lance; she just didn''t have the strength. The boar''s tusks tore into her belly. It felt like an explosion, and blood sprayed everywhere. She screamed.


    When Willow shook her awake Red found her arms and legs tangled in her bedroll. She was sweating profusely from her struggles. Willow made Red sit up and gave her a cup of cold water to sip on. She listened as Red related her dream.


    When Red finished she confided, "I''m afraid, if I become a knight I''ll fail and someone will die."


    Willow furrowed her eyebrows and sighed, "I think you will do well, you didn''t fail, and you didn''t give up. I think everybody fears failure, I certainly do. You didn''t fail, just remember that. You''ve passed the test of bravery.


    Red slept peacefully for the rest of the night.

 Chapter 20

    The next morning Wolf awoke early and reported to the Raven''s tent to find Red just finished with boiling a pot of water and poured three cups. She made coffee for the Raven and tea for him and herself. She informed Wolf, "You are going to have to learn to cook quickly if you expect to stay up with the Raven. He likes his coffee hot and his food spicy."


    Wolf sucked in his breath and slowly let it out, "The coffee seems easy enough. I''ve seen you cook rabbit. You''ll have to teach me your spice mixtures."


    "No way; it''s my secret. You''ll have to make up your own recipes. I''ll help you make up your own recipes, but there is a price."


    Wolf looked at her trying to decide if he should ask. "What is that?"


    "You fix coffee every morning."


    He knew what she meant; he would have to get up earlier, start the fire, and fetch clean water, "Every morning?"


    Red smiled "Absolutely every morning."


    Wolf considered for a minute if it was worth the bargain. "I''ve got to get something more than a few recipes out of this."


    "You will," grinned Red.


    The Raven stepped out of his tent, glanced at Wolf and said, "I''ve got a job for you."


    "Yes sir?"


    "I want you to boil water to make coffee and tea every morning."


    "Yes sir." Wolf gave Red the darkest look he could muster, and Red gave him the most innocent look she could. The Raven took his coffee from Red and disappeared back into his tent. Wolf went up to Red and whispered, "You knew this was coming, didn''t you?"


    Red calmly replied, "Yes, but now you get something in return. The Raven is going to give you more and more responsibilities. I''m just trying to help. I was a page once; it''s easier than being a squire. Trust me."


    "Oh! Sure. I trust you, right." said Wolf with a certain degree of sarcasm.


    They went for breakfast and returned with theirs and the Raven''s. They all sat down to eat at the table in the Raven''s tent. The Raven laid out an ambitious plan for the day. They would be getting out of camp as early as possible and heading north. The river that ran the length of the valley entered through a narrow cataract in the north. They had a lot of ground to make up on their patrol assignment.


    After breakfast Red went to saddle the horses and Wolf stayed to help the Raven pack. He prepared the pack horses'' bundles, arranging the supplies they had checked out the day before. He had to compare the items against a checklist the Raven had prepared.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The Raven also gave Wolf another checklist of things he needed to eventually obtain for surviving in the wild alone. The Raven suggested he acquire the listed items over the next week or two. The list included items such as flint and steel for making a fire, a bow and arrows, fish hooks and string, a camp shovel and a compass.


    Everything had an important purpose and The Raven expected Wolf to make all the items he could. He would have to find out who could help him over the next week or so, and keep the Raven informed of his progress.


    As soon as Red returned with the horses they loaded up and went by both the Quartermaster''s and mess tents. There they finished collecting their supplies and headed out of camp, but not before a couple of squires urged Red to catch another pig for lunch. Red pointedly ignored them.


    They proceeded North up the valley at a trot until they were clear of the various glens and entered deep forest. The Raven finally slowed the pace down, but did not stop except to let the horses drink at a stream.


    They reached the northern edge of the valley at lunch time and the Raven called for a break. Red and Wolf gathered twigs for a small fire and Red started it using the back of her knife and a piece of flint.


    "How does that work?" Wolf asked.


    "It''s actually the sharp edge of the flint moving fast across the surface of the steel, producing very fine particles of iron which burn in air producing intense heat."


    "So I need a piece of flint. Where do I find one?"


    "It''s a special kind of rock. It sort of breaks like glass, but it''s a lot tougher. I use them for my arrow heads. There is an ample supply of it near here. Ask the Raven if we can make a stop and we''ll get a small supply of it."


    "It''s on my list," replied Wolf.


    Wolf finished making coffee and tea and they made lunch of fruit and beef jerky. Then he asked the Raven about the flint.


    "No more than you can carry and be quick about it," replied the Raven.


    Wolf and Red mounted up and rode about ten minutes to a small rock outcropping where they found shards and nodules of flint. They didn''t have much time, so Red picked out some good usable pieces for Wolf. On returning they found the Raven had already packed the coffee pot, put out the fire, cleaned the ground, and ready to ride.


    They rode east around the perimeter of the valley for the rest of the day keeping just in the tree line. The Raven found nothing of importance, but did use the time to teach Wolf some of the secrets of tracking by practicing on deer tracks. It became obvious to Wolf that it would be a long time before he could follow a deer trail. He did learn some of their habits; where they sleep, where they rub against trees, and what a deer path looks like.


    They frequently saw deer in the valley. Pages were not allowed to chase after wildlife, other than rabbit and squirrel. If the animals came close to them, they could still watch them. Wolf quickly learned how to be still and quiet. It was not as easy as it seemed. A small noise or movement could be enough to send animals scattering.


    Towards late afternoon they reached the eastern trail into the valley. There they watered their horses and began the climb into the pass. They climbed for an hour up before they reached the pass. They encountered John the squire on watch, who challenged them. "Halt, who goes there?"


    "Three children of the forest," the Raven replied.


    "What is the pass?" demanded the squire.


    The Raven responded, "The oxen are slow."


    "But, the earth is patient," the squire responded back.


    "Give me your report," the Raven demanded.


    "Sir, no large animals have passed through here during the last twenty four hours. Two knights and their squires and pages came into the valley. There has been no other traffic reported in the prior three days."


    "Well done," the Raven replied.


    Squire Jimmy boiled water for coffee. Too cold and windy in the pass for a light drink, he fixed coffee for everybody. Wolf discovered he liked coffee. Coffee seemed to be a necessity in the high country and the squires knew how to make very good coffee. With no milk available they used a little honey to cut the bitterness. Wolf noted the Raven drank his coffee plain.


    With coffee over, the Raven left orders for the squires, and headed back down the trail to the valley floor. Upon reaching the first stream he ordered a halt for the evening. They unloaded the horses and turned them loose. Bedrolls were laid out and a fire prepared.


    Wolf received his first lesson in fire starting. He managed to get the steel and flint to spark easy; but had difficulty getting the shavings to burn. The tender would barely smolder and refuse to flame up. After several tries and a lot of shavings he finally mastered the technique.


    Red then showed him how to use charred cloth patches to start the tinder more easily. She told Wolf that she prepared the cloth by cooking small patches in a candy tin to keep the cloth from catching fire. After cooking and cooling, the tin could be opened revealing the charred black cloth.


    Red couldn''t manage to kill a rabbit that night, but the fire was friendly and the dried fruit and beef jerky were good. The sourdough bread toasted with cheese tasted great.


    With dinner over it was time for music and song. Red told Wolf to sit back and enjoy the music. She pulled out her fife and announced, "This is, ''The World Turned Upside Down,''" and started playing. She followed with ''The King of the Fairies.'' When she finished Wolf and the Raven clapped their hands, and she bowed.

 Chapter 21

    The Raven answered her with a couple of tunes of his own. Wolf impressed, clapped again. Then the Raven announced, "This is a little ditty I''m teaching Red." He started playing ''Brian Boru''s March'', and after one round Red joined in. With every round of the tune they picked up the pace. Wolf had never seen a flute up close much less a six-hole fife. He couldn''t follow the movements of their fingers. Eventually Red couldn''t keep it up and started to stumble over the notes. She finally gave up and laughed. Wolf and the Raven were laughing with her.


    The Raven jested to Red, "If you can''t play a good tune, maybe you could sing one." She complied by singing ''Walking in the Air.'' On the second verse the Raven joined in with his fife. It had a very haunting melody and made more so by the noise of the wind in the trees.


    Wolf suddenly wished he could be like the boy in the song, flying over the world. It made him sad. Seeing the boy''s downcast face, the Raven stopped playing.


    The Raven tried to sooth the boy, "It''s just a song about a dream."


    "I know Sir, It''s just I feel so trapped in this world."


    The knight thought a minute before saying, "I can''t fly, but I''ve been to some amazing places, and performed good deeds. Life tends to live up to your expectations. If you want it enough, I think adventures will come your way. For now enjoy the adventure you are in. It will prepare you for the ones you will have."


    Red suggested to Wolf, "Please why don''t you join in the song. It''s always better to sing with others." Wolf refused at first; he had never sung before, but with gentle encouragement by Red he tried the first verse of ''Walking in the Air''. He had to work on it, but the pitch of his voice was close enough to Red''s and it sounded good. Red promised him that she wouldn''t tell anyone unless he said she could.


    In the morning the boy found the wolf again curled up asleep next to him. He stroked the wolf''s head and the animal turned to lick his face. The boy gently checked out the wolf''s wound. The bandage had been lost, but the stitches held and the wound did not look infected or swollen. Wolf noticed the Raven staring at him.


    "The wolf is doing a lot better. You need to remove the stitches or he will pick at them until the wound becomes infected again." The Raven gave him a tiny pair of scissors with which to snip out the stitches.


    Speaking softly to the wolf the boy managed to get it to lay still long enough to cut the stitches and pull the thread out. Once he finished the wolf arose and trotted off. It still had a noticeable limp.


    Wolf started preparing the coffee, tea, fresh apples, and dried figs. Wolf kept busy with boiling water when he realized there wasn''t a break in a day''s work. He had something to do all day long. From the first day with the Raven he had picked up a new job or skill every day. While out on patrol the Raven expected him to keep up with his school lessons, so he learned how to read in the saddle. He wondered what would be added when he returned from patrol. He would find out soon enough.


    From their camp near the eastern pass, they traveled south then southwest to the southern entrance to the valley. There they found a break in the mountains surrounding the valley. Here the small river of the valley exited. A barely recognizable wagon trail paralleled the river, mostly hidden from view by dense under growth.


    "This is the main way into the valley," Red commented, "all our supplies come this way by wagon."


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    "There must be a lot of traffic on the trail," Wolf said.


    "There was a lot when camp was being set up, but now it is mostly food coming in and trash going out. That is a lot of what Mary and the other Percherons work at, pulling wagons."


    "Why did we come through the mountain pass?" Wolf inquired.


    "We had to conduct business in town," Red replied.


    "What kind of business?"


    "We had to deal with the National Forestry Service. We do some ranger work for them in return for their supporting our school."


    "What kind of ranger work do you do?"


    "We track and rescue lost people. We also track bad guys."


    "What kind of bad guys?"


    "Mostly illegal lumber operators and miners, but also drug growers, they are the worst."


    "How is that?"


    "They would just as soon kill you as talk to you."


    "Whoa!" exclaimed Wolf. "What do you do with them? You don''t have real weapons."


    "Don''t discount arrows and lances. What we really do is make these mountains so unpleasant for them that they just leave."


    "How do you do that?"


    "That is something the knights and older squires do. It is very dangerous work. The Raven says I''m good enough to go on the next raid if we have one this summer."


    Later they took a north westerly course to the base of the western pass into the mountains. There they camped for the night. Red and Wolf had time to hunt rabbit and she killed three large ones. The boy insisted that one be left for the wolf that still followed them.


    In the morning they climbed up to the gap in the western pass where the Raven took a report from the squires on watch and gave them orders for the next day. The pass had been quiet since the pig incident. After descending from the pass they spent the rest of the morning returning to the main camp. They demobilized, attended to the horses, and went to their tents for a long awaited rest.


    Wolf walking back to his tent heard a whimpering sound coming from a copse of trees between camping areas. It sounded like a dog or possibly a puppy. He entered the copse and found the puppy tied to a small bush by its rear leg. It was in pain. Wolf bent down to untie it so he could take it to its mother. He didn''t do it; he was blindsided by a fist to the side of his head.


    As soon as the lights stopped flashing Wolf realized Wayne was astride him with knees on his arms. "Awake I see. Why don''t you save me the trouble and go back to the orphanage. That''s where you fit in." To emphasize his point he did a roundhouse punch to Wolf''s cheek.


    Wolf brought up a knee attempting to hit Wayne in the back. It wasn''t enough. He tried again with a little more effect. Wayne just leaned down till he was face to face with Wolf. "I mean it. I''m going to make you go." Wayne spit on Wolf''s cheek.


    This time Wolf brought up both legs quickly and forced them onto Wayne''s back knocking the page over Wolf''s head. Wolf instantly rolled over and from a kneeling position fell on top of Wayne. He would have gotten in a few wild punches, but a low growling sound interrupted him.


    Both boys instantly stopped struggling with Wolf lying on top of Wayne. They looked for the source of the sound. Wayne saw it first, his eyes went wide open, and he desperately tried to get out from under Wolf. When Wolf looked back up from Wayne, he saw the source of the growling. The wolf stood about three meters away, fangs bared.


    "Call him off!" Wayne shakily said.


    Wolf not know what to do nervously said, "I can''t." The boy paused, "He isn''t mine."


    "Do something, get him away."


    Wolf slowly got up, and then quickly turned his attention back to the animal. It had disappeared.


    "That wolf is dangerous; I''m telling."


    "I''ll tell about the puppy," countered Wolf. He bent down and untied the puppy and cradled it in his arms. When he looked up Wayne had also disappeared.


    Wolf returned the puppy to its mother, fearing what would happen if the knights found out what the wolf had done. He needn''t have worried; Wayne never reported what had happened.


    What Wolf should have worried about was the Wolverine. During his next self defense class he tried to block one of her blows, but was too slow for her unexpected swiftness. The fist landed on his cheek where he already had been hit by Wayne. He gasped in pain and realized he would have a nasty bruise. Her next blow had similar results.


    The knight called a halt to the exercise, "You have to learn to block. Go report to the nurse and have that cheek looked after. Then report to my tent." Wolf ran to comply with her orders.


    When he reported to her tent she invited him in and told him to sit down. "I hope I didn''t hurt your cheek too much."


    "No more than it already had been." Wolf realized he had let slip that he had been in a fight.


    The Wolverine grimaced. "I noticed you had fallen on your cheek. You could have at least put your arm in the way."


    "I couldn''t move my arms."


    "Interesting, I think I''m going to have to teach you some tricks to get those arms moving again. There is no excuse for being in a situation where you can''t move your arms. I don''t see any reason to discuss your clumsiness any further. Wolf, you need to make self-defense a deadly serious business. You''re dismissed"


    "Yes, Ma''am." Wolf stood and stepped for the entrance.


    "Oh, Wolf."


    The boy stopped and turned to face the woman. "Yes, Ma''am?"


    "Try and teach that gray wolf how to act among the other students."


    Wolf stunned realized his jaw hung open. She had virtually confirmed that he had been in a fight and the wolf had intervened. Had she seen what had happened? Not likely. She would have stopped it. He couldn''t figure the woman out. "Yes, Ma''am." Wolf quickly left her tent before she could say something else.

 Chapter 22

    Mary, the great Percheron, besides pulling wagons or logs in and out of the valley, and being used for jousting in competitions, aided the pages in their efforts to gather fruit. The pages stood on her back and used long poles to reach the highest fruit. Apples, pears and cherries were the big prize. The pages fed her the fruit regularly and she gently worked with the pages. She started to balk when it came to pulling logs. Red was the only person Mary truly obeyed for such work.


    Wolf didn''t pay Mary much attention, having been bit by her. Mary however took a shine to Wolf and seemed to be miffed at being ignored. Whenever she saw Wolf Mary made a beeline to him and nudged him, demanding attention. Red suggested that he pay more attention to Mary. Mary returned his friendliness and soon Red had Wolf standing on Mary''s back while she led Mary around.


    Wolf noticed something and asked Red, "Mary is kind of fat, isn''t she?"


    "You noticed. One month and you finally noticed. Now what do you think is making her so fat?"


    "Too many apples." Wolf ventured.


    "Good guess, but no. She is going to have a baby."


    "She''s what?"


    "You know those cute little things that cry a lot, drink milk and weigh about a hundred kilos."


    "Wow that''s a big baby. When is she due?" Wolf asked.


    "Any day now. She''s been awfully cranky lately."


    "Is that why she bit me?"


    "Maybe, you certainly surprised her that day."


    "Her and me both."


    "Well she certainly likes you now. I think she is a good judge of character. That wolf likes you too. In fact I haven''t seen an animal that doesn''t like you, except maybe one or two rabbits," Red concluded.


    When Wolf finished with his morning chores, Red taught him how to knap arrowheads from the flint shards he had collected earlier. Red directed him to the blacksmith, who also acted as the carpenter, as well as the farrier. He also served as the weapons master, responsible for the care of all weapons at camp. Wolf asked the man to help him with making the arrows and a bow. The long arrows that Red favored were made from bamboo. It was an excellent material for arrow shafts, but very hard to work. It would split easily if not trimmed right, especially with the flint arrow heads. The smith patiently taught Wolf to make the arrows on his own.


    Wolf couldn''t make a bow, not a composite bow like Red''s. "It is easy to replace a broken or lost arrow," the smith advised. "You can even experiment with its design. They can be traded. But, a bow is a personal thing; it becomes a part of you. You need a bow that fits you. The composite bow is very hard to build. It''s made from layered horn, wood, and sinew and requires expert workmanship. I''ll make you one, but you''re going to have to work for it." The smith fitted Wolf, temporarily, with a longbow from his stock. Wolf could now take archery lessons and report to the archery instructor.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    To earn the bow Wolf settled on working mornings. They spit in their palms and shook hands to seal the deal. He had to tend the fire in the forge and hammer iron. He hammered everything from horseshoes, to wagon parts, to knives. The smith, using tongs, would position the glowing hot iron on the anvil and Wolf would hammer.


    The hot work started to build his arm muscles. As the bright orange bars of steel were hammered, they would cool to a dull red before the smith would put them back in the fire. When done with the piece the blacksmith quenched it in water. The work had to be done carefully; the hot steel could deliver a nasty burn on the slightest contact.


    After a week of swinging the hammer, Wolf''s sore arms started to become hardened to the work. He enjoyed taking out his frustrations on the iron and steel. The blacksmith amazed him with his creativity with iron and he always dispensed little bits of advice, "The quickest ways to kill yourself is by trying to work cold steel, or by not charging enough for your work."


    For the first few days of archery lessons, Wolf didn''t even shoot an arrow. Instead he learned how to hold the bow, how to take care of it, and how to make bowstrings. He had to draw and hold the bow, then release it without hurting himself. The Raven put him on an exercise routine of chin-ups and push-ups which further strengthened his arms.


    With his time at the armory almost over, Wolf felt he had hammered new shoes for every horse in the valley. The Blacksmith gave him one last task; he had to hammer out a long bar of steel. Every time it extended to a meter in length, the smith put a crimp in the middle and folded the bar on the crimp. Wolf welded the two halves together by more hammering. The bar would have to be reheated to a bright orange glow before repeating the process. The hard steel required the smith''s help in the hammering. Once the bar had been hammered out and folded several times the smith left it at full length and quenched it in water. He put the bar aside. "Wolf, you''re all done for the week, you''ve been a big help. Maybe we can do more business later. Let me show you your new bow."


    He presented the boy with the finished bow. It had no decorations save the maker''s mark. There were no extra shapes or nuances, and with a heavy pull Wolf realized he would have to get stronger.


    Wolf quickly realized that hammering a few horse shoes into shape could not begin to pay for the bow. "Sir I can''t pay you what this is worth."


    "Nonsense, you will make me proud when you kill your first rabbit. However if you ever have some time, I could always use more help." Wolf resolved to pay the man back with more work. He had enjoyed working the steel.


    Wolf went out on the archery range, to practice with his new bow. A page came running up and breathlessly told him that Mary was in labor. Wolf ran as fast as he could to the stables. A crowd had formed around Mary''s stall. He worked his way to the front and found Mary lying down on a bed of straw, with Red at her head. The Veterinarian and the Raven attended Mary. When the Raven saw Wolf he waved him over and told him it''s going to be a difficult birth and Mary needed help.


    Wolf asked what he could do. The Raven gave him a list of supplies to obtain from the quartermaster and the nurse. Wolf quickly ran off for the items. From the quartermaster he received ten meters of soft nylon rope, a liter of alcohol, a towel, and a blanket. From the nurse he obtained a number of medicines, syringes and a surgery kit. The nurse packed the medicines in a bag and came with Wolf, saying she was not about to miss the birth for all the world.


    When Wolf returned to the stable he delivered the supplies to the Vet and went to Mary''s head to be with Red. The Vet went to work washing his bare arms and the rope with the alcohol. He then made a loop at the end of the rope. He took the loop in hand, slowly reached up the birth canal, and placed the loop on the foal''s hooves. The Vet waited; Mary went through two more sets of contractions before he said she was ready.


    With the next contraction the Vet and the Raven started pulling on the rope as hard as they could. It seemed like a long time before two hooves came out followed by the other two. They were then quickly followed by a large slimy sack containing a baby horse the size of a very large dog. The Vet quickly removed the sack around the foal and wiped it down with a towel. It was a male. He then placed him on a sheet where Mary could tend to and lick him. The foal immediately perked up and started breathing and coughing, and all the gathered pages cheered. They were too excited to notice the Vet clamping the umbilical cord and delivering the placenta.


    The crowd cheered, Red cried and hugged Mary, and Wolf comforted Red. The foal took it all in stride.


    The Raven had Wolf slid the foal aside while he and Red tried to get Mary onto her feet. Once Mary stood up, she took charge of the foal, and for the next hour nobody got close to him. Mary intently cleaned the foal then tried to get him to stand.


    When the foal finally managed to stand, the students gave another cheer. Red nudged the foal to where he could nurse from Mary. The Raven dispersed the students by reminding them they had chores and lessons to attend to.


    Lunch was served late.

 Chapter 23

    Just before supper the Raven, Red, Wolf, and several other pages were practicing their self defense exercises when a page came running up and delivered a written message to the Raven. He wrote a reply on the message, folded it and returned it to the page who took off for the main tent. The Raven signaled for Red to join him in his tent. Shortly afterward Red came out and told Wolf, "We are to have a formal dinner with the Raven and guests. Dress cleanly and meet me at the mess tent."


    Later Red and Wolf came back from the mess tent to the Raven''s tent with their suppers and when they entered the tent the Lion and the Dragon were standing and talking to the Raven. The table had been extended and set for five. The Raven indicated for Red to sit at one end and Wolf at the other end of the table. The Raven assisted Red into her chair and signaled for all the others to sit down, which they did together.


    A pleasant, but formal meal ensued, with the two leaders of the school making polite conversation. Wolf was relieved that not even a hint of talk about his recent fight or his bruises occurred. With dinner over The Raven poured grape juice into everyone''s cup. The Raven as host had the first toast, "To the flag of our country, may it always represent freedom."


    The other diners chorused, "Here, here." and everybody took a sip of juice.


    The Lion toasted, "To the School, may it always stand for what is right."


    The Dragon toasted, "To the students, may they learn their lessons well."


    Red toasted, "To our Knights and teachers, may they ever be wise."


    Everyone looked at Wolf. He paused to think and then toasted, "To the new foal, may he grow big and strong."


    "Here, here," all replied.


    With the toasting over, Wolf and Red cleared and the Raven invited everybody to sit down. "Wolf, it has been a month since I brought you here, have you had the adventure I promised?"


    "Yes sir."


    "Have you been treated fairly?"


    "Yes sir."


    "Very good; I am glad to hear that. Your probationary period is now over and it is time for you to decide what you want to do. Consider your next few answers very carefully. Do you want to leave here and go to a foster home that we can arrange?"


    Wolf thought for a minute and then surprised himself, "No, sir."


    "Do you wish to join this school knowing what kind of school it is and knowing that you will have to be appointed a legal guardian, a foster parent, from this school, to whom you must answer?"


    He knew right away; he liked the Raven, "Yes, sir."


    "I must ask one more time so there is no mistake. Do you want to join this school?"


    Wolf didn''t have to think about the answer this time, "Yes, sir."Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Good. My Lady and Gentlemen are you satisfied."


    "We are," they chorused.


    The Raven pulled out from a leather tube, the contract that Wolf had signed a month ago. "Wolf, this is a full scholarship, you won''t have to pay for school, so if you will please sign here." He indicated the spot. Wolf signed with his real name and handed the document to the Raven who witnessed it. He handed it to the Dragon who signed it and then to the Lion who did likewise. Finally the document came to Red who witnessed it.


    The Lion then took the paper and poured some molten red sealing wax next to the signatures. He affixed the impression of his signet ring onto the hardening wax thus making it look very official.


    The Raven offered his congratulations with a handshake and a slap on the shoulder and Red gave him a bear hug. The Lion and Dragon both congratulated him with hearty handshakes and Red assured him he would never regret it.


    After the two principals left the tent, the Raven requested Wolf and Red to sit back down. "It is time to get to some serious stuff, Red you have something to say?"


    "Yes, Sir. Wolf I have been watching you since we first met, and you impress me. You don''t lie, cheat or steal. You work hard, do your chores, you don''t complain and you take care of your friends and the animals. It is time to name the foal and I want to give that privilege to you."


    "Me. Why me?" he asked.


    Red paused and a mischievous grin appeared on her face, "Because he is yours if you will have him."


    "What?" he stammered. "But, I don''t deserve him! I can''t afford him!"


    "You do and you can. I got Mary the same way that I''m offering the foal to you, with the promise that you just help someone else out later. As for affording him, he can earn his keep when he''s older, working for the school. He can also earn his keep in other ways; we''ll talk about it later." Red and the Raven shot glances at each other.


    "I accept," Wolf responded, perhaps too quickly.


    The Raven spoke up, "Now on to other matters, Red if you please."


    Red got up and left the tent.


    "Wolf there is the small matter of a legal guardian. One has already been picked out for you," The Raven informed him.


    The boy stared, unbelieving at the knight, "I thought it would be you."


    "Heavens no, I''m not responsible enough, I was just a temporary guardian. You can still be a page under my mentor-ship if you want."


    "I''d like that, Sir."


    Red reappeared at the entrance to the tent with the Wolverine. The Raven announced, "Wolf, meet your new mother and sister."


    Wolf looked stunned. "Mother? Sister?"


    "Yes," they all replied at once.


    Wolf couldn''t say anything; he just opened and closed his mouth a few times.


    Finally Red broke the silence, "Wolf, it''s like this, the Raven sort of saved my life and brought me to the school. Lady Wolverine is my adoptive mother. Now she has been appointed your guardian, your foster mother. That makes you my brother."


    Wolf finally managed, "But, you work for the Raven."


    Red grinned, "Of course I do. I wouldn''t want to spend all my time with my mother would I? It would be too much. Besides I want to become a tracker and Raven is the best there is."


    "But, what does this mean for me?" asked Wolf, still not sure what had just happened.


    The Wolverine spoke, "It means you have someone to whom you can go to when all else fails. I will always be there for you."


    "Oh. Thank you, My Lady."


    "Good. Meet me at my tent after you finish cleaning up the mess in here." She looked around the tent with a grimace, "Men; you can''t live with them for the mess."


    Later after the Raven had dismissed him, Wolf reported to the Wolverine''s tent and she beckoned him in. He looked around the tent and saw nothing except a table and two stools.


    The Wolverine looked at him with kind eyes and a smile developed on her face. "I wanted to have a talk with you about being your guardian."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    "First off I have been appointed your legal guardian by the state. I am your foster mother."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    "Also any legal proceedings against you by the state have been dropped. You are no longer in any danger of going to Juvenile Hall."


    "Thank you, My Lady."


    "Don''t thank me, thank the Raven. His recommendations set you free from the law."


    "Yes, My Lady."


    "And stop saying that when I''m talking to you as a parent."


    "Yes, M... Yes, Ma''am"


    "That''s better. Now I want you to listen to me; I have all the duties of a parent. I see to it that you are fed, clothed, and sheltered. Far more importantly I have the responsibility to listen to you and to advise you, even when no else can or will. I will be here when you hurt the most. I take this responsibility most seriously. Be at peace with me and take my hand." He took her hand with his and she said, "I swear to you now that as long as I breathe I will be here for you, on this I place my honor among men and women."


    "Thank You," was all he could manage, and he started crying. He did not cry alone. The Wolverine held him tightly the whole time.


    They talked about his needs late into the night. Finally the Wolverine reminded Wolf of his exercise routine and they ran through the steps of his routine one time. When she dismissed and sent him to his tent; he had a slow thoughtful walk back. When he arrived, the wolf sat in front of his tent, waiting, the boy didn''t seem to notice the animal.


    Wolf entered his tent and stared at the hangers on which his clothes were drying. He now knew what he had to do. Grabbing his old blue jeans, shirt and sweater he marched out of the tent to the nearest campfire and threw the clothes into the flames. Without waiting he turned back to his tent not even aware that the wolf followed him.


    When he did notice the wolf, he stared at him a minute and said, "I think I''ll call you Shadow." He ducked into his tent. The wolf looked at the tent a long second then followed him in.

 Chapter 24

    The next week during a break from exercises Wolf went to the stables to check out the new foal, his foal if and when Mary would let him close enough to do his job. Red had told him patience is a virtue when doing anything new with a horse, especially a mother and newborn, and more especially with Mary a first time mother. Red also told him that Mary would let him know when she was ready, and that obviously was not going to happen soon. For the time being Mary and the foal were kept in a separate field from the other horses.


    Wolf continued to tend to Mary and the foal. After a few days they soon were playing a game where Mary would keep between Wolf and the foal and the foal would make end runs to get at Wolf and push him in the back. The foal who was bigger than Wolf nudged him fairly hard. Red told him horses had an excellent memory and a game like this could be a problem later when the foal matured. It had been a problem with Mary, but how do you break a bad habit on a thousand kilogram horse?


    A week later as Wolf cleaned and rubbed the foal, the idea hit him. He waited until he saw Red and told her, "I''m naming him Nudge."


    Red smiled broadly and said, "That''s an excellent name. You need to tell the Raven and then get the name registered."


    "Why is that?" Wolf queried.


    "There are a couple of good reasons. First it''s like getting a license for a dog; it''s just necessary. Secondly it will increase his value, especially if you breed him; he is a purebred Percheron after all. Now that Mary lets you handle him, it''s time to get him used to some basic things. When you are just standing around with him occasionally pick up and hold one of his hooves as if you were cleaning it. Don''t do anything else to the hoof; he is too tender at this age. Talk to him. Put a blanket on his back occasionally, just to get him used to it. Brush him, he''ll like that. Other than that he stays with mom."


    Wolf thought a second then slowly said, "So I really just get him used to me."


    "Yeah, but it''s a delicate process. Nudge can kick and bite hard without realizing what he''s doing. You have to be real careful about how you train him; you don''t want him to be afraid of you, or hate you."


    "Or Mary could get mad at me," the boy mused.


    "Oh yeah, there is that. It''s been nice knowing you," the girl quipped.


    Wolf turned to Red and saw her silly grin. "If Mary kills me you''ll have to deal with Shadow."


    "Who?"


    "The wolf, that''s his name." This time Wolf grinned.


    Red stared at the boy a second, trying to figure out if he was serious, "OK I give. You had better tell me more about Shadow."


    "I keep playing with him any time I go into the woods."


    "Does the Raven know?"


    "Yeah, I can''t hide anything from him."


    "And he approves?"


    The boy said lightly, "Not exactly."


    Red furrowed her forehead, and then demanded, "What do you mean not exactly?"


    "The Raven says he can''t come with me at the end of summer and there will be some very tough decisions then."


    "You''ve got that right," emphasized the squire.


    "I''ll figure something out."


    Red exclaimed, "That wolf is wild! It just isn''t going to happen."


    Wolf snorted, "I was wild just a short while ago. Remember that. Look at me now; just as civilized as I can be, even here in the mountains."


    Red faked being serious, "I''m not so sure of that. I''d better check you for rabies." She felt his forehead, "Just as I suspected crazy."


    With that comment Wolf took a swipe at Red''s shoulder, but she easily dodged the blow. He ended up chasing her across the meadow followed by Nudge and Mary. Wolf, now a good runner, caught up with Red, but he couldn''t get his hands on her. She would duck and weave while evading his grasp. Nudge enjoyed the game and galloped between the boy and girl. The foal would knock one down then the other.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mary seemed to be the only responsible party and chased Nudge away. It was her way of saying ''game over''. Red and Wolf were laughing so hard it took them a minute before they noticed they were being watched.


    Besides the handful of pages and squires watching the fun, the wolf sat above them on the hill watching. When they were able to calm down they saw Shadow sitting there with his head cocked to one side. Red, first on her feet, ran and Shadow chased after her, jumping and landing square on her back, knocking her down once more. Before Wolf could reach her, Shadow was licking her face mercilessly.


    "Shadow, sit!" Wolf commanded and the animal did. "Shadow lay down," and he did. Red sat up stunned.


    "Did you just make him sit?" Red demanded.


    "He sits if he feels like it," Wolf answered.


    "You win; maybe he can be saved. I''ll see what I can do to keep the two of you together. But, we need to do some serious talking before we approach The Raven."


    "I know," Wolf replied.


    That evening after supper, Red and Wolf took their leave of the Raven and went to see the Wolverine. They explained the situation to her in detail making sure to leave nothing out and answered her questions in full.


    Wolf spoke passionately about the animal. He explained how the wolf had tried to become a part of the camp showing no aggression toward any of the students. He argued that because of its injury he did not think the wolf could live on its own anymore.


    The Wolverine listened intently and when he finished she spoke. "There are good reasons we do not encourage pets in this school. All the animals we have here have a purpose. The horses work and help us teach, the dogs help with tracking and keeping wild animals out of the camp. The cats even have a purpose. The wolf is truly a wild animal. He is not a dog. A cat can go wild or be domesticated, they are unique in that respect, and that is why the cats we have here are not allowed to breed. A wolf is a wild animal and cannot be domesticated."


    Wolf started to protest, but Red lightly grabbed his elbow and he held his tongue.


    The lady knight continued, "From what I''ve heard of this wolf, he isn''t the friendly type. He would have to get along with everyone and unfortunately he will never be above some people''s suspicion."


    Red spoke up, "I think the wolf is a very good judge of people, he stays away from people whom I just wouldn''t want to be around. He certainly doesn''t threaten anyone."


    "How can you be sure of that?" the Wolverine asked.


    "Ask him yourself, he''s lying down behind you."


    The Wolverine spun around and at her feet and there lay the wolf. The Wolverine taken completely by surprise managed to calmly ask, "Did you arrange this?"


    "No Ma''am," Red replied.


    "Ma''am; I can''t explain it, but he seems to know when he is needed," Wolf ventured.


    The Wolverine sat down. For the first time in long time that she could remember she had been bested, and by an animal at that. "I will talk to the Lion. I can''t promise anything. The Raven is not your obstacle, trust me. I''ll do the best I can; they don''t call me the Wolverine for nothing."


    After much discussion that evening they came up with a plan of attack. Each partner had a job to do. Wolf''s was probably the hardest. He would acclimate Shadow to living with people, to camp life, but most of all Shadow would have to get used to a collar and leash and he would have to obey commands.


    Red''s set about trying to get Mary to accept Shadow. Mary was still very protective of Nudge and in no mood to get acquainted with a wolf. Red didn''t think the wolf would survive a violent encounter between the two. The Percheron could probably outrun the wolf and she had a kick that could kill.


    The Wolverine''s had the job of presenting the case for Shadow, she would also advise Wolf on who to talk to and how he should go about it. She told him to talk to a knight known as The Bear.


    The Bear, a big man, maybe two meters tall, easily the biggest man in camp, instructed the older squires on the use of weapons in armed combat. There were rumors that he was the only person who could best the Wolverine, bare handed or with sword.


    The page addressed him, "Sir Knight Bear."


    "Sleeps with Wolves," he responded smiling.


    "How did you know?" asked the boy in surprise.


    "I see him in you. You''ve come to me to ask about him."


    "Yes Sir."


    "What is it you seek?"


    "Sir I am trying to..." Wolf suddenly realized that what he wanted to do was very selfish. He had not considered what was good for the wolf or what the wolf actually needed or wanted, just what he wanted.


    "''Sleeps with Wolves'' I think you already see the problem. I think it is time we ask the wolf what he wants."


    "How will we do that?" Wolf asked. "I mean do I actually talk to him?"


    "We''ll see. I think you will find he understands more then you expect. How do you find him?"


    "He comes to me usually when I''m alone. He tends to stay away when other people are around, but he will play with my tent mates. When I''m alone with him in the woods he runs with me, he expects me to run faster than I can. I mean he will run ahead, but keeps coming back trying to get me to run faster."


    "Does he try to do what you want him to do?" the big man asked.


    "He will sit and stay for a short while or until I say ''OK''. He sneaks around camp sometimes and surprises me. He is always around when I go into the woods alone and follows wherever I take a journey on horse."


    "Sleeps with Wolves; he is already talking to you, but you do not understand his language yet. Maybe I can help you." They talked for a long time, after which they went to the woods where Shadow joined them.


    Later that day Wolf crossed paths with Wart. "So Wolf, tell me more about the foal."


    "Well Red is giving him to me for free."


    Wart narrowed his eyes, "For free! Don''t consider it a gift. She just saved herself a lot of money."


    Wolf opened his eyes and he raised the pitch of his voice, "What? How''s that?"


    Wart calmly explained, "She doesn''t have to buy a saddle and tack. I think she got you."


    Wolf slumped, "No wonder she gave him to me. I can''t afford a saddle."


    "Well you don''t need one now at least, but I warn you, they''re expensive. I couldn''t afford mine, even with my allowance. My father loaned me the money."


    "What''s the matter?" came a snide remark from beside them. Wayne and his two buddies, Ralph and Edgar approached. "Can''t afford a saddle. I knew you shouldn''t be here." Wayne stepped right up to Wolf and his buddies flanked him.


    Wolf wasn''t going to back down this time. But, he had to look up at the taller page. Wart standing even shorter put a hand on Wolf''s shoulder. "You''ll have to deal with me too."


    Without taking his eyes off of Wolf, Wayne snapped, "Wart this doesn''t concern you. Why don''t you just walk away?"


    "I don''t think he needs to," said Harold his tent-mate, stepping in. Harold was big and muscular.


    "You mess with Wolf you mess with me," said George, his other tent-mate.


    Wayne found himself, and his buddies, surrounded. "I didn''t come here to mess with anybody." He gave Wolf a slight shove and turned around and strode away.


    Wart looking after the retreating page mused, "You haven''t seen the last of him. He will try to find you alone."


    "What can I do?" asked Wolf, slumping his shoulders.


    Wart smiled, "He''s going to fight you, that''s for sure. We''re going to have to prepare you."


    Wolf complained, "But, I''m already taking self defense."


    Wart looked at Wolf a second, "Self defense isn''t going to discourage him. We have to teach you to fight.


    "Right," said Harold. "Tough fighting."


    "We have to be secret about it," emphasized George.


    "Wolf, are you in?" asked Wart.


    Wolf looked at the three tent mates, but he said nothing. He just looked down, frowning.


    "We are all in this together or it won''t work," hissed Wart.


    Wolf''s frown suddenly brightened into a smile, "I''m in."


    "I''m in," repeated Harold and George.


    "Good, spit on it," Wart said. He spit on his palm and held it out as a fist. The other three boys did the same and placed their hands on top of his, Wolf''s hand last on top.

 Chapter 25

    Mary is a good horse and despite her size still young and very playful. She seemed to relish the attention the pages gave her. Mary had been raised by Red from a foal and she was a page herself. But, Mary now a mom, proved very protective of Nudge. She made sure that Nudge didn''t wander far from her. They would gallop up and down the field and stop frequently for a break to allow Nudge to lie down. When Red finally put Mary back on tasks that Nudge could stay with her, which meant no patrol duty in the forests, but a lot of pulling.


    Red took the time to acquaint Nudge to some of the camp dogs especially the Border collie. She managed to get the dog to sleep with Nudge at night. It worked since Mary often had dogs nearby and getting her to allow one near Nudge had been just a matter of time.


    Red had to get the dog and Nudge to play together. They were two different types of animal and didn''t have the same interests. Red came up with the idea of using a soccer ball. The dog took to it immediately and would return the ball by butting it with her head every time red or Nudge kicked it. Nudge would kick the ball and he and the dog would chase it. If the dog got the ball first he would try to keep it away from Nudge, but if Nudge got the ball he would kick it and the chase began. There were always a few pages trying to get in on the game. Mary at first took a dim view of this game, but rapidly gave up trying to stop it.


    Red finally had the pieces in place. First she had Wolf use an old blanket for Shadow to sleep on, taking care to rub his fur down frequently. Then Wolf would rub the collie with the blanket to transfer the scent. This and the scent of Shadow that Wolf carried on his hands and clothes acclimated Mary and Nudge to the presence of the wolf. The next step would be the most difficult. It involved Shadow actually meeting Mary without mortal combat. Mary may be the gentlest of horses, but she could deliver a deadly kick with her huge sharp hooves.


    Wolf spent all his spare time trying to acclimate Shadow to a collar and leash and he had to lose his fear of being near horses. The boy used Pinto Bean and Easy Rider as test subjects. Up until now Shadow had followed just out of sight whenever they were out on patrol and as a rule had stayed away from the horses. Red and Wolf would arrange meetings between Shadow and one of the horses in an open space where neither would feel threatened. Soon it came down to the animal''s trust of the humans.


    The Bear provided invaluable help in training the wolf. The animal took to him instantly and they spent a lot of time playing together. The Bear managed to got a collar on Shadow, if only for a few minutes. The boy had not seen such a reaction before and asked the Bear about it.


    "The wolf knows I am his friend. He sees a part of himself in me. Are there other people he is friendly with?"


    "A couple of students, my tent mates, but mostly he seems to ignore any attempt to pet him. He just gets up and walks away from them," the boy replied.


    "He may be a better judge of people than you or me. Everyone emits an aura or personality and he picks up on it. It is you whom he identifies with and I believe he thinks of you as a puppy."


    By now Wolf had learned that what a knight said could be trusted as the truth. "How can this be? I''m older than him, and almost as large as he is."


    "What you say is true, but the wolf still sees you as a puppy compared to other people. The wolf also sees that you do not have the necessary survival skills to live on your own in his world. He is trying to teach you and you must learn from him before he will let you really teach him."


    Wolf shook his head in bewilderment. He realized he not only had a lady knight for a mother, but a wolf for a teacher.


    Wolf explained the Bear''s plan to the Raven and asked permission to take a day and night''s leave. Carrying only his knife, he entered the woods to be greeted by Shadow who started running. Wolf followed at a smart pace for an hour or so until they came to a large glen and the wolf stopped running. The boy''s lungs felt as if they were on fire. Shadow waited for him to catch his breath.


    Once the boy stopped breathing hard, the wolf started trotting back and forth in the field sniffing the ground. Wolf got the idea right off and started a search pattern like Shadow''s and soon found signs of rabbit. He recognized their paths, and where they were digging for food.


    Wolf followed a heavily traveled rabbit path until it merged with another path and then another until he came to a hole in the ground, the rabbit''s warren. Now Shadow nudged him to a place next to the hole, but not in front of it. Shadow circled around several times until he found another hole and started digging with vigor.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Wolf got the idea and pulled his knife from its sheath. The first rabbit to leave the hole completely surprised him. He regained his composure and stabbed at the next rabbit to leave the den. He missed this animal as well as the following one. The next rabbit was slower and he managed to come down on it, stabbing it through with the knife.


    Wolf saw the hand holding the knife, and the hand holding the rabbit. Blood seemed to be everywhere. It took a second for the shock to set in and it slowly dawned on him what he had done. The rabbit was dead and he had done it. He had hunted rabbit by hand, and without a bow.


    He looked up to see Shadow sitting a meter away with another dead rabbit in his jaws. The wolf looked at him a few seconds, then started tearing his rabbit apart, ripping and biting, pulling off pieces of meat.


    Wolf used his knife to gut and skin the rabbit, cutting the meat into bite size pieces. The Bear had warned him this would not be pretty, and he proved right. Raw rabbit left a lot to be desired, it was chewy and relatively unappetizing. Wolf found it easiest to cut it into small pieces and just swallow. He decided he needed to learn to cook rabbit as well as Red could.


    After eating their fill, Shadow led Wolf to a stream where they both drank and washed up.


    When Wolf had finished washing, Shadow started running again. There didn''t seem to be any urgency this time, and Wolf frequently took breaks to catch his breath. Before the day ended they had hunted rabbit again. Wolf liked his new found skill.


    As they were running Shadow suddenly stopped and sat down. Wolf drew up short and almost bumped into Maud. "Whoa Caleb, or should I call you Wolf now?"


    The boy gaped at the woman, wondering how she happened to be here. "Wolf, Ma''am."


    Maud smiled at him, "What has Shadow taught you?"


    "Taught me? Say, how do you know his name?


    "He told me. Now what has he taught you?"


    Wolf had a hard time trying to figure out if he could believe her, "He''s taught me to hunt rabbit."


    "It is a most useful skill. He will teach you other things if you let him."


    "Ma''am?"


    "He is going to teach you loyalty and responsibility."


    "Oh."


    "Please call me Maud."


    "Ma''¡­ Maud, I saved Shadow''s life."


    She smiled broadly, "Yes, you did well. Why don''t you give this old woman a big hug? I could use one."


    As Wolf embraced the woman, she bent down and kissed him on his forehead.


    As soon as they broke their embrace she told him, "Wolf, it''s going to get cold. You need to make a shelter. Look after Shadow."


    Wolf turned to look at Shadow. The animal stood there, so he stroked the wolf''s head, and got his hand licked in return. When he looked back at Maud, she had disappeared.


    The sun started to set and the air started to chill. Wolf, who thought he had become used to the cool nights in the high country, suddenly became aware of being very cold. He hadn''t brought the heavy sheriff''s coat or even a light page''s jacket, and his shirt had been soaked with sweat from all his running. Shadow had fur and did not mind the cold, but Wolf knew that he had to do something quickly to keep from freezing.


    Having only his knife and his experience from the Raven''s survival class; he started cutting long thin flexible branches from some bushes. Stripping them of their leaves, he weaved them into a small dome. He then cut more branches, leaving the leaves on and weaving them into the dome''s framework until he had a thick layer of leaves. As long as he kept his legs folded he could fit inside. He left a small opening to crawl into and made a small bundle of leaves to act as a plug for the opening. Just in time, the last twilight left the valley.


    Satisfied with his work he crawled in. Shadow, who had watched the whole process, came up and looked it over. It met his approval and he crawled in. Wolf closed the opening, curled up with Shadow and tried to go to sleep.


    The moon had risen and he had no trouble following the wolf. He could feel the cold on his cheeks, but he remained warm. They were following a narrow path zigzagging through the trees at a speed he did not believe possible. It seemed he flew among the trees and the path seemed as wide as a highway.


    He looked behind himself and saw a massive horse with a small hooded rider, virtually a skeleton, chasing him, hooves pounding, tossing up clods of earth.


    When he looked ahead, the wolf had disappeared. He entered an open field. He stopped and yelled at the hooded rider, "Who are you? Why are you chasing me?"


    The hooded figure pointed a bony finger at him and demanded, "Who are you? What have you done with him?"


    "It''s me! Don''t you see?"


    Again the rider pointed at him, "What have you done with the boy?"


    He looked down at himself, and saw that he was the wolf. He looked back up at the hooded figure and saw the horse charging him, the rider clutching a lance. As the lance penetrated his breast, he saw that the riders cloak bore the insignia of a fox.


    Shadow woke the boy by licking his face. The sun had arisen. Wolf realized his shelter had been reduced to rubble, a pile of sticks and leaves, and the bitter cold had him stiff and shivering. After stroking Shadow a few times on the head he stood up and started to trot towards camp.


    Camp turned out to be a lot closer than he had thought. As he crested the hill, he saw Red sitting on Easy Rider, holding her lance upright, waiting for him.


    Red grimaced, "You sure look the sight. Why don''t you get up behind me and ride into camp?"


    "I would rather walk if you don''t mind."


    "When you get back, go clean yourself up and put on fresh clothes. We have a lot to do today." Red left, riding at a canter.


    Wolf walked into camp and made a beeline for his tent with Shadow walking beside him. Almost every page and squire stopped what they were doing to stare at him and Shadow. Not until he reached his tent did he realize he had two bloody rabbit skins tucked in his belt. As he started to wash up he saw his clothes were splattered with blood from the dead rabbits.


    Tired and sore, but ready to start a new day, Wolf washed up, changed into a clean uniform and reported to the Raven''s tent. While brewing the coffee he had a talk with Red. "I know what your sign will be. I mean what you will be called when you become a knight. I saw it in a dream."


    "Don''t tell me; I''ll find out for myself when the time comes. What you saw is yours to know. Every knight has had a similar experience. If you must talk about it, talk to the Bear. He is our interpreter of dreams."


    She continued, "I hope you didn''t waste those rabbits needlessly when you took their skins."


    "No, I ate them."


    "How did you cook them?"


    Wolf quietly said, "I didn''t."


    Red glanced briefly at the boy, not quite sure if she believed him, "So how was it?"


    Wolf snapped, "About as good as yours."


    Red''s head jerked up and she saw the biggest grin on Wolf she had yet seen. "You''re getting pretty big for that uniform aren''t you?"


    The boy snapped, "It''s just payback for the coffee gag."