Jesse has inherited his Grandfather's ranch. Now he must fight his father to keep and go on a quest to find Coyote and his spirit animal.

Thank you Hope for your help in editing and trying to keep this southern gal from embarrassing herself with improper English. All other errors belong to me.

The White Wolf Chapter -10-

Chapter 10 Lessons

Before Silver Ears and Far Wanderer left the old Elder, Silver Ears arranged to present the new pups to the Council before Far Wanderer left. They trotted back to the den to check on Silver Ears family and discuss the events at the meeting with the elders.

{{I told Strong Heart that we'll present the pups before the elders before Far Wanderer has to leave}} he told Black Paws. {{Have you picked out names yet?}}

{{Only one so far. The little one I'll name Merry Heart after my father Strong Heart and she makes my heart merry with her love and strength for life.}} said Black Paws {{You'll have to help me with the others.}}

{{I'll think on some names today. We have to begin Far Wanderer's training. She needs to know how to track, how to fight, and how to bring down the larger animals without getting hurt. I'll take the older pups with me and let them help with her training.}}

The largest of the youngest pups came up to his father, {{May I come too. I'm almost as big as Prancing Paws.}}

{{I know you are son, but we may be away over night. Prancing Paws is almost full grown. She'll be mating next season. I'll take you the next time I go hunting. I promise. We've much running to do today. Your mother will stay with you while we're gone.}}

Silver Ears left with Prancing Paws her three brothers and Far Wanderer. They had run for about two hours when Silver Ears stopped. He turned toward Far Wanderer and asked {{What do you smell?}}

Far Wanderer sniffed the air then she studied the ground and sniffed at some tracks. She recognized the deer tracks, and the rabbit tracks by sight. With an little study she recognized the raccoon tracks. She could smell the skunk that had came through. {{I can see the tracks of the deer, rabbit, and raccoon. I can smell a skunk. There are other smells that I don't know.}}

{{Prancing Paws can you tell what the smells are?}} asked Silver Ears.

{{There's a porcupine, opossum, squirrel, and a lynx.}} answered Prancing Paws.

Silver Ears ask one of the male pups, {{Three Paws can you tell me how old the tracks and smells are?}}

{{The deer tracks are fresh, The rabbit and porcupine were here late yesterday. They were being followed by the lynx. The other tracks and smells are more than two days old.}} answered Three Paws.

{{Very good}} said Silver Ears. {{Now, Sun Shadow, which way did the deer go and which way did the lynx go?}}

Sun Shadow answered, {{The deer was walking up the mountain. The lynx was following the other animals down the mountain.}}

{{Good, good, Howler, how are we going to kill the deer?}}

{{We'll run at an easy pace until we catch up to the deer. Then one of us will stay behind the deer while the others run ahead. They will rest along the trail. Once, everyone has had time to get in place, the wolf that has stayed behind the deer will begin to chase the deer along the trail. As the chaser begins to tire, the next wolf will give chase. The deer will either stand and try to fight if it feels tired or cornered, or it may run until it drops. When the deer stops is when we make the kill and drag the deer back to the den.}}

{{Far Wanderer, did you you understand that?}} asked Silver Ears

{{I did understand. Where do you want me to be when the chase begins?}}

{{Howler, what do you think?}} asked Silver Ears.

{{Three Paws is fastest. He should have the second leg of the chase. The deer will think he is being chased by only one wolf until Three Paws starts chasing. Then it will speed up. Sun Shadow is faster than me, so he should start the chase. I will take the third leg as the deer will have begun to tire. Prancing Paws will be next and then Far Wanderer. If it lasts longer than Far Wander, then Dad will take the last leg of the chase.}}

{{Very good Howler. Many a young wolf would want to take the honor of the kill for themselves. You have placed everyone according to their strengths. If the deer drops during Far Wanderer's chase I'll be close enough to help if she needs it. Also, you are strong enough to help Prancing Paws if she needs it.

{{Let's get started before the deer gets too far away.}}

The six wolves started after the deer at an easy trot that will cover many miles quickly. It wasn't long before they found the deer grazing along side of the trail on the new growth of some wild blueberry bushes. Sun Shadow sat out of sight of the deer, but where he could keep a watch on it. Silver Ears led the others around the deer, out of sight and smell, and placed the others along the trail. They would wait just off the trail until the deer came running by.

Far Wanderer thought that Silver Ears had put too much distance between the chasers. She thought she had been waiting for almost an hour and was about to fall asleep when she heard the labored breathing of the deer and the growls and barks of Prancing Paws.

Far Wanderer hid beside the trail until the deer ran past. Then she jumped out of the bushes to give chase. She was at a full run nipping and barking at the deer. She could hear the labored breathing and the wheezing of her quarry. She knew the deer would not last much longer, but she didn't know where Silver Ears was on the trail. She was determined to give chase until the deer collapsed or until Silver Ears took over the chase.

She had been running for what she thought was eternity as she felt like her lungs and muscles were beginning to ache with the chase. She was concentrating so hard on her own running that she didn't see the deer stumble. It recovered quickly, but just a few more minutes it stumbled again. This time Far Wanderer saw it and started trying to get the deer to run harder even though she felt like her own lungs were about to give out.

It wasn't but a few minutes more and the deer stumbled and fell to the ground. Far Wanderer had her powerful jaws ripping into the deer's jugular vein before she realized what she was doing. She continued to tear at the animal's throat until the deer lay over dead. Then she sat back and gave a primal howl of triumph. It wasn't long before Silver Ears came down the trail to investigate the howl and to see if Far Wanderer needed any help.

{{You did it. You made your first kill. Good for you.}}

After Far Wanderer had calmed down and her breathing was returning to normal, she realized what she had done. She started to get sick at her stomach. She had animals killed down on the ranch and had killed a few chickens, but this was the first time she had killed another animal with anything but a gun. While she was a wolf, she was still a human. She had killed another animal and she did it without a gun. All she had used were her teeth. Her emotions were running rampant. Emotions of triumph and joy and emotions of sadness and sorrow. She was going to have to think more about this later and talk to Two Bears about it.

She remembered the look in the animal's eyes. It was one of fear, but also, one of resignation. She remembered what Two Bears said about the Great Spirit providing animals that were willing to die so that he may eat. Was this the same thing with the deer? This was Nature. The predator hunted the prey. Sometimes the predator went hungry. Sometimes the prey escaped. That did not happen today. Why was she so emotional? She was the predator. She remembered that when she was male she had no trouble killing with a rifle. What was different about today? She knew that she would do it again given the same circumstances. What is the lesson she was to learn? It was not about killing or the joy or angst in it.

Far Wanderer was brought out of her brooding when Prancing Paws trotted up with Howler. {{Three Paws should be along shortly.}} said Howler.

While they waited, Far Wanderer studied the others. This was the first time she had any time to sit and watch them. She decided Prancing Paws got her name as she could hardly be still and she walked more on her toes than on the pads of her feet copying her mother when her mother's feet hurt. She saw Three Paws walking up and understood that he was named Three Paws because of the the three white feet and one black foot he had. Sun Shadow's, who had just trotted up, fur was almost jet black. Howler's name must be equally apparent but right now he was not howling.

{{Good job setting up the hunt Howler.}} said Silver Ears. {{You'll make a good leader of your own den one day soon. You don't need to rush it though. Watch and find the right mate. Grow some as you may have to fight for her.}}

Howler and Three Paws took hold of the deers hind legs and started to drag it back to the den. Normally they would have eaten some and then maybe dragged some back or brought other wolves back to the kill. While her pups are young a mother wolf will regurgitate what she ate to feed her young. This time they wanted to drag the kill back to the pack to celebrate the naming of the new pups. When the two male pups tired Silver Ears and and Sun Shadow would take a turn at dragging the deer. The two females also took a turn. Still the trip was slow and tiring.

They arrived at their den late in the evening. Far Wanderer asked where she could wash the blood out of her fur. Prancing Paws led to a spring away from the dens where they could wash. As they walked, Prancing Paws asked {{Did you really meet Coyote?}}

{{Yes. He was the largest coyote I had ever seen. He is a messenger of the Great Spirit. Coyote is the one that one that changed me into a female.}}

{{Being changed into a female does not bother you?}}

{{I would have rather stayed as a male, but being female is not bad. Do you like being female?}}

{{I've never been anything else. My father watches out for me a little more than my brothers, but that is because the other males in the pack have been after me to mate with me. My father and mother say I am still too young and need to grow some more. I like being female, because of the security I feel from my parents. Are you going to take a mate from the pack?}}

{{Coyote told me not to. There are some good looking males to mate with, but my mate is not a member of this pack.}}

{{Then why did you ask to become a member of our pack?}}

{{My pack and your pack have always been tied together. Coyote told me to become a member. I think it was to strengthen those ties. Maybe one of my pups will become a member and stay with the pack. I am going to take your smallest sister with me when I leave. There is another shaman that needs to help her heal. After she heals she may remain with me or she may come back to the pack.}}

{{I will miss my sister. She is the sweetest and bravest of the youngest pups.

{{We had better get back and get ready for the naming}}

As Far Wanderer and Prancing Paws walked back toward the den, the were stopped by two large males. {{What do we have here?}} ask one male of the other.

Prancing Paws answered, {{Sly Ghost let us by. We're going back to my father's den. He won't like it if you continue to stalk me.}}

{{But your father is not here now, and I've been waiting a long time to make you my mate. It looks like I won't have to wait any longer.}}

{{I DO NOT want to mate with you!}}

{{Too bad. I am going to make you my mate anyway, and the time has finally arrived.}}

Far Wanderer stepped in between Prancing Paws and Sly Ghost. {{I Heard her say that she did not want to mate with you. Now let us pass.}}

{{Look here Runner. I've found a mate for you.}}

{{Oh yeah! I saw her come in to the pack with Silver Ears a couple of nights ago. Do you think he is mating with this one as well as Black Paws. Black Paws is getting long in the tooth. Maybe, he brought her in to replace her. Is that what it is? I'll bet I can take you away from him and make you a better mate.}}

{{I am not mating with Silver Ears and I WILL NOT mate with you or any other member of this pack}}

{{Big talk for one so small. Sly Ghost you take Prancing Paws. I will enjoy making this one my mate.}}

The two females stood back to back with their hackles bristling, growling, with bared teeth. The two males slowly circled the females sizing them up. When they approached the females, the females would lunge and snap at them and then back up against the other. Standing their ground like this was making it difficult for the males to find away past their defenses without getting bit.

Far Wanderer whispered to Prancing Paws, {{Don't panic and run. I've dealt with bullies before. These two will give up shortly and go away. What ever you do stay with me.}}

Sly Ghost let Runner come over to him. {{ We'll charge them and they will separate and run. Then we can take them on our terms.}}

The two males started circling the females again. After a few turns around the females, Sly Ghost said, {{NOW!}}. The males charged the females. The males knocked the females over, but before they could press their advantage the two females were back on their feet again, standing back to back.

{{You're brave little ones.}} said Runner as he resumed circling. {{You'll make good mothers for our pups. You'll tire soon and give in to us. We have fought before. What are a few bites between mates. We've not bitten you to make you give in to us. We hoped that you would have seen us as the best mates in the pack and accepted us readily. Now it seems we will have to use more force.}}

{{You say you are the best mates in the pack.}} said Far Wanderer. {{But you can't see that Prancing Paws needs to grow another season before she is ready. I came as a stranger into the pack and made it clear that Coyote told me not to take a mate from the pack, but you will make me your mate anyway. The “best mates” in the pack? I think not}}

{{What is Coyote to us but old tales by humans? As for Prancing Paws being ready, She has been ready for a season now. Her father keeps her from us to prove he'll be the next member on the council. If he is selected for the council, I will challenge him.}} said Sly Ghost.

{{WILL you challenge me for the council?}} said Silver Ears walking up behind Sly Ghost. {{You've been stalking my daughter for far too long. I've told you she needs to grow another season. Now you are going to mate with her by force. You know that is not the ways of our pack.}}

{{It'll be when I become a member of the council.}} said Sly Ghost. {{We've let the old and infirm lead us when it should be the young and strong. I don't have to wait for the council meeting to challenge you old one. I challenge you now. I win, I mate with your daughter and take your seat on the council. Runner gets the white wolf. I lose, I'll leave the pack and take Runner with me.}}

{{Your challenge is accepted Sly Ghost, But I don't speak for the Far Wanderer.}} said Silver Ears.

{{I speak for Far Wanderer}}