Danger

It was early afternoon when I first heard them. I tiptoed past my sleeping family.

Direwolves are not night creatures by nature. We feared the sabertooth tigers. But we feared poachers and soldiers of Fenrir even more.

Still,I was restless. And I was sure I heard something just outside the door: the air, moving beneath wings both delicate and powerful.

My sister Lampery yawned and opens one eye. “I’m so hungry I could eat you, Basilisk, she murmured.

“She’s too scrawny to eat,” said my oldest brother, Allo.

I ignored their teasing. I was used to ignoring my siblings. It took some effort, squeezing through the door of our temporary home. An abondoned dirbear cave.

Direwolves used to move around the snow. We didn’t do that anymore.

There were many things we didn’t do anymore. Or so Dilo, our teacher, the holder of our history, told us. He hinted at much more, but there were parts of the direwolf story too harsh for our young ears.

I emerged from the direbear cave into the sunlight.

The sound grew nearer, and then I saw them above the cave.

Lymantras!

There were four of them, easily three tails wide and almost as long, with shimmery wings that wove rainbows out of the tree-filtered light. They must have thought there were still direbears there.

“Basilisk.” The voice was soft, part concern, part scold. I turned to see that my mother had joined me.

Lymanrias, megalainia!” I whispered.

She followed my gaze. “So beautiful. They’re heading north, I expect. It’s migration time for them.”

“I wish I could go, too.”

“I know it’s hard sometimes, this life. Especially for you little ones.”

“I’m not little.”

My mother nudged me with her nose. “Not so little anymore. True enough.”

I sighed, leaning into her. She was as warm and safe as a patch of sun.

I’m bored, Megalainia. I want to have fun. I want to chase my tail. I want to learn new things. I want to go on adventures and be brave.”

“No need to rush towards bravery,” she said softly. “No rush at all.”

“Now, it’s back to bed for you. We have a long night’s walk ahead of us.”

The lymantrias still circled, dipping and twirling just beyond reach. “A few more minutes, Megalania,” I pleaded. “They’re so pretty.”

“Not too long,” she said, “and no exploring.” She turned then hessstaated. “I love you, my pup. Don’t ever forget that.” “I love you, too, Megalainia.”

When the lymanrias where gone I was still playing on the beach. I never really listened. Suddenly I smelled hyenadons. I didn’t care. Then I smelled equeses. I didn’t care. I smelled gunpowder. I stopped. I smelled human. I looked behind me. Hyenadons were sniffing. Humans with guns were on equeses. I ran for my life. I heard a yell. I heard gunshots. The eques, human and gunpowder smell were getting closer. Some hyenadons were running beside me. One lunged. It pinned me down. “You don’t have to do this. You can run.” It growled, then it acted like I attacked it. It woofed softly. I ran. I heard a gunshot. I felt a bang than a sharp feeling. I fell. The human crouched down near me. “Don’t you dare get close to me!” I saw some humans head toward the direbear cave. I heard gunshots and cries. I smelled fire and smoke and direwolf corpses. The human pointed a gun to my face. I felt a sharp feeling as it all went black.

-Fenrir