Angele & the Hunter

*

Angele ran into the night exalting in her new found animal strength. She felt alive and free for the first time in her life. Her spirit soared as she bounded over fallen logs and rocks as she ran further into the woods. She heard a wolf’s howl in the distance, and without thinking she gave an answering cry.

A deep lingering worry stopped her. There was something she needed to remember. At the far reaches of her mind fleeting thoughts of the human women she loved dearly; her family and the kind worried face of the hunter who pursued her then tried to help her. She felt uneasy and undecided of what she should do. Her thoughts were all muzzy and she couldn’t focus. She had a gnawing hunger and an urge to run and howl. She felt her muscles quiver yearning to be stretched and strained beyond endurance.

Suddenly, a black, very large, very shaggy wolf bounded out of the copse of tall trees in front of her and gave a loud bark in her direction. She cowered a bit, and edged sideways. The wolf perked up his ears and circled her slowly but not menacingly and she stood up curious. He seemed friendly or more curious then dangerous. They sniffed noses, and the other panted at her. He tilted his head back and howled then ran a few steps looking back at her. He hesitated.

Does he want me to join him?

Angele laughed but what came out were strange high pitched barks. She bounded after the great black wolf all thoughts of her mother and sisters and the kind hunter swept away.

**

When the white wolf that was really a young woman who became a wolf bounded away, Daniel Greystone could not move for the span of 10 minutes. He was able to move when he realized night had fallen and he heard wolves howling in the distance.

“Werewolves,” he whispered.

Werewolves!

He never in his life expected such a thing, or believed in such creatures. His Great Aunt from Romany told of such stories but he thought her addled and ignorant. He realized also he was shaking. He had about 2 miles to walk to his cottage. He was torn about notifying the nearby villages and gathering a hunting party or going after the she-wolf alone. She had seemed so confused and frightened. She was lost, he was sure of it.

Perhaps she doesn’t know what she is.

Also, her beauty had struck him. In human form she had long blond hair to her waist. The color was so light as to be almost white and it glowed with a luminescence. Her youth and slenderness struck him. She looked to be only 16 or 17 years of age and she seemed defenseless out here…well, that was before she changed into the howling beast he originally was pursuing.

He felt she would not hurt him. There was a gentleness to her-even in wolf form. He decided to return to his cottage and ponder his decision. He knew he was only bidding his time though. He had decided what to do within his heart as soon as he had seen her. He knew he was going to go after her alone. He knew he was going to try to help her. He only wanted to give his mind the chance to talk him out of it. He paused on his hurried walk back to the cottage and looked back into the black forest trees silhouetted against the purple evening sky.

What an amazing world!

He pondered shaking his head.

Amazing!