My Pet

                Koel is a beautiful animal, very swift in his movement and elegant in everything he does, even as he plays in the fields with the pups and children. He comes up nearly to my chest and nearly 9 feet in length. you probably want to know what he is, he is a wolf, A dire wolf at that. He is a silver white with a touch of black on each paw and on the bottom of the tail. His eyes are rimed in black and the corners are tipped in red. As large as he is he is very gentle. I found him very many years ago back when I was still a small priestess searching in the forest. They called it the forest of the fey, this was a place were many of our most important herbs were found and they grew in great numbers.
          I stumbled near the edge of the stream which pounded down the rocks into the smooth small pebbles. The sound was loud and blocked out the sounds of the birds and smaller wildlife. Finally I heard a whimper drawn out and low, I knew it was a dog from the tone and pitch, my training with the priestesses helped me to know the animals very well, I couldn’t understand there languages just yet but I know their voices… as I listened I moved closer to it, this was no dog, his speech more wild but it wasn’t mastered, I only heard few of his words… he was very sad and very hurt.  I moved faster. “whimper (mother)” that much I did understood, I had to find him, I had to get to him, he was only a pup, maybe only a week or two old. Its amazing what your ears can tell you what your eyes sometimes may not.
         It was so close now but it grew quiet. He knew I was here, I tried calling to him but he didn’t reply. His mother must have taught him well or maybe making such noise is what got him into such trouble in the first place.  “I come in the name of the goddess dear friend and I swear I will not hurt you.” but still no reply. I looked around and still nothing, I began to wander and still there was nothing. Maybe he finally cried his last, Maybe he is dead. I looked until nightfall and still I didn’t give up. I heard an occasional whimper but nothing came of it.
         The stars barley lit the sky, “Goddess Please.” but it seemed unheeded, that was until I heard the foot steps behind me. I whirled around to see a woman in a simple green gown made of a material not costly but very spectacular. It was only something that the fey knew how to make, a even more magnificent creature stood by her side kneeled and then lay down, it was lady grey as she is called by our people. A grayish blue aura which surrounded her and her pale gleaming fur, she was a goddess and huntress of the woods.
         “This little thing here knew how to hide well.” she said tilting her head and smiling.  I was amazed, I had seen them only during rituals and only so close as now when I was initiated. She looked normal except for the faint glow of horns upon her head. Lady grey held the weak pup in her jaws gently, he was a wolf and very beautiful at that. Even with his coat tangled and soaked with mud.
         “My lady…” I said bowing to them. As soon as my knee hit the ground to bow i was picked back up and lady grey placed the barley breathing thing into my arms.
         Lady grey pushed her cold nose against my stomach and then nuzzled her head into my side “my dear” she spoke to me only as the gods could, as if a dream. “daughter of Lilith you must now take care of him… I can feel his soul fading now, he is in need of your care, I can already feel the souls of you both, connected in each fiber. You are the only one that may help him right now. Your love will bring him through this, and your knowledge of the forest folk and their doings are very vast even though you do not know it yet. Take him with you now and through life.” and with that she was gone. I was greatly confused. And as I think back on in now I understand more and more. But the rest of this is for more in the future to talk of.
         I took him to the others and nursed him and healed him. For many days after he called fro his mother often but he would soon stop and instead call me. He grew quickly and soon I realized he was no normal wolf pup. By the end of the fall moons he was near the size of a normal wolf and continued to grow. I am not sure if it is cause he was in contact with such a powerful fey for so long or maybe he was a pup of Lady Grey. Soon he had gotten to large from my home and I moved him into an old barn on the edge of town, but it seemed that we couldn’t stand to be away from each other and therefore I moved my into the barn with him. I didn’t bring my books or bed just some of the basic things I needed. I didn’t mind sleeping on the straw with him and during the cold moons we would keep each other warm. 
         Its hard to feed such a large animal but he seems to be able to carry his own and the priestesses only eat a small amount of meat so he hunts as he wishes and I or two small animals carries him for a while. He is also an amazingly good fisher for a dog, he can catch more fish in his jaws then ten of or women or men.  In the winter he helps us catch deer and rabbits and is a handy steed to lead the horses only if the horses are used to him that is. He wont eat or livestock though, I caught him while he was a pup nipping at the legs of a few sheep and he got a good talking to, grabbing him by the neck and giving a good growl. I eventually had to call upon the old hunting dogs the druids took care of to help Koal learn to hunt and fend for himself. They also helped him to understand the civil hounds language as well as human tongue, though the goddess had not blessed him well with that.
         As an important member of our tribe he was charged with watching our pups… well our children. Besides that he was free to go and do as he wished.  He got along very well with the other tribe folk, three other maidens came and lived in our barn along with the other old hunting dogs, we all roamed in our own pack it seemed but we did not reject others. In fact Koal loved to be with the other tribe members, doing errands which in turn earned food and supplies for our little pack that we had unemotionally created.
         Koal is apart of my soul just as the fey said, I can feel his pain, love, anger, and sadness. He is me and I am him. To sleep next to him is to be secure in my own thoughts and my own world, I hear through him the world around in and I never thought it to be so great and I know that I am safe and that I may know my tribe even still dangerous night. His purpose as well as mine is unknown, but he is my child, my protector, my soul mate, what more could be asked of Koal other then to be what the goddess has made him until the day comes that the fey may come again and show us what it is that she wants of us. Our stars are not yet clear and only the vision of our past shows down on us to show us a possible future.