Chapter 2 - Ritari

I sank to the ground and mourned to a cold moon.

I slunk back inside the cave; head hung low, paws dragging, and utterly miserable.

“Akagu, we lost the pack. We're the only ones left of this pack.” I said to my mate.

“Damn!” Akagu replied. “We can't afford to lose these two then.”

“I know.” I said tiredly. “I think that the only way to do that, unfortunately, is to get human help. They're brighter than you may think. Some will even help us wolves.”

“Are you serious?? They're the ones that killed our pack! We can't trust them! They could kill you! Plus, they could track you here and kill the pups and me. You'd put us all at risk. Are you really willing to do that?” Akagu said to me. Making me think. Man, I hate it when she does that…

“We're doomed anyways. I have no choice in the matter. Think about that, Akagu. We have no choice. I have to try. I have to try to save us…” I said in response, making my mate think.

After a long, heart-wrenching pause, she said, “Alright. I suppose you're right. Just please be careful.”

“Thank you. I appreciate the consent. Farewell.” I said in a goodbye.

“Good luck… Najiku.” Akagu said, utterly beaten.

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I ran, human form, down the mountain. Even in my human form, I was running at blazing wolf speeds. I hurdled boulders, jumping higher than the normal wolf and definitely higher than humans can jump.

“Hiyah! Haha! Call this an obstical course?” I said, just to ease my nerves as I hurdled another large boulder.

I jumped over a cliff, mistaking it for a small ledge.

“What…? —AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” I screamed, free-falling, over a 100-foot cliff. After the ten most terrifying seconds of my life, I hit rock, on my arm. Naturally, it snapped.

I groaned in pain, cradling my broken limb. Darkness flooded my vision, and I fell unconscious.

“That's quite the fall you had. Are you alright?” came a voice. It was kind, warm, and affectionate. Not at all like the traitor wolf's voice…

I sprang to my feet, only to yelp in pain and collapse again. I whimpered softly, only to be cooed at by the stranger, trying to soothe me, trying to… to help?

“Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm trying to help, but I can't do that if you're jumping around like that. Please let me help you!” she pleaded. Maybe she really did want to help me…

I kept whimpering in pain. There was a look a fear in my eye. I was pathetic. She could easily take my life.

“Calm down! I told you once; I told you a million times! I AM NOT GOING TO HURT YOU IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR WAY!!” she said, obviously short tempered.

I suppressed the urge to laugh as I imagined her expression if I talked.

“Ok, I get your point, lady.” I said, merely as a trust tester.

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!” she screamed, not used to talking wolves.

I laughed. Then, I transformed into my human form. Simply to show that I wasn't going to hurt her.

“Wait. Are you human, or wolf?” the girl asked, a puzzled expression on her face.

“Wolf.” I said. I was cradling my arm again, too.

“Okay then! I've never seen a wolf like you before. A talking, shape-shifting wolf… Am I crazy?” she asked.

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure you are. And I'm also pretty sure that I'm in a bit of a crisis. A big crisis. My pack's dead save for three others. My mate and two pups. The pups are underweight. My mate will starve if I don't get help. I need help. I need it desperately. Please help me.” I said in a rush. Yeah, I was that desperate.

“Whoa, slow down, wolfie. One word at a time. I didn't catch a single word of that,” the girl said.

“You are crazy. I need help. I'm in a big crisis. My pack has been murdered. Only my mate and our two sickly pups are left. I was coming to get help, but I fell off of that cliff and broke my arm. I fainted, and here I am now. That good enough?” I said, a lot more slowly than before.

“Better, better. I actually understood you this time through. Let's get a splint on that arm of yours, alright?” the girl said.

“I suppose I have no choice if I want my arm to heal properly, huh?” I asked.

“Yup. No choice whatsoever.” she said.

“By the way, what's your name? I'm Najiku.” I said.

“Ritari. Nice to meet you, Najiku.” Ritari said, performing a graceful sweeping bow.

“Likewise.” I said, doing as much of a bow as I could in my awkward position.

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Down in her village at the base of the mountain, Ritari was putting a splint on my arm. She drew the cloth binding the stick to my arm even tighter than it was. I drew a sharp breath of pain as a sickening crack indicated that my bones were now back in position.

“Sorry!” Ritari said quickly. “I'm sorry if it hurts. But this has to be done.”

“It's okay. I know it has to be done. Just get it done and over with.” I said between sharp breaths.

“Okay.”

Ritari placed a second limb in the cloth and my bones made another sickening cracking noise. Pain flooded my consciousness

“Ahh! Ow, that hurt a lot.” I said. As she put a third limb in, a shudder ran itself through my body like a snake slithering along a tree branch.

“Don't move, Najiku! It'll only make it hurt more if you shudder like that again.” Ritari said firmly.

“I can't help it… It just… happens.” I said between breaths. “Sorry.” I said for no good reason.

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