Love my wolf, p.1
Love My Wolf, page 1
Love my Wolf
Love my Wolf
Newsletter
Love my Wolf
Marita, Hainich Forest, Entrance
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Border Next to his House
Marita, Hainich Forest, Graveled Path
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
Marita, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
Marita, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
Raffael, Hainich Forest
Marita, Hainich Forest
Raffael, Hainich Forest
Marita, Hainich Forest, Underbrush
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Foresters House
Marita, Boarding House, Shared Room
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Foresters House
Marita, Boarding House, Breakfast Room
Raffael, Boarding House, Breakfast Room
Marita, Boarding House, Breakfast Room
Raffael, Boarding House, Old Oak Tree
Marita, Boarding House, Shared Room
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
Marita, Forester House, Outside
Raffael, Foresters House, Outside
Marita, Hainich Forest, Jungle
Raffael, Forester House, Office
Marita, Hainich Forest, Jungle
Raffael, Hainich Forest, High Seat
Marita, Hainich Forest, High Seat
Raffael, Forester House, Hall
Marita, Forester House, Outside
Raffael, Forester House, Kitchen
Marita, Meadow, Sheep Flock
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Border
Marita, Hainich Fores
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Border
Marita, Forester House, Bedroom
Raffael, Forester House
Marita, Forester House, Bedroom
Raffael, Forester House, Kitchen
Marita, Forester House, Bathroom
Raffael, Forester House, Car
Marita, Forester House, Bathroom
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Pack Cabin
Marita, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
Excerpt:
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Love my Wolf
Marita, Hainich Forest, Entrance
Marita stretched her limbs. Her arms and feet, even her back, felt stiff from the long time sitting. First in the train, then in the bus. Her nose itched from the stale air filled with artificial smells and chemicals emitting from the seats, walls, and floors.
The forest smelled so much fresher with its heavy scent of rotting leaves, wet underwood and fresh air, brushing through the branches of living wood.
She felt her chest widen, her pulse relax and her face slowly losing the forced smile she had plasterd on it at the beginning of her journey. She hadn’t wanted to scare away the humans they had to travel with. Although she was well aware, that most of them sensed the predators inside her and the others of her group and had made an effort to go out of their ways.
Now she stood on a cobbled road in front of her new home.
The sounds of the bus tires were gone.
The talking had faded, as the others, like she herself, took in the scent of the forest.
There were little traces of humans. The cobbled path she stood on, led directly into the forest. In the afternoon light, she could see some boards along the path. She’d studdy them later.
Running through her new home was more important now.
At least Marita hoped the pines and beeches and other trees and bushes in front of her, forming the Hainich national park, would become her new home.
Behind her, she heard her group shuffle through the cobbled stones. They waited for her to decide what to do next.
All of them as tired as she herself, probably even more, because most of them, aside from Achim, were junior to her and not used to long travels outside their territory. Their situation got a bit chaotic very fast.
Thanks to her all—time friend Achim.
Marita took in the scent of anxious shapeshifters behind her. They needed place to change and run. Soon. She needed to provide their safety. That was her new task as the little pack’s leader. Something that had felt much easier when she decided to not bent to Wolfram’s orders. To the contrary: She had taken all the junior wolves who whised to leave and took of, searching a new home for them.
Achim had told her about the Hainich national park. A place researched by aunt Miriam. A related shapeshifter wolf, Marita never heard of before. But faithfully she trusted her, given that she helped Achim and lived exiled in Hamburg for decades now. Just to save the ruin of their ancestors from being sold. The very reason Marita and her group now went into exile, parting from their pack back in the Schönbuch national park.
The options, living on an obscure mountainside on the Swabian Mountains, linked to the Schönbuch national park only by narrow corridors, hadn’t pleased her.
Marita wanted to sigh and kick something. Wolfram, her former pack leader, had been absolutely stubborn. Why hadn’t he been able to agree to a part of the pack moving here? Why had he forced them to revolt and part?
She sensed Achim, stepping closer to her. “How about we look around and find the part of the forest that’s forbidden for the humans”, he asked and pointed down the cobbled path.
Marita saw him stand straight.
His black hair fell open around his head. His black eyes looked focused into the chestnut tree in front of him. He seemed determined to make this work, but she could smell a faint hint of worry. He wasn’t sure this would work without any glitches.
Besides, leaving one’s brother was an entirely different story than leaving the pack behind. Wolfram and Achim had always been close. Even more sice their father died about a year ago.
“There is a forbidden area?”, asked Marita.
She was glad to get some more information.
The wireless lan on the train hadn’t helped her find out more about the Hainich other than it was a national park intended to become a jungle.
“Do you know the direction? Why is it forbidden?”, asked Marita.
She searched the bark of the chestnut for the interesting part, Achim was focused on. She didn’t find it.
Maybe there was something in the forbidden area they had to keep watch about.
“The part shall become the starting point for the jungle. No meshing in from the humans”, said Achim in a monoton voice, like he had memorized this. “Miriam told me so back in Hamburg.”
“Well then”, said Marita. “Let’s take a walk.”
Marita turned around to her group, taking them in one by one. Four males, four females, Achim and herself. Backpacks laid on the ground. Some gymbags mixed among them. Not that many shifters and not that much baggage, but enough to get noticed.
“Stay together. Chat a bit about the nice sight of the forest, read the boards”, she motioned to the boards at the side of the cobbeled road. “We need information. As soon as we find the restricted area, we will change and run there. Before we blend in and play tourist. Questions?”
Seven pairs of eyes looked at her. Most already yellow from the effort to pull themselves together.
Nobody asked a question. One by one they nodded in agreement.
Behind her group, on the other side of the street Marita saw the red roof and the timber—framed wall of the boarding house. Espalier pears and kiwifruit grew at the timber—framed wall, nearly hiding the wood and the white rendered wall between. Next to the brown entrance door, in front of the espalier fruits stood several round tables with green camp—chairs.
She sniffed. The place smelled of roasted beef, fish, and potatoes. The grease didn’t smell old enough to reach her place. Satisfied, Marita checked the tables with a closer look. The plates were generously filled with meat. She felt hungry and smiled. This place was good enough to eat later. Before hunting in this forest, she would consult with the gamekeeper.
Some tables were occupied. Tourists, decided Marita from the hiking boots and backpacks they had with them. Most tables and seats were empty. It was already late for the day. Most tourists and hikers would be leaving the forest by now.
“We will check in with the boarding house behind you when the sun sets. That is, to eat, and if we don’t find a safe place beforehand, to sleep there”, specified Marita and gestured towards the house.
She hated the thought of sleeping in a human house, but it was better than risking safety, or worse getting into unknown trouble. And the house smelled inviting enough. Luckily, money wasn’t the issue at the moment. A night or two of cheap rooms and a lot of food were no issue at all.
“Anyone too hungry to walk around? Anyone needing some meat beforehand?”, asked Marita when she heard the rumbling of some bellies.
She knew she could make do a few more hours. But she had trained herself during her years in school and the subsequent university. Especially in her subject of informatics, her pals were more willing to keep going with what they did, instead of making a break for lunch. Chips and other
Half of the hands shoot up.
“Okay then. Achim. You take them over to the boarding house. Get them fed and book a group room if possible. Larger rooms prefered over single rooms”, ordered Marita. “The others, follow me.”
She turned and walked down the path. The gravel scrunched under her thin shoes. Around the next corner she would slip the off and cram them into her backpack. Walking barefoot to get to know the earth better. Her toes and feet were more reliable than those shoes, no matter how thin they were.
Marita held her face into the wind. She enjoyed the fresh brush of it in her open, blond hair, that normally fell to her shoulders, but had grown longer during summer. Now it reached the upper middle of her back. The hair tips danced in the wind.
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Border Next to his House
Raffael leaned back against the round trunks forming the wall of his wooden house. Without bark every wood felt smooth, but he had left it on. The roughness fit himself and his work. Besides, the shades of brown hid his house at the border of the forest. With all the green bushes he grew randomly around the house only the paved road and his black off—road vehicle indicated there might be a house.
The wood felt warm against his back. Warm from the summer sun, and he felt pissed off by the tourists once more.
Down the road he saw the police car drive away with the group he had pulled out of the jungle today. Stupid city teenagers making fun of his work. The jungle, the untouched heart of the Hainich national park should breathe and live on its own. Uninterrupted and with as little intervention from his side as possible.
He slowly unclenched his fists. Stretched his fingers wide to calm down. He hadn’t needed to beat the guys out of the forest. The sight of him and his fists, probably in conjunction with his riffle, had been enough. He flexed his hands some more times, opened and closed his fingers. Slowly he felt the tension in his body ease. His breath evened and he calmed down.
The only thing the forest was lacking were some predators. Natural ones. To keep the wildlife in balance. And probably they’d scare stupid people away, keeping them on the paths, he thought with a vicious smile.
Raffael thought about the unsuccessful attempts of the environmentalist group to settle wolves. They had stayed less than a week before the farmers won, and they were sent back to the huge forests in the East, where they came from.
His favorite predator would be a wildcat. Sad thing they were rarer than wolves and less easy to spot. And a bear simply wasn’t possible. Too little mountains or hills with options to make a home for the bear.
Raffael sighted. He grabbed his riffel and sturdy backpack from the wooden bench that stood a few steps to the side and marched towards the forest. Time to walk another round and check everything.
Marita, Hainich Forest, Graveled Path
Scrunching stones told Marita’s ears, the three male and one female shifter followed her.
They stopped at the first brown, wodden board and read it. Information about the trees were burned in. The next board had information about the age of the forest. The third was more interesting to them. This one had a map and a red mark showing them their location.
From the map Marita could tell, that the path would fork around the next bent. The right side went along the border of the forest forming a circular path for a day’s walk. The left side went deeper into the forest and, best of all, directly to the heart that should become the jungle.
“Got it”, said Marita, clapping her hands in delight.
She looked over her shoulder to the others: “You memorized the map?”
“Sure.” — “Yes” — “Did it.” — “Works for me.”
Marita’s usual good mood was back.
All around her, she felt the trees, heard familiar sounds of branches being rubbed against each other by the wind. The scent of green leaves and berries filled the air. It smelled similar like at home. Although there was a difference in the smell she was well aware off:
There were more hazelnuts around her and no trace of a river. The map didn’t show a river either.
Marita made a mental note to find a water source for them. Maybe there would be one in the jungle heart that wasn’t drawn into the map. After all it was a rough one, made for a hiker, not anyone planning to live in this forest.
She took another look at the map searching for her primary goal. There, in the upper left corner, nearly opposite to their position was a sign for the gamekeepers base. There she would go tonight.
“Well then, let’s get going”, said Marita and pulled off her boots. “Anyone in for walking barefoot with me?”, she asked loud because the smell of humans coming their way met her nose. “You know, they say walking barefoot is good for one’s health.”
When the guys only stared at her, she rolled her eyes.
Lisa, the girl got the hint. “Sure. I’ll try.”
Marita heard the steps of three people coming their way, heard them discuss their plans for the evening.
“My feet aren’t used to stony paths. Only the smooth floor back home. I’ll walk on the grass then.”
Marita bent, pulled her shoes off, as did Lisa.
“Stupid idea. Women and all their healthy stuff”, said Tobias with an arrogant tone. “I’d rather go back and eat a healty steak instead.”
Marita giggled. “Don’t you dare. You come along and carry my shoes for me, sweathart.”
She threw her shoes into Tobias’ direction and minced away over the gravel.
“Girls!”, murmured Tobias behind her.
She heard Lisa’s cautionary steps in the grassy border of the path. “That’s a weired feeling. The grass is soft, but the ground is rough”, remarked Lisa.
Marita laughted inward at the sight of Lisa who had no issue with the pointiest rocks at all. But for the sake of playing stupid tourist, she made a pretty perfect play out of her role. As did Tobias, who was a nice fellow usually. At least as a wolf. She didn’t know a lot of his human part, for he normally prefered his wolf form and rarely changed.
They walked past the three tourists. None of them looked at them twice. Therfore, their little play was a success.
Around the next corner, Tobias handed her shoes back and Marita stuffed them into her backpack to her clothes she brought with her. Just a second set of trousers and shirts. Most of the space was filled by her water bottle, her smartphone, laptop, and the paperwork she needed after leaving the Schönbuch.
Raffael, Hainich Forest, Beaten Path
Raffael Jäger ruffeled through his short black hair and put his green huntsman’s hat back. He felt soaked with sweat and tired. For the fifth time this week, and it was only Wednesday, he had to throw a group of teenagers out of the core of the forest. An exhausting work, thanks to the many discussions he had with them until the police arrived and sacked them. Problem was: He couldn’t just drag them out, or better shoot them out of the forest. No. He had to talk them out of the forest.
Raffael sighted and leaned against the bark of the next tree.
The sun had warmed the forest, therefore it was comfortable to sit in the shadow of one of the huge beech trees and enjoy the warmth. He listened to the birds that started to sing after he stopped moving. In the distance the steps of the teenage group he had handed over to the police had ceased.
Now he could relax. He flexed and stretched his fingers from fists to open hands and back. He felt how the stiffness from his arms and shoulders vanished.
Raffael held his backpack with his light cold meal for the evening close. His riffle leaned next to him against the trunk.
In his head he went through the tasks ahead. He would check the forest for visitors after nightfall and then find his high seat to wait for the wounded deer he wanted to shoot tonight. This one wouldn’t live any longer, and it wasn’t fair to let it suffer.
He looked at his watch. About five. It would take a few more hours until nightfall. He could stay and enjoy the fresh air, listening to the birds and insects, or go to the restaurant at the boarding house. Kiki made such delicious pancakes on Wednesday.
