“Yeah,” said Shiori.
Perhaps the reason the two wolves had remained silent was because of their positions within their pack. Still, the fact that they had come to say their goodbyes, silent or otherwise, was because they were moved by their emotions.
“Let’s go, Vio,” said Alec.
Violid let out a short “woof” and followed after Alec. He did not look back. Upon his departure from the wolves of the Blue Forest, Vio brought an end to the mystery of the Fenrir of Norrsken Mountain. The Fenrirs were not, in fact, mythical beasts, but rather variants—wolves that displayed in their appearance remnants of their long-distant, now-extinct ancestors, who had once crossbred with snow wolves.
✦ ✦ ✦
Brovito was at its liveliest during the summer, when the days were at their longest. The main streets were filled with people, food stalls were open everywhere, and travelers and villagers alike were drawn to take part in the revelry. Excitement filled the air as the summer solstice festival neared.
The footbath, inspired in part by Shiori’s past experiences, was hugely popular. Thanks to daylight lasting so late into the evening, people rested their weary feet in the water long past eight o’clock while they gazed at the Blue Forest and indulged in skewered beef.
One corner of the village square was particularly lively; it was where Shiori and Alec were enjoying the skewers Caspar had given them as a reward. More noticeable, however, were the familiars behind them, munching on the very same treats. One of those familiars was a wolf with fur that glittered like purple crystal, and his presence drew a lot of attention.
Some villagers, perhaps remembering the snow wolf attack of the previous year, kept their distance out of fear and worry. Others, however, looked on with great curiosity. They, too, had been unable to hide their initial shock, but when they noticed the clear intelligence and grace in the wolf’s manner, they began to relax.
For the most part, Brovito Village accepted the wolf from the Blue Forest. Now it was clear to everyone that there was no longer anything to worry about. The village hunters, who knew the forest and its natural inhabitants well, felt completely comfortable around the wolf, and had gathered around to chat with Violid about his life up until now. It was, it must be said, a largely one-sided conversation, with the humans asking their questions and Violid merely indicating yes or no in response.
Even then, however, the experience was precious to Violid, who since birth had only ever had his parents and siblings as fleeting company. He had never once found himself the center of so much attention and friendly interaction.
“Oh, so that’s what happened, huh?” said one hunter. “You had it rough, that’s for sure.”
“They’re a harsh lot, those snow wolves,” added another. “Dogged and unwavering. If they were all after you like that, I bet it was damn near unbearable.”
“I don’t even want to think about it,” said one. “But it’s not unlike humans, if we’re being honest with ourselves, so it’s not like we can talk.”
In that moment, Violid sensed how mysterious the world could be. Never had he imagined that he would find empathy in a species that had drifted so far from nature.
Violid was born in a corner of the Blue Forest. His parents were the most powerful wolves in the forest’s largest pack. Five years before, they had given birth to three pups, but one among them had fur clearly unlike his brothers’. The parents resolved to expel the pup from the pack; they were its leaders, after all, and they could not allow a wolf so different from the others to live among them.
Snow wolves sometimes gave birth to pups with purple fur and yellow eyes. It was the result of the blood of their distant ancestors revealing itself, but such pups could not be allowed to remain; they were easily spotted by the wolves’ enemies, and this made them a danger to all. As such, the vast majority of such wolves were driven away.
Violid’s parents, however, took pity on their son, and kept him in their care for a time. They had thought they might keep him with them until he matured, but he grew much faster than his two brothers, and became very big very quickly. The other wolves in the pack, fearing Violid’s issues might not simply be external, opposed the decision to keep him, and so he was expelled shortly after being weaned off his mother’s milk.
However, though at the time Violid had the body of an adult wolf, his mind was still that of a pup’s, and as such, whether he survived would largely come down to luck. Perhaps he would die because he was unable to hunt. Perhaps he would fall prey to other magical beasts. Or, perhaps, as was most common, he would be attacked and killed by his own kind for being an outsider.
That Violid survived this period of his life was due to the fact that his parents kept him in a location they had prepared in secret. They could not feed Violid properly as they had to elude the rest of their pack to visit him, but the support they gave him during this time was no doubt the reason that Violid remained alive.
All the same, even as an adult, Violid never joined a pack, and lived life largely alone. Regardless of his appearance, he was a snow wolf, and it was natural for him to want to live as part of a family. Being forced into a life of solitude wore away at his mind and body.
It was for this reason that wolves like him—outsiders—did not live long, even when they survived long enough to become adults. Many instead chose death. They died slowly as their will to live sapped away, or they wandered out into the sight of the Norrsken Mountain snow birds and gave themselves up as food.
One of the reasons that Violid refused this path was his optimistic nature, but the greater factor was his two brothers. Both often split off from the pack to scout their surroundings, and occasionally used this time to visit their older brother. The act helped to soothe some of Violid’s loneliness.
Theirs was a familial bond, unbroken even upon Violid’s expulsion from the pack. And had it not existed, Violid would not have made it to the day on which he met his soulmate.
“What’s wrong, Vio? Had enough to eat?”
As his new friend asked him this question, Vio shook himself from his thoughts and let out a soft growl.
“I can still eat.”
He had a relatively small appetite for a snow wolf, likely due to his food situation when he was young, and was about four-fifths full. This did not stop him, however; at least for tonight, the snow wolf wanted to bask in the moment. He enjoyed the juicy red meat, drank down the fresh milk, and turned from the group of kids and slimes to gaze into the depths of the forest.
“So long, brother. Live well.”
“You are now among others who have also abandoned the natural laws. Find in them your pack, and live a long life.”
The middle brother had never been much for long speeches, and the youngest brother had always put on a cool front. The “hot-and-cold” type, as his middle brother liked to say. As for Violid’s parents, they had not come to see their eldest son off.
Violid was a failure as a snow wolf, but all the same, his brothers had told him to live on. In making his decision, he could never return to the Blue Forest, the home of his strict yet loving family. And yet, he had now made a new friend, and had met people and beasts who would no doubt become his new family.
Violid was no longer alone, and it was now his duty to live a long life. To choose otherwise would be to disgrace his family, who had broken the laws of their own kind in order to see him survive.
Now that Violid had chosen to live among humans, he would need to learn their ways, but his heart leapt at the thought of the wide world that awaited him. He had left the mountain and the forest that had once confined him, and it was his dream to fully explore the new sights and sounds that awaited him in the future.
Father, mother, brothers. You need not worry any longer.
Violid wished only for his family to fondly remember him as a fortunate son—one who’d found a path to a world beyond.