An excerpt from
“WOLF RIDER”
By Jessica Senia



Terran stooped down to examine the prints on the riverbank. They were enormous, almost a foot in length, and very fresh. He clenched his spear tighter. The only creature large enough to leave tracks like these was a bear. Yet they were not shaped like bear spores. They were longer and narrower, more like a dog’s.
Suddenly Terran was hesitant. Furious as he was about the theft of the livestock, he wasn’t sure he wanted to challenge a beast of such incredible size. Looking around the forest, he noticed signs of the mysterious creature’s passage everywhere—crushed branches, trampled vegetation and long strands of tawny fur snagged on tree bark. Some small saplings had even been uprooted and pushed aside.
Terran was just debating on whether to abandon his mission and turn back when suddenly he heard a heavy snort somewhere very close by. Instinctively he crouched down behind a spruce, spear at the ready. The snorting and puffing went on, and as Terran listened, he also heard twigs crunching loudly. It sounded like a very large animal laboring with something. Terran’s eyes sparked. It had to be the thief dragging the dead bull.
Rage and pure curiosity drove Terran toward the sounds. He had to know what this monstrous beast of the mountains was that kept stealing valuable cattle. Even if he could not slay it, he could at least catch a glimpse of it and get an idea of how many villagers it would take to fight it.
Placing his feet softly, he crept forward, through the lengthening shadows, until he reached a copse of aspens. The animal was right beyond the trees. Holding his breath, Terran leaned forward to peer between the boughs.
There, in the clearing ahead, was the largest wolf he had ever seen. It was about the size of a horse, with a powerful head and a broad, tapering muzzle. Its fur was a magnificent tawny-gold with tinges of black on the neck and the back, and it had white streaks that curved around its eyes and onto its forehead. They almost looked as if they had been painted there. And clamped in its huge jaws was the stolen bull. The giant growled and grunted as it struggled to drag its catch across the ground.
Then suddenly it froze and looked up, ears pricked. Its nostrils flared as it lifted its nose to the wind, and the rippling fur along its spine began to quiver. It had detected Terran.
At first Terran was too amazed to do anything. A giant wolf—just like the mighty beasts from Lurin’s stories!
But it can’t be… he thought. They were all wiped out ages ago…
The wolf set its kill down in the grass and stepped toward the copse slowly, sniffing curiously. Terran’s mind worked frantically. He could either face the animal now or flee. If he stayed put, it would soon discover him. But if he ran he feared he would be chased. Perhaps, if he leaped out at the wolf and surprised it, he could scare it away…
Raising his spear over his head, Terran let out a fierce shout and burst out of the trees. The wolf started with a loud snarl, but stood its ground, even as Terran ran straight for it. Drawing its ears back, it curled its lips up to reveal a set of enormous, shining fangs.
“Get out of here!” Terran yelled, waving his arms and stomping the ground. “Away with you!”
Then, with a snort, the wolf said quite clearly: “You can wave that stick of yours all you want, Two-legs! It doesn’t scare me.”
Terran stared in disbelief. The wolf had spoken to him as plainly as any person.
“Weren’t expecting an animal that could talk, were you?” it sneered. “Come, O terrible hunter. Can’t you find your tongue?”
“Y-you stole that bull,” Terran stammered.
The wolf fixed him with his—for he was undoubtedly male—great amber eyes. “It’s nothing compared to what your kind has stolen from us.”
“It’s our livestock. We live off of the animals we raise. Drop it, and leave our herds alone, or we’ll have to kill you.”
“Kill me?” the wolf snorted, showing all of his teeth. “You can try, but those scrawny legs of yours won’t get you very far.”
Narrowing his eyes, Terran lifted his spear and pointed it straight at the golden muzzle. “I said,” he hissed. “Drop the bull, and leave this place.”
The wolf growled.
Furious, Terran plunged the spear toward the animal’s throat. With stunning speed, the wolf whipped his head around and snatched the shaft in his teeth. Terran tried to pull it free, but the wolf held on fiercely. Then, with a twist of his head, the brute wrenched it right out of Terran’s hands and flung it several feet away into the forest.
Disarmed, Terran retreated a few steps. He wouldn’t stand a chance against this beast without some kind of weapon.
“Why don’t you make it a fair fight, eh?” snarled the wolf, watching as Terran looked around frantically for something to fight with. “Do you not have teeth and claws? Or are you lost without your sticks and your stones?”
Without warning, the wolf leaped forward. Terran dove out of the way just in time, landing heavily in the dirt. Furiously he began to fumble along the ground as the wolf turned toward him with gnashing fangs. Suddenly he found a large, jagged rock, and with one desperate heave, ripped it out of the soil and hurled it at his attacker.
The wolf merely sidestepped the projectile, and watched as it sailed on and smacked into a tree trunk.
“Well really,” he sneered. “Is that the best you can do? Where are your mighty powers now, human? Your strength and your cleverness? Without your tools, you’re as helpless as a newborn cub!”
Again he charged, and again Terran scrambled away, tripping on stones and roots. The giant wolf chased him, snarling and snapping at his heels. Terran ran as fast as he could, hurtling precariously down the mountain slope, but he could not pull away. The beast crashed after him, his lean body moving gracefully over the contours of the land, his paws never faltering on the steep ground.
Heart pounding, Terran suddenly threw himself at a young pine and clambered into its branches. Below, the wolf slowly came to a halt and looked up at him with disgust.
“You’re wasting my time, Two-legs. Climbing into a tree like a squirrel. I had hoped that you would fight back. Let’s end this nonsense before my prey is taken.”
“You’d deserve it,” Terran snapped. “for stealing my source of food!”
Curling his lips, the wolf reared up onto its hindlegs, rising over ten feet off the ground, and slammed against the tree trunk. There was a loud crack, and Terran lurched as the branches swayed beneath him.
“And you deserve death for all the crimes you and your kin have committed against the beasts, against the Creator.”
“What are you talking about?” Terran shouted.
The wolf pounded the tree again, ripping and tearing the bark with his claws. “You betray your brothers and sisters,” he snarled, each word ringing with bitterness. “You make us your slaves! You destroy all you touch!”
The tree rocked dangerously beneath another blow, and Terran nearly fell out.
“Your greed swallows the land!” the wolf went on furiously, the whites of his eyes gleaming in the growing dusk. “We remember all you’ve done, human. We shall never forget. You are all shilogar!”
Snarling savagely, the wolf rammed against the tree with all his strength, and it immediately cracked beneath his weight. Terran gasped as he felt himself falling, and dug his fingernails into the wood. The pine had been clinging to a small ledge on the mountainside; if he fell now, gravity would take hold and he would continue to topple down the craggy flank of the peak until he was dashed to pieces. Grappling madly at the branches, he struggled to hang onto the tree as it went down, all the while searching for a safe place to jump down.
The only way he could see was toward the wolf. As he looked toward it, he saw the cold hatred in the animal’s eyes as it waited for him to die. A rampant fury swept through Terran. He was not going to let this murderous beast win. If he had to die, he would take the wolf with him.
With a wild cry, Terran launched himself off the pine as the last of its roots snapped and it crashed to the ground. The wolf barked in alarm as Terran landed on his back. Then something extraordinary happened.
The moment they touched, an electrifying pulse split the air. Terran gasped as a furious energy racked through his body, and a blinding light filled his eyes. He writhed around desperately, crying in pain, but he could not see. A sickening vertigo fell over him, and for a moment he felt like he was falling endlessly into a fathomless abyss. Then pain exploded in his side as he hit solid ground. At that moment, thousands of images began to play across his mind’s eye.
He saw great forests of towering pines and crashing rivers, and jagged mountains that reared into the heavens… He felt the wind in his nose and the grass beneath his feet as he raced through open fields after herds of deer… There were gleaming eyes that peered at him through the shadows, the eyes of wild beasts… Then he saw the night sky above him, burning with starlight, and the full moon rising to the north, while hundreds of voices sang around him.
Darkness fell over the forest as Terran lost consciousness, and slumped to the earth. Beside him, the giant wolf let out a soft whine before his great head fell, and he too drifted into a deep, silent sleep.

“Has it woken?”
“Is it going to be OK?”
“Stand back, for Ahoni’s sake! The Queen ordered everyone to stay away!”
Terran groaned and stirred painfully. He was vaguely aware of the voices whispering all around him, but he could not understand their words. They were nothing more than distant, meaningless sounds in the back of his consciousness.
Then something cold and wet touched his arm, and the shock seemed to light a spark in his mind. Suddenly the haze of sleep lifted, and the voices became clearer.
“Be still, it wakes!” one exclaimed.
“By the Spirits… He is marked…” another rasped, every word shaking with awe. “I never thought I’d live to see this…”
“Hush!” another growled lowly. “It’s dangerous enough that he’s here… We don’t need you blurting out all the secrets of the lore…”
Terran began to tremble as he listened and slowly regained his senses. These were not human voices. They were deep and growling, just like the voice of….the wolf!
Suddenly his eyes flew open and he sat up. The first thing he saw were several, large eyes glowing in the darkness. Then he noticed the huge heads, the pointed ears, and the long, tapering muzzles. He was surrounded by at least ten giant wolves.
“Get back!” he gasped, scrambled backward. Suddenly pain lanced through his head and his  left side, causing him to crumple. Only then did he realize that his shirt had been removed, leaving his chest bare to the cold air. Curious, he felt his throbbing side, only to discover that a strange paste had been smeared across the skin. At the same time, he spotted a strange mark on his breast, right above his heart. At first he thought it might be another wound, for it was slightly reddish in color. But when he looked closer, he realized that it was a huge pawprint, like the ones he had seen near the river.
“What happened to me?” he murmured, trying futilely to rub the print off. No matter how he tried, it would not smear or smudge.
“Be still,” one of the wolves said gently. “You are injured. I fear that one or more of your ribs have been broken. I put a poultice on to help.”
Terran shrank away as the wolf, an old, gray female, nosed his side. “Stay away!” He tried to move further, only to be hit by another spasm of pain.
“Well if you don’t sit still it’ll never get better!” the old wolf snapped. “Lie down and relax. We won’t harm you.”
Then suddenly another wolf snorted. He was a tall, muscular male with solid black fur, and when he spoke, Terran recognized cold, deep growl. “Says who, Birna? Queen Tanara hasn’t given any word yet. It’ll be madness to let this human live. We must kill him.”
To Terran’s horror, several other wolves growled and nodded their muzzles in agreement. “I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. “But why should you kill me? What wrong have I done you?”
“What wrong he says!” the black wolf snarled, his teeth flashing. “You dare ask such a question, boy? You dare ask the Great Wolves?”
Terran blinked in amazement. So these are the Great Wolves… They’re real, and they live…
“Silence, Ganarr!” Birna snapped, stepping between him and Terran. “No one’s laying a paw on this boy! Do you not see the mark upon his chest? He could be the one we’ve been waiting for! The one to end this war between man and beast.”
“What do you mean?” Terran asked. “Where am I? What is all this? Am I still dreaming?”
“No, child,” answered Birna, turning toward him. “All will be explained in due time. But for now you need rest…”
“No! I want answers. How was I hurt in the forest? Why do I have this mark on my chest? And why do some of you want me dead?”
“Answers come to those who listen, child.”
Terran whipped his head around as a new voice spoke out, smooth, tranquil and clear, like a mountain stream. He immediately came face-to-face with a great white she-wolf. Her magnificent mane was decorated with eagle’s feathers, and her beautiful snowy muzzle had been painted with deep blue streaks. Terran found himself held by her piercing, icey-blue eyes.
“Greetings, young human,” she said softly.
“Who are you?” he whispered.
The she-wolf lifted her head. “I am Tanara, Queen of the Great Wolves. And this is the Shadow Wood Pack. We are all that is left of our once proud race.”
“Hail, O Queen,” the wolves began to murmur, bowing their muzzles. “Hail, O Queen.”
“How is he healing, sister Birna?” asked the queen, stepping past her subjects to inspect Terran more closely.
“He is well enough. Though if he keeps fidgeting all over the place I’ll have to sit on him to finish putting the poultice on, and I’m sure that won’t help his ribs.”
Terran heard one of the wolves chuckle.
“Are you hungry, human child?” said the queen.
“No,” Terran muttered. “But I’m very thirsty.”
“Fetch him some water,” Tanara ordered. “And Tamahon should be awake now as well. Someone bring him to me.”
At once two wolves bounded away. Within moments, one of them returned carrying a large pouch in his jaws. When he brought it closer, Terran realized that it was a buffalo stomach waterskin.
As Terran drank, Queen Tanara suddenly turned to address the wolves. “We have much to talk about,” she announced. “Something has happened—something we have not seen for hundreds of years. Wolves! Brothers and sisters! Gather here in the Great Chamber for a pack meeting.”
With that she tossed back her muzzle and howled. The sound quivered through the air and echoed all around Terran, until it seemed to fill his ears. Instantly her call was echoed by a dozen others, and wolves began to appear in the darkness. Slowly, careful not to hurt his ribs, Terran straightened up to see them, and for the first time he noticed his surroundings. He was in an enormous cave chamber, with a high, arching ceiling that funneled up into a single shaft, through which moonlight poured. There were several layers of walls and tunnels, and through these the wolves came.
They were all shapes and sizes and colors. Some were huge, muscular males with battle scars dotted across their flanks. Others were hobbling elders with sagging backs and graying muzzles. One gray she-wolf ushered in two bouncing pups, each larger than hounds. Terran was surprised to see that many of them had markings painted on their fur. Here he saw a black ring around a wolf’s eye; there he saw a huge pawprint on a shoulder. Some, like Tanara, wore decorations of feathers and bones. But a handful, he noticed, had human handprints on their chests.
This was incredible. At least thirty Great Wolves stood before Terran now, alive and so far it seemed undiscovered. An entire pack. Somehow, they had evaded capture for over a hundred years and lived on, unseen, right outside man’s door.
Lurin was right, he thought, suddenly missing the eccentric old woman. Their race hasn’t been extinguished. But how?
Suddenly Queen Tanara leaped up onto a ledge near the cave wall, just ahead of Terran, and called, “Are we all gathered?”
Just then an irritable snarl reverberated through the chamber. Terran turned to see the golden wolf he had met in the woods being herded through a tunnel by one of the queen’s messengers.
“Stop shoving, Myk!” he growled. “I’m coming!”
Terran clenched his fists as he saw the beast that had tried to kill him. As the wolf was brought closer, he met Terran’s eyes and stopped dead. “You!”
He spun around and looked at the others questioningly. “What is this? Why has this human been brought here to our sanctuary? Why does he yet live?”
“Calm yourself, Tamahon,” Tanara answered calmly. “You and the boy have many questions, and they shall be answered now.” She turned her frigid gaze toward Terran. “What is your name, child?”
“Terran.”
“Ah yes,” Tanara nodded slowly. “A good name.”
Several other wolves murmured curiously, and turned wondering eyes on Terran.
“Terran, this is Tamahon,” said the queen. “The one you met in the forest.”
“I know him!” Terran snapped. “He tried to tear me apart!”
“As well I should!” Tamahon snarled, rounding on him. “You are the enemy of our race, the slayer of the Great Beasts! Because of your ancestors, we were nearly destroyed!”
Suddenly several wolves were shouting and growling with agreement.
“Wolf-slayer!” they cried furiously. “Murderer! Shilogar!”
The rest of the pack, however, looked dismayed. They stared at Terran and Tamahon in shock, as if they couldn’t believe they were fighting.
“Why shouldn’t you be slain?” Terran yelled, wincing as his ribs throbbed. “You’re thieves! I found him—” he thrust a finger toward Tamahon. “—stealing cattle from my village. Our food and property! So of course I went after him. And when he tried to kill me, I fought back.”
This resulted in an uproar of angry howls and curses. Fur bristled. Teeth flashed at Terran. For a moment it looked as if the wolves would band together to kill the boy, but all of a sudden one voice rose above them all, ringing through the cavern, stopping them in their tracks.
“Silence!”
Startled, the pack spun around to face Tanara. The she-wolf’s eyes were gleaming with fury. “I will not stand for this chaos,” she hissed lowly. “I called this meeting to tell you all of a miracle. One that could change our fate. Now step away from Terran and be silent. Tamahon—” She gave him a warning look, for he was still baring his teeth at Terran. “—sit down and listen to me.”
Tamahon fixed Terran with one last, smoldering glare, before he snorted and sat with his packmates.
Taking a deep breath, Tanara collected herself and began. “As you have heard, my wolves, something unexpected has happened. Our brother Tamahon was hunting beyond the borders, when he came face-to-face with Terran here. Now as I understand it, a fight took place. During the struggle, Terran and Tamahon touched…And the sacred mark was set upon them.”
A hushed whisper swept through the chamber.
“Look upon your bosoms,” said Tanara. “Terran, you have been marked with a paw. And Tamahon, you with a human hand.”
Tamahon craned his neck back to examine the white fur on his chest and, sure enough, there was a full-sized handprint.
“What?” the wolf gasped. “This can’t be! Not to him! Are the Spirits mad?”
“What is this blasted mark?” Terran asked. “What’s so important?”
“It is of the highest importance,” Tanara answered quietly. “because it has not been seen since the Great Beasts faded out of existence. It is the mark of the Bond… The Bond between wolf and human. You two are now connected for the rest of your lives.”
Now both Terran and Tamahon were gaping up at the great wolf leader. Tamahon began to tremble and shake his head. Terran felt as if he had been plunged into one of Lurin’s fairy tales.
“This is absurd,” he spluttered. “I can’t be bonded to a wolf! I hate wolves.”
Again the crowd cried out in anger and despair. Many wolves looked genuinely hurt by Terran’s words. They bowed their heads and whined, like huge dogs sulking after a beating.
“How can you even say this?” Tamahon cried, his voice shaking. “My Queen, you know how I hate humans…for what they’ve done! I will never forgive them, not a single one. And by the blood in my veins I will never be bonded to one. I would rather die!”
There was such a fierce conviction in the wolf’s voice, such a passion, that all eyes fixed on him. Even Terran was watching him.
“It was not my choice, Tamahon,” said the queen. “It was Fate’s. You and Terran have been chosen.”
“But I don’t want it!” shouted Tamahon. “I want nothing to do with this scrawny human pup! Man has enslaved us, hunted us, driven us from our homes, and now you’re welcoming one into our midst? This is madness!”
“And I won’t bond to any wolf, no matter what you believe,” Terran affirmed.
“You do not understand,” one of the elderly wolves spoke up suddenly. He was a great shaggy male with pale gray fur and a muzzle tattered with ancient scars, and one of the few that had a handprint on his chest. “This could be a chance to unite man and wolf once again—to make us one,” he murmured, his voice cracked and brittle with age. “Don’t you see? It was all designed by the Spirits. It was meant to happen.”
“Brother Tobar is right,” nodded the queen, looking hard at Terran and Tamahon. “Nothing on Ahoni’s earth happens by accident. It is indeed strange that you, Tamahon, of all wolves, were chosen for this. The same goes for you, Terran. But perhaps that was planned from the very beginning. Perhaps, through this connection, you will both learn to see past your own prejudices, and truly bring us together.”
“Well, your great Spirits are mistaken,” retorted Terran. “I won’t do it. I won’t spend the rest of my life with a wild beast, and I won’t unite man and wolf. We can’t live together peacefully. Especially when wolves invade our villages and steal our food, or attack our people.”
“And I won’t coexist with this barbarian either,” said Tamahon. “You are my queen, Tanara, and up until this point I have respected everything you’ve done for our pack. But you can’t ask me to do this. It’s like a fox befriending a hare. It cannot happen, should not happen.”
Silence filled the cave, and the wolves looked at each other sullenly.
“Then we are lost…” one murmured sadly.
“And besides,” said Tamahon suddenly. “What happens if this boy gets away? What if he escapes, runs to his human pack, and betrays our hiding place? This hiding place we’ve kept for years?”
“He will not betray us,” answered Tanara. “We will keep him here, where we can watch him.”
“What?” Terran exclaimed. “You can’t keep me prisoner! I have to get back to my village! I have to be healed!”
“It is not my intention to keep you prisoner, Terran. Quite the opposite. I want to protect you as much as my pack, for if word gets out of a new Wolf Rider, we would be hunted endlessly. But I cannot take any chances. The Shadow Wood Pack must remain hidden from human eyes.”
“I can’t stay here!” Terran argued. “What would I eat?”
“We can hunt for you,” said Tanara. “I understand humans like their meat dried and shriveled with heat, so as long as you know how to make fire, there should be no problem. There are also many roots, leaves and berries in the forest you can eat. In the meantime, our Healer Birna will take care of you.”
Beside Terran, the old she-wolf nodded her muzzle kindly.
“Your Highness, if I may,” someone said suddenly. Terran turned as the speaker stepped out of the crowd. It was the black wolf Ganarr. “Why should we feed and heal this creature? We’re short on prey as it is. Winter is coming, and soon our wolves will be dying from lack of food. This human is just one more mouth to feed.”
Many wolves nodded.
“Why should we show it any kindness at all?” Ganarr went on, now appealing to his packmates. “Just as Tamahon says, mankind has done nothing but persecute us. You can all see that Tamahon and the boy refuse to acknowledge their Bond, if any truly exists between them. If this Terran is anything like the rest of his kin, he will betray us in a heartbeat. Then the humans will all come here, with their arrows and their spears, and they will slaughter us all, just like the sheep they herd. Slaughter us, skin us, and wear our fur on their backs.”
Instantly the pack began to snarl and whimper. The two cubs Terran saw earlier huddled close to their mother and stared wide-eyed at Ganarr.
“Enough,” Queen Tanara called above the commotion. “Ganarr, I understand your reasoning. We all have a right to be angry at what the humans have done. But there is a true Bond between Tamahon and Terran, and never has a Bond failed. I have faith that they will bring the change we need. So by taking care of Terran, the first Wolf Rider in over a hundred years, we take our first steps to salvation.”
“The way I see it,” said Ganarr. “Their Bond will only cause us trouble. Did we not all feel the power of the Bond when it was made? That is, of course, how we were able to find Tamahon and the human in the first place. And if we felt it, who’s to say the humans didn’t?”
“I have thought of that Ganarr. It is true. The second Terran and Tamahon were Bonded, a pulse swept through all of nature. It shivered in the air. It tingled in our paws. It filled our hearts with wonder and hope. But unfortunately, many creatures can sense the Bond. I do not know whether humans still possess the ability, since they have not connected to beasts for so long. But it is possible, my wolves, that they are aware of it. Do not fear,” the queen added when the pack’s eyes grew wide. “We have managed to stay hidden this long, so if we are careful, we should not be in danger.”
Ganarr snorted. “Why not tell that to Tamahon? He’s the one that likes to go wandering all over the countryside, risking the safety of our pack. What were you thinking, Tamahon? Going straight toward a human village!”
Tamahon pinned his ears and took a step toward the black wolf. “Hunting. I was hunting for my pack, to give us enough meat to last through winter, which is more than you ever do, Ganarr.”
“You were discovered,” hissed Ganarr. “You’re just lucky this man pup Bonded to you, otherwise it would have been over. News of a living Great Wolf would have spread like fleas, and men would have come hunting for us.”
Tamahon snapped his teeth. “I’m no fool, Ganarr. When the boy found me, I set out to kill him. And I would have succeeded, if not for this blasted Bond!”
“Tamahon,” said Tanara, looking at him sternly. “This time Ganarr is right. You know the rule is that we never go close to humans, or provoke them. Ever. I admire your devotion to the pack, but by stealing human prey, you risked all of our lives. And even if you had killed Terran, it’s likely that other humans would have found his body and sought revenge. From now on, I want you to stay within our territory at all times. Am I understood?”
“But my Queen—”
“Am I understood, Tamahon?” Tanara repeated, and this time there was an edge to her voice.
With a growl, Tamahon dipped his muzzle. “Yes, your Highness.”
Turning back to Ganarr, the queen said, “Terran stays here. That is that. And he is to be treated with respect. If anyone tries to harm him, the consequences will be severe.”
“No, I’m not staying here,” Terran objected. “I am not going to be kept locked in a cave by a bunch of wolves!”
“Terran,” Tanara retorted, her white fur bristling ever so slightly. “Even if you did escape, you’d never make it home. We are high in the mountains, far from your village, and you would fall or freeze to death…if a bear or a mountain cat didn’t get you first. And besides, where do plan to go with your broken ribs?”
Terran glared at her furiously, but he could not refute the truth in her words. He had no idea where the wolves had taken him or how to get back home, and he would never be able to travel down the mountains with his injuries. He had no choice but to stay.
Seeing that her point was made, Tanara nodded and drew herself up. “Then all is settled. Birna, take Terran to an empty cave where he can have some peace. Make sure he receives plenty of food and water. Tamahon, I want you to get some rest. You have much to think about, and you must recuperate from the day’s events.”
Tamahon bowed, but said nothing. He just flung Terran a loathsome look before padding away into the shadows.
Tanara watched him go with something close to sympathy in her eyes. Then she looked back to her wolves, who were all gazing at her silently. “Have hope, my friends. Morning always arises after the darkest hour. We can now say, with confidence, that we have a future and a purpose once again, for we have a Wolf Rider.”