The first rays of the morning sun painted the snow-dusted peaks with hues of soft gold and rose, signaling the start of another day of learning. Faelan awoke to the familiar stirring of Kael beside him, the older wolf already alert, his senses taking in the subtle shifts of the waking forest.

  "Today," Kael rumbled, his breath misting in the cool air, "our path takes us further. We leave the immediate sanctuary of the mountain's heart and journey towards the two-leg city you spoke of. The place of your birth."

  Faelan’s ears perked up, a flicker of something akin to apprehension mixed with curiosity in his young eyes. He had fled that place, a chaotic memory of fire and fear. The thought of returning, even with Kael by his side, stirred a knot of unease within him.

  Kael seemed to sense his hesitation. "The forest holds many lessons, little one. Some are found in quiet observation, others in facing the echoes of the past. The journey itself will be our training ground."

  And so they set off, Kael leading the way down the winding mountain trails, his powerful stride eating up the distance. As they walked, Kael continued his lessons, seamlessly weaving them into their travel. He spoke of navigating by the position of the sun and the feel of the wind on their fur. He pointed out the different types of trees and the creatures that sought shelter within them. He taught Faelan to identify the calls of various birds, distinguishing between warnings and mating songs.

  Days and nights blurred into a rhythm of waking, hunting (with Kael patiently guiding Faelan), brief periods of rest, and continuous instruction. Faelan diligently practiced the skills Kael imparted, his initial clumsiness slowly giving way to a more fluid and confident movement. He focused on listening to the forest with all his senses, trying to emulate Kael's almost preternatural awareness of his surroundings.

  On the third day of their journey, the dense embrace of the ancient forest began to loosen its grip. The trees grew further apart, their canopies allowing more of the pale winter sky to filter through. Patches of tough, brown grass and rocky outcrops became more frequent, and the air, while still carrying the scent of pine, now held a faint undercurrent of something else – a metallic tang, and the distant, acrid smell of smoke, a ghost of the two-leg city they were approaching. It was in this sparser woodland that Faelan’s persistence was finally rewarded.

  He had been tracking a hare for what felt like hours, his small body low to the ground, his movements deliberate and silent. He focused on Kael’s teachings, trying to shroud his presence, to become like a shadow moving through the undergrowth.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, not relying on sight alone, but trying to feel the subtle vibrations of the hare’s movements through the earth with his paws. He sensed the faint rustle of leaves as it hopped, the almost imperceptible shift in the air currents caused by its passage. It was a different way of perceiving the world, a merging of his physical senses with a burgeoning awareness of the forest’s subtle energies – something Kael had called "feeling the spirit of the woods."

  With a sudden burst of speed, guided by this inner sense, Faelan lunged. The hare, caught completely unaware by the silent and swift attack, had no time to react. Faelan’s teeth closed firmly, the brief struggle ending quickly.

  A wave of triumph, mixed with a strange sense of primal satisfaction, washed over him. He looked down at his first kill, the small, still form warm beneath his paws. He had done it. He had moved like the shadows, he had felt the forest, and he had struck true.

  Kael approached, his yellow eyes gleaming with approval. He nudged the hare with his nose. "Well done, little one," he rumbled, a note of pride in his voice. "You listened. You felt. You became a part of the hunt. This is the way of the wild."

  Kael allowed Faelan a moment to savor his success, a silent acknowledgment of the significance of this first kill. Then, he nudged the hare again. "Now, we honor the life we have taken. We do not waste."

  He showed Faelan how to carefully carry the hare, ensuring its body was held respectfully. As they continued their journey, the sparse woodland gave way to more open fields, dotted with the occasional gnarled tree. The distant scent of the two-leg city grew stronger, a complex mix of unfamiliar smells that prickled Faelan's nose – the sharp tang of metal, the lingering acridity of smoke, and something else, a faint, sweetish odor he couldn't quite place.

  Kael pointed with his nose towards the horizon, where a hazy smudge marred the otherwise clear winter sky. "The edge of the two-leg territory draws near. We must be more cautious now. Their scent carries far, and their eyes are quick, even if their understanding of the forest is weak."

  They moved with increased vigilance, Kael constantly scanning their surroundings, his senses on high alert. Faelan, emboldened by his successful hunt, mirrored Kael's caution, his own senses becoming more attuned to the subtle signs of the human presence – the unnatural straight lines of distant fences, the faint echo of unfamiliar sounds carried on the wind.

  As they drew closer, the open fields transitioned into a more disturbed landscape. Patches of bare earth, scarred by what Kael explained were "their clumsy attempts to tame the land," became more frequent. The air grew colder, carrying the distinct chill of human construction – stone and metal holding the cold in a way that living trees did not.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Finally, through a screen of skeletal winter bushes, the sprawling mass of the two-leg city came into view. It was larger and more chaotic than Faelan remembered, a jumble of unnatural shapes and towering structures that seemed to claw at the sky. A pall of greyish smoke hung over it, obscuring the distant horizon. The air was thick with a cacophony of unfamiliar sounds – the clanging of metal, the high-pitched whine of unknown contraptions, and the constant murmur of countless voices.

  Faelan felt a surge of conflicting emotions – a primal fear of the place that had brought him so much pain, mixed with a strange, unsettling familiarity. This was where his life as he knew it had begun, and where it had so violently ended.

  Kael stopped at the edge of the sparse vegetation, his massive form a silent sentinel. He looked at Faelan, his yellow eyes filled with a quiet understanding. "This is the place of your past. Remember, little one, we are here to learn. Observe. Feel. But do not linger. This is not our place."

  He lowered his head slightly, indicating the city. "Tell me, Faelan. What do you remember most strongly about this place?" Kael's question hung in the cold air, a bridge between Faelan's traumatic memories and the lessons he needed to learn in the wild.

  Faelan closed his eyes, focusing on Kael’s gentle prompting. The early months of his life in the two-leg city were a hazy jumble of sensations, like a dream half-forgotten. He strained, pushing through the fog of infancy and trauma.

  Slowly, fragmented images began to coalesce. He remembered the cold, hard feel of wire mesh beneath his paws, the close confines of a small cage. The scent of his siblings, a comforting warmth pressed against his small body, and the constant, low whimpers of his mother, a sound of fear and resignation that even his young mind had understood. He recalled the metallic tang of the cage, mixed with the overwhelming stench of… too many of his kind, confined and anxious.

  Then, a clearer memory surfaced, a small beacon of warmth in the cold landscape of his early life. He saw a two leg female, her form still indistinct but her presence a gentle warmth. He remembered the soft murmur of her voice, a soothing sound that cut through the fear. Most vividly, he recalled the early hours of dawn, a sliver of pale light filtering through the gaps in the surrounding structures, and the girl’s hand reaching into his cage, offering small pieces of warm bread and scraps of meat. The scent of it, savory and comforting, still lingered faintly in his memory. Her touch had been light, her eyes holding a kindness that was a stark contrast to the rough handling he often experienced.

  But the warmth of that memory was quickly overshadowed by darker ones. He remembered the rough voices, the harsh hands that reached into the cages, pulling out his littermates one by one. He recalled their yelps of fear, abruptly cut short as they were carried away. He hadn’t understood where they were going, only that they didn’t return. A growing dread had settled in his small heart as he watched their numbers dwindle.

  Then, the chilling realization. He was next. He remembered the looming figures, their voices gruff, their eyes hard. He was being pulled from the cage, the rough grip hurting his young limbs. He had cried out, a whimper of pure terror. He remembered being carried through a confusing maze of shouting voices and the stench of sweat and blood. Pit fighter. The words echoed in his mind now, a dark understanding of the fate that awaited him.

  And then… chaos. A sudden eruption of screams, the smell of burning oil, the terrifying roars of creatures unlike anything he had ever heard. The world had dissolved into fire and shadow, and in the confusion, he had found his chance to escape, a desperate flight that had ultimately led him to Kael.

  Faelan shuddered, the memories, though hazy, still potent with the fear of his early life. He opened his eyes, the familiar presence of Kael a grounding force. "Cage… family gone," he rumbled, the words fragmented but filled with the weight of his past. "two-leg female was kind food. Then… taken. Fight." The last word was a low growl. "Demons… fire… run."

  Faelan went quiet as he tried to study his emotions that were ravaging inside him. He wanted answers. He wanted to know what happened to his littermates, what happened to the female two legs who was nice to him. Why was he caged, why did the demons come. Every time Faelan found answers it opened up more questions.

  Kael listened intently, his gaze unwavering, his massive head held low in a posture of empathy. He absorbed Faelan's fragmented words, piecing together the raw emotions and the horrific events they described. The gentle giant felt a surge of protective instinct towards the young wolf, a fierce resolve to shield him from any further pain.

  After a long moment of silence, Kael rumbled softly, his voice a low, comforting resonance. "The two-legs can be cruel and their cities are often places of suffering. But remember, Faelan, not all hearts within those walls are cold. You encountered kindness even in your captivity. And you found strength within yourself to escape the darkness."

  He nudged Faelan gently with his nose. "The demons… that is a shadow that has touched many parts of Arcadia. We will speak of them more when you are stronger and have learned more of the old ways. For now, know that you are safe with me, here in the wild heart of the land."

  Kael then shifted his focus back to the sprawling city in the distance, his yellow eyes narrowed in observation. "Our purpose here is not to dwell on the pain of the past, but to learn from it. This city, this place of your birth and your captivity, holds lessons. Observe how the two-legs live, how they move, how they build. Understand their weaknesses and their strengths. This knowledge may one day be vital."

  He gestured with his nose towards the outskirts of the city, where smaller structures and patches of untamed land still existed. "We will approach cautiously, staying to the shadows and the edges of their territory. We will not go deep within their walls. Our goal is observation, not confrontation."

  And so, with Kael leading the way, they began their cautious approach to the two-leg city. Faelan, still shaken by the resurfacing of his traumatic memories, stayed close to the older wolf, drawing strength from his calm presence. The familiar yet unsettling sights and smells of the human settlement grew stronger with each step, a stark contrast to the clean, wild beauty of the forest they had left behind. The lessons of the hunt and the resilience of the wild would now be tested in the strange and dangerous territory of humankind.