"Daughter of the Moon"

I was born into a world of darkness, my life completely dependent on the protection, warmth and food my mother provided. Whenever I strayed blindly into the cold open air, I was gently lifted with extreme care and kindness and guided back to shelter. When at last my blue eyes opened, the first sight that met me was a black-furred muzzle grooming my face, and two pale, kind eyes. I soon learned that my mother’s name was NevaPaws.

In my puppyhood my world was filled with the love and care of my mother and my father, ForestClaw, as well as the many wonderful wolves of the Dawn Breakers wolf pack. The Alpha pair having also recently given birth to a litter of cubs, I was never short of playmates. These wolves and cubs helped me develop physically, mentally and spiritually, and I treasure every memory of them. Yet my clearest and happiest memories are of the playful black wolf that is my mother, Neva. Often as the rest of the pack slept, Neva and I would explore the forest together. Romping through the pale moonlight, together we would investigate each and every sight and scent, all inspiring interest and curiosity in a cub’s young mind.

I grew day by day, with every pounce and tumble, every lesson and wise word from a packmate. As I reached four full moons of age, I noticed that Neva had become distant from the pack. Her wanderings became prolonged, and she sensed that this pack was no longer her rightful home. Soon she told me her feelings, and one morning as I greeted the world with my usual happy dash from the den into the sunlit clearing, I noticed my mother was not there. This pack, this small forested area with its cosy den and familiar scents, was all that had made up my small world. Though without Neva there, it did not feel the same. I whimpered, confused. I had never before faced a greater worry than when a bug escaped from beneath my paws. Yet Neva knew that this was a decision that I must make on my own.

I soon decided to follow my mother and gave my father one last nuzzle, which he returned in silence. I then turned towards the forest, leaving behind all that I had known, yet following who I had truly loved. Though I miss my father, ForestClaw, and often think of him, his scent is carried everywhere I go on my furs, and his love is always in my heart.

Neva and Nakie; the early days

I found my mother not too far from the clearing, and together we travelled through unfamiliar territory and landscapes. More than once we picked up the scent of a wolf pack, though we felt that our presence was unwelcome. After many days of travelling, we at last came to a forest filled with friendly wolves. The pack was called the Shadow Keepers, led by the mated pair, Maji and BlazeWlf. After one or two full moons, Neva and I became a part of the pack, Neva as Omega and Caretaker and I as a Pack Pup. I made many friends here, some of which I still know, including one young visiting pup whose name was NovaWlf. He was shy at first, and often hid amongst the bushes, only coming out occasionally to ambush an unwary adult. This behaviour made me curious, and one day I trotted up behind him and pounced his tail. He spun around and chased me across the clearing, and from then on we were close playmates.

One day a young cub, who I recognised as Cerbius, padded into the clearing. He was one of my many playmates from the Dawn Breakers wolf pack, and Neva soon took him under her care as her adoptive son. Soon after a playful white she-cub by the name of StariWlf wandered into our home and she too became my adoptive sibling.

The days drifted by slowly, and I was almost fully-grown. Though not all things in my life were as cheerful as they once were. I saw my Alphas becoming withdrawn from each other, and from the pack. Conflict began to rise between packmembers. I began to feel that something was missing, though I couldn’t really describe it. One day I told the Alphas I was leaving. I was no longer a Shadow Keeper, yet I always visited my family and friends, as well as neighbouring packs.

After a few more full moons, I saw my second spring, and reached my first complete cycle of the seasons. Meanwhile Neva also began to feel that something was missing among the wolves of that pack. As she was now Beta, she gave it much thought before arriving at a decision. I could see she no longer felt at home in that pack, and I told her to follow her heart. On that night Neva decided to leave the Shadow Keepers, and together we set off into the night. We found a small green grove with a beautiful waterfall splashing over the rocks. Neva dug out a den amongst the rocks and this temporarily became home to Neva and her cubs.

Neva and I spent many nights in each other's company. Our bond was strengthened, as it never was before. Neva told me for the first time what had made her leave the Shadow Keepers. I found that I had left for a similar reason; we both felt that something was missing among the wolves. We both felt that it lacked the true wolven spirit. We believed that a wolf pack should be held together by all the qualities that is the wolven spirit; strength, truth, freedom and love. The Alphas of our previous pack lost sight of priorities and lost the true meaning of what a wolf pack is there for. They allowed silly disagreements to destroy the harmony of the pack. Soon after our departure from the Shadow Keepers, the packmembers drifted apart and sadly the pack was no more.

One starlit night I awoke to the soft chattering of the waterfall. I stretched and sat up on the smooth rocks. The grove was small and dense with trees and I sat quietly amongst the green beauty. My breath steamed in the Alaskan night as I scanned the air for its scents. A dark figure stirred through the trees and two pale eyes glinted. My tail wagged in merriment as I recognised Neva and ran to greet her with a nuzzle. She returned the nuzzle, then we set out wandering through the night. We padded quietly alongside the stream that tumbled down the rocks from the waterfall and curved its way through the forest.

When the moon had sailed in an arc across the sky, we came to a break in the misty trees and saw a large clearing spread out before us. The little starlit creek ran through the centre of the clearing. I saw a large mass blocking the starlight towards the middle of the clearing. Padding towards it I saw it was a large earthy rock overhanging the creek. Neva padded up by my side and we saw a small natural burrow set in the shade at the base of the rock. We scanned the clearing, admiring its beauty. There were towering timber trees skirting the clearing, with a thin veil of mist shimmering beautifully in the chill night. We felt pure peace in this clearing and felt the wolven spirit running free within us.

Nakie and Neva exploring TimberMyst

We spent the following days within this new clearing, and I named it TimberMyst due to the mist covering the surrounding forests. The rock in the centre of the clearing I named Spirit Rock. I could feel the peace and freedom of the wolven spirit strong in this clearing. The little natural burrow at Spirit Rock's base was enlarged and created a comfortable den. Neva named a large tree at the southern end of the clearing Myst Tree, and the first squirrel was caught and buried there. We named ourselves the Sweet Mystics of the clearing. At first TimberMyst was simply a place where we could express our wolven spirit freely, but after a few days Neva decided to start a pack and named herself Alpha of the Sweet Mystics wolf pack. The Sweet Mystics was to be a pack based on the wolven spirit.

Soon after, my sister Stari followed us to TimberMyst and joined the pack as Alpha Cub. Many of our friends visited regularly, and some decided to make the Sweet Mystics their home as well. These wolves included MountainWolf, Autumn, Dreamwolf and many others. Former Dawn Breakers Alpha, SitarraWlf also joined the Sweet Mystics for a short time. However, by this time she was very old and soon passed on. The Dawn Breakers Beta, GreyWind, also was a member of the Sweet Mystics but he soon chose a different way. The pack saw many members come and go, and though missing past members, Neva was never for a moment dispirited and remained a strong and determined Alpha.

When the TimberMyst clearing was founded in the spring, I was a young wolf, a little older than a year. Yet I had gathered much experience from my past and had a firm understanding of the way of the wolf and had developed a strong wolven spirit. A few full moons after the Sweet Mystics wolf pack was started, as winter was approaching, I was proudly named Beta Sweet Mystics, standing alongside my mother in leading the pack.

One chill winter evening I was curled in the warmth of Neva and MaxisWolf, a friend to the Sweet Mystics. It had been a long day of playing, bonding and greeting newcomers, and we were resting quietly, content in each others company. The clearing was tinged with a golden light in the evening and all was peaceful as I flicked my ears about to the sounds of small creatures scurrying about as they prepared for the night. Yet I was startled from this peaceful state as a scent drifted past my muzzle. I lifted my head, ears perked alert to the forest.

A wolf stood quietly in the trees, watching from a distance. His features were hidden in the long evening shadows cast by the trees. I stood slowly, my ears flattened and eyes narrowed. The wolf looked slightly familiar. As he noticed he'd been seen, he stepped from out from the long evening shadows and into the clearing. He was quite large, with a coat of rich black fur and shining golden eyes. My eyes widened, my ears drew forward, and I leapt towards him, sprinting across the clearing. It was Nova, the little black male I had played with as a cub. He had grown into quite a large wolf with strong limbs and I guessed he was a great hunter. Nevertheless, as I pounced him in joy he was rolled off his paws.

The following days Nova and I grew closer to each other. We played, hunted, groomed and nuzzled, and were rarely seen out of each other's company. As I chased him in play across the clearing one morning, he leapt over a low ridge of rocks and crawled through the thick undergrowth between the trees in the forest. I followed, gaining little notice from the other wolves in the clearing, since they were all busy playing or grooming. As Nova snapped the twigs and leaves in his path, I followed close behind in the burrow he made. At last the undergrowth gave way to a small clearing. The trees were dense around the small clearing and a thick canopy of branches above allowed in little light. This became our special secret clearing, and it still is today. Its exact whereabouts are known to no other wolves!

Soul Mates

This was my second winter, the first winter of TimberMyst, and I was nearly a mature wolf. Nova and I began courting, and a few full moons later were an officially mated pair. Soon after our mateship Nova joined the Sweet Mystics as an adult packmember. The pack was growing strong, with many loyal wolves each bound with a true wolven spirit.

One day as Neva and I were play-chasing with several other wolves, a newcomer arrived in the clearing. She had a coat of silver-grey and I learnt her name was `Spirit. She was very friendly and eager to learn, and after meeting the members she joined in the play. She accompanied us on a hunt and we brought down a doe. After only a day of knowing her I felt a special kinship with her. A few days later `Spirit's sister, Kovo, wandered into the clearing. I also took a liking to Kovo, with her elated spirit and playfulness. She could bring a smile to any wolf's muzzle. The sisters were soon named full members of the Sweet Mystics. The following months I grew closer to both of them, knowing them to be true and good wolves, and the three of us became Spiritual Sisters.

The Sweet Mystics wolf pack continued to grow within time. Together we struggled through the winters, our survival depending on each other. More important was the help and support given to a wolf in times of need. When a cub, Neva guided me with love and care through the darkness, and to this day she continues to do so. And I also stand by my mother in times of darkness, together we lead the pack with all the strength and love of the wolven spirit. Now, with the passing of the short times of greenness we are facing winter once more. With each cycle we grow stronger. I give my eternal love to my mother, my mate, my sisters, my brothers and to all of my family and friends. We are forever bound from the first day till the last by the wolven spirit.

Nakomis on Spirit Rock at twilight

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