Chapter 3

"What would you like to do this day my mate?" asked Assani.

"Today we gather food. I trust you ladies know how to find edible roots, herbs, fruits, berries and nuts."

"Of course we do Frank. As you say, we will gather today. You will guard us."

I went to my stores and got each of them a sack and an alien folding knife. I had dozens of each for trade goods and thought my ladies would get good use out of them. I showed them how to open and fold the blade and explained how to use them. They thanked me profusely with kisses and hugs.

We headed west to the river and they turned south. I followed along with my bow in hand hyper alert to danger while the ladies started their search. I learned a lot from them. There were roots and leaves that I hadn't identified as edible before as well as a fruit that grew under an umbrella looking leaf. It tasted very good and the ladies warned me that eating too many at once would make me sick.

While the ladies were digging a particularly bountiful harvest of the sweet potatoes from an area on the side of the river, I heard a noise coming from downstream. The ladies moved quickly toward me and I lifted each up into the branches of a tree. I faded into the brush and moved silently around the area we were working in.

Peering through the foliage, I waited and watched silently downriver. Within 10 minutes, a huge wolf approached. I was hoping to get close enough to touch it. I went around behind it as quietly as a shadow and made sure the wind was in my face so it couldn't catch my scent. It was carrying a small pig and stopped in a sunny patch to enjoy its meal. I got behind some brush within about 10 feet of this beautiful animal and waited for it to put its head down for another bite.

I sprung as his teeth were just tearing into the flesh. He tried to dodge but I was faster and had the element of surprise on my side. Touching his head and using my mental power, he was mine. He fought it for a second and tried to duck away but it didn't matter.

He was beautiful. His coat was a mottled gray with brown and tan through it. At the shoulder, he was about 4 feet tall and was about 8 feet long plus the tail. He probably weighed over 300 pounds. He must be the predecessor to the dire wolf but he was easily 3 times the size. It sure would make life easier to have a guard dog or twelve around.

Meeting his eyes, I said, "Sit."

He sat.

"I will call you Wolf and you will answer to it."

He seemed to nod. Perhaps he was smarter than the average dog.

"Go ahead and finish your meal my friend and then come find me," I told my new guardian wolf.

I casually walked back to the tree that the women were in and helped them down so we could go back to digging those delicious sweet potatoes out of the ground.

"What was it my mate?" asked Desiree.

"I made a new friend. He should be along in a little while."

"It's good to make friends," she replied.

Half an hour later, Wolf walked into our clearing. The ladies freaked out completely and hid behind trees with their spears sticking around the side. They were yelling at me to hide before the monster wolf would make a meal of me. I waved them off and called Wolf over to me.

"Sit," I said.

He sat and looked at me hard.

I heard him in my mind. It was more of a feeling and some images than actual words.

The gist I gathered from his mind was, "I want to run and hunt. I want to bring my mates. We will join your pack."

"My cave is not far from here my friend." I sent him an image of where the cave was in relation to where we were. "We can all enjoy the protection of the pack there. Bring your mates and cubs. I will welcome you and yours and we will run and hunt together."

With a not he turned and was off like a shot.

"What happened there?" asked Tammi.