Two Little Wolves

“I don’t want to go.” His little voice was firm and full of fear. He had made his decision based on the churning in his stomach. He knew all the stories too well, the elders told them clearly and often. It was a story of their people, and it wasn’t something to be messed with. Playing by the edge of the river where the waters were most angry was not encouraged or permitted.

“Don’t be such a scaredy-cat,” Honi said, shifting on his feet. “You know, the elders just tell those stories to keep us scared so that we won’t misbehave.”

Maiyun still stood his ground, “I don’t want to go. We shouldn’t go. Tonight is going to be a full moon and the feast days are coming.” Maiyun remembered the full moon meant the water spirits would be most angry, and to disturb them would be foolish.

Offering the appropriate sacrifices on feast day would keep them happy and definitely not hungry. Honi, on the other hand, was a wild boy who always challenged what the elders said, and of course never to their faces.

The stories of the water spirits were always ones of devouring wanderers and the curious. They always seemed to be about children or young warriors who wandered off into the woods to find the edge of the river where the water raged the most.

There were rumors that the water spirits, if appeased, would grant you only one wish. The catch, though, was that you had to complete a warrior trial by dominating the alpha Skinwalker, who was a trickster with the water spirits.

If you failed to dominate the alpha Skinwalker, the water spirits would swallow the warrior or the child while never to be seen again. Then the water spirits would wipe clean the memory of the family members who remained living. The wanderer would just be forgotten in the void where their curiosity dangled from the lone branch of a winter tree.

Honi tugged on Maiyun’s arm with great force, “Come on Maiyun, stop being such a big baby!”

“NO!” Maiyun shouted, causing the birds in the trees above to fly away in a panic. Maiyun was one of the smallest children in the village for his age, but he had the loudest voice. He was a stubborn child, which made the elders happy, but it also troubled them.

“Honi, if you go by yourself and the water spirits take you, then -”

“Then what? You’ll tell me?” Honi threw his hands in the air in dismay, “I’m going to be back before the dances even begin, and you won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“And if the water spirits devour you, your family won’t ever remember you even existed!”

“Why do you believe everything the elders tell you? Why can’t you just think for yourself?” Honi started to walk toward the river to follow the trail to the end, where myth or fact would greet him with open arms.

“Honi!” Maiyun shouted “Honi! Don’t do this!” His stomach ached with fear and anxiety. He felt like throwing up, but something in the air told him to follow Maiyun. Protect him.

He heard in the leaves around him. Before he could do anything more, Maiyun found himself following Honi into the woods and along the river.

Honi didn’t notice Maiyun, who followed at a safe distance. The entire way Honi muttered things like “so-called water spirits…” and “devour my -” He would stop and find rocks to throw in the river, and then would shout into the water “DEVOUR THAT!” Honi wasn't fearless, he was ignorant and arrogant, which was never a good mixture.

He always got in trouble with the elders, and every time he was brought forward or told off by his parents, he always apologized profusely. He would agree with everything they said and would make such promises as “I’ll never do it again!” in order to keep them off his back. The elders encouraged Mayun to stay close to him, because they thought he would be a good influence. “What a joke!” Honi said with rolls of laughter.

The further they got through the forest, the colder it seemed. Maiyun began to feel weary with his fear. He wanted to turn back, but he continued to hear that ruling sharp whisper protect him. Suddenly Maiyun could hear a low growl in the distance. It crawled beneath his skin and tucked itself tightly beneath his veins.

Go back, little warrior. The growl hummed through his head. You and your troublemaking friend, go back now.

Maiyun felt like throwing up now. He knew exactly who that was; the alpha Skinwalker. He was already walking at night, which meant the moon must be rising. Everything in him wanted to run up to Honi, grab him, throw him over his shoulder, and run until his feet bled, but he heard it firmer still.

PROTECT HIM!

He felt his feet planting themselves further into the ground with each step toward the edge of the waters. Then, Maiyun’s heart nearly leapt from his chest - a howl broke the silence of the forest high and piercing, the howl coming from a small boy who mocked the stories of his people. It was Honi, howling like a fool and skipping along like a hare ready to be taken by his predator.

The growl low and horrid was closer, this time in Maiyun’s ear. Go back, little warrior, you have one last chance. Maiyun’s cheeks flooded with streams of tears. He was afraid, he felt sick, and all he wanted to do was go home.

He almost got himself to smell the fresh meats on the fire and feel the warmth of the stone oven. If he hoped hard enough, he could taste Mamma's fresh fry bread, if only he could be home. He tried to close his eyes so that he could hear the bells of the dancers' feet getting ready for the festivities.

He wanted to go home so badly. No matter how hard he tried, he could not. He heard that whisper firmer still.

PROTECT HIM.

The low growl stayed close to his ear. Maiyun didn’t want to look to the left or to the right, but he knew. He knew the Skinwalker was close, he felt its breath warm and intimidating on his ear. The rumble of its growl crawled its way through his heart. The rivers of tears on his face raged along, leaving his vision blurry.

He could only make out Honi’s body, which now only looked like a small wolf pup. The tears in his eyes made the entire forest look like a watercolor of night. You’re near the edge, little warrior the Skinwalker growled, you’re near the end.

The Skinwalker was right, Maiyun could hear the shouting of the raging waters as they neared the edge. He could see Honi stop dead in his tracks. His body visibly trembled, and that is when Maiyun began to run. He wiped his eyes quickly on his sleeves and grabbed Honi’s legs, hurling him over his shoulders.

That whisper came louder than ever before, the one that told Maiyun to protect him. This time it said RUN! Honi did not put up a fight. He did not speak, he did not argue, his body was limp over Maiyun’s shoulder. Maiyun couldn’t tell if Honi was conscious or not - he couldn’t even tell if he was alive or not.

Something dreadful was following them, and it wasn’t the Skinwalker. He could hear it gaining on them, but he heard the drums in his heart more. The Skinwalker only laughed, its warnings had ceased, and Maiyun couldn’t tell if it mocked him or if it mocked what was coming for him.

As he ran, he could hear drums, not the ones in his heart this time. But he couldn’t tell if he could hear the drums from the village or if the drums were coming from behind him.

He tried again to imagine home, the dances, and the food. He tried again to imagine Mamma making her fry bread. He tried again to imagine a day where Honi didn’t try to cause mischief. Again, rivers of tears raged down his face and he could not see.

Then it all stopped. Darkness turned to a glow, but was it fire or morning? Maiyun was so tired his body did not feel like his own. The weight of Honi’s body just felt like air. The horrible thing behind him was gone? He couldn’t tell. The feet of the Skinwalker before him? He wasn’t sure.

His eyes closed, and the last thing Maiyun heard was that same voice. Softer this time...

Protect them.

Don’t go to the edge of the water where it rages most. Don’t taunt the water spirits when they’re hungriest.

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Inspirations and name meanings

*Maiyun from the Cheyenne tribe meaning wolf

*Honi from the Arapaho tribe meaning wolf

*An inspiration of many indigenous people's folklore and legend. Stories that I grew up around. Stories that made the boogeyman seem like a teddy bear.

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