FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Never before have I heard

George sound so lost, lonely and so remorseful. His howl was so full of sadness

it spoke of a soul missing its body, as George was sounding the barren wasteland

for the missing members of his family.

I was in no mental state to carry

on with any more studies and it seemed that the pilot that left a little under

an hour ago had forgotten about me, it was a cloudy day out in the arctic and I

was getting cold and my head was scrambled because of my last encounter with

Angeline and one of her pups put me in a state of mental shock as I sat there

and lit a cigar to ease my mind.

I was about to lazily make my

way to Mike's cabin but then I heard a few scrapes of claws on the ground right

behind me, I knew who it was who was standing behind me, Angeline. As calmly as

I could I turned around to face the arctic wolf and there she was, I was

staring right into the amber gaze of the wolf I knew as Angeline. She looked

relaxed as far as I could tell, but I knew she was disturbed from our last encounter,

my mind couldn't function properly so I simply got to my feet and quickly but

calmly began making my way to Mike's cabin leaving Angeline and her pup alone

on the esker ridge.

When I reached Mike's cabin I

found a note reading.

"Dear Mowat, I have went to

Ootek's mother's funeral, I will be gone for five to seven days on how the

weather is. I want you to take care of my huskies while I am gone. I will see

you soon, Mike."

I was sad because I needed a

companion at that point and time but it seemed the only companions I had were

Mike's huskies and a few other bugs but I guess it was better than nothing.

I thought of finishing my

research on the wolf den but I knew that would be next to impossible with

wolves occupying the den so I decided to just get some sleep, it was getting

late anyways. I dragged myself to my sleeping bag, I was about to step in but I

saw mice in it. I went over to mike's bed even though he strictly told me to

not sleep in it, I didn't care, I needed a good sleep.

I tossed and turned all night

dreaming about the events that happened at the wolf den, about what happened

and what could have happened, Angeline could have attacked me when I was almost

completely defenceless, but, she decided to pity me and let me keep my life but

not so much my mentality. This was probably the most traumatic experience of my

life and probably ever will be.

I some how managed to let myself

get to sleep but this was short lived as I heard a pained but fun yelp,

obviously from one of the husky pups when it was play fighting with a brother

or sister. I was startled when I heard this and I was soon fully awake, it

wasn't even light outside but I knew I couldn't get back to sleep since it

would take me too long. I was at a loss of what to do so I went outside to lie

in the grass and I just lied there, hands at my sides, eyes starring at the few

clouds in the sky, listening to the gentle breeze of the ending of the winter

that would bloom into spring.

I lay there for an hour or so

but got up an I heard a howl, I recognized the howl and found out it was

Angeline sounding for her mate, a minute later I heard another howl from the

South, it was George and I knew that he knew that he and Angeline and their

pups would be reunited as one, I went to my observation tent to witness what

would happen on George's and Albert's return.

I was beginning to wonder

when George and Albert would return, I began observing Angeline hunt mice, by

the time she was done I counted she caught two dozen mice or so and trotted

back to the den to regurgitate the mice for herself and for her pup. During

this time, I sent a message to my department asking how long it would be until

I would be returning to civilization.

One week passed and George

and Albert had yet to return but I got a response from my department and it

read:

"A PLANE WILL BE SENT TO YOUR LOCATION IN

EIGHT WEEKS STOP YOU MUST HAVE ALL OF YOUR RESEARCH FULLY COMPLETED AND YOUR

EQUIPMENT BY FIVE WEEKS FIVE DAYS FROM NOW STOP YOU WILL BE BACK TO YOUR

RESIDENTAL HOME IN NO TIME STOP."

Most

of what I got from this was I would get out of here, "in no time." This was

music to my ears because I wouldn't have to deal with wolves anymore. I needed

to get my research of the wolf den done so I could get paid. I regretted getting rid of my poison grenades

to drive the wolves out but I knew that they are now long gone after I threw

them in the river. I went to Mike's cabin and I was not as surprized as I thought

I would be to see him.

Mike

was home now after Ootek's mother's funeral and brought Ootek home with him.

Ootek seemed heartbroken when I saw him as he should be, a mother is a son's

and daughter's closest family member, Ootek was happy to see me though he still

had tears in his eyes.

I was

sad for him since it has been years since I have seen my mother or even talked

to her for that matter so for me it seemed I had lost her too. I talked with Ootek trying to help him but he

could only mutter soft prayers to the heavens above telling them to take care

of his mother.

None

of us slept well that night especially Ootek who grunted and flailed his arms

and legs randomly as if to ward something

off. I knew he was having nightmares

but of what, I did not know exactly but I did know that they involved his

mother.

The next day I got up and Mike was making eggs for breakfast, he saw me

and said," good morning Mowat, I'm making eggs, do you want one?" I realized I was

getting hungry since I had not

eaten dinner last night so my reply was subtle,"

Sure, I'd like an egg."

Mike nodded once and turned to the egg he was cooking, he was making a sunny

side up for Ootek, "how would you like it?" He asked me, "sunny side up," I

said back to him. We all ate our breakfast and I went back to my observation

tent where, hopefully, I would see George and Albert again.

Three

days later after doing practically nothing other than eat and sleep I was beginning to wonder when

I would get the opportunity to finish my study on the wolf den since Angeline

was always on the esker ridge wolf napping, any time she was not wolf napping

she would go hunt mice for herself and her pup.

I got

this chance one day later as George and Albert returned to their territory.

They headed to the den and I was intrigued of what would happen but I could not

see over the ridge of the esker so I moved to a ridge fifty or so yards East of

the den on an elevated position to lay down where the wolf family could not see

me. I observed the wolves engaged in a conversation until there was a gentle

breeze from behind me and the wolves caught my scent and turned their heads to

me. I was lucky enough to duck in time to avoid being seen, I kept

my head there for a good minute

until I heard the wolves again chatting about. They where there for a good hour

until then they got up and went for a walk to another territory of another wolf

family that I knew were

friends to the wolf family I knew.

I saw

my chance to finish my studies of the den and took it, I jogged my way to the

den taking a measuring tape, a flash light (with new batteries) and a pocket

knife, I brought the pocket knife in case I encountered a wolf in the den

again. When I got to the den I did the difficult task of wriggling down the

forty-five-degree angle of the den's tunnel downward for eight feet until the

sharp upturn and turn to the right and I was in the den. I had not the best

memories of this place and a shiver of anxiety and fear found its way through

my body but I knew I had to get to work of my studies so I decided to not think

about what could happen and do what I had to do. I started with the diameter,

it measured about thirteen feet, then I measured the height, it was about seven

feet tall at the front and dropped of to five feet at the back of the den, I

was about to look around the den for anything interesting, but then I heard a

growl, one that could only come from a fully grown arctic wolf.

I

have never been this scared in my life, even more than my other wolf den

encounter but I had a wolf in the den with me, again. I turned around and saw

the wolf I knew as George, as I reached for my pocket knife he growled as we

started circling the paroral to each other. I was not a foot away from the den

exit when I made a dive for it; I heard muffled barks and growls as I had ears

full of sand I wriggled down the narrow den tunnel as fast as I could, I burst

out of the den and the barks and growls crease when I was out and yet again I

escaped with my life.

At

this time I just decided to get to Mike's cabin as fast as possible and to lay down in

my sleeping bag, my thoughts were troubled on my way there and all I could was

think about was that experience I just had, it came nowhere close to my first

experience with me and wolves in the den at the same time, it was now the new

most traumatic time of my life, I was cornered in a small den with a, "savage

killer," as the text books say with almost no way to defend myself as all

I had with me was a pocket knife and a flashlight, the measuring tape would

help with nothing in this problem, I was lucky to even get out without any

injuries. I was so occupied with my thoughts I was at the cabin when I was

snapped from my trance when Mike addressed me, "Mowat, are you okay? What

happened?" he asked me. I ignored him I needed some sleep, I lay down in

my sleeping bag, and I think mike got the mice out for me, and I was instantly

asleep but I did not stay that way, five minutes later I woke up and I was

staring into the eyes of the arctic wolf, George, it seemed he has standing

over top of me and I locked up for a second before realizing what danger I was

in, I started to flail my arms randomly but that was when I was nudged from the

side and I heard mike, "Mowat. Mowat! Wake up!" I was dreaming again, no,

I was seeing things. I knew that I've been delusional these last few days but

this was on a new level of crazy. I could not sleep, I would be constantly shaking

and the thought of wolves would not leave my mind.

My

mind began to ease three days later and I could finally sleep. I woke up the

next day at three in the after noon as I found out by the sun, I did not see

Ootek nor mike inside and I looked outside, they weren't there. I made a fire

outside to make my Souris a la Crème. After I cooked and ate my lunch I went

for a walk to try to forget about wolves for awhile.

While

I was walking through wolf house bay I heard a sound to my left and reached for

the hatchet I had brought just in case anything was to happen, I kept my eyes

locked on the bush that I heard the movement with the hatchet in my hand at my

side, suddenly saw mike burst from the bushes and I put my hatchet back. It

seemed that he was running from something and my assumption was right, behind

him was Albert burst from the bushes a second after mike, mike almost collided

with me since he was looking over his shoulder at the oncoming wolf and when he

turned around he shouted to me, "run!" I took heed of this and turned toward

the cabin and broke into a sprint, I ran as fast as I could, not once looking

over my shoulder, oh I had wished I had brought a gun with me. We got to the

cabin exhausted and Albert was not chasing us anymore, we looked outside and he

had stopped at the territory marks I placed a little under a year ago and he

just stood there, looking at us. We went inside and asked mike, "what the hell

did you do?"

Mike's

response was soft and quiet as if he was ashamed for what he did, "I got too

drunk last night and I had such a hangover I could not think right and got too

close to one of the wolf pups and tried to kill it. I don't know why but I

thought it was a good thing to do, but now I know that it wasn't and now I

don't know how to handle this problem with the wolves." I didn't know how to

respond and just sat there amazed, I did know what the influence of alcohol had

on human minds so I understood where he was coming from here but to kill an

innocent pup was to far, "and when I tried to kill it the wolf you call Albert

saw me with the knife, growled at me and tried to leap upon me, I moved out of

the way realizing what danger I was in and took a rocky way to slow him down, I

went through some bushes and then I saw you, you know the rest." Mike said

after a minute or two, "please, help me," He said again. I knew that he was in

deep trouble with the wolves, he made a direct threat to the pup, but I also

made a threat to the pups when the wolves barley even knew me so he might have

a way out of this predicament so I just said, "you go get some sleep, you look

tiered," he nodded and went to his bed and laid down, when he was going to

sleep I went for a swim for no reason at all.

When

I got to the river I took of my shoes and socks, pulled off my shirt and took

off my pants so I could swim in my boxers. I brought no equipment of weapons of

any sort, I just floated upon my back in the water with not a care in the world

if anyone or any wolves were watching me, I just wanted to relax for the first

time in two weeks. I was not afraid of the wolves, instead I respected them,

the textbooks say that I should and would have died in either cases of being in

the wolf den but the wolves spared me and I was trilled to tell this

information to the government, they would have to listen to me because I was

the one out here, not them. I would tell them how the wolves acted and try to

not sound crazy because my experience was almost the opposite of what the books

on wolves say. I was minding my own business until I heard a growl behind me,

this was not a good sign for me and I was not in the mood for wolves right now.

I turned to face where I heard the growl from, it had come from the opposite

side of the river and there I saw Albert, I was in a bit of a predicament and I

thought I was the best idea to leave, I was still wet but I didn't care, I put

my shirt on, I put my pants on, I put my socks and shoes on and went to my

observation tent to see what George and Angeline were doing.

I got

to my tent and looked around to try and find Angeline and George, I found

Angeline at the field of the original den location and I found George at the

den's mouth taking a wolf nap. Angeline was playing a game of tag with the pups

and that was all I could see since I had misplaced my telescope a few days'

prior. I was bored of this and it was starting to get dark so I went to mike's

cabin to sleep.

I saw

mike sleeping soundly but I could not see Ootek, I had not seen him all day

actually. I began worrying about him but I was too sleepy to try to find him so

I decided to sleep then in the morning I would ask mike if he knew anything of

his absence.

The

next morning, I woke up and saw mike outside doing nothing other then staring

into the sky, I asked him if he knew where Ootek was and his reply was, "yes,

he went back to his family," I was sad because I didn't get the chance to say

goodbye and I was also surprized that he left on such short notice, "why

wouldn't he want to say goodbye or something?" I asked mike. "he was never good

with good byes, heh, he went to help his family since there was one less set of

hands out there," mike said with a slight chuckle but his smile turned to frown

again, "I miss him already, but, at least I have you Mowat," mike said with a

sigh. I told him that I would be leaving in about four weeks and he seemed to

become even more sad. "oh, well, I will be out here alone, again." He said but

I replied with something that I hoped would cheer him up, "you have the dogs

though, so you aren't entirely alone," his reply was still sad but in truth

though he seemed to be cheering up, "that is true." This conversation seemed to

be over since I couldn't think of anything else to say so I just ended the

conversation with, "okay, I should be going to observe the wolves some more and

try to figure out how to get you off the hook with your wolf problem.", "okay

Mowat, I'll see you later then, bye." I nodded once and turned to make my way

to the observation tent.

When

I got to the tent I was welcomed to a surprize, just outside of the open flap I

saw Albert he was just looking at me not doing anything. I didn't know what to

do in this situation so I just stood there staring into his eyes, five minuets

passed until I broke the silence with almost a yell, "what do you want?" albert

looked surprized and got up and trotted off looking over his shoulder If I were

to do anything. I went into my tent, sighed and said to myself, "god, I hate

wolves now," I remembered why I came to the tent and I forgot that I had lost

my telescope, so I started to look for it, I had found it under my blanket and

I was wondering why it would be there but I brushed that thought away from my

mind, set up the telescope and began to look for Angeline and George, they were

up at the den getting ready for there before hunt ritual of the howling. When

Albert got there they started the chorus was as beautiful as it always is, in

rhythm, in melody, it was all so perfect except I didn't seem Albert was even

trying, he looked like he was howling half heartedly and George seemed bothered

by this but George kept on howling as this was a matter that was unimportant at

the moment and when the song ended all of them made their way to the place

where the usually hunt and I saw this as another opportunity to finish my

studies on the wolf den, I just hoped that what happened last time wouldn't

happen again.

I

begun making my way to the den taking a measuring tape, a flash light and a few

other things to find out things like humidity and temperature, while I was

walking I thought to myself, 'what if I would be in the den with the wolves

again, how would they react if they saw me in their den again, I guess I'll

just try to be in and out as fast as possible.'

I

made it to the den and began to wriggle down the tunnel to the inside of the

den. When I made it there I quickly began doing what was required, I did some

of the work already but I still needed to do more, I looked around for anything

out of the ordinary but I could not find anything other that a few feces and

some caribou bones, I finished doing what was required, which included the area

of the inside of the den, finding the perimeter of the inside of the den, the

temperature of the inside of the den and the humidity. When I was done I packed

my stuff and got out, then when I got out I sighed out of relief but when I

looked over the esker I saw the three wolves heading in my direction. I panicked

and looked for a way to mike's cabin or my tent where the wolves would not see

me, I looked to my right and saw a pathway and I took it, I was crouched moving

fast so the wolves would not reach the den and saw me sneaking away. I got of

the ridge and ducked into a bush and saw the wolves as they returned to their

den, they looked confused as they probably knew that I was at their den again,

meanwhile I rushed through the forest on my way to my tent.

I got

to my tent safe and sound as I observed the wolves looking around to find out

what or who trespassed into their den, it was an awkward display as the wolves

just wandered around sniffing about to find who had trespassed, I knew that

they knew it was me but I think they just wanted to be certain it was indeed

me. It was getting dark as I had realized I had been in the den for longer then

I thought. I just pulled myself into my sleeping bag and dozed of to the realms

of my dreams.

That

night was a peaceful night for everyone, my dreams weren't haunted by wolves

and mike was, well, I didn't know and all the wolves slept for the night. I

woke up before sunrise and I went to go find mike to ask him if he needed help

with anything since my wolf studies were now done. I got to his cabin and I saw

him cooking some caribou meat on a pan for breakfast, I asked him, "hey mike,

do you need help with anything? My wolf studies are done." Mike looked happy

and he replied, "yeah, I could use some help, can you go feed the dogs,

breakfast will be ready when you are done." I nodded once then made my way to

where mike keeps his dogs. I fed them all caribou meat and I made my way back

to the cabin after ten minuets. When I walked through the door I smelled

caribou and mike was sitting down at a table eating, "Mowat, you're right on

time, just got the caribou off the stove, here have a piece," he said offering

a piece, I thanked him for breakfast and he thanked me for feeding the dogs. We

ate our caribou and went outside, I asked him what he really liked to do and he

said, "well, I like dog sledding but there is not enough snow." He said, "what

do you like to do?" he asked, my response was, "I really don't know, I never

really do much for fun," mike was shocked that I didn't really do anything

"fun" so he said, "we should go hunt some caribou, you get quite a rush when

you kill a nice one." I thought about it and I said with a slight chuckle,

"sure, I'm getting bored of wolves anyways, heh." We both got our stuff (mostly

mike) for hunting and brought mike's rifle, one of my rifles and a knife, we

went down stream for about two miles not speaking and leaving each other to our

own thoughts until mike said to get off, we got off and mike spoke again, "this

is my special hunting spot, lots of caribou but not too many where we can't

claim our kill," I nodded and followed mike through a forest where it came

upward and then plunged down into a valley with nice, big and healthy caribou,

mike was grinning and we set up in a patch of bushes in the valley, we waited

for a few minuets finding a good caribou to shoot and we found one that must

have weighted three hundred pounds and mike told me to fire when ready, I

waited a second to get my sights focused and I took the shot, we saw the deer

drop and we went to investigate, I had hit the deer dead in the heart and mike

congratulated me by telling my what good a shot I am even though I barley ever

shot before, we took the deer back to mike's cabin, cut it to separate the meat

for the dogs and the meat for us, once we found a good slab of meat we took it

to the kitchen for a caribou steak, we ate our diner and went to bed.

No

new developments on the wolves happened for about a week and yet, I did not

care, they went about their days not showing any keen interest that I was

observing them. Mike went about his days as he usually did, wake up, eat, feed

the dogs, leave to hunt, come back and feed the dogs, go do other "fun" things,

eat dinner, go to bed. Me, on the other hand, got very bored going about my

day, when the wolves went out hunting I would just sleep and when they were not

I would observe them for a few minuets on and off I requested to the government

that I could be picked up early and they accepted my request so I will only

have another week to suffer out here and I needed my equipment ready to be

picked up the day before I was to leave. I was not expecting a visitor one that

morning, as I woke up I saw Albert, George and Angeline outside my tent flap, I

was awake almost instantly upon seeing this and found my way to my feet

quickly, the wolves were startled probably because they were sitting there for

a while, sleepy. I was unfortunate enough to have left all my weapons at the

other end of the tent and the wolves were closer to them then I was so diving

for them was not an option so I just stood there slightly crouched in case one

or more would attack, we just stayed there, the wolves were looking at me in

interest of what I would do next, I stood there looking into George's eyes with

Angeline on his left and Albert at his right, this predicament that we were in

lasted ten minuets until the wolves turned to each other, all nodded and they

trotted off, 'why are wolves so weird.' I thought to myself after they left,

then I let out a deep sigh of regret of why I had come here in the first place.

I just pulled a hat out of my bag, pulled it over my face and fell asleep

again.

When I woke up about two hours later and it

was after sunrise, I went to mikes cabin and saw him out feeding the dogs and

preparing to go hunt, "hey, mike, lovely morning, isn't it?" I said looking

into the beautiful sky above, "yes, it sure is, do you want to hunt with me

again?" he asked me, I thought about it but denied his request. I needed to get

my equipment ready for when I would leave but I needed not to worry about that

for a few more days. I went into the cabin and I was shocked to see Ootek to be

sitting at a table eating, "Ootek, I thought you were with your family?" I asked

him, "yes, I was, but they needed not my help and told me to go back and see my

friends." He said in reply, "I'm happy your back Ootek, I missed you," Ootek

only nodded and began eating his caribou again and ending the conversation. I

was going to go to the river for a swim for again, no reason at all other that

to clear my head for a while, as I walked to the river where I usually swim, I

heard a sound to my right, I turned to face it, looked at the shrubs and

thought, 'I hope that it isn't a wolf again' and sighed, after a matter of

about three seconds a mouse appeared and scurried away behind the shrubs again,

I was relived and started to again make my way to the river. When I got to the

river I found a spot with no current, took off my shoes and socks, threw off my

shirt and took off my pants and went into the water, I just laid there on my

back and day dreamed for what felt like a few minuets but it was more on the

side of an hour or two, after realizing how long I had been out here and I had

yet to eat today, I began putting my clothes back on and made my way to my tent

to eat some nicely cooked mice for dinner(if you read the first book you know

what I mean). After I ate Ootek came to my tent to see what I was doing and I

said I was just eating and he nodded, we sat there looking in the direction of

the wolf den but it was blurry since we were looking through the actual tent

then Ootek asked me if we could see what the wolves were doing closer up and I

just asked him, "is that such a good idea?" as he did not seem that it would be

not dangerous at all to get closer to the wolves with our many negative

confrontations, so he just said, "sure it is, I know the wolves and they know

me, all will be good." I was still not completely sure but I knew that Ootek

knew the wolves better than I do so I decided to trust him. I got m to trust

him. I got my telescope, my binoculars and attempted to get a rifle but Ootek

said that it wont be needed. We made our way to a place where the wolves had a

very low chance of getting our scent and hard chance to see us, we got posted

up in a patch of bushes and used a hole in it to observe the wolves, they

seemed to be going about their regular day, George was wolf napping, Angeline

was plying with the pups and Albert was nowhere to be found. I began to wonder

where he would be but as soon as I thought that he emerged from behind the den.

After about an hour of watching George fall asleep every five minuets, wake up,

look around and fall back asleep, Angeline playing with the pups and handing

the duty of playing with the pups to Albert about a half an hour past our

arrival I began to grow extremely bored and said too Ootek that probably

nothing exiting were to happen and that we should just go home for a long night's

rest, he agreed with me and he went to mike's cabin and I went to my, I lied

down, closed my eyes and slept.

Four days passed with no real excitement and I

decided to start getting my equipment ready and to start saying my final

goodbyes to Mike and Ootek since I would be leaving in three days, with the

help of Mike and Ootek we were able to get all of my gear ready and placed,

neatly to where it would be easy to load, in one day (with brakes) and we went

to sleep. I spent the last second last day with Mike and Ootek thanking them

for being such a tremendous help but mainly Mike for the accommodations of his

cabin for this about two-year period. We just sat and talked for a few hours

but then Mike said that he needed to get a few caribous for his dogs, himself

and Ootek and I understood, he also said that he would be back as soon as

possible. I also needed to sleep for I had not slept the night before because

my subconscious, for some unknown reason, did not allow me too sleep that

night.

The last day finally came and I was happy

because I would never have to see a wolf in person ever again but I was also

sad for two reasons, reason one, I was going to lose two friends for probably

forever and reason two, I had grown so attached

to the wolves that a day didn't pass that I didn't think about them. Me, Mike

and Ootek went to where we put all of my equipment the previous day and set up

the smoke machine. We saw the plane about thirty minuets later and turned the

smoke machine on and watched as it poured the black smoke into the sky above

and migrate down to the east, the pilot must have saw it and landed about ten

feet from where we stood. We were greeted by a young man who had a great deal

of facial hair and a buff body, he greeted us and told me that he would get the

equipment onboard while I say goodbye too my friends. I turned around to Mike

and Ootek and said, "its been nice meeting you guys, thank you mike again for

letting me stay in your cabin and thank you Ootek for being a good friend, I wish

you two the best of luck for your life ahead." Mike and Ootek looked at each

other grinning and said simultaneously, "you're welcome," and I just stood

there smiling back then I said, "well, its been nice knowing you guys but I have

to go back home, heh, I've had enough with wolves anyways, bye guys." They looked

sad and said back, "bye Mowat," I turned and got on the plane and the pilot

followed. He started the engines and we took off with Mike and Ootek waving

goodbye. I was going home.