All characters depicted in this story are in their early twenties or older.
*
I perched above the trail, silent and still, ready to terrify the first human who came this way. Hyssop had bet me I couldn't. I would show her. Runt of the litter or not, I was a proper wolf, and I could chase off any human. Mom and Dad wouldn't like it much, of course. I'd heard them chewing Hyssop out for similar pranks more than once. It wasn't considered polite to frighten the neighbors, as long as they stayed respectful of our territory. Still, as long as I followed Hyssop's lead and didn't do more than scare them, I'd survive the scolding.
So. As I was saying, I perched on a boulder above the trail, ready to spring out upon the first unwary traveller to venture down the forest path. It was just my luck that would be Hawthorn. Of course he scented me as he jogged down the trail. It was no use slinking into the shadows after that. He'd only follow me to ask what I'd been doing, or if I wanted to help, or to help him with whatever errand he was on.
"Hey, Nut! I didn't know you were out this way. What are you up to? Want to come check the east border with me?"
It would have almost been better if he'd been a jerk about it like Hyssop would have been. But no, my dear brother was terminally considerate and helpful, just like a future pack leader should be. I couldn't even say he was faking, the way Hyssop sometimes faked being nice to set you up for something. Nope. In addition to being strong and good looking, Hawthorn was genuinely concerned for the wellbeing of his fellow pack members.
"I'm good, thanks Hawthorn. I'm just..." Rabbit turds, I should have thought of a good excuse for being up here.
He saw my hesitation, of course. "Is something up, Nut?"
"No, I just... um... I was..." Sigh. Screw it, I might as well tell him. "Ok, look, you promise you won't tell Mom and Dad?"
"It's nothing really bad, right?" That was Hawthorn, always careful about giving his word.
"It's nothing Hyssop hasn't done before."
He nodded. We both knew our sister hunted trouble the way most wolves hunted rabbits, but she stayed clear of anything bad. "Ok, I promise."
"Hyssop was chewing my tail again about not being a real wolf, and she dared me to come out here and scare someone." He started to speak but I cut him off "You don't count. You weren't scared plus you're pack. I'm staying out here till a human comes!"
He grinned, which I wasn't expecting. Normally I'd have gotten a lecture about how scaring people didn't make you a bigger wolf, and an offer to come hunting with him. "You're in luck, little brother. I passed one on the trail maybe twenty minutes ago. If you want to make a human squeal, now's your chance. She should be here any minute now." With a jump and a scramble he was up on the rock beside me.
We crouched, and didn't have to wait long before she rounded the bend in the trail. I almost gave us away by laughing. In a red shirt, with her gold hair in two braids, and carrying a delicious smelling basket she looked weirdly like the picture in this one book my Dad used to read to us to show how humans thought of wolves. Granted, she was wearing shorts instead of a dress and she had a big red bag strapped to her back, but it was still kinda funny looking. I elbowed Hawthorn and he grinned back at me. She was still plenty far down the trail. I gathered my feet under me, ready to leap. I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. Proper wolves did not have nervous tummies.
Just before she passed us, I leapt down onto the trail in front of her. I straightened to my full height and snarled terrifyingly. Her scream was satisfying. The way she smacked me in the muzzle with her basket was less satisfying.
"Ow! What did you do that for!" I covered my nose and tried to wipe my watering eyes.
"Serves you right! What do you think you're doing, jumping out like that?"
"I was just trying to scare you!" I heard laughter coming from up on the rock. "Hawthorn you skunk! You told me I could scare her!"
He slid down still laughing. "I'm sorry Nut, I really am. I passed her on the path and she didn't even jump and then I saw you here and it was too good to waste! You should have seen her hit you with the basket!" He dissolved into more laughter.
"You've been spending too much time with Hyssop," I grumbled. My nose didn't seem to be bleeding, just tender. Hawthorn kept laughing.
The woman stood with her hands on her hips, glaring back and forth between the two of us. "Idiots. Look, you made me spill my muffins."
It was true. When she'd whacked me two muffins had flown out of her covered basket and now lay in the dirt. I started to feel a little bad.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
"Uh huh." She didn't seem impressed. "What were you doing up there anyhow? Just lurking waiting for someone to walk by?"
"Yeah, but, well, I know it's kinda dumb, but my sister put me up to it."
She softened a little. "I have a sister too. I guess we can call that extenuating circumstances."
"I really am sorry, ok? Here, I'll help you pick them up." I scooped the muffins off the ground and held them out to her. She looked at them doubtfully. They did have some dirt on them, and one had a leaf stuck to it.
"Keep them, if you want. I can't bring them to my grandmother like that. I still have some for her anyhow."
