From: rawn@manduca.neurobio.arizona.edu (Rawn Shah)
Newsgroups: alt.wolves
Subject: Re: Another newcomer
Date: 4 Sep 92 00:59:46 GMT
Organization: University of Arizona UNIX Users Group


    Well, I'm yet another new user here and I thought I'd start it off with
a story wrote of wolves back in the spring of '91. I never really expanded
the story. Its another of my half dozen short stories, although actually
turned out better than most. This one actually came to me in a dream one
night.

    If anyone likes it I'll post the other short story I wrote about wolves.
You'll notice the subject matter is somewhat similar.


Rawn Shah
rawn@neurobio.arizona.edu

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    	I made up this story last night in my half drowsy state of
    studying. Its a romantic fairy tale about love. The story is not
    entirely here in itself. But condensed by myself. Its a tale of a 
    love lost then found then lost again forever....
    
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    	"Why do wolves howl at the moon, you ask?", asked the Old man.
    "Well let me tell you a story...One of love and trueness of the
    heart..."....
    
    	Once ago, a long, long forever past there was a young prince called
    Jason and his one true love, the lady Rachel. They had grown up nearby
    for many years and their friendship developed into love, admirable and
    true. Jason was young and bold, golden locks long till his shoulder and
    he was born with the spirit of the wild. It was foretold that he would
    not die nor would spirit disappear... The princess Rachel was from
    another neighboring kingdom and was the fairest in her land. Born under
    the pale light of a full moon, the night of her birth was astounding to
    all astrologers. The stars shone like diamond sparkles and the moon
    beamed down through the window unto the newborn princess.
    	So it came to pass that a great war was upon the kingdom of his
    father and he rode forth with the armies. As he rode he remembered his
    last words to his beloved, "I will never forget you...Even if I shall
    not return from this battle"... When the armies were camped, Jason went
    alone into the neighboring woods. As he stood under the clam morning
    sun, he heard a rustle behind. Drawing his sword he turned to face the
    enemy, but to his suprise he saw a wolf. Not just a wolf, but the
    biggest wolf he had ever seen in his life. It stood face to face with
    him with long dark shaggy fur, huge powerful muscles rippling beneath
    the skin and fur. It simply stared at him. He noticed the big gash
    across its chest and he was saddened.  Lowering his sword, Jason
    knelt on the ground before the wolf and bowed before the majestic
    animal. He raised his head and for a brief second, they shared a sense
    of recognition. Then the wolf turned and disappeared into the forest.
    	The battle turned out to be an ill-fated one for his kingdom. As he
    lay down on the ground, bleeding from a stab, Jason sought only to
    think of his Rachel; her fiery red hair blowing in the moonlight, the
    rose-scentlike smell of herself. And he closed his eyes to the
    darkness... He awoke to find an old woman looking down on himself. His
    blurred vision gave him a view of an old ratchety hut. And to the left,
    he saw a wolf, he recognised, he could not remember from where....
    	"Calm now, young prince...Your wound is yet healing...The wolf
    found you and brought you to me. You and he are now one of the same...
    You share his blood, he shares yours... Whosoever should die first,
    shall live again in the body of the other... Eternal life my prince,
    but a price to pay nevertheless...", said the old woman.
    	Jason could not remember his past. Nothing, all was gone except for
    one image, a face, a form dancing under the moonlight in a white gown
    billowing in the gusts; and her flaming red hair... 
    	"Why do you call me a prince, old woman?", asked Jason.
    	"For that you...will be...", the old woman lied.
    	"Do not ask now, go!...go forth and raise your kingdom! And return
    not to me until thy death... Go young prince, Faerawn"
    	Knowing not even his name, he chose what the old woman had given
    him. Faerawn. And he ventured forth.
    	Many years passed, Prince Faerawn had made a name and brought a
    kingdom to rise in mighty splendor. He had conquered all his enemies
    and unknowingly his fathers enemies, all but one. The high dark-King,
    Loraith. The Dark-king had power over his own birth-right lands and
    also over the once kingdoms of Faerawns father and the Father of the
    princess Rachel. 
    	And a battle ensued between the two kingdoms of Faerawn and the
    Dark-king. It was a war all complete in a day; The armies of Faerawn
    came crashing through the doors of the palace of the Dark-king. The
    young prince stormed the throne room to find the Dark-king and... a
    beautiful maiden of flaming red hair. The wolf who had ventured with
    the prince stood by his side. And he looked into her eyes and saw
    recognition. Both hers and his. In that instant he remembered,...
    "I shall never forget you...." A long dark sword flew across the room
    at the prince and struck him down. The wolf charged the dark-king and
    killed the slayer of his master. The princess Rachel ran towards her
    dying love and held his head in her arms. 
    	"Rachel..."
    	The weeping princess hushed the dying prince and sang a song they
    once both loved.
    	"I shall.. never.... for...get....you-uhhhh".
    	His head slumped as he fell into her lap into the dark sleep. The
    wolf stood above the shredded corpse of the Dark-king and grimaced. It
    turned its head to see and hear the dying words of its master. It came
    forward and stood above the weeping form of the princess and howled in
    its anger and sadness. Rachel could not bear it. One swift move, she
    removed the princes dagger and pierced her heart...and the wolf was too
    slow to stop her. It sat and stared. Tears streaked its face and fur
    and mixed with the blood. It turned and ran out of the room.
    	The wolf ran and ran through the castle, out the city, through the
    fields into the forest. It ran up a hill and climbed as far as it could
    up onto a cliff. And it looked up at the moon and he thought of his
    sweet Rachel. His life was gone and so was his Rachel; Jason lifted his
    head and sang his song of lament at the image of his love on the moon.
    And the wolf howled... Through the night up towards the full moon. The
    other wolves heard its sad story and joined up in chorus. And they
    howled together for the lost love of the young prince and princess...
    
    	And even till this day, you can hear their song of lament; handed
    down from wolf to wolf and spread across the lands....

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