Ba'ob: Alone

Ba’ob was alone.

Around him, the forest kept on being a forest. Brightly colored birds screeched and flew away at his approach. Patches of white flashed in the corner of his eye as a pair of deer fled. They knew what they saw. An interloper. Danger.

Wouldn’t be that way for long. Ba’ob paused, crouching down to feel the trace of blood smeared against the ground. Liquid still. Getting close. He was on the trail of a pack of wolves. They were dragging a fresh kill in for the old and the young. Not his old pack. But good enough.

Ba’ob found himself rubbing at metal-on-skin. He tore his hand away, scowling. Could forget it soon, go back to the way things were. Hunt, kill, survive, and that was all that mattered. Stopped a moment, resting against a tree. Hunger gnawed at his insides. Soon, he promised himself. Even though the idea of eating raw meat made his stomach revolt. It’d get used to it again. He’d get used to it again.

The smell was the first thing he noticed. Smelled like blood and entrails. Next was the sounds, yipping and playful growling- sounded like pups. He paused, just out of sight. Not that it helped. He could hear the pups being shushed, the rustling as they were chased into the den. Ba’ob stepped into view just as the last vanished into the den. Five adults were left, standing and staring. Tense, wary. Hostile.

Ba’ob reached for the magics burning inside him. Twisted it to his will, gestured and muttered, and felt the spell take hold. Go time.

He dropped to all fours. Whined, cowering. *Not a threat*. Crawled towards the closest one. *Let me stay?*

The wolf lunged. Teeth snapped, inches from Ba’ob’s face. *No.*

Ba’ob flinched backwards, could feel himself pulling to his feet, before catching himself. Stay on all fours, be like the wolves. *Please*, he pleaded, crawling so low his belly scraped the ground. *Can hunt. Can help. Please. Let me stay.* Rolled over, exposing his belly, whined more. *Am alone.*

The others began closing in. Four snarling muzzles, so many teeth. *Intruder. Not welcome.* One lunged again, for the neck. Ba’ob barely managed to get his arm up in time. For once, the metal protected him. But the point was made. *Leave.* It backed off, and the others kept growling.

This time, Ba’ob did stand on two legs. Stood, and ran away as fast as he could.

Weakness in his legs kept him from running too far. He sagged against a tree, prickly bark digging into his skin. Rubbed at wet eyes. Sobbed. Once, twice, and then he was crying.

Stupid. Wolves didn’t cry. Wolves didn’t care. Wolves didn’t care about anything but the pack, and where their next meal came from. But Ba’ob was an elf. A crying, useless, weak *elf*. A lonely elf. Wasting water he couldn’t spare with stupid tears.

Something wet and cold pressed against his arm. Ba’ob jerked back, banging his head on the tree. It was one of the wolves. She had stood in front of the den, the mother of the pups. She sat, cocked her head. *Pup is upset?*

“Yes,” Ba’ob said. Elf words, this time. The magic was still buzzing through his skin. She’d understand.

She sat there, studying him with the calm gaze of nature. Like a creature that didn’t care if he lived or died, if she lived or died. And then she leaned forwards and licked his face. *Silly pup. Be calm.*

Ba’ob froze. Warm tongue cleaned away dirt and tears. Could easily turn to teeth and blood. “Stop,” he pleaded. High and broken, full of fear.

She did, sitting back and cocking her head quizzically. *Pup is upset?*

Slowly, Ba’ob nodded. Watching her. She watched back. “Why?” he asked. “Why did you come? You have pups. You have a pack.”

*Pups grown. Don’t need me. Pack doesn’t need me.* She leaned forwards, nudging Ba’ob’s arm with her nose. *This pup needs me.*

Oh. Ba’ob could feel the tears coming back. Different, this time.Slowly he reached for her, resting a hand on her shoulder. The wolf only watched. He lunged forwards, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her fur. Cried. The wolf licked at his back, his shoulder, what she could reach without dislodging his grip.

This wasn’t what he’d planned. This wasn’t what he’d have chosen. But Ba’ob wasn’t alone, and that was good enough.