Wahrsager the wolf

I really do feel like I need a cane and a long beard, but I'd like to tell you all a story. I hope that you enjoy it, and I hope that you read into it. Like the brothers Grimm, my stories are rarely just about plot exposition.

In a time when all of Germania was covered by a vast wood that spanned from the Black forest to the Teutoburg forest and far beyond on either side, a time before the legions of Alexander would first defile even a part of it, there were many strange happenings. Deep in this sacred wood, there lived a pack of wolves, about whom this story centers.

One day, a young wolf named Wahrsager went to speak to an elder of the pack. He desired to go out into the wood without the rest of the pack, and to go and see other packs, and how they lived, and to go and see other species entirely, and how they lived. The elder told him that only misery would result, but he went anyway.

On the first day of his journey, he met an owl. The owl, being the oldest and wisest of the birds in the whole forest said to the Wahrsager, "Go back to your pack. They love you and care about you, and you will only find misery in your travels. Go back to your pack, young wolf." Wahrsager, however, did not heed the owl's warning.

On he traveled, and on the second day he found a small human village. Thinking he might stop in for a meal consisting of more than the rabbits he had been eating, he went and spoke to a member of the village. The villager, did not meet him well, and began throwing things at him, and chasing him. But Wahrsager escaped with his life and all of his fur and paws, and went back to his journey with an acute knowledge of fear and war.

It was many days before the next happening, and Wahrsager had lost count. He still remembered how to get home though. He encountered a bear. He feared at first that the bear might eat him, but instead he was shown kindness, and the bear took him into his home to meet his family and to dine. The bear prayed over his food, thanking Wotan for his bounty. Here, Wahrsager learned of religion. Sadly though, the day came when he next must leave.

One day, several months later, Wahrsager met another pack of wolves. He had passed many packs on his journey, but this was the first he actually tried to talk to. They welcome him, warily, and brought him in, and offered him friendship and place to stay, but would not let him near their women or children. Here he learned of philosophy. After a week or so, Wahrsager left, and headed home, making many interesting stops and learning much along the way.

As he neared his family in his pack, he encountered first the wise old owl. The owl looked at him and said, "Go back. You will not be well received by your pack, young wolf. You are too different, and they will not have you. Go enjoy your hermitage, young wolf. Go back." Wahrsager though, did not listen.

When he arrived back at the cave where his pack lived, he was greeted with warmth and smiles, though something was different. When he tried to tell the other wolves what he had learned on his journey, they turned their backs to him and would not listen. The elder cautioned them publicly that Wahrsager meant to turn them away from the ways that had availed them since the dawn of time.

Wahrsager swore that he would not speak of his journey again, and did not share any of the wisdom he had gained. But he was still different now, within the pack, and they all sensed it. And one day, as he was going his business doing wolfy things, they killed him.

Und wenn sie nicht gestorben sind, dann leben sie noch heute.