Furry Art Pile

Short story: Susan The Wolf, Part 1

It was midnight. The full moon illuminated the southern sea. A gray wolf swam in the sea. The shore was nowhere to be seen. She had swum many hours and exhaustion started to show signs. To a normal person it would have been a considerable performance, swimming hour after hour, but to the wolf it was nothing. She was an Immortal. Only real threat to her was loosing conciousness and drowning. Her instinct guided her, she was nearing a small island.

To a shore on a small island she landed. She was tired, her clothes were wet and her fur was dripping with seawater. She could barely walk after the swim. She half walked half crawled away from the shore towards the edge of a palm tree forest. At the root of one of the palm trees she stopped, lay on the ground, curled up under the tree and slept.

-----

It was forenoon. The sun shone from a cloudless sky. The wolf woke up. She lifted herself to a sitting position. She examined her surroundings. She couldn't see anything else but the sea, the endless shore and the palm tree forest from where she was sitting. Still her instinct told there was someone else on the island. She couldn't figure any reason to avoid this person. She was alone, she hadn't anything but her clothes and she could have some food. The need to eat wasn't really a concern to her as an Immortal, but she knew she would gain her strength back more rabidly, if she got something to eat. She made up her mind and got up and started walking counterclockwise along the shore.

Her feet were aching. The long swim had lefted its toll. The sun was nearly atop the sky, the midday was nearing. She continued her walking.

A small house came to her sight. The edge of the forest was farther from the shore near the house. The house was made out of stone and it had a thatched roof. The house had no windows, just a small vent near the edge of the roof. Smoke was arising from the chimney. She neared the house.

She was next to a wooden door. She knocked the door. Her instinct told her there was someone just at the other side of the door. The door creaked and opened just to a slit. A shape looked from the other side. She tried to make an eye contact, but the opening was so narrow she could barely see one eye of the shape.

”Good day.” No answer. ”I was in a shipwreck and landed just at last night to this island.” No answer. ”I'm alone, I'm not threatening you with anything, I'm only asking for food and shelter for a couple of nights or so long I can carry out a way to leave this island.”

The shape didn't answer. She was starting to loose her temper, when a male voice, unaccustomed to speak, answered.

”You are an Immortal.”

She was pleased to have some feedback.

”Well, yes I am.”

There was a silence for a moment.

”I never have had a visitor.”

There was something odd at the voice. She decided to take a different approach.

”Maybe I should have introduced myself first. My name is Susan.”

The voice was silent for a moment before answering.

”I cannot remember any name, if I ever have had one.” Susan was starting to loose her hope to achieve anything by speaking to this peculiar character. ”But I am also an Immortal.” The door opened more and let some light in the house revealing the shape.

The shape was a male wolf. He was a head taller than Susan and broad-shouldered. He looked old, he had whitened fur on his face and here and there on his body. He was clad only to a loincloth. He had a serious and tired look on his face, as he hadn't laughed in a century. Susan was relieved to have someone to talk to, not just an eye.

”Come in. I can get you something to eat.”

The small house was ascetic. It was just one room. There was a bunk at one wall, and a table and a couple of stools at the other wall. The kitchen was just a one cupboard and a fireplace.

“There is some bread and ham.”

He placed a plate onto the table. Susan sat on a stool and ate. He had some apples and a knife. He sat on the other stool and started to peel an apple.

“You were in a shipwreck.”

Susan paused her eating to answer.

“Yes, I was travelling on a ship. We were attacked by pirates. The captain tried to shake them away but the ship crashed on to a shallow. The ship was easy prey to the pirates. There was some fighting and I saw it better to abandon the ship. There was no land to be seen, but my instinct told me there was an island here.”

“Were you travelling towards east or west?”

“West.” He just continued his peeling. “I was going to accompany my boyfriend at the destination port. He is going to be awfully worried over me, although I am just as experienced adventurer as he.”

“He is also an Immortal?” His question was more of a statement.

“Yes, he is.”

The old wolf had peeled the apple. He cut it into pieces. He ate the apple bit by bit. He looked out. He sighed.

“You have said nothing, but I think you have a great urge to continue your journey.”

“Yes”, Susan answered. She hadn't really thought anything else besides surviving and continuing her trip.

“West. If you had a sailboat and a good wind, it would take only a couple of days to sail to the nearest port to west.”

“Really!”

“We are not so far from the mainland as it seems.” He fell silent.

“But there is a problem”, Susan said. He looked to Susan. “I have no sailboat.” He looked out again.

“That is not a problem. I have tools. I could make one. It would be a simple vessel with a simple sail, but it would be just enough seaworthy to sail to the nearest port.” He continued telling how he would build a ship. There were growing some bigger rainforest trees nearer the center of the island. Two of them could be taken down and be carved empty to make two canoes. Then the canoes could be attached to make a catamaran. Sail could be made with fibers from palm tree leaves and ropes could be made from hemp. Susan listened his plan to make a sailboat. He got to the end of his plan. Susan looked intensly to him.

“Would you be willing to build or help me to build this ship?”

He looked slowly at her.

“Yes, of course! I cannot see any other choice but to help you.”

Susan was little doubtful.

“We don't even know each other and you are ready help me.”

“Well, we are both Immortals. I cannot see any other possibilities than helping you or slaying you.”

Susan was shocked by his words. Still she couldn't read any feeling from his face, he just looked out, as deeply in his thoughts. Awkward silence settled. She felt she had to break it.

“Is there any way to wash myself?”

He awaked from his thoughts.

“There is a spring. I have no towels.”

“I don't care. I have to wash myself.”

“Okay. I show it to you.”

They walked towards the center of the island. He showed the spring and returned to the house. Susan washed herself.

-----

When Susan returned to the house, he was sitting on a long bench outside the house. Susan decided she had to figure out more about her host. She sat at the other end of the bench and started conversation.

“Have you been a long time alone on this island?”

The old wolf just looked at the sea.

“Yes, nearly ten years now.”

“Why are you here?”

He sighed.

“I don't think you would understant even if I told you.”

Susan's interest awoke.

“How come? Test me.”

He looked at Susan.

“Do I look old to you?”

“To be honest, yes.”

“How old are you?”

“Couple of hundreds.”

“I am over thousand years old.” He paused. “I am tired. Tired of living. This island is my sanctuary. I do not have the strength to accomplish the task I was given and I am too tired to meet other people, so I live here as a hermit.”

“What is this task you mentioned?”

He looked at the sea and thought for a while.

“Have you heard about The White King?”

The conversation was more and more interesting to Susan.

“Yes, I have heard about him.”

“I am... I was one of his knights. The Executioner I was called that time. It was the task I was given. I was trained by The White King himself.”

Again Susan was a bit shocked.

“You... killed people.” He nodded. “Well, I can see why you prefer isolation. It must have been a tough work.” She kept a small pause. “Is there a new knight to do your job now?” The old wolf sighed.

“Wait here.”

He went in and came back after a short time. When he returned, he was carrying a big sword. The sword was two-handed, it looked heavy, it was without any decorations and the blade was black. He sat and took the sword on his lap. He looked at the sword and feeled its edge, he touched the metal very gently. When he started talking, it was like he was talking to the sword.

“This is the tool I used to work with. It was originally forged by The White King, but I have fixed it numerous times. I have no scabbard for it, but I keep it in oily clothes to keep it from rusting.”

“Why is the blade black?”

He looked at Susan.

“Blackened with the Immortals' blood.”

Susan looked at the sword with shock.

“It is... true-iron. You are an Immortal-killer!”

He looked again at the sword. Susan couldn't read anything from his face, but he talked as he had been gravely insulted.

“I was the Executioner. I do not regret anything I have done. It is great honor to be killed by this sword, it means The White King has interest in you. If you were a mortal, you are going to be his knight, if you were an Immortal, you are going to the better place.”

“What is 'the better place'?”

The Executioner looked at Susan.

“Do you think this is the only world?”

“I... I have never thought about it”, Susan answered little confused.

The old wolf continued his tale.

“It is a form of art to kill an Immortal. It has to be done right ritually, mentally and physicly. If the soul is in agony, I wouldn't kill the body, the risk to loose the soul forever is too great. The executioned must be willing to die.” He looked at Susan. “I am tired. I cannot do my task anymore. But I cannot leave this world before there is a new Executioner. So, here I wait, isolated, waiting the new Executioner to come and release me from the earthly bond which bounds me to this world.”

“You want to die?”

He just nodded. They didn't talk anymore.

After a while he decided to take the sword back in. Susan followed him after a moment, but halted at the door. The old wolf was kneeling on the floor, he had wrapped the sword back to oily clothes and positioned it to a corner of the house. He was holding his head as in great pain and he was trembling. Susan saw he was crying silently. She decided not to interfere, she walked slowly back out.

The talk with the Executioner had given Susan much to think about. She knew Immortals could suffer from old age, but it had never come to her like this. The life as an Immortal was mostly good, adventuring, enhanced physical and mental abilities, all the opportunities of apparent immortality. The tought of coming tired of living had never occurred to her. The White King's idea of “the better place” must be very tempting, if you were tired to the world. Susan had only heard rumors about The White King, other worlds and reincarnation. This was the first time she had actually met one the knights. And already her mind had been confused.

-----

Night settled. The small house was actually quite comfortable, the Executioner had many gifts from The White King to help his daily chores. The fireplace was everburning, it didn't need wood. The cupboard was also spelled, it regenerated food. There were only one bread, one apple and one fish, one piece of cheese, ham and meat, one can of milk and water and they would be regenerated infinitely. He told the magic used in the house was beyond his knowledge, he couldn't explane it, but he was very thankful for it, he hadn't any need to worry about providing or preparing food.

When they settled down to sleep, the old wolf demanded that Susan would sleep in the bunk. Susan was going to argue, but dared not to, when she saw his determined look. He said he was used to hard conditions, it was nothing to him to sleep naked on the bare ground. He was very polite, he waited outside while Susan undressed and settled in the bed. He just took some blankets and wrapped himself next to the fireplace.

Next morning they started building the ship.