Wayayanno, Wolf Mother - Where Are My Lost Cubs?

Wayayanno was getting concerned. It was nearly morning and her cubs had been alone all night, assuming they were still alive!

She howled out across the prairie, her cries echoing against the stillness. She hoped that the wind would carry her call to her children.

“Ahh-wooooooo.”

“Ahh-wooo- woooo-woooo.”

Wayayanno was the mother of three cubs. Her mother gave her the name that meant protector mother in Cherokee. It was traditional in her family to name all cubs with Cherokee names. People said that a Cherokee brave raised her great-grandfather. “The last of the good ones,” her mother used to say. They were the last of their kind to settle in the mountains after they escaped from the reservation.

High in the Appalachian Mountains, they thought they would be safe, but it did not last long.

Now, her tiny pack of gray wolves was also dwindling. Hunted by the white man for their pelts, they had to be cautious.

She was risking her life and that of her cubs by making repeated calls.

“Ahh-wooooooo.”

“Ahh-wooo- woooo-woooo.”

She called out again, “Danowoa, Unega, Ayita, where are you?”

Danowoa (warrior) was strong-headed and fearless even at his tender age. “It was probably him that led them out of the den,” she muttered.

Unega (meaning the white one because of the white patch that covered half his face) was the other male. Ayita, meaning first to dance, was her little girl. She would have followed because she did not want to be separated from her brothers. Ayita would be so scared. She hoped her brothers would take care of her and keep her safe.

Where were they?

She called out again, “Ahh-wooo- woooo-woooo.”

Heavy snow had fallen during the night, and when she returned to their den, she found the entrance blocked. She dug through the snow until she could not feel her paws. When she finally broke through, none of them were there to her dismay.

She had placed the snow hare she had caught for them to eat on the snow near the entrance, hoping that they would return. In the early morning before daylight, she had seen a pack of four young males creeping up on her.

She couldn't manage all four and was ready to give up her catch. But something else about them worried her. It had been a long winter, and they were hungry, so she hoped the thought of a free dinner appealed to them.

Other wolves in the mountains called them the “brat pack.” Like many teens, they looked for trouble and only cared about themselves. They terrorized other wolf families. They stole food. Some even claimed they had eaten a cub. They had chased them into the field of traps put down by the white man.

The cubs lacked experience. They fell into traps hidden in the snow. Then, the brat pack ripped them apart and ate them.

This was not going to happen to her cubs. She was not called Wayayanno for nothing.

She retrieved the snow hare from under a thin later of snow. As the snow had eased a little in the early morning hours, it was not yet completely cold. She dragged the snow hare away from the den. Letting the fresh scent settle on the snow, hoping the brat pack would follow.

Her plan worked, and about half a mile from the den, she had dropped the hare. As she came back over the rise, she heard the boys fighting. They were each trying to grab the snow hare.

Sitting on the rise upwind of the den, she called out again, “Ahh-wooo- woooo-woooo.”

She hoped the children had hidden in the old tree only a short distance from the den. They always went there to play, and she hoped that snow had trapped them there, leaving them unsure how to get out.

"Ahh-wooo- woooo-woooo, ahh ahh wooo,” she called out in panic.

She halted abruptly. Her ears picked up on the sound of snow crunching behind her.

Crootch, crootch, crootch. It was getting closer. It was the sound a wolf made in the snow: a large wolf.

She swung around, teeth snarling, eyes glaring, and with a look of determination that reeked of “don’t mess with me.”

There it was, a very large male wolf. She felt pleased that it was not one of the Brat pack, but now faced a different problem. She would be no match for a wolf of this size!

He was not growling or snarling and did not look ready to fight with her, so she dropped her guard.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“I am Atsani; you do not have to fear me. Let me help you.”

Wayayanno had heard of Atsani (the wise one). He was the oldest and strongest of the wolves that lived in her part of the mountains. Few people had seen him; he lived alone.

“I have been watching you from high on the rise. Your cubs are safe in the tree's hollow, but not for long. The Brat Pack will head back there soon. Tracing back to where you had the hare, looking to see if there are more. They will find your cubs, and, well, (he hesitated) let me help you get there first.”

“I will lead them away from the tree and take them further down into the valley where they will be downwind. You go and be with your cubs. The tree hollow is a good place until the snow stops, and you can return to your den. Don’t worry. The brat pack will not give you any trouble. You have my word.”

Wayayanno didn't know how he was going to do this, but there was little else she could do. She agreed.

“Good, let's go then,” said Atsani. With that, he turned abruptly and dug into the snow with great effort. Bounding with great energy against the depth of the snow.

She waited until she saw Atsina at the front of their den. A loud scuffle arose. The brat pack surrounded Atsani. Their snarling voices put her on edge, and she tried not to imagine what would happen if they got hold of her cubs.

She reached the tree hollow and dug at the entrance. She paused often to listen for any sound.

“Ahh-ahh-wooo, ow-ow-ow,” she cried. Nothing.

She must be getting lost, she thought, and suddenly she broke through the snow.

She peeked into the hollow. In the back corner, she saw her three little wolf cubs. They were shivering from fear, the cold, or both.

Recognizing her, they jumped up and started licking her snow and jumping all over her.

After the reunion, they cuddled close, sharing the warmth of their bodies.

With her cubs beside her, she wondered what had happened to Atsani. Why had he been so kind? He didn’t even know her. She lost herself in her thoughts. It had been a long night, and she was tired and hungry. She could now enjoy her cubs and deal with the rest tomorrow. She fell asleep, oblivious to who was outside.

*** The sequel to this story can be found here:

Till next time,

Calvin

Submitted to Ray Taylor's unofficial challenge: