The dawn of the new day was beautiful as the sun rose earlier, the warm winds blew, and Nibelski awoke to a new life that she had never even dreamed of. Her and Garius had found a bond even death would not break as they ventured out into a new world of joy they would now share.
Their time together was now more playful as they had begun a new life together finally removing their inner walls and giving of themselves to each other. There was trust, there was a new reliance forming, but most of all there was love.
Walter sat watching them interact amazed by what he saw. She was looking more like a wolf now and he was acting more like a fox. They were always with each other and he saw the love between them and he was reminded of his old loyal friend who died many years ago. A moment of happiness soured by the deep loss of one so close to his heart. A tear found its way out of his eye and he wiped it away. The wolf and the fox ran by quickly with her nipping at his tail.
Garius was more open and relaxed now around her and she enjoyed seeing his softer side as he would teach her more about being a wolf and she would distract him with her playful games. They felt alive like never before with a newfound bond that made them stronger together. It felt like the world was new and only good things now lay before them.
The days passed quickly and they enjoyed the company of their human friends. Soon it would be warm enough to leave and Garius could not wait to get back to his pack and share the news about him and Nibelski. As the days passed they found themselves playing more and enjoying each other as the snow receded away. They knew soon they would be leaving their human friends to return to their own kind. Nibelski and Garius grew stronger with each passing day.
Augustus and his family knew the time to leave was approaching so he set out to say goodbye to his friend. His friend had taught him a few new words and he was still working on a tough one called "nearlymord" or that was the best Augustus could do. He preferred "damn" instead as it was an easy word. Along the way he picked a nice flower to leave his friend in hopes that he would understand. Augustus had a family that he must stay with now, and that family had to move on with the changing sun.
The day was warmer than before and now lasted longer, so they would fly a long journey to reach the beginning of the wilds and the end of the human homes. Next would be the stopover until the next leg of their journey. There they would wait a day or two to allow the weaker ones time to recover their strength completely. Augustus noticed Angus was having a hard time with the flying so he flew down to ask him if he was alright.
"I am fine, I am not use to all this flying. I have become old, fat and lazy living off the scraps of the humans, but this is good for me. Just a little rest and I will be fine."
"No worries," Augustus told him. "We will rest here for a day or two then move on. Many of the older ones need rest as well."
Angus was happy to hear there would be a longer rest since he was not completely honest with his friend. He was very tired and could use the extra days to get back to flying. To him it was worth the effort to stay with his new family.
After many days rest they flew to their next destination, again taking a few days rest and then finally coming closer to the cave where the pack could be found. Augustus wondered if Garius would be there or if he would have to journey further to see him. He missed their adventures and their scouting food together. His family ate better and were much stronger eating the wild food that the wolves provided. He considered his arrangement with Garius and was proud of his idea that provided so many benefits to everyone.
He announced that he would be taking a short leave to visit the wolves cave to see if Garius was there. He knew he could get there and come back within the same day.
Angus inquired "You mind if I come along? I will keep my distance and just watch. I have never seen a wolf."
"Well you still might not, but they are dangerous to strangers like yourself. They trust me, but I am unsure how they will take to you." Augustus thought about it a little more. "Alright, but stay in the tree I show you when we arrive, just so you don't startle them."
Saying their goodbyes they flew off so that Augustus could greet the wolves and hopefully prepare for a hunt soon. The wolves were probably skinny from their long cold winter and they would probably enjoy a large feast of fresh meat. Augustus was looking forward to introducing Angus to Garius and having him partake of a great feast.
When they arrived Augustus showed Angus where he should stay in the trees. "Perch here, you will get a good view if they are around and I will call to you when it is safe." He then flew down close to the entrance of the cave and stood on a large rock calling to Werson that he had arrived and that his family would be arriving soon. He waited, but there was nothing happening. The silence bothered him so he decided to check around the cave for tracks of any sort belonging to the wolves, but what he found troubled him greatly. Bear tracks. He froze and would not dare to enter the cave. He feared the worst had happened with the wolves and he did not know what to do next.
From his perch Angus could see the beauty of everything, finding it so relaxing. The air smelled clean, the land was wide and open before him, and he felt like he had come home. No more running and scavenging for food, no more wondering how he would eat tomorrow. He enjoyed the peace as he reminded himself that he must thank Augustus for making him part of his family.
He was watching everything as Agustus hopped around close to the cave and then he saw it. The large creature came out of the cave. It looked like the human dogs, which were friendly, but this one was larger and it looked angry. He saw it sneaking up behind Augustus sitting there frozen. He had to act and protect his friend, his family. He swooped down as the wolf raised its paw and placed himself between the two of them. He cried out as he charged in to warn Augustus as the paw came slashing down striking him with a great force tearing his body open. He was thrown off the back edge off the cave that had a small cliff that dropped off.
Quickly escaping, Augustus flew up into the air looking down at what had just happened. He saw the wolf snarling at him and the body of Angus lying on the edge off the cliff just behind the cave. He was devastated and confused as to what had just happened. He landed on a large tree to observe more and try to solve this evil riddle set before him. He remembered this wolf, but never knew his name. Where was the rest of the pack? Where was Werson? He wanted to check on Angus to see what injuries he had hoping that he was still alive.
Then he saw the bear come out of the cave and talk with the wolf, but he could not hear what they were saying. The bear had scars on him that looked like he had been in a fight recently and Augustus wondered if it was with the wolves. He noticed how he interacted with the wolf and realized they were working together. This wolf must have aligned with this bear in some agreement to overthrow the pack. Everything was all so terrible here in this once safe environment as he wondered if Werson was alright. Was Garius alright? He needed to check on his friend Angus whose quick thinking had saved him.
He flew around the back of the cliff to check on his old friend. His body was cold and lifeless. Augustus grieved for a moment then pulled his body behind some bushes on the cliff side. He vowed to return with his family to hold a proper ceremony for his friend. "I will be back, I promise." As he flew off back to his family wondering what their plans would be now. He decided on a spring that he knew close by that they could stay for awhile. From there he could fly back to the place he left his friend Garius, and see if he was still there.
For Augustus this was the saddest day of his life. His friend was gone and would not experience the joy of the great feast. He would not meet his good friend Garius, and he would not be able to enjoy the great beauty of nature. "He gave his life to save me," he whispered to himself as he flew. He was a true friend and now he is gone. To anyone below his flight path they would have felt a gentle rain touch them, yet it was not rain at all. It was something not often seen in this cruel world. The tears of a crow.