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From: "Stasya T. Canine" <stasyatk9@juno.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} Dawn Greeter (zoo-(coming 0f age) slow best-(mteen/wolfess) 1st) Stasya T. Canine
X-Original-Subject: Dawn Greeter (zoo-(coming 0f age) slow best-(mteen/wolfess) 1st) Stas
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<1st attachment, "dawn-greeter.txt" begin>
zoo-(coming of age) slow best-(mteen/wolfess) 1st
If any words are run together, it was done as part of the ASSM
reformatting. It left here with NO run on words or sentences,
and spell-checked.
note: I use doubled quotes to indicate telepathic conversations.
---
Dawn Greeter
A Challenge Universe Story - Ward's early years
by: Stasya T. Canine
---
The man and woman share a resigned look before they quietly get
up and leave the room. Their ten year old son never notices the
look--or the worried frown on his father's face.
The woman breaks the silence first. "What will we tell him if he
asks?"
He chokes off a slightly hysterical laugh before he smiles
faintly. "He doesn't need to ask. Last week's show gave the
initial contact info."
"Oh." She faces the window and looks out. "If he doesn't get
diverted by some other obsession, they'll probably take him as
soon as he's old enough."
It's his turn to gaze out the window. "You sound pretty
certain."
"He's an empath."
"Does he know?"
"Not yet."
"Wolves. I'm not looking forward to his puberty." The man
gestures vaguely, as if to indicate something more than the
valley their home overlooks. "I've heard them howl, out there."
His shoulders sag and his wife moves to massage his back. "He's
my son but... I wish he were a normal ten year old!"
She stiffens and then hugs her husband. "We could move back to
the city."
"No." He straightens as his decision is made. "If it must
happen, he needs every advantage he can get. I hope he changes
his mind..."
She calmly speaks the words he left unspoken. "But if he's like
his father was at that age, he won't." She moves so she is at
his side again. "I'll make sure the Institute keeps one of their
packs in the valley--just in case."
His lips reluctantly form a smile as he gazes out the window and
remembers the decisions he'd made when he was ten. "The
diversions didn't work on me but I have to try them--just in
case."
* * *
"Trina. We haven't seen much of you and Lee since the two of you
retired."
"Hello, Mark. We've missed being here but there has been plenty
to keep us busy. However, as much as I'd like to visit, this is
a business trip."
"Institute business?" When she sighed and nodded, he gestured at
the hallway. "My office?"
"Please."
Mark's office was as seemingly jumbled as it had been when she
and Lee retired. She knew Mark was far more organized than his
office seemed to indicate. When he gestured at one of the
chairs she settled in it and waited.
"Tea? I can have some sent in."
"Thanks, no."
He paused as if waiting for an explanation. When none was made
he sighed and settled behind his desk. "Trina, it's been years
since we last talked to each other. I don't remember you as
being the nervous type of person."
"Mark, are you still in charge of pack assignments?"
"Yes."
"We need a favor. A big one. Lee and I would appreciate it if
you made sure a pack is in our valley until after Ward goes
through puberty."
He sat up. "Ward? But..." He took a deep breath. "Ward can't
be over what? Ten years old or so?" When she nodded he went on.
"Is he that certain?"
She laughed at his shock. "No, Ward is only certain he wants to
work at the Institute, with Allister. Lee and I aren't certain
either, but we want Ward to have the best posible opportunities
to learn from. If one of the Institute packs is living in the
valley, we'd be a lot happier with the situation."
"I see. Let me check something... Yes, here it is...
Greyshadow's pack was assigned to your area when we were doing
long term rotations ten years ago. My notes say Allister wanted
to have them living in a place where people wouldn't be upset if
they were discovered. Since you and Lee had just retired in that
area, we decided your valley would be ideal for them."
"Grey's pack? Aren't they wolflings?"
"Most of them. Ordinary wolves have wandered in over the years."
She nodded again. "We've heard them but figured they were just
ones that were wandering through since they never made contact
with Lee." She frowned slightly as she remembered something from
her work. "Isn't Julie a wolfling? Where's she working right
now?"
He sighed deeply. "Julie's here at headquaters. Allister took
her off roving duty a couple of years ago. My guess is that he
was hoping she'd find a partner."
"What about her mutation?"
"They still haven't figured it out. She's given birth to a few
talkers since you left but they've been as random as the original
mutation. They had hopes for her most recent litter but none of
them are showing signs of having the mutation. She's still
unpartnered--and very lonely."
"Lonely?"
"Lonely. We worked together for six months but it didn't go past
friendship. That was when I found out she knows how to cry."
"That's terrible. Still, knowing she's here makes me feel a
little better."
"Oh?"
"A mother's worries. At least I don't have to worry about her
trying to seduce Ward."
"That's unkind of you, Trina."
"No, it's silly and I know it. But, when I left, she was part of
Greyshadow's pack. When you told me his pack had been moved to
our valley after Ward was born, I had this weird idea that
Allister must have known something. The wolflings don't usually
get long term field duty as a pack."
He laughed. "When you put it that way, it does look a bit odd.
Ten years ago we spent two years rearranging almost all of our
packs. Putting Grey's pack in your area *was* special, but that
was because we needed a place where they wouldn't be forced to
move again if people found out they are wolflings. They've all
reported that with you and Lee there, they've felt an 'aura' that
makes them feel welcome."
"So, you have your pack and they will be there until we do the
next batch of long term rotations. That means Greyshadow's pack
will be there for at least another fifteen years."
Trina nodded. "I never expected to get the wolflings. I don't
know if I'm happy about that or not." She looked at Mark and
held up her hand. "Relax, Mark. Since I'm being honest, I was
halfway hoping that you couldn't spare more than a few wolves to
wander nearby. Lee's told me about the problems he had when he
went through puberty and realized what he was."
Mark waited until he was sure she was finished. "And I'm certain
he told you of all the joy he found when he went to work here and
found his lupine mate--then you. Don't begrudge Ward that
chance. If his path turns that way, we'll find a place for him
here. Count on it."
* * *
Dawn. Another dawn greeted by the howls of the members of the
local pack as they began their day. Those howls had become as
familiar to him as his parent's voices. His most cherished
dream was to see the wolves who sang so beautifully--and get to
know them as more than voices in the distance.
Today that desire to meet the pack was tinged with a bit of
something more. He suddenly realized he wanted to howl along
with them.
Once he realized what he wanted to do, he gave in to the impulse.
He gathered his courage--and howled his own greeting to the sun.
It was hesitant, quavery--and didn't sound a bit like the howls
he'd just heard.
He didn't know what he was saying with it, but it
was--unmistakably--a howl.
It must have had something special in it--because it was
answered. The first howl was distant. As it ended, another wolf
howled. Slowly, to his amazement, every member of the local pack
greeted him with a howl that echoed his. The echoes of the last
howl were still fading when a huge male wolf stepped out of the
trees and settled on his haunches to study the boy.
"Me? That was for me?"
As if he understood, the wolf nodded, stood and started to return
to the forest. Just before he vanished into the shadows he
turned his head back to the boy, nodded again, and something
filled him with the feeling of acceptance. When he thought about
it later that day he decided that the closest he could get to
expressing the feeling in words was: 'We heard you--and you are
now one of us.'
* * *
Lee was staring out the window. "They answered him. He howled
and the entire pack answered him. No, it was more than that.
They accepted him into the pack as one of their own."
Trina was seated at the breakfast table. Her face was pale from
shock. "Are you sure?"
He turned and she saw his bittersweet look. "I'm certain. I
took part in the ritual many times after I was accepted into
*her* pack. Each of them echoed Ward's howl and added their own
'signature' to it. It's the pack's way of saying 'We hear you
and accept you as one of us.' Proper form starts with the lowest
wolf and works its way to the alpha pair. Once *they* answer,
the new wolf is a full pack member."
She wrung her hands as she thought about what he'd just told her.
"Our son belongs to them."
He moved to stand behind her chair, then reached down and pulled
her into a hug. "He's still our son in so many ways but, for the
rest of his life, he'll have a place with the wolves--just as I
do."
* * *
""Ward's been accepted into Greyshadow's pack. Two days later he
submitted the preliminary paperwork to the Institute.""
""So, 'mind-mate', the vague paths of the future have become
certain?""
""Wind-Rider, my friend, they have. Ward will be the one for
Julie, as well as for the Institute.""
""Dare we tell her that two hundred years of loneliness will soon
be over?""
""No.""
""Allister, I have felt her pain for all of those years. Are you
certain?"
""Trust me, my closest friend.""
* * *
Lee went out the door to greet the wolfess who stood there
expectantly. "Hello. Forgive me if I do not say things well. I
haven't needed to speak the shared language in many years."
She nodded and then nosed the device at her feet. "We know.
This is for him. Will you give it to him?"
"So soon?" He sighed as he bent down to pick it up. With
unconscious skill he turned it on and kept it oriented on the
wolfess. He had been expecting this, but not so soon. "I was
hoping to have more time before this step was taken."
A female voice issued from the translator. "He has been
accepted. We delayed only long enough to see if *your*
translator was available. It was." The wolfess stood and gazed
at him. "I am Tip, beta female to Greyshadow. Will you honor
our desires and see that he learns how to use it?"
Lee studied her as he fought his own desires. He sighed again
and nodded. "I will. My word as a wolf-brother."
"Thank you, Runs-in-the-Forest."
* * *
"Ward. Greyshadow's pack wants you to have this."
"What is it?"
"A translator."
"Translator?"
"For wolf. Keep it pointed at the wolf you want to understand
and it will render their speech to ours. It also has a teaching
mode. When it's hooked to a larger computer it can interactively
help you learn the shared language."
"Will it help me learn wolf?"
There was a long silence before Lee answered his son's eager
question. "It will." He placed it in his son's outstretched
hand.
"It looks old. It's not the same as the ones they use on the
shows. I can't figure out how to turn it on."
Lee closed his eyes and searched his memories until he could
consciously remember the motions he had performed automatically
for so many years. "Hold it in either one of your hands with the
lens pointed away from you. Rotate it until all of your fingers
fit comfortably in one of the sets of small depressions. Start
with your little finger and apply pressure to each point until
you hear a beep. After the fifth beep, sustained pressure from
your thumb will turn the translation mode on or off. Reversing
the on sequence shuts off main power." He opened his eyes and
watched with mixed emotions as Ward experimented.
When Ward finally realized his father was still in the room and
waiting for him to say something, he stoppped his experimenting.
"Dad?"
Lee held out a small datapack. "The instructions." He turned
and left the room after Ward took the datapack and turned to his
computer. It was painfully obvious that in his son's world--his
father had ceased to exist.
* * *
The evening silence is shattered by the howl of a nearby wolf.
The man and woman flinch but their thirteen year old son does
not. When he raises his head, howls--and is answered--they
shiver.
He looks at them and there is something in his eyes that says he
has seen their movement. With a wisdom that unnerves them--he
tilts his head to one side and studies them.
'How like a wolf,' His mother thinks to herself. 'Quiet.
Watchful. Cautious.'
"Dad? Mom? That was Tip. She's ready and I just told her yes."
He stands and they notice a bulge at his crotch. He doesn't try
to hide the eagerness, or the nervousness, he's feeling.
Suddenly his father stands and reaches out with one of his hands.
"Son, first times are special, and awkward even when humans are
involved. I've always hoped that..." He shrugs slightly. "Not
many walk the path you've chosen, even now. I know love when I
see it, even if it's got a large dose of infatuation mixed in."
He pulls his son into a hug and then gently pushes him away.
"Go. Stop dreaming about it--and go live it."
"You won't try to stop me?" His voice is filled with wonder.
"No. We've had three years to get used to the idea. And..." Lee
hugs his son again before pushing him gently away. A deep
breath... And he speaks words he never thought he'd say so soon.
"Tell them 'Runs-in-the-Forest' will no longer attempt to deny
his eldest son his heritage."
"Dad? Heritage? 'Runs-in-the-Forest'?"
Lee turns away to look at the mountains. Ward barely hears his
next words. "I had hoped that my son..." He shrugs without
turning. "As did my father, I too, failed to force my own
decisions into reality. Better you learn to face such from the
beginning rather than later. The path is not an easy one to
follow, even now."
The boy, soon to be a man, waits patiently to see if there will
be more. When his father remains silent he nods politely to his
mother, picks up his backpack and without a backward glance
strides into the darkness.
Trina and Lee resettle and watch each other. Finally she tilts
her head back to study the stars. "We lost control three years
ago. I wonder if he'll ever realize that he's made his own
decisions ever since the day the wolflings adopted him?"
Lee's answer is reluctant, but filled with pride. "He's a strong
young wolf. It will take a stronger one to help him reach his
potential. I hope we're around to see it."
* * *
Tip studied Ward as he finished removing his clothing. "Ward.
Have you decided on your pack-name?"
He turned to face her and then settled on the grass. "I..." He
took a deep breath. "I had one picked out but my dad said
something tonight that made me change my mind."
"He did?"
He frowned as he struggled to remember the words his dad had
spoken. "He said 'Tell them Runs-in-the-forest' will no longer
attempt to deny his son his heritage'. Tip? What did he mean?"
She settled on her haunches with a grunt of surprise. "We have
waited years for his message. Your father was a wolf-brother.
It means he has finally accepted Moon-Stalker's death. Allister
will be pleased that Runs-in-the-forest and Trina will be
returning to active duty."
Ward was silent for a long time as he thought about his father
and his message to the wolves. He looked up when the gentle
breeze shifted and brought a musky odor to his nose. That
reminded him of his reasons for being with the pack--and Tip's
original question. "Dawn-Greeter."
She stood, turned so she was facing away from him and then slowly
raised her tail in invitation. Without turning her head she
called him to her: "Dawn-Greeter. The time for words is over.
Your childhood is over. Become a man--and a Wolf-Brother."
The puppy play he and the wolves had done together for the last
three years had prepared him for this moment. He squatted behind
her and rubbed the tip of his penis back and forth so it was
covered with her fluids. Her scent surrounded him and took his
mind to the place he'd wanted to enter for so many years. His
lust overwhelmed him as he pushed himself into her.
She was hot. She was slippery in a way that all of his dreams
had never prepared him for.
Thinking stopped.
There was no love in his actions. He was a lust driven penis
with only one need.
The end came quickly. He felt his orgasm begin and his needs
made his hands jerk Tip back against his crotch.
He froze as his orgasm blanked his mind.
Tip howled.
The pack howled.
Dawn-Greeter became a man--and a Wolf-Brother.
* * *
"Challenge Institute. Recruiting section." The man who answered
sounded slightly bored with it all.
Ward jerked upright in shock. After weeks of working his way
through the automated message system he expected to get yet
another list of choices and instructions. "Are you the person I
talk to about getting a job with the Challenge Institute?" He
activated his camera and waited.
He was about to lean forward and disconnect from what he thought
was a dead line when his screen lit up and displayed the image of
a middle-aged man. "Son, aren't you a little young to be job
hunting?"
He reached within and calmed his resentment at the man's
condescending tones. "I'm young but I know where I want to work.
I've been sending you monthly updates ever since I was ten, just
as your instructions require."
The man's eyes widened and his face moved closer. Ward squirmed
during that inspection but refused to look away. 'A wolf's
pride,' he thought to himself.
"Since you were ten, eh? How old are you now?" Ward's empathic
sense let him 'taste' the man's interest and slight amusement.
"Two months past my thirteenth birthday, sir."
The man nodded. "So you decided that it was time to call us? We
don't hire anyone until they have finished their regular
schooling. You're a few years early."
"I know that. That's part of why I called now." He blushed and
looked away. "There's another reason I called." He turned back
and whispered, "Please, I need to talk to you in secure mode."
The man's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, young man. I can't switch
to secure mode." He held up his hand to stop Ward's protest. "I
*think* I know what you need it for. This console can't be
switched and," there was a wry tone to his next words, "I'm not
the person you need to talk to. Will you wait while I make
arrangements to transfer you to the man who handles special
cases?"
Ward sighed. "I'm not special but if you think I should wait, I
will."
"Thank you." The man became very serious. "Young man, I'm
looking forward to working with you. My name is Tom."
"Ward Fulton." Before he could think of more to say the man
nodded and put him on hold.
While he waited he thought about Tom's sudden assumption that he
and Ward would be working together. Finally he sighed and
settled back in his chair. 'Tom must be an optimist', he finally
decided. 'It will take me at least nine years just to finish my
regular classes. I'll probably need to take other classes too.
I doubt if he'll remember me by the time I apply for a job.'
Forgetting that he had his camera on, he shook his head and
sighed wearily. "I bet he says that to all the kids he talks
to."
"Hello, Mr. Fulton. Tom told me you had something you wanted to
discuss privately. I apologise for taking so long to answer. I
took the time to scan your file and view the recording of your
conversation. I hope you don't mind."
Ward stiffened in surprise. Even in his reverie he recognized
*that* voice. "Sir!" Habit jerked the title of respect from
him. "I. No. Yes..."
He stopped as the man held up a hand and smiled. "Relax. Call
me Allister. I don't mind. May I call you Ward?" A huge nose
worked its way over Allister's shoulder. Ward noticed that
Allister's hand shifted and pushed the nose out of his way.
Allister was laughing when his face reappeared. "Wind, get your
nose out of the way." He paused. "Yes, I know you were saying
hello to Mr. Fulton. I was hoping you'd let him recover from
finding out we handle the special cases before you put your hoof
in." He refocussed on Ward. "It's been decades since the last
special case. Now, take all the time you need and say what you
need to say any way you want to. The line is secure."
"Mr. Cassidy I've wanted to work for you ever since I was ten and
I've started puberty and a month ago I had my first sex and I
used to masturbate while thinking about wolves but the real thing
was scary and exciting and it felt so good and Tip says even
though I was clumsy and fast I'll get better and she and some of
her sisters will help me and that was when I was sure I was a
zoosexual and I knew that I needed to tell someone there so it
would get put in my file right away and..." Ward finally paused
for breath and to think about what he wanted to say next. "Sir,
I know there's nothing in the regular recruiting packages about
it but I've watched all of your shows and it's obvious that if I
want to work for *you*, I'd have to be a zoosexual. I wasn't
sure if I was until Tip told me that I am and the local pack
adopted me when I was ten and she and I finally mated and it felt
so *right*..." He slowed to a stop when he realized Allister was
studying him thoughtfully. He 'reached' and was surprised when
his empathic sense told him nothing about Allister's mood. He
couldn't completely suppress his sigh of frustration as his
empathy failed him just when he needed it because he was scared
and so nervous.
Allister lost his smile but stayed relaxed and thoughtful.
"Don't look so dejected, Mr. Fulton. Wind and I are always
shielded." His eyebrows raised slightly and there was a hint of
questioning in his tones. "So, based on one act of sex with a
wolfess the two of you are convinced you're a zoosexual?"
Ward blushed again. "Not one... Allister. Both of us were
pretty horny. So were Tip's sisters. We've done everything but
the sex for nearly two years. Tip said it was important that I
wait until puberty before we tried regular sex. She said
something about giving humans a chance first." He took a deep
breath. "We're sure. Tip can't lie to me about that."
Allister nodded slowly. "Can't?"
Ward paused as he realized his mistake. He hadn't been sure he
was partly empathic until recently. The sense was frustratingly
unreliable most of the time so he had never mentioned the
possibility in his reports. "I'm partly empathic. But, I wasn't
sure until recently. I didn't think it was that important so I
didn't want to mention it until I was certain."
Allister held up his hand to stop any more comments. "Tip. Is
that the 'Tip' who belongs to Greyshadow's pack?"
Ward gaped. Why would Allister know who Tip was? He closed his
mouth and nodded. "Yes."
"Ahhh... Now I see..." The nose returned, followed by the rest
of the head. Large eyes seemed to study Ward for an endless
amount of time before the head pulled back and Ward could see
Allister again.
"Sir?"
Allister smiled faintly. "Tip and and the pack she belongs to
are special. Since you know so much about us already, care to
try and figure out why?"
"Tip? Special? She said she grew up in this valley." Ward
waited. Allister just sat there, also waiting. Was this some
sort of test? It felt like one. "Are you testing me?"
Allister nodded.
Ward sighed. Tip. Special. What did he know about special
wolves? The institute didn't have many wolves that were
'special' unless you counted the wolfling project--and that had
been going on for centuries. He thought back to what he'd
learned. The wolfling project had something to do with helping
wolves and humans talk to each other. He didn't think that could
be it but... He'd always been able to talk to Tip and most of
the rest of the pack once he'd spent a few months learning their
language. There'd been a few of the pack he'd had trouble
comunicating with at first but he'd always assumed that he hadn't
been able to speak 'wolf' clearly enough to make himself
understood. Still... He and most of the pack could talk to each
other fairly easily. Was that really what made them special?
But all of *those* wolves were at the institute. Weren't they?
Still, it was the only thing he could think of. He hazarded his
answer. "Wolflings?"
Allister laughed. "Exactly. She and the pack are taking a break
from their duties. Next time you see them tell her I said
hello."
Before Ward could answer Allister glanced to one side. "I see
we've been at this for quite some time. I'm sure you need a
break. Here's my connect code." He gave it and made sure Ward
had it right. "You'll be receiving some special files over the
next few days. They may be confusing at first since they haven't
been updated in almost a century. It's not often that we help
someone your age plan for a career with us. Any more questions?"
"I can't afford to take a tour. Are there areas I can see
remotely that you haven't used in your shows?" Ward failed to
keep the yearning out of his voice.
"You won't be allowed to see any of the private areas--but you
already know what happens there." The words were bland and it
took Ward a few seconds to realize he was being teased. He
blushed yet again.
Allister was gentle. "Wait until you've studied the files I'm
sending you. Talk things over with Tip and the pack. If you
still want some sort of tour, something will be arranged. OK?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Allister. In a few days, then." The screen blanked.
* * *
""Allister, I felt him reach for us.""
""Yes. I didn't know he'd be an empath. Tip only said he was
easy to talk to and that he learned 'wolf' very quickly.""
""Do you think he's figured out he might become telepathic with
the wolflings?""
""Wind, I don't know. We've never mentioned the possibility in
any of the shows. As far as the world knows, the links are one
way, with the wolflings doing all the work. Even the ones who've
formed the fuller link can't tell us exactly how it's triggered,
only that when it happens, it's sudden and deeper, as if two
become one.""
""He'll be a good partner for Julie, mind-mate.""
""Yes. When he asks for a special tour, she's going to be his
tour guide.""
""And nature will do the rest of our work for us. My always
friend, I could kick him with a hind hoof and be more subtle than
you have chosen to be.""
Allister shared Wind-Rider's gentle laughter.
---
Stasya T. Canine
July 19, 2003
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