Short Fiction Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy

The wolves had selected an old hooman foundation
for the probe site.

It was circular, and legend had that the old
building was mostly for storage and sheltering livestock. Hooman''s
called it a "barn". Those that hunted in and around it said
it was a slave building, trapping the beings within. Supposedly, this
was by mutual consent, as the beings who sheltered in that barn had
few defenses without hoomans around.

Those days were before the hoomans leaving in
their sky-ships. Sentience wasn''t widely available until after they
were gone. After the plague took most of the remaining hoomans.

Today, that foundation would be for the ceremony.
It would mark where the probe would take place, and where the
sentient wolves and their cubs could watch in relative safety.

Or so they thought.

No hooman had survived the probe before. But this
one was different. No hooman had been to the valley since the days of
the hooman plague.

This was completely new.

And yet, more vital than ever. The ferals knew
where the valley was. And the hooman settlements had been growing in
size. Not just locally, but in every area where hoomans still
survived. This news was brought by the migrating birds and insects.

Unless a way was found to communicate with hoomans
and ferals, it would mean a new world war that would destroy both
sides. A war that would never end until one or the other side was
exterminated.

Tig-she led Soo-she up to the circle and then
stopped. The wolf looked at her and sent her a faith-filled prayer
for the best outcome.

Soo-she nodded in reply, then entered the circle.

A hawk flew in lazy circles overhead, riding the
thermals. With a cry, she dove to earth. Soo-she ducked, but the
wolves didn''t flinch.

On landing with a graceful back-sweeping, the hawk
alighted without a sound.

Eying the assembled wolves, the hawk bowed its
head.

A shimmering covered that form, which showed a
wolf when it cleared. Grey, almost white fur - it was Teacher...