The Lovely Wolves

On the meadow lived a young boy
His family ran the farm, they worked all day
Sheering sheep, tending the crops, feeding the animals, the work was tremendous
Every night his mother would warm the boy milk to take to his nightstand
His father would read him stories as the stars wandered over the horizon
He would awaken each day to start it all over again

One day tragedy struck, illness had taken the boy’s father
He had watched him fade for months, yet he never missed a story
Distraught he prayed for him back, but the stories never returned
Eventually he grew used to the cold nights without him

Then one day, his prayers were answered
He could hear his father, reciting the stories he used to at bedtime
The boy leapt out of his bed to the window
In the moonlight he saw a dog, like the ones that herd the sheep
The dog was reciting the story his father used to tell him, in his voice
The boy wondered if this dog was his father brought back to him

The dog began to wander off, the boy leapt out of his window after it
He followed the dog to a clearing, it continued it’s story as it approached the boy
With his arms wide open, the boy went to embrace the wolf
No sooner than he had went to wrap his arms, the wolf ripped them off
The wolf whispered to the boy the words of reassurance his father had told him
The wolf then ripped the boys heart out

The mother soon heard her son, speaking with her husband about how much he loved him
She looked out to see two dogs, conversing in their voices
Confused she went to go check on her son
As she did so the dogs began to leave
In a panic she instead decided to follow them
They had such a lovely conversation
and so, as the boy, the mother found herself torn to pieces
with a smile on her face

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Curators Notes

The lovely wolves is an interesting piece of Aetorish folklore. There have been many interpretations, and adaptations of the story over the years. Likewise the wolves themselves appear in many different stories throughout the region. The most widely accepted interpretation presents the wolves as a metaphor for a familiar group of people. The wolves in this interpretation represent those people who above all else put on a front of wholesomeness, meanwhile just beneath the surface they are truly vicious people. No matter which way you turn there will always be people who want to be seen as wholesome, kind, and caring, do not fall for it. Those who most wish to be seen this way are often using it as a disguise. Much like the wolves of the story, they want to be seen as harmless, so you barely even notice by the time they’ve finished what they really intend to do.

• Yahrn Listrea, Perception Series 1