Leon lowered his head. No—he got hurt when he was young, but he’ll recover soon and have the ability to run around perfectly fine.
Having reassured himself, Leon picked up the puppy and gently placed it on the bed. The puppy moved restlessly, placing its weight on Leon’s arm, and promptly thought of it as a pillow. There was nothing about it that made it look like it could pose a threat to one’s existence.
“Don’t just listen to what others say; decide for yourself.”
Previously, Grandma had advised against raising a dog, but now she seems to have changed her mind. Perhaps the sudden disappearance and reappearance of the puppy with a broken bone also shocked her.
Leon gazed into the puppy’s eyes, reminiscent of the clear blue sky. The puppy, well aware of the fact that its eyes were as beautiful as jewels, looked back at Leon and sparkily gleamed.
“Are you really a vegetarian?”
Woof!
“What do you know that you’re answering like that?”
Leon chuckled softly.
“If you’re going to live with us, you can’t just eat livestock like a wild wolf. You have to be as gentle as a puppy. Can you do that? You’re a wolf, after all.”
The puppy snorted in response, then closed its eyes. The small bundle of fur looked so adorable, it almost pained him.
“Alright, alright. I’m sorry for saying such things. Let’s go to sleep.”
The white blanket fluttered; big enough to cover the both of them. The moonlight streaming through the windowsill quietly illuminated their faces, all in peaceful slumber.
***
A month passed in the blink of an eye. Spring deepened, and a wide array of butterflies and bees fluttered more exuberantly than before. Once they departed in the morning, the birds chirped so loudly, it almost induced tinnitus.
“Ugh, it’s heavy.”
Leon managed to carry the grown furball in his arms and step outside. Seeing his pathetic state, grandmother approached and shook a leather strap.
“Just tie it up with this, you fool.”
“I’m afraid it might not like it. It was tied up before.”
“Just give it a try.”
Reluctant with the strap in hand, Leon slowly reached out. The puppy sniffed the scent of the strap first, then, showing little interest, sat on the ground.
“I’m not treating you badly. It’s just that people might get scared and have the wrong impression. Understand?”
Whilst tying the strap around its neck, the puppy sat obediently, quietly wagging its tail. Its lush silver tail brushed the grass in a sweeping motion, similar to a broom.
“It’s still limping… Is it okay to walk it to the village?”
“Carrying that heavy thing on my back? No way.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Luckily enough, the puppy only staggered slightly on its hind legs, looking to be not in pain.
They arrived safely at Demis’ house. Leon had initially fretted about encountering people on the way, but to his luck, there was no such encounter.
Demis, who had just opened the door and wiped his hands, widened his eyes.
“No way, Leon!”
“Hello, sir.”
“Is this wolf… still with you?”
“Well, even if I send it away, I feel I should remove the splint first.”
Demis, seeming to have a lot to say, saw as the docile puppy wagged its tail and promptly allowed it to enter his house.
The splint was easily removed. Although the puppy, freed from the stuffiness, joyfully explored the kitchen, it suddenly stopped.
“It’s limping on its leg.”
“Yes…”
The puppy could hardly put any weight on its left hind leg. It trudged, walking as if it had an impalpable third leg, and this incongruity caused an unnatural rhythm in its steps.
Demis’s hands, covered in thick fur, rested on Leon’s shoulders.
“There’s nothing we can do. However, I did mention things could unfold this way from the very beginning. Still, its recovery was remarkably fast. It’s surprising.”
Without responding, Leon gently tugged at the leash, calling the puppy to his side. Despite being exposed to the outside for the first time like this, the puppy immediately approached Leon, its eyes shining.
“Thank you. I’ll take it now.”
“Leon, listen.”
Demis touched Leon’s shoulder. The tall, bearded man with an initially rugged disposition now held foreign concern in his eyes.
“Do you remember what I told you? Thinking about how your grandmother… and especially the villagers—they will become uneasy. Some people raise livestock like chickens and pigs.”
“It only eats vegetables, sir. It’s very gentle.”
“That might only happen when it’s young. Even if there exist genuine and gentle wolves… I don’t think it’s going to bode well.”
Demis released Leon’s shoulder.
“The livestock will give birth soon. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“…Yes. But… if you’re worried about it eating livestock, wouldn’t it be even more dangerous to leave the wolf outside?”
Demis pressed his lips together, then let out a deep sigh.
“You’re right. Others will likely think the same.”
“Then…”
“As though it wasn’t enough, a few people have already come by. If the village chief intervenes, I can’t refuse. I somewhat agree with what the people are saying.”
As Demis continued talking, Leon’s face grew progressively blanched. Watching his cheeks turn ashen, his lips further losing their color, Demis sighed much heavier than before.
“We might have to slaughter it before it grows any larger.”
There was no response.
After a brief nod, Leon quietly exited. Seeing him off to the door, Demis muttered, saying his words weren’t out of his own will but what they needed to be said.
The puppy continued limping on its hind legs, trailing behind Leon. Its trained movements, sticking closely to Leon’s leg for support, were far from those of a wild beast.
In contrast, its size had grown significantly compared to their first encounter. When held in Leon’s arms, its protruding buttocks grew to obscure the view.
Additionally, around its eyes, wild black fur began to sprout. As its teeth fully grew, when opening its mouth to pant, fangs began to peek out.
With just a tiny rise in growth, it would then appear as a full-blown wolf, and the villagers’ restlessness would only increase.
Until now, Leon had thought of simply releasing it into the forest but now held a possibility that it might get slaughtered. Biting his lips, Leon subconsciously tightened his grip on the leash.
“That’s the wolf.”
As he turned his head towards the voice, people from the village hall began murmuring to each other.
“They caught a wolf in the castle not long ago, and now there are cubs in the forest…”
“What kind of cub is that? It will eat our chickens within a week.”
“Still, Gemini, you have a dog at your house.”
“Blackie? Even if I have a dog, how can it beat a wolf?”
The villagers, unlike usual, didn’t regard Leon and only spoke amongst themselves. Although they had lived together rather amicably, this sudden feeling of alienation was an unfamiliar sensation for Leon.
Understanding their consternation, Leon hurriedly walked out of the village. His steps drew weakly towards the cabin.
Whine.
Whether the puppy knew Leon’s feelings or not, it whimpered and nuzzled its side against Leon’s leg. They turned to a quiet path rarely traversed by people, and then Leon kneeled down on the ground.
“Sorry. Did I walk too fast?”
Instead of answering, the puppy licked the back of Leon’s hand with its tongue.
“I don’t know what to do, but… let’s go home for now.”
At that moment, the puppy rose on its hind legs, placed its front paws on Leon’s stomach, and rested its head on Leon’s chest—as if embracing Leon.
A sacred warmth spread inside Leon’s chest. He held the puppy, bent down, and kissed its forehead tenderly.
“Are you worried about me?”
Their noses touched. The puppy’s nose was soft and moist.
“I’ll find a way. There must be another way.”
The puppy whined again, placing its front paws back on the ground. Like an overzealous puppy, it began to hop and bounce around, still retaining awkwardness on its hind legs—but it displayed such splendid joy that it brought a spontaneous smile to Leon’s face.
“Hey, let’s go together!”
Despite possessing a leash, Leon knew there was no risk of losing the puppy—so he enthusiastically pounded the ground.
***
In the following days, nothing out of the ordinary happened. There were no surprise visits from Demis for slaughter, and the village chief didn’t come urging a decision with a sick, gleeful smile. It seemed like his peaceful daily life would carry on on this sunny, spring day.
“That son of a bitch!”
That tranquility shattered the moment Grandma’s shout blared through the entire cottage. The silvery puppy leaped out of the underground cellar, and Grandmother quickly followed, clutching her knee. Leon, obliviously watering the garden, turned towards them.
The silver-furred puppy, its mouth donning a reddish glaze, limped woefully towards Leon. Then it hid behind his legs and wagged its tail. Grandmother’s fist made a sharp swing in the air.
“You, pretending to be so pitiful! Doing such impudent things and acting innocent the minute you see him!”
“He got scared because of you. His leg hurts too.”
“Coward! Look at him, look at him! Wicked creature. A truly fierce wolf!”
Leon gently stroked this puppy’s red-stained mouth—, which might just be pretending to tremble—and he continued scratching its back.
“Just a bit of wild berries. I can pick more if you want.”
“A bit? We took out the jar from the pantry today to make jam, and he ate it all. And you call that ‘a bit’?”
Indeed, the puppy’s belly protruded rather shamelessly. It tried to lie down and hide its belly, but this mischief only fueled Grandma’s anger.
“That kind of misdemeanor needs a good scolding. Leon, catch that puppy!”
Sensing danger, the puppy slipped away from Leon’s grasp and darted away from Grandma.
“Aaargh!”
In response to the sudden scream, Leon quickly ran towards the entrance of the path. The puppy stood on its hind legs, lifting one leg awkwardly. Just beyond it, a woman sat with her buttocks on the ground, and a man helping her up came into view.
Leon sat on the ground, embracing the puppy. Of course, the puppy didn’t growl, so it was an unnecessary gesture, but one could never know what might happen.
“Mrs. Gemini, are you okay?”
Not Gemini, but her husband, Jackie, howled out.
“Does she look okay? Get rid of that wolf right this instant!”
Mister Jackie, better yet, why don’t we get rid of you? 🙂