The Wolfclan: Chapter 2

Sheban lived in a village just outside the forest where the wolf pack roamed. Sheban had been living a relatively normal life since the day he was born. Little did he know how abruptly his lifestyle was about to change.

It all started one day when Sheban was working in his bakery, which also happened to be his house. He had just sold a loaf of bread to a customer and was putting the money away when in dashed his childhood friend, Asite.

Asite's face was covered with mud, his clothes were torn, and his arms were bleeding. "Asite?" said Sheban. "Is that you?"

"Sheban! Sheban help me!" Asite screamed desperately.

"What's wrong?" asked Sheban.

"I'm a were wolf!" answered Asite.

Sheban was stunned. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"I'm positive!" said Asite. "The town's people know also. They want to kill me. You got to help me Sheban!"

Sheban stood there for a moment too shocked to do anything. Then, coming to his senses, he ran to a clay pot, in which he kept his money, and smashed it on the ground. Frantically he rummaged through his earnings until he found a silver coin. Holding the silver coin he warned Asite to stay away from him.

"Now hold on," said Asite. "It's not a full moon. It's daytime. Besides, I'm not an evil were wolf."

"I know of no other kind of were wolf," said Sheban.

Asite smiled. He had obviously lost his frightened attitude. "I think I see the problem here," he said. "Do you know how a person changes into a were wolf?"

Sheban looked at Asite cautiously. "There are many ways," he answered. "You can put on a wolf skin on a full moon and chant an evil spell, or you can drink water from a wolf's footprints, or you can--."

"That's what you believe," cut in Asite. "But none of those ways are really true. There's only one way to become a were wolf, and that's to take the burden of being a were wolf away from someone else."

"What do you mean?" asked Sheban.

"To rescue someone from being a were wolf, you must, on a full moon, stab them three times with a knife that has a silver blade. Then the were wolf puts his hand on you and says, 'were wolf leave me, go to my brother.' Then you say, 'were wolf leave my brother, go to me.' Then the were wolf goes to you and you become a were wolf. This is how I became a were wolf, by taking the burden off of my father, who got it by taking it away from someone else, and so on."

"Why did you do it?" asked Sheban.

"You mean take the burden away from my father? The reason is because being a were wolf is not a very pleasant thing. At first it's nice. Every full moon you become indestructible to anything except silver. And you are filled with super human strength. Being a were wolf does not make you evil, like many people think it does. I've kept my same personality and values ever since I became a were wolf, even during a full moon.

"However it doesn't take long before other people find out you're a were wolf. They believe, just like you do now, that anyone who is a were wolf is evil and must be destroyed. During a full moon it's pretty hard for them to kill you because of the super human strength of a were wolf and because the only thing that can harm you is silver. However when there is no full moon, you are like any other human and have almost no chance of escaping, except to have someone take the burden of being a were wolf away from you and throwing the villagers off your trail."

"That's why you've come to me?" asked Sheban.

"Correct," answered Asite. "You do believe me, don't you?"

"I know you would never turn yourself into a were wolf if you believed it would make you evil. I also know that you would not even then turn your self into a were wolf unless it was for an extremely good cause. So in other words, I believe you."

"Then you will do it?" asked Asite. "Will you take the burden of being a were wolf away from me?"

"Well," said Sheban, "I don't really know. Becoming a were wolf is not an idea that appeals to me."

"If you will just take this burden away from me for one week to throw the villagers off of my track, I promise that I will take it back when the week is done."

Sheban thought for a moment. "Okay," he said. "I'll do it."

"One more small favor," begged Asite. "Hide me until tonight."

"Is tonight a full moon?" asked Sheban.

"Yes it is," answered Asite.

"Then you can hide in my cupboards until then," said Sheban as he headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Asite.

"To buy a knife with a silver blade," said Sheban. Then he added, "which you will pay me back for when this is all over with."