4 Be discerning

"Be good to all, but be discerning," her father told her while they were fencing.

"Why?" she asked.

She had almost mastered the sport like men.

"Because not all are honest with their intentions."

"And who can judge intentions?"

Her father paused. He turned serious.

"When you are old enough, you will know. There are sciences that discuss interactions of living and non-living things. Many principles apply to human beings as well."

"I'm beginning to not understand you."

"You will because you are my child."

He looked at the clock. It chimed twelve midnight-- time was when she, having learned transforming into a wolfess, would run into the quiet night, the greens, the trees, and the river.

There were also dogs—big dogs—coyotes, she could hear, barking, and wolves, howling.

Suddenly, there were other dogs around her; she was caught surprised. They stared at and sniffed each other. Her father, mother, and Teresa were not far from a distance, sensing whether the dogs were friendly. They did not know them, either.

Then, they came closer to Isabella.

The three got ready, waiting if they would touch her.

They did not.

They sighed, relieved that they did not bother her, because if they did, it would have spelled trouble, they thought.

They were not troublesome wolves, but neither were they friendly forces, she could smell. Isabella understood her father. She had more advanced intuition just smelling them.

When they reached home, father thought of the best time to introduce Isabella to friends.