Before Mother Wolf Was a Mother, She Was a Fighter

Father Wolf wedged his human child between his paws and began to lick him clean. The child, Jason, crouched on all fours and gnawed a buffalo bone. He was not a tidy eater, and marrow juice ran accross one cheek and into his ear. Father Wolf then licked it off.

"Tell me a story?" Jason said.

It was a very wet day in Seoni hills. The tangle of the jungle stretched away below them, its rich green leopard-spotted with red and yellow where the trees had flowerd. Mother Wolf was out hunting, down towards the river, where the bandicoot rats would be hiding. Rain thrummed down outside the cave, churning the forest floor into mud, but inside it was warm and dry. It was weather for story- telling.

"Just not the one with the mongoose- im sick of that one." said Jason. "Don't be impatient" said Father Wolf laying one of his theeth against the top of Jason's head aplying as little pressure as he can. Jason was small but though, with muscles that could catapult him into a tree with a single jump. Even so, it still hurt. "Ow! Jason rubbed his head and glared at Father Wolf.

The wolf said nothing, only batted Jason's head to the side so he could run a brisk tongue along the boy's neck. "Fine" "sorry" Jason said looking both righteously annoyed and cajoling at once. It involved alot of eyebrow work. " Tell me about when you were little!" Jason said. Father Wolf shook his head and went on cleaning his son, licking hard to clean all the dirt off. "Please! said Jason. "Im hungry."

"Then eat something"said Father Wolf. "There's no food. And anyway im hungry for stories" complained Jason. "No stories about me i do not want to go raking through my own fur" Father Wolf said sternly. "Fine! then tell me when mama was young." said Jason. "Ah! -Father Wolf's eyes shone brightly. Father Wolf then licked Jason's hair clean and let him go. "Yes I can do that" said Father Wolf. " Your mother is famous from the foot of the Seoni to where the trees reach the ridge on the far side of the mountain." said Father Wolf. -Jason nodded as he knew that, everybody knows that- he then leaned back luxuriously and began chewing on his toenail.

"They called her 'Raksha' which meant demon". Said Father wolf. This was news to Jason. " Mama is not a demon!" said Jason irritatedly. "Well less demon than spirit: something wild and untamed. It wasn't really a compliment" said Father wolf. "Jason spit out his toenail and sat up" who dares uncompliment Mama?! I'll kill them!