Chapter 20 The ice and snow have just melted, spring has arrived...
The ice and snow had just melted, and the traces of spring had not yet begun to spread. The breath exhaled still turned into a wisp of white mist in the air, dissipating into the distance.
Mei pulled the cashmere shawl around her tighter, feeling a slight chill on her fingertips, and her movements as she turned the pages of the book were almost imperceptibly stiff.
I wish she could be like Lex.
When Mela recalled that Lex had changed into a light shirt when he left with his bow and arrows that morning, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy towards the young man.
She was only twenty-six years old and felt that she hadn't changed much compared to when she was seventeen. But seventeen-year-old Mela dared to take off her winter clothes in March and go to the mountains in the early morning, braving the morning mist and listening to the wind rustling through the tall fir trees.
Twenty-six-year-old Mela could only warm herself up completely by wrapping herself tightly in a cashmere shawl and drinking a steaming cup of herbal tea.
Unfortunately, just as Mela picked up her teacup, added a generous spoonful of honey, and the sweet tea touched her lips, the cabin welcomed an unexpected guest.
A majestic and imposing black wolf suddenly burst into the cabin, raising its head and howling at Mela, who was sitting in a rocking chair, with a terrifying aura.
It was a full size larger than a typical wolf, its entire body brimming with burgeoning bestiality, and you could vaguely see white fangs from the corners of its open mouth, as if it could leap up at any moment and bite your throat.
If it were anyone else, caught off guard by such a dangerous black wolf, they would probably be so frightened that they would have collapsed to the ground, begging for mercy with tears streaming down their faces.
But Mela calmly put down her teacup, stepped off the rocking chair, walked up to the black wolf, and asked, "What happened? Do you need my help?"
His tone was quite familiar.
As expected of such a large wolf, the black wolf was exceptionally intelligent, as if it understood Mela's words, nodding hurriedly, its emerald green eyes filled with undisguised anxiety.
It pretended to bite Mela's skirt, as if it wanted to drag Mela away with it.
"Wait, you still haven't told me what happened? I can't just follow you empty-handed, can I? Otherwise, how can I help you?" Mela quickly stopped Black Wolf.
Black Wolf thought about it and agreed with Mela.
But it was too much of a challenge for a wolf to speak human language, so it could only roll on the ground, clutch its belly with its paws, and let out a pitiful "howl".
Mela heard the sound of his stomach hurting, and instantly understood what the black wolf meant. "Is your wife about to give birth to wolf cubs? But the delivery is difficult, so you need my help?"
Upon hearing this, Black Wolf quickly got up and nodded frantically at Mela.
Alright, since that's the case, we can't delay any longer, otherwise the mother wolf might not make it back before they get there.
Mela grabbed the basket she usually used for gathering herbs, ran to the large cabinet against the wall, opened the drawer, took out scissors and needles and thread, and threw them all inside.
Fortunately, over the years Lex has kept these easily lost small items in an orderly manner and placed them in fixed locations. Otherwise, given Mela's previous habit of leaving things lying around, it might not have been easy to find them quickly.
Then Mela grabbed several bottles of different colored potions from the cabinets and threw them into the basket, preparing for the worst.
Now, as long as the mother wolf is still alive, she will definitely be able to save it.
"Alright!" Mela finished tidying up, walked over and patted the black wolf on the head, signaling it to quickly lead the way for her.
Black Wolf nuzzled Mela's leg, seemingly wanting her to sit on his back and carry him.
That's true, four legs are much faster than two legs.
However, even though the black wolf was already quite large, nearly two meters tall when standing upright, it would still be difficult for it to carry Mela all the way back to the cave.
After all, while Mela wasn't exactly fat, she wasn't the kind of person who was so thin she looked like a piece of paper and could be blown away by the wind.
It's possible that Black Wolf would be exhausted halfway there, his tongue lolling out.
But Mela is a witch, how could this possibly stump her?
Mela chanted a spell over the black wolf, and in the blink of an eye, she obtained a giant wolf that was four or five meters long.
The giant wolf lay down, making it easier for Mela to climb onto its back.
"Alright, let's hurry up." Mela sat on the giant wolf's fluffy back, her other hand, which wasn't carrying the basket, gripping a tuft of fur to prevent her from being thrown off when the wolf started running.
Once it was sure Mela was seated securely, the giant wolf ran off at breakneck speed.
The passing wind made Mela's sleeves flutter, and her long red hair flowed freely behind her.
However, Mela forgot that she was wearing a shawl, and the wind carried her away.
"Hey!" Unfortunately, Mela didn't have a spare hand to hold the shawl down in time, and could only watch helplessly as it floated away, eventually landing somewhere unknown.
"Never mind, I'll go find it later." Mela crouched down as low as possible, pressing herself against the giant wolf's fur to prevent the cold wind from seeping into her clothes through her collar.
After growing larger, the black wolf could run one step in a single stride that was equivalent to two or three steps in its original form, and it covered dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.
Worried about his wife's condition inside the cave, he decided to take Mela along a shortcut he wouldn't normally dare to take.
This desolate path, overgrown with low bushes and thorns, is no threat to wolves. Unlike humans, their skin is delicate, and a slight scratch can leave a deep wound.
However, the passing wind carried the scents of several powerful enemies that even beasts feared. Even black wolves would generally choose to avoid this place to prevent a direct confrontation with these ferocious foes.
But things are different now. The black wolf has become taller and more powerful. It galloped all the way here, and no other wild beasts dared to approach. At most, they would sneak up at a distance and peek out half of their bodies to observe whether it intended to approach their territory.
The black wolf kept its eyes straight ahead and ran wildly toward the end of the road.
As it drew closer, a hill several meters high suddenly appeared before it, blocking its path. However, the black wolf did not hesitate. It pushed off with its paws, its powerfully explosive body stretching out. The muscle lines of a top hunter were faintly visible in the cold sunlight of the early spring afternoon, and even the tips of its fur seemed to gleam, as if it were a scene from a painting.
Mela cried out in surprise from on the black wolf's back.
This was different from flying on Silas's back. When the black wolf jumped up, Mela's body leaned back as well, as if she was about to fall off at any moment.
But in the blink of an eye, the black wolf's paw landed on solid ground, and the inertia pulled Mela back into the fluffy world.
With her face buried in the black wolf fur, Mela couldn't help but savor the thrill of that moment.
Running on the ground and flying in the sky are indeed different experiences. Unfortunately, Silas is too jealous, so she can no longer keep a wolf as a pet.
*
When the black wolf carried Mela to its den, the mother wolf was on the verge of death due to excessive blood loss.
Watching her husband run towards her, the mother wolf couldn't help but let out a low whimper.
It is not afraid of death, but the wolf cubs inside its belly have not yet seen the world.
Beneath its animalistic instincts, maternal love is also its fundamental instinct.
Seeing this, the black wolf was extremely anxious. It wished it could kiss the mother wolf's muzzle to give her support and strength, but if it went in now, it could block the entrance of the cave, and the cave might even collapse.
Helpless, the black wolf could only anxiously lower himself down, put Mela down, and watch her walk to the mother wolf and squat down beside her.
Mela carefully examined the mother wolf's condition. Fortunately, it wasn't in the worst situation yet. It was just that it was her first time giving birth and she hadn't mastered the techniques to save energy. In addition, the wolf cubs were in a slightly incorrect position, which is why she hadn't been able to give birth to her first wolf cub after trying for a long time.
"It's alright, just drink a few drops of the medicine."
Mela breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing this, she didn't even need to take out the scissors. She just took out a bottle of purple potion, uncorked it, and poured a few drops into the mother wolf's mouth.
Just a few drops of the medicine, without even needing to be swallowed, quickly dissolved in the mother wolf's mouth.
Although the mother wolf did not know what Mela had given her to drink, she could feel the strength she had lost quickly returning to her body, and she was able to give birth to her children again.
Its spirits were immediately lifted.
"Keep it up!" Mela encouraged it.
Upon hearing this, the mother wolf also showed great courage.
In one go, it gave birth to all four babies.
The four newborn wolf cubs hadn't even opened their eyes yet; they just nestled against their mother's belly.
The mother wolf looked at them with affection and licked them one by one.
"That's wonderful, mother and baby are safe." Mela smiled, her eyes crinkling.
She hurried out to tell Black Wolf the good news.
Black Wolf's face also lit up with joy. It lowered its head, trying to rub against Mela, but Mela blocked it because its head was too big.
“I’d better shrink you down first,” Mela said.
Otherwise, she worried that such a large black wolf could knock her to the ground if it rubbed against her.
As Mela pressed her lips against the black wolf's muzzle and murmured incantations, the black wolf gradually shrank back to its original size with each breath.
Of course, even at its original size, its head almost touched Mela's shoulder when it stood up.
"It feels so good." This time, Mela hugged the wolf's head and stroked its shiny, fluffy fur to her heart's content, once again regretting that she couldn't take a wolf home as a pet.
Imagine how cozy it would be to hold a fluffy pet while it's snowing heavily in winter. Even without a fireplace, it would be incredibly warm and cozy.
"Oh my god! Mela, what are you doing? You're touching other animals!"
Silas, who had come with Lex, never expected to witness this scene. He saw Mela snuggling intimately with the black wolf, constantly stroking its warm-looking fur.
Enraged, Sylas yelled and charged at Mela like an arrow, abandoning Lex.
"Silas? What brings you here?"
A rare moment of guilt struck Mela, who quickly released the black wolf, reached out and caught Silas, who was charging at her recklessly, and patted his head reassuringly.
"Although I've petted other animals, you are my only pet."
With just one sentence, Silas, who was originally furious, was completely charmed by Mela and lost all sense of direction.
However, Silas hesitated for a moment and didn't forgive Mela immediately. "Then promise me, you promise that your pet will only ever be me."
If Mela agrees, Silas will reluctantly allow her to occasionally pet other animals like this, such as the black wolf in front of him that looks intimidating.
Although its feathers lack the unique luster of Sylas's feathers, and it can only howl and howl, unlike Sylas who can speak human language and solve Mela's problems.
But Silas could understand Mela. Even the best food gets boring if you eat too much of it, and it's normal to want to touch wolf fur after touching bird feathers too much. It's just a temporary feeling of novelty.
As long as Silas is always the only one in Mela's heart, that's enough.
But if Mela doesn't agree—Silas narrowed its already small black bean eyes dangerously; it had plenty of ways to drive away this black wolf that dared to compete with it for Mela's affections.
With its incredibly keen sixth sense, the black wolf suddenly sensed an unfriendly aura. It immediately stood up from its crouching position and looked around, trying to find the source of the danger.
“Of course, what other raven in this world is as clever, loyal, considerate, and passionate as my Silas?” Whenever Mela wanted to coax someone, sweet words would flow from her lips.
See? Silas is now completely charmed by her, so much so that he's forgotten all about his petty grudges.
At this moment, Lex, who had been ignored by the master and servant, quietly walked up, took out the cashmere shawl he was holding, and handed it to Mela.
"Huh, you actually found this shawl?" Mela asked in surprise, then quickly replied happily, "Perfect, now I don't have to bother looking for it."
Lex hummed in agreement. "I saw it on my way to find you."
Lex followed the footprints and looked up to find the familiar wool shawl on a bare tree branch not far away.
I remember in winter, Mela loved to wear it and walk around the cabin.
Occasionally, Mela would come closer, and Lex would see the white shawl slip down her shoulders, the delicate tassels brushing against his arm, stirring a subtle, instinctive shiver in his body.
At Lex's current height, he could easily reach the top of the branch and take the shawl off the fork.
He quickly folded the wool shawl, hugged it to his chest, and breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't gone in the wrong direction. If he kept searching, he should be able to find Mela soon.
However, even though he knew in his heart that Mela was most likely safe, Lex couldn't help but feel a little worried when he thought that she might have encountered some accident that caused her to accidentally lose the shawl.
What if?
Fortunately, Mela was indeed alright. She was even able to wave to the black wolf with a smile, signaling it to go back to its cave to be with its wife and children. She was now going back to the cabin with Lex and Silas.
On the way, Mela briefly described how the black wolf came to her door and how the mother wolf, encouraged by her, gave birth to four wolf pups in one go.
"And what about you? Why did you suddenly come to find me?" Mela asked.
Today, Sylas kept pestering Lex to go hunting with him, and normally Sylas wouldn't come back until dark.
And now, the setting sun is still behind them, trailing its long skirts, and hasn't left.
Although Silas was taken in by Mela when it was still a chick, without its mother's guidance, it didn't know much about hunting techniques. Its sharp claws had scratched branches and perches, but never caught any prey.
But Silas can fly; it can scout out nearby prey for Lex.
Once Lex had concealed himself and quietly approached his prey to a certain distance, he drew his bow, released it, and the arrow whistled through the air, pinning the prey firmly to the ground.
At this moment, Silas swooped down from the sky again, giving the poor prey a good fright, and then let out a gleeful, wicked laugh.
Mela had once witnessed their hunt and felt that Sylas was becoming more and more like the legendary evil figure.
“After Silas and I returned to the cabin, we didn’t see you. We also found several huge animal footprints in the open space in front of the cabin. We were worried that something had happened to you, so we came looking for you.”
Lex explained to Mela.
"Oh, you're worried about me." Mela's eyes crinkled into crescents, like a faint crescent moon in the sky.
“Yes, I was worried about you.” To Mela’s surprise, Lexstein nodded readily in acknowledgment.
"Although I know that there are probably no beasts in the dark forest that can harm you, if something really happens to you, I will never be able to forgive myself for allowing all of this to happen."
With that thought in mind, Lex, who had just returned to the cabin, hurriedly followed the direction of the footprints, while Silas chased after him, shouting, "I want to go find Mela with you too!"
Over the years, as he has grown tall and straight like a mature cedar tree, Lex, now a handsome young man, no longer blushes as easily as he did when he was a child, even when he speaks frankly about his inner thoughts.
Suddenly, he turned his head, dodging a branch that was about to hit his forehead, and his bright, golden eyes met Mela's gaze without flinching.
“…Lex, you’ve become so unlovable.” Mela couldn’t help but complain.
His words just now completely shut down what Mela wanted to say, giving her no chance to tease him at all.
Mela was certain that Lex did it on purpose.
"Really? Maybe it's because I've grown up." Lex curled his lips into a smile.
He inherited the good looks of his mother, who was once hailed as the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. When he was young, he was just a delicate and cute boy, but now when he smiles, he has a charm that can make people dizzy.
Unfortunately, Mela was not only not captivated by him, but...
She looked at Silas with affection. Silas was still the best. No matter how many years had passed, he was still the same silly guy.
Unlike wolf cubs, who, once grown up, naturally become wicked and full of evil.
The moon finally rose completely, and its silvery light shone on the pointed roof of the cabin.
Mela and Lex looked up at the crescent moon. In another half month, the crescent moon would become a full moon, and there was less than a year left until the promise they had made.
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