Grey Wolf and Rose

The howl of a lone wolf broke the silence of the dark forest. Grey Wolf and Rose sat outside their cabin, which Joe and Mary had so kindly given them. Grey Wolf stoked the campfire, adding more wood to the dying embers. The young couple had arrived at Joe and Mary’s cabin three days ago and were taken to their new home in the forest by the young couple. With a twenty-dollar gold piece Joe and Mary had given them, they had purchased supplies they needed for their new home. Grey Wolf had hired Bev’s friend to pack in the goods they had purchased in Dawson yesterday, which would be arriving by mule tomorrow. Summer had arrived in the Yukon. After a harsh winter, the trees were now covered in a green canopy, a coat they will not wear long. The green meadows were full of birds and wildflowers, as well as numerous bees feasting on the sweet nectar of the colorful blossoms. The night was gripped in solitude, only the occasional soulful call of the loon could be heard coming from the lake. Grey Wolf and Rose were experienced hunters, both raised in a tribe who lived on what food they could harvest from the forest. Rose was an only child, her mother having died from a disease brought to the Yukon by white men who came north looking for gold and fur. Her father taught her survival skills, educating Rose on where to find the bounty of food nature provided from the forests. He taught Rose how to hunt and sight a rifle when shooting at prey. Accuracy is critical when shooting a moose, as a misguided shot means the animal escapes and the hunter goes hungry. During his latter years, Rose’s father developed a drinking problem. He died at the hands of a white man, fighting over liquor for his fur in Dawson City. Still a teenage girl, Rose was taken in by Grey Wolf’s parents. Over the years, Grey Wolf and Rose became inseparable and were married at their tribal camp when they were both twenty-one, before going to Dawson City to see Bev, an elder from their tribe. Living in a cabin in the wilderness would be a huge challenge for Grey Wolf and Rose, but combining their knowledge of the bush should make their venture a success. Extended members of Bev’s family, including Joe and Mary, would help this young couple in their times of need. The families who made up this clan in the forest also donated traps to the young couple, sparing them the expense of buying new ones. Grey Wolf and Rose had both trapped fur with their fathers, gaining valuable experience they would soon use as young adults. The night was getting late, as the campfire burned down to the coals. A happy lifestyle was beginning for Grey Wolf and Rose, a beginning the couple had both prayed for.