Token Wolf on Council

Hi, dear friends and followers. Thank you for visiting my blog today.  I have a wonderful legend for you. Take 5, relax and enjoy. 

And now for something completely Kafkaesque. It's not exactly a Kafka story that I am about to share with you but it's a brief excursion into the realm of an alternate reality that I hope you will find interesting and worthy of your comments.

My thanks!

Token Wolf on Council

I looked up at the delicate wooden chair above me and whined softly at it. They knew I was coming, I thought, so why didn’t they put in a decent chair for me to sit on? I’m not going to fit in that. I turned to one of the elves that were setting up for the council meeting and spoke telepathically. Excuse me, but I cannot fit in the chair provided. I’d like to request a larger seat, preferably with cushions so that my claws don’t scratch it up. The elf looked down at me and blinked.

“Oh, you must be the new Warwolf council member.” He looked me up and down. “I suppose you wouldn’t fit in the chair at that. Would you fit in one of the ones designed for humans?”

It will be uncomfortable, but I can manage for today, I answered. I know there exist chairs designed for my people which are wider and with cushions. I’d like one of those tomorrow, please. Have you seen my interpreter?

“Your handler? I wouldn’t know what he looks like.”

Not a handler, an interpreter. I am a diplomat, not a pet. I need someone to speak my thoughts to humans and non-telepathic elves so that they can hear what I have to say. I cocked my head at the elf. If he doesn’t show up, would you like a promotion?

“I, um, err… am allergic to dogs. And wolves.” Behind his speech, I heard another different reason. The speaker for an abomination? I don’t think so.

I almost growled, but managed to restrain myself. It wasn’t as if my people’s existence as an intelligent race was our fault – a renegade elvish scientist had altered us from ordinary wolves. When the elvish government had found out what had happened, they had agreed to treat us as equals. Apparently what they said and what they did were two completely different things.

Then please help me find somebody who can act as interpreter! I do not intend to have my voice muffled because your government falls short in what they promised to provide.

“Yes yes,” said the elf, smelling rather harassed, who then turned to one of the other elves and said “You are a good telepath, Myralla, and you’ve just been volunteered to play interpreter for the wolf member of the council. His interpreter hasn’t shown up, and the council is starting in five minutes.”

he blinked, but agreed to help me. The first thing, I thought at her, is to find a human-style chair. I can’t fit in the elvish ones. 

After a little searching we located one and she dragged it to the table. I could have done that, but I would probably have damaged the finish with my teeth, and furniture polish tastes really bad. I thanked her and scrambled up into the chair. My official interpreter still hadn’t arrived and the

meeting was about to start so it looked like we were stuck with each other.High King Saeryl ki Irisen called the meeting to order, and we began. We were discussing the levies of metals and finished weaponry for the war. It didn’t really have much to do with me, since we Warwolves use little but our own bodies when we fight and do not create weapons or mine ore. I listened attentively anyway. Perhaps later we would come to something that I could usefully add to. It would be a shame not to speak at all after I went to all the trouble of bullying Myralla into interpreting for me.

The opportunity came, but not in any way I would have wished. I made the mistake of trying to drink from the water glass in front of me. It wobbled and fell over, spilling water across the council table. Everyone whisked their notes out of the way, and a servant went out to get a cloth to mop it up. I’m sorry, I thought at Myralla, but before she could speak the human sitting across from me spoke.

He looked at me with a sour expression and asked: “Excuse me, but is it really necessary to include a wolf in a discussion of weaponry? I don’t understand what right he has to be here.”

I started to growl and caught myself, thinking at Myralla instead. She spoke my thoughts: “Swift Runner apologizes for the water accident, but also says this: My people are sentient members of the High Kingdom, and a far larger proportion of us risk our lives daily in the war than do yours. We have every right to be here even if our methods of fighting and speaking differ from yours.”

“Is that you or the animal?” he asked.

“He is not an animal,” the High King said, sounding almost like he was going to growl himself. “He is a fellow council member and you will treat him as such. He speaks via telepathy and, therefore, must have someone to speak his thoughts aloud to those that cannot hear his mental voice. I can hear him perfectly well, and Myralla is only speaking what he dictates to her.”

The human spread his hands in embarrassment. “Sorry, Master Wolf.”

“It is forgiven. However, my name is Swift Runner, not Master Wolf.”

“Sorry.”

Wasn’t there some sort of debriefing given about my people? I wondered. Were you completely incommunicado during the extremely noisy scandal that occurred when the High Council discovered we were people rather than animals? I wouldn’t have thought it would be possible to miss that – especially considering this is that same council. Oh well, never mind.

That disruption over, the meeting continued.

Afterward the High King came over to me. “I do apologize for Prince Curyn’s behavior. His people have little experience with yours, and he is young and somewhat tactless.”

That is understandable. I assume that now he knows I do belong in your pack things will be easier.

“You looked like you were having trouble with the water glass.”

Yes, rather, I thought at him. It seems nobody thought to prepare any of the things a Warwolf on the council will need. The government-supplied interpreter never showed up either. I imagine they, the chair, and an explanation to the human members of the council got lost somewhere in the piles of paper.

“Indeed. I will issue instructions to relevant parties to make certain it does not happen again. I fear it may take time for both humans and elves to get used to your presence, but I do believe that you will be a useful member of this council.”
Thank you for your support. I will certainly do my best for both the High Kingdom and my own people. We are all of the same supra-pack, after all.

He nodded. “I must leave, but do let me know if you have problems of this sort again.”

My first council meeting over, I left the room. Hopefully now that the pack structure had been sorted out our discussions would be more useful. Perhaps I would not be such a token after all. I almost found myself looking forward to tomorrow.

Thank you very much again, dear friends, for visiting my blog. Please share your thoughts with us, if you will. have a great Week. 

✿ ڰۣ❤In Loving Light from the Fairy Lady❤ڰۣ✿