Chapter 16

When Grandma, Mii and the others returned to Sawa Sawa Mountain, they wasted no time in telling the rest of the herd about the six wolves’ promise not to eat goats. Many of the herd were dubious at first about whether the promise meant anything, but Rōjin, Remi and Bima all corroborated that the wolves had sounded sincere, and that helped to convince most of the herd that Grandma’s plan had been a success.

Mii noticed that Grandma seemed more tired than usual, which was understandable given everything that had happened recently, but still concerning. She spent much of the next few days resting in the shade, unable to do much more than eat and sleep. The midsummer sun was uncomfortably hot this time of year, which didn’t help matters. Mii tried various remedies to ease Grandma’s discomfort, but nothing she tried seemed to do much good.

“How are you feeling today?” Mii said to her, placing a cluster of fresh berries by her side.

“I’m doing fine. Thank you for these,” Grandma said, eating some of the berries. “Have you spoken to Boro recently?”

“I saw him yesterday,” Mii said. “He says that most of the pack isn’t sure what to think of what happened that night. They don’t understand why so many wolves would suddenly decide to stop eating goats. Lala and the others are working to convince them, though. Lili and Lulu are doing a good job of keeping everyone talking about it, especially the female wolves, who also talk about it with their mates. But the thing is, we’re not sure it’ll be enough to convince everyone to give up eating goats for good.”

Grandma nodded thoughtfully. “Your next visit to the wolves is tomorrow, isn’t it? Why not bring a few of the others along to get to know them?”

“I’ll give that a try,” Mii said. “Should we also get Lala to bring some wolves to visit here?”

“Yes,” Grandma said. “I think that would help matters along.”

The following day, Mii brought Remi, Yū, Bima and Aiju along with her for her weekly healing visit. She asked Grandma if she wanted to come too, but she wasn’t feeling up to it. Remi and Bima were still quite apprehensive at the thought of being around a larger group of wolves, but as Mii reminded them, she had been doing this for months now without incident.

When they arrived at Baku Baku Valley, the first wolves to greet them were Zack and Beach. “Oh, hey, it’s you guys!” Zack said as he and his friend bounded towards them.

Remi and Bima moved protectively in front of their children.

The two wolves slowed their approach. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to startle you,” Zack said. He looked down at Yū, who was peering unconcernedly out from between her mother’s legs. “It’s Yū, right? Have you had any tasty grass lately?”

Yū nodded. “Yeah, I eat grass all the time. Have you eated any rabbits?”

“Stringy, stringy,” Beach murmured.

“Um, no,” Zack said. “We’ve been eating a lot of deer recently.” He looked around uncertainly, no doubt searching for a safe conversation topic. “It’s a nice day today.”

“It’s a little too hot for my liking,” Remi said, “but it could be worse.”

“I was thinking the two of you could show Remi, Yū, Bima and Aiju around Baku Baku Valley while I’m working,” Mii said.

“Sure,” Zack said. “We’d be happy to.”

While the four other goats followed Zack and Beach on a tour of Baku Baku Valley, Mii headed for her healing cave, where she found Tomo and Kazu waiting for her.

“Hello, Mii,” Tomo said.

“Good morning,” Mii said. “How can I help you?”

“We were just wondering,” Tomo said, “what really happened in the barn that night? Boro and the others have been acting a little strange ever since then.”

“Not to mention Gururi,” Kazu said.

“Can I trust you two to keep a secret?” Mii said.

“Of course,” Tomo said. Kazu hesitated, and then nodded.

“What happened in the barn was part of Lala and Grandma’s plan to convince the pack to voluntarily give up eating goat meat. Boro’s in on the plan, and so are Zack, Beach, Lili and Lulu…I think.”

“Why would Lala want to convince us to do that?” Kazu said.

Mii smiled mischievously. “Apparently, Lala’s fed up with trying to find ways of hunting goats without breaking our agreements. She and Grandma decided that the best outcome is for the wolves to stop hunting goats entirely, but for us to keep helping you with healing and with the Gara Gara wolf pack.”

“Why does she need to convince us?” Tomo said. “Can’t she just order us not to eat goats?”

“Would you keep following her if she told you to do that?” Mii said.

“Of course,” Tomo said.

“Okay,” Mii said. “Would Gururi have done?”

“Not a chance,” Kazu said. “He ditched us right after that night because he was convinced that Lala was siding with you goats.”

“Yeah, I heard,” Mii said.

“Most of us aren’t that narrow-minded,” Kazu said. “But there are definitely a few wolves who would think twice about following her if she told them they couldn’t eat goats anymore. I don’t think convincing them will work either, though.”

“I’m not sure either,” Mii said, “but we’ve got to try. How would you two feel about giving up goat meat?”

Kazu laughed shortly. “We haven’t had goat for weeks now.”

“I just feel so bad about eating you,” Tomo said. “After you’ve done so much to help us, I mean.”

“Thanks,” Mii said. “If you could do your best to convince the others, that would help a lot.”

“We will,” Tomo said.

Boro arrived shortly after that to act as her chaperone, but Mii told him to keep an eye on the other goats instead, so he left to do that.

There wasn’t much for Mii to do that day healing-wise. Most of the wolves she saw didn’t comment on the events of the past few days, and Mii refrained from starting any conversations on the topic.

When there were no more wolves for her to treat, Mii went to check on the others. Yū and Aiju were playing with Lolo’s latest litter of pups while Lolo herself chatted with Remi and Bima.

Mii took a moment to appreciate how extraordinary the sight in front of her was. Back when she’d been a kid, no one would ever have dreamed that young goats and wolves could someday end up playing side by side.

“We’d better be getting back soon,” she told them.

Yū and Aiju paused their game with the wolf pups and looked up at her pleadingly. “Just a little longer?” Aiju said.

“Okay,” Mii laughed. “Maybe your new friends would like to come and visit us at Sawa Sawa Mountain?”

“Is that a good idea?” Bima said.

“Of course it is,” Remi said. “Just look at how much fun they’re having.”

Indeed, the two young goats and four even younger wolves appeared to be having the time of their lives, running around and chasing each other under the watchful eyes of their mothers.

“Play nicely, Momo,” Lolo called to one pup who was getting a little overexcited. “I’d be happy to bring them along for a visit,” she said to Mii, Remi and Bima. “Assuming Lala doesn’t mind.”

“I think that would be a splendid idea,” Lala said from a short distance behind Mii. Mii turned around and saw the leader of the wolves watching the playing children with a satisfied smile on her face.

“Are there any other wolves who you think would enjoy a visit to Sawa Sawa Mountain?” Mii said.

“Hmm,” Lala said, “I can think of one or two. Is this an official invitation?”

“Grandma thinks it would be a good idea,” Mii said. “How about tomorrow at midday?”

“That sounds perfect,” Lala said.

Lala rounded up a total of twenty wolves for the visit to Sawa Sawa Mountain the next day. She picked an even mixture of wolves who she knew were already sympathetic to the goats and those who appeared to be undecided.

She led the group towards the edge of the forest where it bordered the meadow of Sawa Sawa Mountain, just as she’d done that day three months ago when she, Boro, Zack and Beach had come to negotiate that first deal with the goats.

If she had known then that allying herself with the goats would eventually lead to the pack forsaking goat meat entirely, there was no way she would have gone ahead with the deal. Now, though, it wasn’t that she was glad things had gone the way they did—she’d have preferred to retain the services of the healer while offering fewer compromises in return—but neither did she have any desire to return to the way things had been before.

Having Mii heal them and Grandma keep the Gara Gara wolves from attacking was worth the change to the pack’s diet, and it was simpler to accept that outcome than to expend yet more energy looking for ways for the pack to hunt goats without breaking Grandma’s rules. And, even if she preferred not to admit it even to herself, she had grown slightly fond of Grandma in the time they had known each other, and it felt nice for their association to become less antagonistic. She wouldn’t go so far as to describe Grandma as a friend, not just yet, but she wasn’t opposed to the idea on principle.

As they drew closer to the meadow, Lala noticed Mii waiting by the edge of the forest. When the goat saw them, she approached the group of wolves. “Wait here a moment,” she said to them.

Lala waited as Mii disappeared into the meadow, returning a couple of minutes later accompanied by the same goats who had visited Baku Baku Valley the day before. Boro, Zack and Beach greeted them warmly.

“The herd knows to expect you,” Mii said, “but to make sure they don’t panic, we’re going to walk in front of you.”

“Lead the way,” Lala said.

What followed bore a striking resemblance to a comedically slow goat hunt, with Lala’s group of twenty one wolves following the group of five goats at a walking pace. The four goats besides Mii kept glancing back at the following wolves, a move that would likely have gotten them eaten if this had been a real chase. Mii, however, walked confidently forward as though having a large group of wolves right behind her were an everyday occurrence.

The rest of the herd all stared at the approaching wolves. Many of them backed away slightly, but none of them bolted. As the wolves got closer, the goats began to form into a tight-knit group. Lala noticed that much like when the goats had tried to defend themselves the second time they’d hunted at Sawa Sawa Mountain, the stronger goats positioned themselves at the front of the group while the more vulnerable goats remained at the back. The only exception to this was Grandma, who lay on the grass at the front of the group, perhaps in an imitation of the way Lala and the other wolves had lain when Grandma had first visited them at Baku Baku Valley.

Mii and the others joined Grandma at the front of the group.

“Welcome to Sawa Sawa Mountain,” Grandma said. “Please forgive me for not standing to greet you; I’ve been feeling a little under the weather these past few days.”

“Nothing serious, I hope?” Lala said.

“I shouldn’t think so,” Grandma said.

Lala watched Mii’s face, on which she saw the slightest flicker of concern. “That’s a relief to hear,” she said. “I’d like to thank you on behalf of the wolf pack currently residing at Baku Baku Valley for generously opening up your home to us.”

“It is my pleasure,” Grandma said. Slowly, and with what appeared to be much difficulty, she turned herself around to address the herd. “Lala, the leader of the wolves, has been instrumental in facilitating the agreements that keep many of us safe. She has earned not only my gratitude, but also my respect. I would like everyone who feels comfortable doing so to spend some time today talking to at least one wolf. I can say with complete certainty that no harm will come to anyone.” She turned her head back around to smile at Lala. “Is that not so?”

“My brother, Bari, died while pursuing a former member of our pack for the crime of associating with a goat,” Lala said. She watched as some of the goats’ eyes widened, no doubt realising which goat that must have been. “Chasing after them was a pointless act of violence motivated only by spite. My brother did not deserve to die in such a way. I swear on his memory that no goat shall be harmed this day, neither by myself nor by any wolf here.”

Grandma nodded her head towards the two mothers and children standing beside her, who stepped tentatively forward and came to greet the wolves they were acquainted with: Zack, Beach, Lili, Lulu, Lolo and her pups.

“Please don’t be shy,” Grandma said to the rest of the herd.

Gradually, more goats began to emerge from the herd and approach the wolves. Some of them Lala recognised, including Mii and her ill-mannered friend, but most of them were unfamiliar to her. The goats who had joined the wolves began talking with them, awkwardly at first. Yū and Aiju, along with another pair of goat kids, started a game with Lolo’s pups while the parents chatted amiably.

The goats who remained with the herd backed away slightly, having lost the protection of some of their more confident companions standing in front of them, but still none of them ran away. They stared in wide-eyed astonishment as their friends and relatives engaged in conversation with the big, scary wolves they had feared their whole lives.

Grandma stayed where she was, watching happily as countless generations of animosity began to dissolve in front of her eyes. Lala approached and lay down on the grass beside her. “Well played,” she said.

“Likewise,” Grandma said.

“How long have you been sick?” Lala said, lowering her voice.

“I’ve been feeling a little under the weather for the past week or so,” Grandma said.

“Has it been getting worse?” Lala said.

Grandma didn’t meet Lala’s eyes, looking instead at the goats and wolves conversing behind Lala’s back. “Yes,” she said at last. “Mii doesn’t know what’s causing it, or how to treat it.”

“Have you put arrangements in place?” Lala said.

“I’ve started to. I won’t let our hard work go to waste.”

“Good. Let’s hope this is just a passing raincloud.”

Grandma still didn’t meet her eyes. “Let’s hope so.”

That evening, long after the wolves had returned home, just as the sun was starting to set, Rōjin came to visit Grandma under the shade of her tree. “How are you feeling now, Mari?” he said.

“A little better than this morning,” Grandma said.

“I’m very glad to hear it. I wish you a full and speedy recovery.”

Grandma bowed her head. “Rōjin, when you are Elder, will you continue the work I have begun towards ending hostilities with the wolves once and for all?”

“When I am Elder?” Rōjin said. He thought for a while. “If I have the privilege of outliving you, Mari, I will do everything I can to protect our herd. At the moment, it seems that your plan to establish friendly relations with the wolves is the best way of doing that. So yes, I will continue your work when the time comes, although I sincerely hope that day remains far in the future.”

“Thank you,” Grandma said. “When that time comes, speak to Mii, Boro and Lala. Between them, they can tell you everything you need to know about the world I have worked to create. Speak to Gabu and Mei too when they arrive.”

“The wolves—can they be trusted?” Rōjin said.

“Boro and Gabu, certainly,” Grandma said. “I trust them completely. I believe we can trust Lala too. She is a kind person underneath it all. That being said, she may yet decide to put the interests of her pack above ours, which is a decision I would be disappointed by, but which I could not fault her for making. Exercise a degree of caution when dealing with her, and remember to keep the wolves’ best interests in mind so that they will do the same for us.”

“I will,” Rōjin said.

“Thank you,” Grandma said. “I think I would like to rest now, unless there’s anything more you wish to discuss with me?”

“I’ll leave you to your rest,” Rōjin said, and he turned to leave. Then he hesitated. “Watching you grow into your role as Elder has been an absolute privilege, Mari. We’re immensely fortunate to have you as our leader.”

“Thank you,” Grandma said again, smiling as she closed her eyes for a nap.