Chapter 2

When Grandma returned to Sawa Sawa Mountain, she found Tapu and Mii waiting for her. Tapu’s face was as serious as it always was, and unusually for Mii, hers was just as serious, although they both looked relieved to see Grandma’s safe return.

“How did it go, Grandma?” Tapu said.

“The leader agreed to hear me out. She’s visiting us here tomorrow to discuss the terms of the agreement.”

“That’s great news,” Mii said.

“What?!” Tapu looked in disbelief between Mii and Grandma. “You invited a wolf to come here, to our home?”

“If I had refused, she would have expected a reason. I would have had to tell her either that we do not trust her—”

“Which we don’t,” Tapu interjected.

“—or that I do not speak for the herd on this matter,” Grandma said. “It would be best not to give the wolves any cause to doubt my authority over the herd. And even more importantly, we must show the wolves that we trust them to keep to their agreements, and that we will do the same in kind.”

“But we don’t trust them,” Tapu said exasperatedly. “For all we know, the wolf will start eating people the moment it gets here.”

“Why would she do that?” Mii said. “We’re making the wolves a fair offer, and it’s in their best interest to take it. You’ve seen what things are like in Mei’s forest. Herbivores and carnivores can be friends there, and everyone’s better off for it. Why can’t it be like that here?”

Mii had spent the better part of a year living with Mei and Gabu in the Emerald Forest, and had only just recently returned earlier this spring. Tapu, who had spent far less time there, didn’t seem convinced. “I know that herbivores and carnivores can be friends,” he said, “but has anyone told the Baku Baku wolves that?”

“That’s what this whole thing is about!” Mii said.

“The wolves stand much to gain from this agreement,” Grandma said patiently. “As do we. The worst that could happen tomorrow is if Lala kills one of us before the others run away. If eating one goat was her intention, she could have done so far more easily earlier today.”

“Fine,” Tapu said reluctantly, “if you think it’s what’s best for the herd, let her come. But I’m not letting her out of my sight.”

“I’m sure we’ll all feel safer for you being there, Tapu,” Mii said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

To forestall more bickering, Grandma said, “Could the two of you go and tell everyone that I’ll be addressing the herd in a moment? I need to let them know what to expect tomorrow and why.”

“We can do that,” Mii said, although she seemed distracted all of a sudden, and her expression once again became somber. “Before we go, there’s something else you should know. Hana has been missing since this morning. Someone saw her going into the forest alone, and she hasn’t come back. It might be nothing, but…” Mii trailed off.

Grandma sighed. They had lost so many goats already, and yet somehow, every fresh loss hurt just as much as the last. “I’ll talk to her parents after the meeting. Thank you for telling me.”

While Tapu and Mii busied themselves gathering the herd together from the various popular grazing spots, Grandma went to the meadow nestled in the foothills of Sawa Sawa Mountain, which served as the main communal area where most of the goats slept and spent their day. There were two or three dozen goats there currently, although the meadow was large enough that it didn’t feel crowded. Most of them were busy eating or digesting grass, others conversing in small groups. A few of them nodded their heads or called out greetings as Grandma passed by.

On the far side of the meadow, where the ground sloped upward to eventually become Sawa Sawa Mountain itself, there stood a moderately sized oak tree, and it was here that Grandma made her way towards. Budding leaves were just starting to adorn the tree’s outermost twigs, although the small hollow near the top of the trunk was still mostly visible. From this hollow, an olive brown warbler fluttered down and landed attentively in front of Grandma.

“Good afternoon, Ugui,” Grandma said. “How are you and Kekyo doing?”

“Same as always,” the warbler said. “Where is it today?”

“The usual meeting place for our friend in Baku Baku Valley. No message this time, but if he comes to you with any information, you’re to bring it back to me at once.”

Ugui looked a little apprehensive. “Is this another all-night job?” she said.

“I’m afraid it might be. Is that okay?”

“It’s fine. I’ll ask Kekyo to come and take over from me if I’m not back by nightfall.”

Grandma nodded and left the warbler to negotiate that with her wife. Boro had ways of arranging his own messengers, but it was safer for him if he didn’t have to, and it was important that any message he had for her concerning the wolves’ plans tomorrow was delivered promptly.

Tapu and Mii must have worked fast, because it wasn’t long before most of the herd was gathered in the meadow and waiting to hear what their Elder had to say.

Hana’s parents were nowhere to be seen. Grandma hoped they weren’t still out looking for her. Given Lala’s promise that no more goats would be hunted today or tomorrow, it was unlikely to do any harm, but since Hana’s parents didn’t know about that promise, it was still a foolish decision. It was all too easy for one tragedy to turn into three.

Dozens of eyes were fixed on her as they waited for her to speak. Others in the crowd conversed with one another, not loudly, but there were enough of them that the jumbled murmurs of several overlapping conversations were a constant background noise. Still, Grandma wasn’t intimidated. She was older than everyone else here, and had been there at many of their births. She knew each and every one of them, and they were all counting on her.

Grandma tilted her head upward. It was a very slight gesture, nothing more than a half-nod, and yet the sudden cessation of conversations rippled through the herd in waves. In a matter of moments, she had their full attention.

“Thank you,” she said. “As all of us here know, far too many goats have lost their lives to wolf attacks in recent weeks.” Heads bowed in agreement, and in remembrance of lost friends and loved ones. “I have a plan that, if successful, will ease our suffering considerably. Earlier today, I paid a visit to the leader of the Baku Baku wolf pack…”

For a moment, the spell of silence was broken. The bowed heads shot up in surprise and stared at Grandma with wide eyes. There were gasps and one or two murmurs, but they quieted a moment later under Grandma’s steady gaze.

“I have proposed to them an agreement that will benefit all of us,” she continued. “In exchange for whatever assistance we may be able to provide, I have asked that they leave our mothers and young ones unharmed. Their leader will be visiting us here tomorrow to discuss the precise terms of the agreement.”

The murmurs resumed, louder than before, and this time no gesture or look would abate them.

“Are you sure this is the best course of action?” Rosso said from the crowd. “Elder Chōro would never have approved of trying to negotiate with wolves.”

Grandma had been half expecting this. Rosso had never been shy about sharing his thoughts, whether the matter under discussion concerned him or not. She waited until the murmuring died down before replying to him.

“Sadly, as Elder Chōro is no longer with us, we will never know how he would have handled the present situation. Under the direction of their new leader, the wolves’ attacks have become far more dangerous than anything we’ve had to deal with in the past. To survive, we too must change our ways. I understand that inviting a wolf into our home is scary, but I have every confidence that the leader of the Baku Baku wolf pack has no intention of harming us during her visit. She has given her word on that.” Grandma caught Tapu’s eye very briefly.

Tapu took the hint. “But how can we trust the word of a wolf? All they want is to kill and eat us. What agreement could possibly be worth taking that risk?”

Grandma smiled inwardly, although her face remained serious and somber. “It is possible that the wolves may be trying to deceive us, and that is a risk we must weigh carefully against the potential benefit. Personally, I do not think we have much to worry about in the way of deception. The wolves’ ways are straightforward and plain, unlike our own.”

That caught the herd’s interest. Those who had been frowning in worry or disapproval now listened curiously.

“What we stand to gain from the wolves is immensely valuable, a guarantee of safety for our children and mothers, and what we will agree to in return will be petty in comparison. Does that answer your question, Tapu?”

“Yes, Grandma,” Tapu said. “If this deal with the wolves will protect the herd, then it’s worth the risk.”

“It sounds like the risk won’t be much worse than what we face anyway, so why not, right?” Mii said.

A few goats started to nod in agreement. The implication that they were taking advantage of the wolves had bolstered their confidence. It was their chance to regain a little bit of power from those who had caused them so much misery, and prove, as they all knew, that goats were far smarter than any wolf. (Grandma hoped that no one else would spend enough time talking to Lala to realise how untrue that was.) Seeing Tapu, one of the most stubborn goats in the herd, appear to be won over had sealed it for them, even if Tapu had given in a little soon for Grandma’s liking. She could see that not everyone was satisfied with the explanation, but no one else raised any objection.

Grandma dismissed the herd and watched as the goats began animatedly discussing the news they had just received. Novelty was a rare thing for the Sawa Sawa goat herd, and so anything out of the ordinary immediately became the focus of everyone’s attention. Even with the undercurrent of danger, it was as if new life had been breathed into the herd.

“Nicely done,” Mii said. “They don’t seem frightened at all.”

“They should be,” Tapu said. “This isn’t a game. People might get killed if we’re not careful tomorrow.”

“People will certainly be killed if we’re not careful tomorrow,” Grandma said. “Although in all likelihood, the consequences won’t be so immediate as you may be thinking. But that’s for me to worry about. Do either of you know where Hana’s parents are?”

“Oh, they’re over by Sara Sara Creek,” Mii said. “We told them about the meeting, but they didn’t want to come. I think they’re only just starting to realise that Hana…isn’t coming back.”

“I’ll go and speak to them,” Grandma said. “Thank you both for your help today.”

“No problem. Let us know if you need us for anything else.”

Boro stood to attention alongside his fellow pack members, listening and doing his best to act surprised as Lala told the pack about Grandma’s proposed agreement. It didn’t occur to him until afterwards that he needn’t have bothered, since Lala had seen him listening to her conversation with Grandma earlier that day.

“The goats have offered to do our bidding,” Lala said from the raised platform, “in exchange for some minor adjustments to our hunting patterns. Their leader has already offered to divulge all their secrets of herbal medicine to us, and has promised the services of their best healer to use at our convenience.” She grinned. “And that’s only the start. They’re so desperate, they’ll probably agree to anything for even the slightest scrap of mercy.”

“Hei,” the wolves said in unison.

“What are the adjustments?” Zack asked from Boro’s left. On Zack’s other side, Beach tilted his head quizzically at Lala.

“They want us to refrain from eating their mothers and children,” Lala said, curling the corner of her mouth up. “As far as I’m concerned, that’s no big deal. The kids are delicious and easy to catch, sure, but there’s hardly any meat on them. It seems a shame to eat them before they’ve had a chance to fatten up on grass. And as for the mothers, we all know what happened to Giro’s left ear.”

“Hei,” the wolves said again.

“What, um, happened to Giro’s ear?” Boro said. The pack’s former leader had been missing his left ear for as long as Boro could remember, but no one had ever mentioned what happened to it, and Boro had never thought to ask until now.

“Bitten off by a mother goat protecting its kid,” Lala said. “The mothers can be as fierce as wolves if you get on their bad sides. Better not to bother with them, really. Anyway, the goats are fools if they think they can get the better of us in this ‘agreement,’ but I want everyone to be on their best behaviour until the deal is struck. As I’m sure Boro has already told you, goats are off-limits until sunset tomorrow. I will consider any trespass on this matter a betrayal of the pack’s best interests, and as such, the punishment will be death.”

“Hei.”

“Good. Dismissed.” Lala turned and stalked off into her cave, and the pack relaxed.

“It’s kind of a shame to think we might never get to taste a fresh young goat again, huh?” Zack said.

“So soft and juicy,” Beach agreed.

“What do you think, Boro?” Zack looked at him.

“I’ve always preferred rabbit myself,” Boro said distractedly. He needed to get away from the pack and let Grandma know what Lala had told them about her plans, that she was counting on the goats being desperate enough to agree to anything she demanded of them.

“Rabbits are all stringy, stringy, stringy,” Beach said.

“Yeah, wouldn’t you rather have a goat if given the choice?” Zack said.

“I guess so,” Boro said. “Hey, I’m a little hungry. I’m gonna go out and hunt.”

“All this talk of juicy goats is making me hungry too,” Zack said. “Do you mind if we come along?”

“Oh, um, sure, if you want.”

Boro spent a good couple of hours leading Zack and Beach on the trail of a fictional deer, relying on his reputation for having an excellent sense of smell to keep the other two wolves from being suspicious that they couldn’t smell anything.

“Sorry, guys,” Boro said at last, “I think I’ve lost it.”

“Are you feeling all right, Boro?” Zack said. “You’ve seemed kind of down these last few weeks. You know you can talk to us, right?”

Beach nodded his head emphatically, and Boro felt a pang of guilt for wasting his friends’ time when they were genuinely hungry. Ever since Gabu had left the pack, Zack and Beach had been the closest thing he’d had to someone to look up to. Even though he was an adult now and was a better hunter than either of them, they still spent more time with him than anyone else in the pack, even the wolves he had grown up with. Admittedly, part of that might be because he was a better hunter and they could get more food by sticking close to him, but at times like this especially, Boro felt that they really cared for him too.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said. “I just…sort of want to be alone for a bit.”

“Okay,” Zack said. “We’ll go and hunt somewhere else. See you back at home.”

Now alone and feeling guiltier than ever, Boro set off to betray his pack.

The conversation with Hana’s parents had been as difficult as every other conversation with grieving family members Grandma had had since becoming Elder. When her own daughter had died, her and everyone else’s first concern had been comforting Mei. She didn’t resent that, of course, but having someone be there for her specifically would have been nice. Talking to each and every surviving relative of a deceased member of the herd had become a tradition for her, and she hoped it was doing some good to offset the heartache.

Grandma grazed on the pleasant grass of Fuka Fuka Valley, having neglected to eat anything at all earlier that day. The setting sun illuminated the near side of Sawa Sawa Mountain in a gentle orange glow, and Grandma’s thoughts were firmly fixed on what would happen the following day.

“That was quite the announcement you made earlier today.” Grandma turned and saw Remi smiling politely at her. Remi’s daughter Yū was hiding shyly behind her mother’s legs. “I hope it all works out.”

“As do I,” Grandma said, smiling back at Remi. “I’ve spent many weeks preparing for this moment. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to tell you about it sooner, but I didn’t want to raise everyone’s hopes without good reason.”

“I expect you were also worried about what people would think of the idea,” Remi said. “Not everyone likes the thought of a wolf coming here tomorrow.”

“If there were any other way, I would have taken it,” Grandma said.

“Will the wolves really agree to leave my daughter and me alone?” Remi said, looking behind her at Yū.

“I’ll do my best to convince them to,” Grandma said. “I think they will at least consider our offer.”

“That would be wonderful,” Remi said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help win them over.”

“Thank you,” Grandma said. “The most important thing tomorrow is to make a good impression.”

A while after Remi had left Grandma to continue grazing on her own, Ugui arrived and landed on the ground a respectful distance in front of Grandma. “I’ve got a message from Baku Baku Valley,” she said. “Lala intends to get the better of you in the negotiations tomorrow. She’s going to ask for more than you offered.”

Grandma breathed a sigh of relief. That was the sort of complication she could deal with. “Do the wolves plan to uphold their promise not to harm any of us until after the meeting?”

Ugui hesitated. “He didn’t say anything about that.”

“He would have mentioned it if not. Thank you, Ugui. Please give our friend an acknowledgement and ask if he’ll be needing your services for the rest of the night. If not, you may return here and rest until morning. Tomorrow, I’ll need either you or Kekyo to await further messages at Baku Baku Valley.”

“Understood,” Ugui said, and left to do as Grandma had asked.

Grandma returned to her meal, ruminating on the day ahead.