Bad Grrlz' Guide to Reality: The Complete Novels Wild Angel and Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell by Pat Murphy Read Free Book Online Page A

as such.
    At first, the wolves let Sarah play as any pup plays. But gradually, they began teaching her that some things were not appropriate. When she tugged on Ruana’s ears, the young female nipped her softly until she let go. Then Ruana nuzzled Sarah’s face softly to reward the proper action. When Sarah stared at Rolon with an expression that offered a challenge, the male wolf growled softly and bowled her over. Then he stood over her and nudged her face until she looked away. From these lessons, Sarah learned the proper way to behave.
    Wolves do not communicate with words, as humans do. They speak to each other in subtler ways. A movement of the ears can communicate anger; a shift in the angle at which the tail is held can indicate distrust; a lowering of the head can suggest an apology; a direct stare presents a challenge.
    A wolf that is greeting a friend wags his tail, rubs against his friend, and maybe licks his friend’s muzzle or nudges his friend’s nose with his own. A friendly wolf signals his goodwill with his ears, pricking them up in interest or laying them back in a submissive gesture that indicates he has no interest in fighting. He may grin a wolfish grin, with lips pulled back and turned up at the corners. He may whine or make a sound that’s a little like humming, a cross between a moan and a whine that rises and falls in pitch. He may rear up to place his paws on his friend’s back or indulge in a wolfish hug, embracing his friend with one or both paws. In the ecstasies of greeting, he may softly grab his friend’s muzzle in his jaws in an affectionate love bite.
    Sarah learned to read the body language of the wolves, becoming attentive to subtle signals that most humans would overlook. She could tell when Omuso would be glad to have her scratch his ragged right ear, torn in a fight long ago—and when it would be better to leave the old male alone. She played with Durand Duman and Yepa, rolling on the ground and growling puppy growls. She joined in the chorus each morning, when the wolves howled to greet the dawn. She howled with Wauna when the alpha female called to her packmates, summoning them to rendezvous.
    Though she had no tail to wag, and her ears were useless for signaling her intentions, she learned to communicate her own feelings, adapting the signals used by the wolves to make herself understood. She could sniff noses, she could grin, she could whine and hum. Where a wolf might lick or use his jaws, she used her hands—grabbing a muzzle, scratching an ear, rubbing a chin. She could indicate that she wanted to play or solicit attention and grooming or warn a wolf away. Her packmates came to accept her gestures, reading her intentions as easily as they read each others’.
    As a pup, Sarah was the lowest-ranking member of the pack—but she was also its most indulged member. Recognizing her frailty, the wolves treated her more gently than they would one of their own, nipping softly where they would have chastised a wolf pup more severely. Still, she learned to submit to a higher-ranking wolf, trustingly exposing her neck to the beast’s sharp teeth, whining low in her throat to communicate her surrender.
    Like any child, Sarah explored her environment. In a moist, shady place, she found the plant known to some as miner’s lettuce, and feasted on the soft green leaves. She ate tender shoots of young clover. When Wauna brought her the remains of a kill, she teethed on scraps of dried meat and hide. But she preferred Wauna’s milk to the tough meat, and continued to suckle.
    Over the passing weeks, Sarah gradually shed her clothing. She pulled off her underpants when she squatted to pee, then abandoned them where they fell. Inspired by the squirrels, she scrambled up into the low branches of one of the oaks. Once, when Dur was in a temper, she escaped the wolf by climbing higher than she ever had before. When her frock caught on a branch, she scrambled out of the garment and left it