僕らの新しい生活 - Bokura No Atarashī Seikatsu - Our New Life

by oira2

Summary:

With the full moon high in the sky, Gabu and Mei's new life has just begun. But can they live happily ever after in a forest that never expected a goat and a wolf to move in next door? This story picks up where the movie left off, chronicling Gabu and Mei's endeavour to make friends and come to terms with Gabu's nature in the months following their reunion.

Loosely inspired by Ringcaat's fanfic "Beyond the Storm". Canon comes mostly from the movie, and occasionally from the television series, the original books, and the trilogy of additional stories published in 2011/2012.

Notes:

Open in the standalone reader: https://oira2.github.io/bokura/

Series: Bokura No Atarashī Seikatsu | Christmas Tree No Shita Ni | Onaji Sora No Shita De

Join our Arashi No Yoru Ni Discord server: https://discord.gg/YmumXkZa

Chapter 1: The Full Moon

-- Part 1 --

Day 0: The Full Moon

“The moon’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Gabu said.

Mei gazed at the giant orb of light as it gradually made its way into the heavens. He couldn’t remember ever seeing the moon so bright or all-encompassing. Gradually, he began to feel a sense of calm wash over him, just as Gabu had described feeling so many times before. “Yeah, it really is.”

Gabu sat beside him atop the hill that had almost been the last place they would ever meet. He, too, stared at the moon with tear-filled eyes. “I’ve been waiting so long to watch the moonrise with you, Mei.”

“Me too, Gabu. But it was definitely worth the wait. Don’t you think?”

“Yeah, and this is the best one ever.”

As the moon crept higher into the night sky, Mei thought back on all he and Gabu had been through, the memories they shared and cherished. Before meeting Gabu, Mei had never expected his life to turn so completely upside-down in so fantastic a way. And yet here he was, a goat sitting side-by-side with a wolf, on the verge of starting a whole new life together all by themselves.

“Gabu?” Mei said.

“Hmm?”

“We’re finally able to be together, aren’t we?”

“Yes, Mei. And we’ll always be together. I promise.”

Mei’s heart swelled at hearing those words from someone who knew and accepted him in a way that not even his own herd did. He loved Gabu so, so much. A few months ago, on the clifftop where the two of them had taken their last look at the life they had left behind, Mei had almost admitted that to him. Instead, he had said to Gabu, “I’m really glad I met you on that stormy night.” Gabu had said, “I feel the same way,” and Mei believed his friend had understood. Now, on this most wonderful of nights, he finally felt ready to say it aloud. “Gabu, I think I love you.”

“I love you too, Mei,” Gabu said without hesitation, the way one might to a close friend.

Mei faltered. “I mean, I think I’m in love with you.”

“Oh.” Gabu’s eyes remained fixed on the moon. “You mean…like that?”

“Yes. I’ve felt that way for a long time now.” A gentle breeze rustled the grass. Gabu remained silent. “It’s fine if you don’t...”

“Oh, no, I’m in love with you too, Mei,” Gabu said hurriedly.

“Gabu…”

“We jumped into a river together. That’s not something you do if you’re just friends, is it?”

Mei closed his eyes, took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Gabu, please don’t tell me that just because it’s what you think I want to hear. If you’re going to say that to me, I need you to be sure you mean it. Take some time to think about it.”

“I’m sorry, Mei.”

Despite Gabu’s not so satisfying response, Mei was glad to have said it. The events of the past few hours—the past few months, really—had almost meant that Mei would never get the chance to tell Gabu how he felt. He truly believed that Gabu loved him too, but Gabu needed time to realise that on his own, just as Mei had done.

Mei had known for a long time that his relationship with Gabu wasn’t a normal friendship. He’d been friends with Tapu and Mii since they were kids, but he wouldn’t have given up his old life to run away with them like he did with Gabu.

Not for the first time, Mei thought about how much easier things would have been if he and Gabu were both goats. The thought of bringing Gabu home to meet his grandmother, of Gabu becoming friends with Tapu and Mii, always made him smile. Perhaps without the barrier of species between them, Gabu would have an easier time seeing Mei as more than a friend.

Mei was reminded of Kuro-san. During his visit to Sawa Sawa Mountain, Mei had suspected that Kuro-san was attracted to him. He’d never voiced these feelings to Mei, and Mei would have turned him down had he done so, but he was notable as the only other male goat to have expressed an interest in Mei.

The news of Mei’s betrayal might not have reached Para Para Fields yet. Mei considered the possibility of paying Kuro-san a visit. Without the imminent threat of wolves pursuing them, Gabu and Mei could take their time and go the long way around the mountain. As much as Mei enjoyed Gabu’s company, he would rather have more than just one person to talk to. Having someone else with whom he could discuss his relationship with Gabu would also be nice, especially if things continued to be awkward between them.

The moon, now high in the sky, held Gabu and Mei’s attention for much of the remaining night. Eventually, the two friends retired to the small cave embedded in the side of the hill. The shadow cast by the hill shrouded the cave in darkness and extended almost to the edge of the forest. The glistening moonlight, reflecting from the leaves of distant trees, was a sight almost as beautiful as the moonrise itself.

Chapter 2: Our New Life

Day 1: Our New Life

In the morning, Mei woke up to find Gabu still sleeping next to him. He was a little surprised by this; he’d expected Gabu to get up early to go hunting while it was still dark.

Mei remembered the first time he and Gabu had spent the night together, at the end of that fateful day on Poro Poro Hill. The two had stayed up talking long into the night and slept long into the day. Mei recalled how sleepy Gabu had been when the two finally awoke, chuckling to himself at how little Gabu had changed in that regard.

Since then, they had spent numerous nights together, but always when they were on the run from the other wolves. On one such night, Mei had woken up in the early hours of the morning to find that Gabu had vanished. It had taken him a few seconds to realise that his friend must have gone hunting, a realisation that had greatly disturbed him at the time. Even now, after everything they’d been through, Mei still disliked the thought of Gabu killing other people to survive.

One memory led to another, and soon Mei was reliving the nightmare that had followed not long after that day. He’d spent months not knowing if he’d ever see Gabu again. And when they were finally reunited...

The memories of yesterday’s events were still too fresh for Mei to want to dwell on them so soon. Banishing them from his mind, Mei settled back down next to Gabu and enjoyed the warmth of his sleeping friend’s company.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Gabu continued to sleep. It was only when, several hours later, Gabu’s stomach gave a loud rumble that the wolf opened his eyes, stretched his legs and finally stood up.

“Good morning, Mei.”

“Good morning, Gabu. Did you sleep well?”

“Better than ever. Oh, Mei, I can’t believe you’re really here. I was so scared that when I woke up, it would turn out you were just a dream.”

Mei chuckled. “Is that why you slept in so long? It’s almost noon.”

“Is it that late already? I guess I should get something to eat.” Gabu started to lick his lips, but stopped abruptly when he remembered Mei was with him. Gabu looked questioningly and a little ashamedly at Mei, as if wondering whether he was allowed to voice his hunger in Mei’s presence.

“You should go and eat,” Mei said warmly. “Don’t wolves usually go hunting at night?”

“It varies. Back before we ran away, I was actually trying to spend more time awake during the day and asleep at night so that we could spend more time together.”

Mei hadn’t known about that. “That’s very sweet of you.”

Gabu smiled. “It’s the least I could do.” His stomach rumbled again.

“Go on,” Mei said, “get some food. I’ll be right here when you get back.”

With one last grin that looked a little too sheepish for a wolf’s face, Gabu left the cave and headed for the forest, leaving Mei alone with his thoughts once again.

Mei stepped out of the cave and into what was now the midday sun. Normally, even during the months he’d spent mourning Gabu’s absence, he would be several hours into his day by now. But if Gabu needed to sleep longer than he did, then waiting for Gabu to wake up was a small sacrifice. It meant spending more time with Gabu, after all.

Grazing on the luscious grass that surrounded the hill was a pleasant way to clear his mind and pass the time. By the time Gabu returned a few hours later, Mei was digesting a full day’s worth of grass and was looking forward to spending the remaining hours of the day with his favourite wolf in the world.

Neither of them mentioned the fact that Gabu had just been hunting. Mei tried not to think about how many people who had been alive this morning might now be dead.

He offered to show Gabu around the forest and the surrounding meadows, which he had gotten to know well in the months since Gabu’s disappearance. Neither of them was sure where Gabu had spent the intervening months, as the wolf’s memories from after the avalanche still hadn’t returned. Mei was confident he would have heard from the other animals in the forest if Gabu had been nearby, so Gabu must have found some way to survive in the mountains, or else had found himself in a different forest and gradually made his way here.

Mei showed Gabu around the various patches of woodland, meadows and clearings that comprised the Emerald Forest, as Mei had taken to calling it. He showed Gabu where the tastiest grass was and the river where the animals of the forest came to drink.

The only place Mei didn’t take Gabu was the easternmost patch of woodland, closest to the hill, in which Mei had spent most of his time while separated from Gabu. Mei had made a number of friends there, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for them to find out that “Gabu” (whom he’d told them was a lost friend) was actually a wolf.

If Gabu noticed that Mei was avoiding taking him into that part of the forest, he didn’t say anything. Exploring together brought back memories of the first few months they’d known each other, back before everything went wrong. There was nothing Mei liked more than spending time with Gabu, and it was even better without needing to worry about returning to his herd at the end of the day or being discovered by the other wolves.

By the time they returned to the hill, which they agreed to call Moonrise Hill, the sun was low in the sky and the two friends were thoroughly worn out from the day’s activities.

“Thanks for showing me the forest, Mei,” Gabu said as they settled down in the cave for the night. “Shall we do it again tomorrow?”

“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” Mei said with a smile. “Hey, Gabu, about what I said to you last night...”

Gabu looked confused for a moment, and then a look of shame came over his face. “Oh, Mei, I’m so sorry I responded to you the way I did. It was just a surprise. No one’s ever told me they loved me before. Not in that way.”

“Really? There was no one at Baku Baku Valley that you liked or who was interested in you?”

“Well...” Mei didn’t need to see Gabu’s face to know he was blushing, “...there was this one wolf, Lala. I think she might have liked me.”

“I remember you talking about her. Wasn’t she the wolf you gave that flower to?”

“That’s right. Thanks for helping pick that out, by the way, and for not being jealous.” Gabu was silent for a time. Mei wondered if he was remembering how jealous he’d been of Kuro-san when he’d thought Mei was spending time with the other goat instead of him. Had Gabu even realised that what he had been feeling at the time was jealousy?

“No problem,” Mei said. “I don’t think I’d realised by then that I wanted to be more than just friends with you.”

“When did you figure that out?”

“I think it was when you took me to the cave at Poro Poro Hill. You told me how whenever you felt sad or angry, seeing the moonrise from there would make everything right again. I was so touched that you cared enough to share your secret place with me.”

Gabu smiled at the fond memory. “I was so disappointed that the fog ruined our chance to see the moonrise that night. But you were right, us being together was just as good, if not better.”

“That’s for sure.” Mei looked out at the golden sunlight illuminating the beautiful forest they’d chosen to make their home. “That’s when I realised that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, Gabu. If that isn’t love, what is?”

“Putting it like that makes it sound so simple. Of course I want to spend my life with you, Mei. I’ve wanted that for...almost since we met.”

The relief that washed over Mei as he heard those words was almost as great as when they had been reunited. Almost, but not quite. Mei nestled into Gabu’s warm fur and closed his eyes, just as the final rays of the evening sun faded out of sight. Everything the two of them had been through, leaving their old lives behind, had been worth it.

“I love you, Mei.”

“I love you too, Gabu.”

Chapter 3: New Friends

Day 2: New Friends

Once again, Mei woke up early the following morning, while Gabu was still asleep. Careful not to wake Gabu, Mei crept out of the cave and into the early morning sun. He then made his way across the small stretch of grassland that separated Moonrise Hill from the edge of the forest and into the forest itself. This was the first time Mei had been in this part of the forest since being reunited with Gabu two days prior.

It didn’t take long for Mei to find who he was looking for. In a small clearing, a middle-aged doe with light brown fur was chewing a mouthful of grass. She stopped when she saw Mei and called out to him. “Mei, where have you been? We thought that wolf must have eaten you. I’m so glad you’re all right.”

“Hi, Greta. I’m sorry to have worried you all. It’s been an eventful couple of days. Where are the others?”

“I’ll go and fetch them. I’m sure they’ll be glad to see you, and to hear whatever story you have to tell.” With that, Greta trotted off in search of the few friends Mei had been able to make in the months he spent living in the Emerald Forest.

Mei thought about what he should and shouldn’t tell them. The only thing his friends knew about Gabu was his name and the fact that he and Mei had been separated shortly before Mei arrived in the Emerald Forest. Mei had avoided any mention of Gabu being a wolf, or the reason they had fled their former homes. As far as they knew, Gabu was a goat like Mei, and they would surely want to meet him if Mei told them he’d returned.

Above all else, Mei’s goal was to preserve their friendship, which he would surely lose if he was tactless in telling them Gabu was a wolf, or if he stopped visiting them entirely. He also didn’t want to keep deceiving them indefinitely, which meant, one way or another, he was going to have to tell them the truth about Gabu eventually.

Just as Mei had made up his mind about what to do, out of the bushes leapt a small black rabbit who, upon seeing Mei, threw himself at the goat and wrapped his arms around him.

“Mei! That wolf better count himself lucky you’ve returned to us in one piece. He’d have got the kicking of his life if any harm had come to you.”

Mei laughed. He was always amused at how much Sagi reminded him of Tapu at times. “I’m glad to see you too, Sagi.”

A moment later, two sparrows, one male and one female, came flying into the clearing and landed on the ground in front of Mei. “Mei, you’re alive!” Toto, the male sparrow, said.

“Greta told us you’d come back,” Riri, the female sparrow, said, “but I couldn’t believe it until I saw it for myself. We couldn’t find you anywhere after that wolf attacked the forest.”

Greta herself now stepped into the clearing. “That’s everyone. Now, tell us, Mei, where have you been?”

Sagi unclasped himself from around Mei’s neck and sat on the ground next to Toto and Riri, looking up expectantly at Mei.

“Ah, well, first of all,” Mei said with a sheepish grin, “I’m really sorry for disappearing all of a sudden and making you worry. The truth is that...Gabu’s back. I was running in a panic after I heard a wolf was here, and then I saw him—Gabu, I mean—just standing in the meadow.”

“You found Gabu?” Riri said. “That’s incredible!” The others chimed in with affirmations of their own.

“Yeah, except...he’d lost his memories. He didn’t remember me at all, or even his own name. It wasn’t until I reminded him of our friendship that he went back to being the Gabu I know and...like. It’s been a very emotional experience for both of us. Sorry for not letting you know sooner.” Mei wasn’t sure why he avoided using the word “love.” It just didn’t seem like the right time to tell his friends about that part of their relationship.

“That’s awful,” Toto said. “I’m glad everything worked out in the end, though. When do we get to meet him?”

This was the part of the conversation Mei had been dreading. “I’m sure he’d love to meet you all. We’re taking things one thing at a time for now, but I’ll let you know as soon as he’s ready to. Anyway, enough about me. What’s been happening while I’ve been gone?”

“That wolf’s been happening,” Sagi said darkly. “He was back again yesterday, killed two squirrels. It happened not too far from my burrow too. Dreadful business.”

“Oh no...” Mei was caught off guard by this. He knew that Gabu was taking lives here in the forest, but he didn’t expect his friends to be this closely affected by it. But of course, no predators much larger than foxes had existed in the Emerald Forest for as long as anyone could remember; none of the animals here had grown up with the constant threat of wolf attacks, as Mei had done. Introducing Gabu as his friend would be a lot harder than Mei had expected.

“That’s right,” Greta said. “It happened in broad daylight. Make sure you and Gabu stay safe, okay?”

“We’ll try to be,” Mei said with a weak smile.

Mei, Greta, Sagi, Toto and Riri spent a few more hours wandering around the forest and catching up with each other’s news. It had been a while since the four of them had all met up even before Gabu’s arrival.

Greta had been the first person Mei had met in the Emerald Forest, and she’d enlisted the help of the others in searching for Gabu (by calling out his name; even in his grief at losing Gabu, Mei had been smart enough not to ask other herbivores to help him look for a wolf). It pained Mei to think that Gabu’s arrival, which had brought such great joy to him, was making his friends feel unsafe in their own home.

When Mei felt that he’d been away from Gabu for long enough, he left the group and made his way back to Moonrise Hill. There he found Gabu still asleep, though not for much longer.

“Good morning, Gabu,” Mei said when the wolf finally awoke.

“Good morning, Mei. Did you have a pleasant night?”

“Well, actually, while you were asleep, I’ve been catching up with a few friends I made while you were gone.” Gabu listened intently as Mei told him all about his four friends.

“I’m really glad you were able to make friends so soon, Mei. Although I suppose if you were able to befriend a wolf like me, you could make friends with anyone, right?”

Mei chuckled bashfully. “Maybe not anyone, but it is easier for herbivores to make friends with other herbivores.”

“So they don’t know I’m a wolf? I suppose that’s for the best.”

“I haven’t told them that yet, but I want to. I just need to find the right way to explain it to them. In the meantime, would it be okay if you hunted on the far side of the forest? They’re not used to wolves being in the forest, and I’m worried you might accidentally hurt one of them or someone they know.”

“That would be a disaster,” Gabu said. “Okay, while I’m hunting, I’ll stay as far away from them as I can.”

Gabu and Mei spent the remainder of the day as they did the day prior, wandering around the Emerald Forest and enjoying their newfound freedom. They continued to be cautious when venturing into the forest, especially the part of the forest where Mei’s friends lived, for fear of being spotted, but at least Mei was now being honest with Gabu about the reason for this.

Gabu chose not to go hunting that day, saying that he wasn’t hungry, which Mei almost believed. Mei was glad that the animals of the forest would get a day’s reprieve from the predation of his friend—his lover, Mei corrected himself. Not for the first time, Mei had second thoughts about whether it was right for him to be friends (or anything else) with a person whose existence depended on killing others. These thoughts, however, were as short-lived as they always were. Gabu couldn’t help being a carnivore, and he would still need to eat regardless of whom he was friends with. In fact, wasn’t Mei doing a good thing by redirecting Gabu’s attention away from the people he cared about?

Chapter 4: One Misty Morning

Day 3: One Misty Morning

The next morning, while Gabu was still asleep, Mei headed into the forest again to see his friends. Unlike the pleasant weather of the previous days, today the Emerald Forest was shrouded in mist. As he trotted through the forest, Mei didn’t see a single bird or squirrel in the trees. The sounds of small animals going about their busy lives, usually so prevalent at this time of day, seemed subdued and distant.

Gradually, Mei began to get the feeling that something was following him. He turned his head from side to side, but couldn’t catch a glimpse of anything out of the ordinary. He stopped and listened. Aside from the faint chatter of birds in the distance, the only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the creaking of ancient oak trees.

Mei was just thinking how silly he was being when, all of a sudden, crack, he heard the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping underfoot, followed by total silence. Something was stalking him.

Falling back on the instincts instilled in him over countless generations, Mei bolted off into the trees. He was certain that something was chasing him, always just out of sight, following him wherever he went. He dashed this way and that, but to no avail. He could sense whatever it was right behind him, about to—

Mei caught his leg on a low branch, sending him toppling head over hooves and landing hard on his back. All the energy left him at once, and he looked desperately for whatever creature had been chasing him. He prayed it was just Gabu playing a trick on him, but, of course, he knew it wasn’t.

Slowly, out of the all-encompassing fog slunk a white and orange furred body.

“Careful, darling. Wouldn’t want you to get hurt now, would we?” the fox said, prowling around Mei. Standing up, Mei would have been taller than the fox; as it was, the fox towered over him. Mei didn’t dare make any sudden moves, lest it prompt the fox to attack.

“Who are you?” Mei asked.

“Me? My name’s Takkan. And I am absolutely dying to know how you managed to befriend a wolf. Oh, don’t look so surprised. I don’t know how things are done where you’re from, but around here, a goat moving in with a wolf is going to raise some eyebrows. People notice, people talk, word gets around. But don’t worry, your friends haven’t found out yet. I’ve made sure of that.” The fox flashed Mei a toothy grin. Mei wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but he didn’t like the sound of it.

“You know about my friends,” Mei said. “That means you’ve been following me. You spotted Gabu and me yesterday, or the day before, didn’t you? Does anyone else know?”

“Aren’t you a smart one?” The fox drew closer, still smirking. “No, as far as I’m aware, I’m the only person to have noticed. But don’t think you can keep this a secret forever.”

Mei found the courage to stand up. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

Takkan looked up at Mei. “Fascinating. So, would you care to indulge my curiosity? You two are the most interesting thing to befall our neck of the woods in as long as I can remember. How did it happen?”

“Not here.” Mei looked back the way he had come, back out of the forest.

“Lead the way,” Takkan said.

Mei led the fox out of the trees and across the slow-moving river that wound its way through the forest, ending up in a flower-filled meadow out of earshot of anyone else. Despite the fox’s unsettling manner, Mei was secretly grateful to have someone other than Gabu with whom he could openly discuss the events of the past few months.

“Well,” he said. “It began one stormy night...”

It took Mei several minutes to recount the whole tale, from when he and Gabu had met in the abandoned barn up to how they watched the moonrise together after being reunited. Takkan listened with interest, never interrupting once. Perhaps it was only Mei’s imagination, but he thought he saw a small tear in the fox’s eye as he recounted the last few parts of the story.

“You two are truly remarkable,” Takkan said when Mei had finished. “To think that a goat and a wolf could become such inseparable friends. Dare I say more than friends?”

Mei, blushing slightly, nodded. “More than friends.”

“And, I suppose, so long as he confines himself to smaller animals—birds and squirrels—you don’t have a problem with him eating meat?”

“That’s...a difficult question for us.”

“All the more reason to ask it.”

“I... We... He does what he needs to do to survive.”

Takkan chuckled darkly. “Don’t we all?”

As it was almost midday, Mei went straight back to Moonrise Hill; he could see his friends another day. He found his wolf stretching awake just as he arrived.

“Good morning, Mei. Have you been exploring the forest again?”

“Something like that,” Mei said with a smile. “Are you ready to go hunting again?”

Gabu’s stomach rumbled in affirmation. “I suppose I ought to do that. I’ll go to the far side of the forest, like you asked me to.”

When Gabu returned, they decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing in the meadow. As they did so, Mei’s mind continued to work on a solution to his problem. How could he tell his friends about Gabu without them overreacting and refusing to hear him out? Takkan, once he’d heard the whole story, had been completely sympathetic to Gabu and Mei’s plight. But Takkan was also a carnivore; how could he persuade other herbivores to listen?

Chapter 5: Acceptance

Day 4: Acceptance

When he woke up, Mei knew exactly what he was going to do. He woke Gabu to discuss the plan. After some minor alterations, the two agreed that the plan was as likely to work as anything else. While Gabu went back to sleep, Mei headed into the forest to find his friends.

Once everyone was gathered in the clearing, Mei addressed them. “Good morning, everyone. I think I’m finally ready to tell you the full story of how Gabu and I ended up here.”

“At last! I’ve been waiting to hear that for months,” Sagi said.

“If you’re ready to tell us, Mei, we’d love to hear it,” Riri said.

Mei began to tell them the story of how he and Gabu had met in the abandoned barn. Telling the same story to Takkan the day before had been good practice. Mei described everything from his own perspective, focusing on how, despite not being able to see the stranger in the barn, they found they had much in common. He told them how he and Gabu had agreed to meet for lunch the following day, and that they would speak their password “One stormy night” to identify each other.

“And so, the next day, off I went to the barn. I hid behind a tree, wanting to surprise Gabu when he arrived, but, of course, he saw me instantly. He called out to me, ‘We met one stormy night!’ And I called the same thing back, ‘We met one stormy night!’”

Mei looked around at his friends, enraptured by his story. This next part would be difficult. “So I stepped out from behind the tree and saw Gabu for the first time. And you wouldn’t believe my surprise when I saw that he was...” Mei paused for dramatic effect, “...from a rival herd!”

Everyone gasped, all except for Sagi, who said, “I knew it was something like that!” They shushed him.

Mei went on to tell them how this “rival herd” had been at odds with his own herd for as long as anyone could remember, and that there would be outrage on both sides if anyone knew Gabu and Mei were speaking to each other, let alone what would happen if anyone found out they were friends. But, Mei told them, he and Gabu found they had so much in common with each other that they broke tradition and went on a picnic together anyway.

As he told the rest of his story, right up to the events at the top of the mountain, Mei omitted any reference to Gabu’s species. He put as much emotion into the story as he could, and most members of his audience had already cried multiple times by this point.

“And there we were at the top of the mountain, snow everywhere we looked, not a single blade of grass to eat. We’d been climbing all day, and I couldn’t walk another step. When I collapsed from exhaustion in the snow, Gabu dug out a hollow and carried me inside, saving my life once again. But we still had no hope of both getting down the mountain alive.”

“But you’re both alive,” Toto said, tears in his eyes. “How did you survive?”

“‘Gabu,’ I said, ‘me travelling with you is slowing you down. At this rate, neither of us will survive the mountain. We’ve been without food for so many days now, and as for me, I’ll never survive in this weather. Listen, Gabu, you have to live for the both of us.’

“‘Mei, what are you talking about?’ he said.

“‘You’re a true friend. And I consider myself very lucky to have made a friend who’d risk his life for me, and for whom I would do the same.’

“‘If that really is how you think of me, Mei, then I would say I’m the one who was really lucky.’

“‘So, then, you won’t argue with me when I tell you to leave me here, and cross over this mountain alone.’

“‘Mei, stop it! How could you even think I’d leave you?’”

Mei was a little disappointed, but also somewhat relieved, that the most truly upsetting parts of that conversation didn’t fit in with the version of the story he was telling.

“‘Gabu, listen. Answer me honestly, okay? That very first night, when we met in the old barn, if you’d known right away that I was from the Sawa Sawa herd, what would you have done?’

“Gabu hung his head. ‘I’d have left you alone.’

“‘See now? It’s okay. Just pretend it’s like that first time.’

“‘But if it’s a choice between one of us surviving and both of us starving to death,’ Gabu said, ‘it really doesn’t matter, does it? We’ll never see each other, ever again. And we’ll never have the chance to sit and watch the moonrise together. It hurts just to think about, Mei.’”

By the look of his audience, all of whom were in tears, it also hurt just to hear about it.

“‘I feel the same. But you have to remember something, Gabu. Friendship, life, everything eventually ends. But the fact that we became friends, or the time that we spent together, that will never disappear, right?’

“‘I guess you’re right. It just would have been nice if this had lasted a little longer. But, as your friend, I’ll honour your wish. Mei, I’ll go outside and, from then on, I’ll pretend I don’t know you. Hey, a Sawa Sawa goat. Best of luck to him, but it’s nothing to do with me.’” Mei wished he could properly capture the fleeting comedy Gabu had provided in that moment, but it just didn’t translate.

“‘Okay. Gabu, my friend, take care of yourself...and goodbye.’

“‘I will, I promise. Goodbye.’”

Everyone was silent for a long while. “So,” Greta said, “he just left you there? Alone on the mountain?”

Mei smiled sadly. “Not my Gabu, no. I only found out what happened next much later.” Mei described how Gabu had spotted his “herd” still pursuing them through the snow, and had climbed down to fight them before they could get to Mei. “‘You won’t die for me if I can help it, Mei.’” Mei had no reason to think Gabu had actually said something like that, but it felt right in the moment.

He finished his story by telling his friends the part they already knew: Mei had found Gabu, but his friend had lost his memories and didn’t remember him. The only thing Gabu remembered, Mei told them, was that Mei was from a rival herd; Gabu was planning to kill him under the light of the full moon. But, speaking their password, Mei was able to remind Gabu that they were friends. Instead of killing Mei, the two of them sat together on the hill and watched the moonrise together.

Mei, who had been doing a good job at keeping his composure until now, started crying. Greta, Sagi, Toto and Riri came forward to comfort him.

“Thank you so much for telling us your story. I’m so sorry you and Gabu had to go through all that,” Riri said. The others agreed.

“Thanks, but as it happens, our troubles aren’t quite over yet. I’m scared, absolutely terrified, that when the four of you meet Gabu, you’re going to turn against me just like my herd did.”

“We promise you, Mei, from the bottoms of our hearts, that we won’t turn against you. Your herd did an awful thing in treating you that way,” Greta said, and the others promised likewise.

“But what I don’t understand,” Sagi said, “is why you think we’d turn against you if we met Gabu?”

“Because,” Mei said, “Gabu’s a wolf.”

Everyone went silent. Sagi backed away from Mei as if the goat himself was about to eat him.

“I don’t understand,” Toto said. “You said Gabu was from a rival goat herd.”

“I’m sorry for misleading you, but it was the only way I could think of to get you to hear the whole story before judging me. If I’d told you straight away that Gabu was a wolf, I doubt any of you would still be listening to me.” Almost under his breath, he added, “No one in my herd did.”

Sagi was staring at him furiously. “So, let me get this straight. You’re the reason that wolf is here in the forest? You’re responsible for all the deaths it’s caused?”

“I told him to hunt on the other side of the forest from now on. I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt any of you.”

“The other side of the forest? My sister and her family live on the other side of the forest!” Sagi looked like he wanted to attack him.

Mei backed away. “We’ll figure something out. He... He can go to a whole other forest to hunt.”

“I’ve had enough of this,” Sagi said. “If the rest of you need me, I’ll be checking whether my sister’s still alive.” With that, Sagi hopped off out of sight.

Greta looked like she was about to say something, but Mei cut her off.

“You said you wouldn’t turn against me. You promised.”

The doe was taken aback, but appeared to reconsider her words. “Mei, no one’s blaming you; you’ve done nothing wrong. Are you sure this wolf really has your best interests at—”

“If you’re going to tell me that Gabu is using me, is planning to eat me or whatever, you’re too late. My herd already told me that, in case you’d forgotten. Gabu has had more opportunities to eat me than I can count. Even when I told him to eat me at the top of that mountain, he still didn’t. That’s what really happened at the top of the mountain, by the way. He was starving and I told him to eat me, and he didn’t. He gave up his entire life to be with me, and so did I.”

Greta sighed. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, Mei. Stay safe.” Greta, too, left the clearing.

The two sparrows, who had been silent during all of this, looked at each other and then back to Mei.

“You can leave too if you want,” Mei said to them resignedly.

“Actually,” Riri said, “I was just about to ask if we could meet him.”

Mei was astonished. “You want to meet Gabu? Even knowing he’s a wolf?”

“We’re birds, Mei,” Toto said. “We eat meat too. Insects and worms, mostly, but it still counts.”

“And he’s your friend,” Riri added. “Of course we want to meet him.”

How could Mei have forgotten that birds ate meat? He almost wept with joy at the ease with which they accepted the news. “Well, in that case, follow me.”

He led the birds out of the forest and towards Moonrise Hill, where Gabu was still asleep. As they drew closer to the mouth of the cave, the birds, flying in low circles to avoid outpacing Mei, seemed apprehensive at the sight of the sleeping wolf. Still, they landed in the branches of the small tree just outside the cave. Mei went inside to wake Gabu up.

“Good morning, Mei,” Gabu said as he awoke. “Did the plan work?”

“Not as well as I had hoped but...we have visitors.” Mei pointed to the birds, perched right outside the cave.

“Hello. You must be Gabu,” Riri said. “It’s an honour to meet you. My name is Riri, and this is my husband, Toto.”

For several seconds, Gabu only stared in disbelief. Mei had no idea how long it had been since Gabu had spoken to someone other than him. Eventually, he remembered how to do it. “Riri, Toto, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You’re two of the animals Mei made friends with while I was gone. He’s told me all about you.”

“Mei has just been telling us all about you too,” Toto said. “I’m so, so sorry for everything your herd—I mean, your pack—put the two of you through. They had no right to get in the way of your happiness.”

Gabu was on the verge of tears. “Thank you. That means a lot for me to hear.”

Then, to Mei’s astonishment, the two birds flew down from their perch and wrapped their wings around Gabu, hugging him as tightly as they could.

Soon, all four of them were crying together. After keeping his relationship with Gabu secret for so long, and after being rejected by everyone he cared about when they found out, having two amazing people on their side meant more to Mei than he could ever describe.

Toto and Riri stayed late into the evening. They wanted to hear the story again from Gabu’s perspective, without any details altered or left out. Gabu, while not as skilled an orator as Mei, obliged.

Before they left, the birds promised to speak with Greta and do their best to win her over. They weren’t sure if there was any hope for Sagi, but they would try. Gabu and Mei waved them off and retired immediately to bed, emotionally exhausted from the day’s events.

Chapter 6: News

Day 5: News

After the excitement of the previous day, Mei was more than happy to sleep late into the morning alongside Gabu. When they awoke, Gabu was once again in need of food. He headed off to the far side of the forest, promising not to hurt any rabbits, deer or sparrows, just in case.

Meanwhile, Mei set off to one of his favourite spots to graze, where the grass was almost as delicious as it was in the best parts of Sawa Sawa Mountain. Perhaps, with a little more time to get to know the Emerald Forest, Mei would find grass that was even tastier.

While Mei was eating, he received a visit from Takkan. The small fox trotted brazenly up to Mei and said, “So, the secret’s finally out.”

“Hello, Takkan,” Mei said. “Does everyone in the forest know by now, or have you been following me again?”

“Hmm, a little of both. I’d say about a third of the forest has heard of you so far, what with that rabbit talking nonstop about it wherever he goes. It won’t be long before everyone knows about you. Of course, they only know the basics, that a wolf and a goat are living together in a cave east of the forest. The intricacies of your tale are known only to the few individuals you’ve chosen to share them with directly, myself included. That was quite a clever trick you came up with, by the way, telling your friends your heartfelt story, except—whoops, did I forget to mention that my boyfriend was a wolf? How silly of me!”

Mei was a little surprised that Takkan knew about that. Had the fox been hiding somewhere when he told the story? “Thank you. Now, is there anything else you came here for?”

“Maybe a fox just wants a little company from time to time?” Mei didn’t respond. “Well, if you’re going to be like that...I was wondering if you’d given my question any more thought. Does it matter to you that your wolf kills other people to survive?”

Mei got the feeling that Takkan was trying to incense him, which he didn’t take kindly to. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not discuss my—discuss Gabu behind his back. If you want to talk about that, you can do it while we’re both here.”

“And where is Gabu right now?”

“He’s...out hunting.”

With a sly smile, Takkan slunk back into the forest. Mei thought he heard the fox say, “Fascinating,” as he left. Were all foxes like that, Mei wondered, or was Takkan a special case?

Gabu and Mei were back at Moonrise Hill, having decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing again. They laid side by side together at the base of the hill, looking up at the clouds.

“More and more people are starting to hear about us,” Mei said.

“What are they saying?” Gabu asked, his ears folded back.

“I don’t know. Someone just came and told me that the news of us is spreading fast. The entire forest will know soon.”

“You don’t think they might...try to make us leave, do you?”

“They probably wouldn’t be able to. You’re the scariest thing here.” Gabu didn’t look reassured. “Sorry. That came out wrong.”

“Have you spoken to the doe or the rabbit since yesterday?” Gabu asked.

“No, but I didn’t expect to so soon. Toto and Riri will need some time to talk them around.”

“What if they never speak to you again?”

“Then I’ll make other friends. Better ones. Three out of the five people I’ve told our story to in the past few days have been sympathetic, so it shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

“I guess that’s true. Wait—” Gabu sat up. “Five? I thought you only told our story to four people, Mei?”

“Oh, um, I didn’t tell you this before, but there was this fox who came to talk to me a couple of days ago. His name’s Takkan. He’s the person who came to see me today as well, actually.” Gabu didn’t say anything. Mei wondered if he was angry at Mei for not telling him about the fox right away. “Takkan saw us together a few days ago, and he wanted to know how the two of us met. So, I told him our story.”

“And he was supportive? That’s good.” Gabu didn’t sound very enthusiastic. After a while, he said, “Why didn’t you tell me about him sooner?”

Mei bit back a sharp response about Gabu not needing to know every detail of his life. Instead, he said, “Because...Takkan also said something that upset me a little. Something I’m not quite ready to talk about yet.”

To Mei’s surprise, Gabu smiled. “Oh, is that all?”

“You’re not upset that I’ve been keeping things from you?”

“I trust you to tell me whatever it is when you’re ready, Mei.”

Mei smiled. “I love you, Gabu.”

“I love you too, Mei.”

Chapter 7: Differences of Opinion

Day 6: Differences of Opinion

The following day, Mei awoke to the sound of hoofsteps on grass. He opened his eyes and saw Greta standing right outside their cave. Toto and Riri stood alongside her.

“Good morning, Mei,” Greta said. “Would you mind waking the... Would you mind waking Gabu, preferably without alarming him?” Gabu, on hearing the doe’s voice, woke up without Mei’s intervention and looked up in surprise at Greta.

“Hello, Greta,” Mei said. “This is Gabu. Gabu, this is Greta.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Greta said with neither warmth nor hostility.

“Oh,” Gabu said, now mostly awake. “Nice to meet you too, Gabu. I’m Greta.” Mei sighed. That wasn’t the first impression he’d been hoping for, but he supposed it could have been worse.

Greta ignored Gabu’s mistake. “I am here to cordially invite both of you to a meeting of the forest, which any resident of the forest is welcome to attend, to discuss Gabu’s presence here, as well as any measures we can take to alleviate any suffering your presence may cause.” It saddened Mei to hear Greta speaking so formally, without any of the warmth or kindness she usually spoke to him with.

“It wouldn’t hurt, Gabu,” Riri said, “for more people to get to know you and hear what you have to say. If everyone knew the circumstances that brought you here, I think they’d be more inclined to accept you.”

“Um, all right,” Gabu said. “But will anyone really want to see me? I do tend to scare people away, you know.”

“Will Sagi be there?” Mei added.

“The meeting will take place at midday tomorrow in the meadow, right on the edge of the forest,” Greta said. “That way, anyone who doesn’t want to be out in the open can stay at the forest edge and listen.” Mei was reminded of the day he and Gabu ran away together, when it seemed like the entire forest was watching them from the bushes. A repeat of that didn’t sound appealing. “As for Sagi, yes, I think he will come. But you may not like what he has to say, Mei.”

“And what will you have to say?” Mei asked.

Greta paused. “I have not decided yet. I shall consult with the animals of the forest and make sure everyone’s concerns are made known. In the meantime,” she said to Gabu, “it would be best if you did not enter the forest until after the meeting.”

“But what about food?” Gabu asked. “Wouldn’t everyone feel safer if they knew I was talking to them with a full stomach?”

Greta was visibly disturbed by this. “That isn’t the reassurance you think it is,” she snapped back. “But yes, there is another forest about ten miles east of here where you may hunt.”

“That’s a long way to go for a meal. It’ll take the entire rest of the day for me to go there and come back. But if you think it’s for the best, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you. I will take my leave now. See the two of you tomorrow.” As Greta turned and started walking back towards the forest, Toto and Riri approached Gabu and Mei.

“Sorry about Greta,” Toto said. “As the eldest in our little group, she sees herself as responsible for this whole situation.”

“The meeting was actually our idea,” Riri said. “The two of you have just as much right to be here as anyone else, but so long as the only things people hear about you are rumours, they’re going to see you as outsiders.”

“Thanks for standing up for us,” Mei said. “But I don’t know how much good it’s going to do. Gabu can’t just walk ten miles and back every time he needs to eat, and if we move to the other forest permanently, we’ll be back where we started.”

“Gabu isn’t the only predator in the forest, Mei,” Toto said. “There are badgers, foxes, snakes, spiders—”

“And us,” Riri said. “Just because you and Greta don’t have to worry about smaller predators doesn’t mean the rest of us can ignore them.”

“The point is that change is scary,” Toto said, “but we’ll all learn to adapt.”

When the sparrows had left, Gabu began making preparations for the trip to the eastern forest and back.

“I’m coming with you,” Mei said.

“Really? But I’ll only be gone until tonight.”

“It’s not that.” Mei tried to explain what he had been thinking for the past few minutes. “I feel like I’ve been distancing myself from the reality of you needing to hunt; I’ve never actually seen you do it.”

“You want to watch me hunt?”

“Whether we like it or not, us being here is making life harder for people. I want to believe that it’s worth it, but I need to be able to see the situation from their perspective.”

“If that’s what you want, then you’re welcome to come with me.” Gabu brightened up a little. “And hey, this way we get to spend the whole day together.”

“That’s also a good reason,” Mei said with a smile.

Gabu and Mei set off on the long journey to reach the forest Greta had told them about. The land they travelled through was mostly flat, with only a few bushes scattered here and there amidst the tall grass. They spent most of the journey in silence, speaking only to admire the beautiful scenery around them.

Mei kept thinking about Takkan’s question. What did he think of Gabu’s need to hunt? He and the other goats had been raised to believe that wolves were heartless killers, but Gabu wasn’t anything like that. He couldn’t help his need to eat meat any more than Mei could help eating grass; surely that didn’t make him a bad person? After going back and forth over the same arguments over and over again, Mei found that he could reach no conclusion.

“Gabu, do you ever wonder whether it’s right for you to eat meat?”

“All the time, Mei. It doesn’t seem fair that so many people have to die just so one wolf can live. Is my life worth more than all of theirs put together?”

“I don’t see how it can be. I love you more than anything else in the world, but the people you eat probably have people who love them just as much. Did I ever tell you that my mother was eaten by a wolf?”

“I didn’t know that. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t remember it happening. Grandma says it happened when I was very young. My mother and I were out alone one day when the wolves attacked; the only reason I survived was because she stayed behind and fought them, all by herself. She even bit the ear off one of them.”

Gabu stopped in his tracks and stared at Mei, astonished.

“What is it?” Mei said.

“The wolf whose ear she bit off...it can’t be.”

“Can’t be what?”

“Mei, I think that wolf was Giro, the leader of my pack. I never knew until now how he lost that ear. He never talked about it. But that means...”

“Giro killed my mother.”

They kept walking. After a while, Gabu said, “Maybe it would be better if wolves didn’t exist. There would certainly be less suffering.”

Mei thought about that for a moment. “It might make me a bad person for saying this, but...I would rather see a thousand animals die than never get to see you again, Gabu.”

“Would you feel the same way if some of those animals were your friends? Or your family?”

“I don’t know,” Mei said. He truly didn’t.

The sun had already begun its descent by the time Gabu and Mei arrived at the eastern forest. The trees here looked different, just as the trees in the Emerald Forest looked different to the trees back home.

“Well, here we are. You’re sure you want to see this, Mei?”

“I’m sure. Lead the way.”

Gabu, moving more quietly and stealthily than Mei had ever seen him move, crept slowly into the forest. Mei followed at a distance to avoid giving him away.

Rather than move in a straight line, Gabu kept curving around, peering into bushes and scratching at the ground. It was very different from how wolves normally hunted goats, Mei noticed.

Suddenly, before Mei knew what was going on, Gabu had pounced. Mei only heard a panicked squeak before the tiny animal—a mouse, Mei thought—was devoured. Mei was a little disturbed by how quickly it had happened; he’d expected there to at least be a chase. As it was, there was no way the mouse could have known what was going on in the final moments of their life. Gabu didn’t look at Mei as he wiped the blood from his mouth and carried on hunting.

The same thing happened two more times, with another mouse and a squirrel.

After Gabu had swallowed his third animal of the day, he said, “I’m having an easier time of this than usual. I think you being here might be good luck, Mei.”

It wasn’t until a few minutes later when Mei spotted a rabbit poking their head out of a burrow, whom Gabu thankfully—thankfully?—didn’t see, that Mei realised what was going on.

“Gabu, stop.”

“What is it, Mei?”

The rabbit, noticing Gabu, gave a silent gasp and retreated back into the burrow.

“You were right. Me being here is making it easier for you to hunt. Everyone’s seeing me here and assuming that means it’s safe. If there were any wolves nearby, they would be chasing me instead. It’s because of me that those mice and that squirrel are dead.”

“Mei, no, you’re not to blame for that. I am.”

“That’s not entirely true, though, is it Gabu? If it wasn’t for me, you would still be hunting goats in Sawa Sawa Mountain with the rest of your pack. It would only take one or two goats to feed the whole pack for an entire day. How many more animals have died specifically because I took you away from the other wolves?”

“You didn’t take me away from my pack, Mei. They did. If they had just accepted who I was, we never would have had to leave. Even if your herd had still rejected you, you could have lived in the forest.”

Mei was too exhausted to point out the problems with a goat trying to live alone in a forest full of wolves. “All that aside, I came here to watch you hunt, which I’ve done, not to give you an unfair advantage. I’ll wait outside the forest until you’re finished.”

It was another hour or so before Gabu met up with Mei outside the forest and they started heading home. They didn’t talk much on the way back, both of them worried that any discussion would turn into an argument.

By the time they arrived back at the Emerald Forest, the sun had long since set. Gabu, who was better at seeing in the dark than Mei, made sure they didn’t get lost and found their way safely back to the cave.

Both of them fell asleep as soon as they were inside.

Chapter 8: The Meeting

Day 7: The Meeting

For the first time since they arrived in the Emerald Forest, it was Gabu who woke Mei up on the day the meeting was scheduled to take place, the goat having slept late into the day on account of the long day yesterday.

When it was time for the meeting, Gabu and Mei made their way to the prearranged spot. There they found Greta, Sagi, Toto and Riri waiting a good distance away from the edge of the forest. The forest edge did indeed look just like it had on the day Gabu and Mei had jumped into the river together; countless curious faces poked out from between the trees, and birds and squirrels crowded the branches. Many of them drew back slightly when they saw Gabu approaching, but they remained close enough to hear what would be said.

“Gabu and Mei, thank you for coming,” Greta said as they approached. Mei noticed that Greta spoke in a louder voice than she would have done if they were alone, presumably for the benefit of those listening from the trees.

Mei answered in an equally loud voice. “Thank you for arranging the meeting, Greta. Is everyone ready to start?”

Greta nodded, but before she could say anything else, Sagi said, “Mei, why did you lie to us? Did you have any idea what you were doing, bringing a wolf to our forest?”

“Thank you, Sagi,” Greta said. “I, too, dislike the fact that we were misled, and I take very seriously the danger that a wolf’s presence brings. But I fully understand why Mei chose to tell us in the manner that he did, and I’m grateful that he told us.”

Gabu chose that moment to speak up. “I’m very sorry for any problems I’ve caused by being here. If there was any way I could avoid having to eat meat, I would. I don’t like it any more than you do.” There were curious murmurs from the crowd at this.

“Thank you, Gabu,” Greta said. “While we appreciate that you can’t help being a wolf, the fact of the matter is that you being here is a source of great concern for many of us in the forest. I’d like to start by voicing some—”

“Hold on,” Riri interrupted. Greta went silent and looked inquisitively at the sparrow. “The six of us know the reason why Gabu and Mei are here in the first place but, as far as I’m aware, no one else does. Don’t you think it would be better to start with everyone on the same page?”

“You make a good point,” Greta said. “Very well. Gabu and Mei, would you two care to tell everyone assembled here how it was you came to be here in the forest?”

Gabu and Mei turned toward the forest edge and began recounting the story, together this time, of how they met, became friends, fled their homes and ended up in the Emerald Forest. Mei was a little nervous telling the story to such a large audience, most of whom he could barely see amidst the shade of the trees. Gabu, on the other hand, told his parts of the story with such confidence and emotion that Mei was convinced he must have been practising since he recited it to the sparrows the other day.

The audience, dubious at first at why they were being told about an abandoned barn in a forest they’d never seen, became more and more intrigued as the story went on. Gradually, some animals started creeping forward, out of the trees, to be able to hear better. It gladdened Mei to see them getting used to Gabu’s presence so soon.

The events that transpired at the top of the mountain remained the most difficult for Mei to tell, especially since he was emphasising the most emotional aspects for dramatic effect. Unlike when he’d told the story to his four friends, he left out no details. When Mei described how he’d asked Gabu to eat him in the snow cave, and when Gabu described the emotional meltdown he’d experienced at having to choose between eating his friend and both of them dying, none of the eyes watching from the forest were free of tears.

The only thing Gabu and Mei didn’t tell their audience explicitly was that they were lovers. Mei was worried that that kind of relationship between a goat and a wolf would be too much for some people in the audience to handle; his herd had reacted badly enough thinking they were just friends. Mei tried to make it as clear as possible that their relationship was romantic without saying so explicitly, and he was fairly sure that anyone paying close enough attention would get the idea.

When they’d finished the story, Mei said, “So that’s why we’re here. Our old homes—our own family and friends—kicked us out because they didn’t believe that a goat and a wolf could be together. And we almost died, so many times, trying to find a place that would accept us.”

As soon as it was clear Gabu and Mei had nothing more to say, the animals listening from the edge of the forest began talking animatedly amongst themselves. It took Greta a few moments to regain everyone’s attention.

“Thank you, Gabu and Mei. Now that everyone understands the circumstances that brought you here, I think it’s time to hear any concerns the residents of the forest may have about your presence.” She turned to address the animals at the edge of the forest. “Does anyone have anything to say?”

One squirrel came as far forward as she dared and asked, “Will there be any more wolves coming to the forest?”

“We don’t think so,” Gabu replied. “It’s been months since the avalanche, so it looks like the other wolves have given up chasing us.”

That seemed to satisfy the squirrel, who scampered back into the trees.

“Anyone else?” Greta asked. The crowd was silent. Greta repeated her question, but again no one answered. “I spoke to dozens of animals yesterday about their concerns regarding the wolf’s presence in the forest. Surely some of you are here now?”

“Maybe,” Riri said, “it’s not as big a deal as you think it is. There are hundreds of predators in the forest already. What difference does one more make?”

“Surely you can see that a wolf presents a unique danger, one that hasn’t existed in this forest for as long as anyone can remember? Many of us are deeply concerned that we must now constantly worry about being eaten.”

“Actually, Greta,” Toto said, “most of us have always had to worry about being eaten. Just because you’re too large for a fox or a badger to kill doesn’t mean this forest has always been perfectly safe for us smaller animals.” Many of the animals at the forest edge agreed with Toto’s words, chittering and chirping in affirmation.

Greta looked around at the assembled animals, seeming to only now realise that she was vastly outnumbered by animals smaller than herself. “Th—thank you, Toto. Perhaps I have been letting my own experiences... That is to say, you’re right. I apologise.”

“I still think one more predator is one predator too many,” Sagi said. “This wolf has been disproportionately targeting the side of the forest where my sister’s family happens to live. People are dying every day because of him!”

“Sagi,” Gabu said. The rabbit, realising the wolf’s attention was on him, jumped back in alarm. “I am truly sorry for every life I have to take, but I really do have no choice. If I don’t eat meat, I’ll starve. What would you do if you were in my position?”

“I’d... I’d...” Sagi seemed to panic slightly. “I don’t know, all right? I don’t think I could live with myself if I had to cause that much suffering. I would... I would starve myself,” Sagi said decisively.

“Well, that’s your choice. But I’m the one who has to make that choice for myself and, personally, I’d rather live than die.” Mei was slightly alarmed that Gabu even considered that a choice. “I think most animals would make the same decision. That doesn’t make them bad people, does it?”

“Well said,” Riri said.

“Agreed,” Greta said. She turned her attention back to the edge of the forest. “Now, is anyone here opposed to Gabu and Mei becoming permanent residents of our forest?”

To Mei’s amazement, not a single person raised their voice in opposition. Even Sagi remained quiet, perhaps still pondering what Gabu had said.

“Very well, then. Gabu and Mei, I’m pleased to welcome you to our forest. You may stay as long as you like.”

Greta concluded the meeting by telling Gabu he was free to hunt in the forest as he pleased, but warned him against hunting in some areas more than others, lest the animals there grow resentful. Gabu agreed to this, which seemed to appease Sagi somewhat.

A number of animals wanted to know when the next meeting would be, curious to learn more about the goat and the wolf they would now be living alongside. Greta promised to ask around and see if there was widespread support for more meetings in the future.

Gabu and Mei retired to Moonrise Hill to discuss what had just happened.

“I can’t believe they’re really okay with us being here,” Gabu said.

“Neither can I. If only my herd, or your pack, had been so supportive of us.” That gave Mei an idea. “Hey, Gabu, how long do you suppose it would take the sparrows to fly over the mountain?”

“Probably less than a day, I think. Why?”

“I wonder if Toto and Riri would be willing to carry a message to Sawa Sawa Mountain and back? My herd probably doesn’t know we’re still alive; I doubt the wolves would have told them otherwise.”

“That’s a really good idea, Mei. Do you think your herd would welcome you back after everything that’s happened?”

“I don’t want to go back to living with them, at least not permanently. But I want them to know that they were wrong not to trust you, and there are a few people there who would want to know I’m okay.”

“We can ask them about it in the morning—the sparrows, I mean. Goodnight, Mei.”

“Goodnight, Gabu.”

Chapter 9: The Gabu Problem

Day 8: The Gabu Problem

The following morning, Gabu went hunting again, this time crossing the river to hunt in the north side of the forest.

Mei, too, headed into the forest in search of his friends. In addition to asking Toto and Riri for their help in delivering a message to Sawa Sawa Mountain, he also wanted to thank them for their help during the meeting, which probably wouldn’t have gone as well as it had done without their intervention. He also wanted to find Sagi, who hadn’t said much at the end of the meeting, to find out once and for all whether the rabbit was still willing to be friends with him. Lastly, Mei wanted to find Greta, in case the doe had any news about whether there would be more meetings in the future.

He had been walking only a short while before a familiar fox popped into view, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Hello, Mei,” Takkan said. “Out for a morning stroll, I see. Mind if I join you?” Before Mei could respond one way or the other, the fox was already trotting along at Mei’s side.

“Good morning, Takkan. I take it you were at the meeting yesterday?”

“Was I at the meeting yesterday? Mei, I am crestfallen you didn’t notice me! I even waved and everything.” Takkan waited for Mei to respond, which he did not. “But yes, I was there, and it was quite the show. You could base an entire branch of philosophy on that wolf of yours. The ‘Gabu Problem’—how does that sound?”

“What do you mean?” Mei asked.

“What do you do when your existence is, always has been, and always will be predicated on ending the lives of others? Do you carry on living despite the consequences for other people, or do you choose the option that will cause the least suffering overall?

“Like your wolf said,” Takkan continued, “most people in that situation would choose to keep living despite the consequences, but it gets even more interesting if you’re in a position to make the decision on others’ behalves. If a mouse had the power to remove all foxes from existence, would they be right to do so?” Takkan looked at Mei. “Would any goat besides yourself choose to save the life of a wolf who would normally eat him? And would that goat be responsible for the harm that wolf would go on to cause? In short, the Gabu Problem, one of many philosophical problems to which there is no right answer.”

Mei tried to wrap his head around what Takkan was saying. He’d never thought of Gabu’s situation as a generalisable problem before. He wondered if learning about other such problems would offer a solution in Gabu’s case. “That’s...an interesting way of looking at it. You said there were other problems like it?”

“Oh, yes. I’d say the most similar one is the rolling boulder problem. Haven’t heard of it? Imagine there’s a boulder rolling down a hill, and it’s just seconds away from crushing a group of six animals who are unable to move. The only way to save them is by redirecting the boulder, but if you do that, it will crush another animal instead. So you can either stand back and let six animals get killed, or you can intervene and sentence one animal to death to save six others.”

“Who thinks of these things?!” Mei exclaimed.

Takkan shrugged. “Clever foxes with nothing better to do, I suppose.”

Mei thought about Takkan’s rolling boulder problem for a while. “Who are the animals? Do I know any of them?”

“Would you knowing them make their lives any more or less worth saving?”

“No, but it might influence my decision.”

“Okay, let’s say the six animals are all baby goats from your herd, and the one animal on his own is Gabu. Would you kill Gabu to save six baby goats? Would you let six baby goats die to save Gabu? It’s not too different from what’s actually happening, when you think about it.”

“Hmm. I suppose I’m not allowed to look for a third option that saves everyone?”

“Since this scenario is entirely hypothetical, I could just pose the same question in a different way to rule out any third option you could come up with, so that would be a waste of both of our time. The problem faced by your dear wolf, however, is anything but hypothetical.”

“I’ve spent months trying to think of a solution that will mean Gabu doesn’t have to kill anyone, and I haven’t thought of anything yet. Nothing that will work, at least. What would you do if you were in Gabu’s position?”

Takkan gave a laugh. “I’m a fox, Mei. I am in Gabu’s position.”

Eventually, some time after Takkan had left him, Mei found Greta and the sparrows talking in a clearing.

“...is that it would make some of the animals nervous,” Greta was saying. “How would they know if he was hunting or just wandering around?”

Riri was about to respond when she spotted Mei. “Oh, Mei, I’m glad you’re here. Greta has some news for you.”

Greta, not in the least bit ashamed that Mei had overheard her talking about Gabu, turned to the goat and greeted him warmly. “Hello, Mei.”

“Hello, Greta. What’s the news you have for me? Is it about another meeting?”

“Yes. It seems that a great many people were fascinated by what they heard at the meeting yesterday and would like the chance to speak with you and Gabu face to face without risk of being eaten.”

Toto added, “A lot of them are afraid that Gabu will eat them if they just walk up to you in the forest or come to visit you at the hill.”

“Gabu wouldn’t do that,” Mei said. “Not while I’m there, at least. I tried going with Gabu on a hunting trip a couple of days ago, and...it didn’t go well. I don’t think he’d kill anyone in front of me, especially not after that.”

“Be that as it may, many people would still feel safer talking to Gabu within the confines of a group meeting in which he promises not to eat anyone. With that in mind, would you and Gabu be willing to join us tomorrow for one such meeting? I’m expecting a much smaller attendance than yesterday but, hopefully, more people will be willing to come up and talk with you face to face.”

“I understand. And yes, another meeting tomorrow sounds excellent. Can we make it a little later in the day, though? Gabu likes to sleep until midday when he can.”

“That would be quite all right. Shall we say, when the sun has travelled two thirds of the way through the sky?”

“Sure, I’ll let Gabu know.” Mei turned now to Toto and Riri. “Would you two mind dropping by our hill later today? Gabu and I have a favour to ask, if that’s all right.”

A few hours later, Gabu had returned from his hunting trip and he, Mei, Toto and Riri were all back at Moonrise Hill.

“What is it you wanted to talk to us about, Mei?” Toto asked.

“I was just wondering, how long would it take you to fly to Sawa Sawa Mountain and back?” Mei said, and told them how to get there.

“About three days there and three days back, I think. Did you want us to see how your herd is doing?”

“If it’s not too much to ask. I was also thinking that you could take them a message from me. I made the decision to leave in quite a hurry, and so I never actually got the chance to say goodbye to any of them.”

“I think that’s an excellent idea. We’d be happy to carry a message for you,” Riri said. “What do you want us to say?”

The four of them spent some time talking through what the message should be.

“Okay,” Mei said. “So the final message is: Mei is alive and living in the Emerald Forest, just past the mountain to the east. He’s living happily with Gabu, the wolf he’s friends with, and the two of them have made a number of excellent friends in the forest who support their decision. He sends his love to Mii, Tapu, and Grandma, and hopes that one day, they’ll come to understand that he made the right decision.”

“I think we can remember that,” Toto said.

“Oh, and one other thing, while you’re there, could you also take a message to Kuro-san? He lives in Para Para Fields, not too far from where my herd is.” Mei described how to get to Para Para Fields. “Tell him that anything he might have heard about me is true, and if he hasn’t heard, I want to tell him in person.”

“You want to visit Para Para Fields?” Gabu asked.

“I want to go back there someday, if Kuro-san is still willing to speak to me. It would be nice to see another familiar face from before we crossed over the mountain.”

“That would be no problem,” Riri said. “Do you want us to take a message to your pack, Gabu?”

“No,” Gabu said. “If they find out we survived the avalanche, they might come looking for us again. But perhaps you could fly past and make sure Boro is okay?” Gabu described the young wolf pup whom he’d been like a brother to.

“Okay.” Riri turned to her husband. “Shall we leave tonight?”

“I don’t see a reason not to,” Toto said.

“But you’ll miss the meeting tomorrow,” Gabu said.

Riri fluttered down to stand in front of Gabu, who was lying down on the ground. She smiled up at him. “I think you two will do just fine without us. You managed to get dozens of animals to empathise with a goat and a wolf, after all.”

Gabu gave her a huge smile. “Thanks for believing in us. We’re going to miss you while you’re away.”

“We’ll only be gone a week. Now, get some rest, you two. You’ve got a busy day ahead.”

Chapter 10: Questions and Answers

Day 9: Questions and Answers

When it came time for the meeting, Gabu and Mei made their way to the same meadow the last meeting had been held at. Greta was already there, waiting for them alongside, to Mei’s surprise, Sagi. Mei couldn’t see anyone watching from the trees this time, and no one else was in the meadow.

“Good afternoon,” Greta said to them as they arrived.

“Hello, Greta. I’m glad to see you’re here too, Sagi,” Mei said.

“I’m just here to make sure the wolf doesn’t try any funny business. If you harm a hair on this goat’s head,” the rabbit said to Gabu, “you sure as hell won’t be hunting anyone else when I’m through with you.”

“Gabu wouldn’t hurt me even if I asked him to, and believe me, I’ve asked.” For some reason unknown to Mei, Greta stifled a laugh at that, and then looked away.

“Mei is my best friend. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him,” Gabu explained politely.

“Is no one else joining us?” Mei asked.

“We’re a bit early. They should be here soon,” Greta said.

Soon enough, more people started to arrive. There were two stags, a squirrel, a mouse and a hedgehog. Each of them froze when they saw Gabu and had to be urged forward by Greta or Mei before they would go near him.

Once everyone had arrived, Greta began the meeting in her usual officious manner. “Thank you, everyone, for coming. Please could everyone introduce themselves? My name is Greta. You already know Gabu and Mei.”

Everyone introduced themselves one by one. The stags, who Mei suspected were a couple, were called Darrel and Leo. The squirrel was called Janice, the mouse was called Frank, and the hedgehog was called Tanya.

When Greta asked if anyone had any questions for Gabu and Mei, Tanya was the first to speak up, addressing Mei shyly. “Why didn’t you run away when you found out he was a wolf? I know you two got on well with each other the night before, but it was still a huge risk to take, wasn’t it?”

Mei thought back on that day, when he saw that the person calling out “We met one stormy night!” to him, the person he’d felt such a strong connection to the night before, was actually a wolf. He’d had plenty of opportunity to run away—Gabu had been just as surprised as he was, after all—but he’d chosen to stay and see what the wolf would do. Why had he done that?

“I think...I’ve always been prone to taking risks,” Mei said. “When I was a kid, I used to tell everyone that I wasn’t afraid of anything. Except thunderstorms, that is. I got into all sorts of trouble; I think I almost got Mii killed a few times when we were really young. I grew out of that a little bit when I got older, but not entirely.”

“You’ve never told me that,” Gabu said.

“I hadn’t really made the connection until now that that’s why I stayed. I think that’s also the reason I walked in front of you all the way to our picnic spot and went to sleep right next to you, even though I could tell you were trying not to eat me. On some level, I wanted to see what would happen.”

“You did that on purpose?!” Gabu exclaimed.

Mei smiled apologetically. “Next question,” he said to the group.

They spent the next few hours answering various questions. What was really in the lunch Gabu dropped? How did they avoid anyone finding out about them for so many months? Why didn’t they go around the mountain?

By the time the sun had descended low in the sky, everyone still had plenty of questions they wanted to ask. Even Sagi had gotten tired of acting aloof and was joining in just as enthusiastically as everyone else.

“How about we pick this up again tomorrow?” Greta said, and everyone agreed.

When they were back at Moonrise Hill, Gabu asked Mei, “Were you really not afraid of anything when you were a kid?”

“I think part of that was me trying to seem brave in front of other people. Growing up without a mother, everyone in the herd kept feeling sorry for me all the time, and I hated that. So I went on adventures, called attention to myself and took unnecessary risks.”

“I suppose you’ve never really stopped doing that. Going on adventures and taking risks, I mean.”

“That’s for sure. Befriending a wolf, jumping into a river, going over a mountain... My grandmother used to worry so much about me when I’d go off on my own; I can’t imagine what she’s feeling now.”

“We’ll find out soon enough. I hope that Toto and Riri are doing all right.”

Notes:

The story with Mii comes from メイはなんにもこわくない, one of the three additional stories. メイはなんにもこわくない was published in 2011 and shows us what Mei was like as a child. The other additional stories are ひとりぼっちのガブ (2011), which is about little Gabu struggling to fit in with his pack, and ごちそうがいっぱい (2012), which has the same plot as Episode 8 of Himitsu no Tomodachi. I was able to get all three books from Honto and Amazon via Buyee.

Chapter 11: Difficult Questions

Day 10: Difficult Questions

The following day, everyone who had been at the previous day’s meeting reconvened to ask any questions Gabu and Mei hadn’t had a chance to address. Most of the questions were fairly simple to answer and didn’t require any extended discussion.

The first awkward question came from Leo, one of the two stags, and was addressed to Gabu. “Which animals do you prefer to eat?”

“Well,” Gabu said with an apologetic look to Mei, “my favourite food used to be goat meat, but I haven’t eaten any since I met Mei. Nowadays, I make do with whatever I can find.” Mei knew that most of the animals Gabu killed were mice, squirrels and rabbits, but since all three species were present at the meeting, Gabu was avoiding saying so.

“Good on you for giving up goat meat, I suppose, but that’s not much good to the rest of us, is it?” Sagi said. “You’ve met us too, haven’t you? Why are you still eating rabbits?”

“Gabu can’t be expected to refrain from eating animals based on who comes to these meetings or who he’s friends with,” Greta said. “Unless he chooses to, that is,” she said with a nod to Mei.

“It’s different with Mei,” Gabu protested. “He’s my best friend.”

“I’m not saying you should eat your friend,” Sagi said. “But if there were other goats in the forest, would you eat them like you eat the rest of us, or would they get special treatment too?”

“I’ve already promised Mei that I won’t eat goats anymore, so no, I wouldn’t eat them. Even besides that, it took me a really long time to stop thinking of Mei as delicious, and I don’t think me eating goat meat again would be good for that.”

Greta moved the conversation on before Sagi could say anything else about Gabu’s reluctance to eat goat meat.

After a few more easy questions, Janice asked, “How does it feel when you kill someone? I mean, do you regret it afterwards?”

“All the time,” Gabu said sadly. “I really wish there was some way I didn’t have to do it, but Mei and I have never been able to think of one.”

“In the very first meeting,” Darrel said, “you said that choosing to eat meat rather than let yourself starve doesn’t make you a bad person, even though you’re causing more suffering that way. Surely it’s up to us to decide whether that makes you a bad person or not?”

Mei, reminded of his discussion with Takkan the previous day, said, “Darrel, have you ever heard of the rolling boulder problem?” The stag hadn’t, so Mei described the hypothetical scenario in what he hoped were less upsetting terms than Takkan had used.

“I think the only right decision in that situation would be to redirect the boulder,” Darrel said. “That way, only one person dies instead of six.”

“But you’d be responsible for that death,” Frank, the mouse, said. “What gives you the right to decide who lives and dies?”

“Because if I don’t,” the stag said, “then more people will die instead.”

“The point is,” Mei said, “there is no right answer. Neither option makes you a bad person. It’s an awful situation that no one would ever want to be in, so how could you blame anyone for making one choice or the other?

“In Gabu’s case,” Mei continued, “it’s even harder. Imagine that instead of redirecting the boulder, the only way to save the six animals is to throw yourself in front of it. And every day that you decide not to throw yourself in front of the boulder, another boulder comes and kills another six animals.”

“I’d have quite a few words for whoever was forcing me into that situation,” Sagi said.

“Then you’d better take it up with nature itself, because that’s the situation all carnivores find themselves in,” Mei said.

Everyone took a moment to consider that. Mei noticed that everyone, Sagi included, now looked sympathetically at Gabu, perhaps now realising that he was just as much a victim of his own nature as all the animals he killed were.

Mei was proud of himself for explaining Gabu’s situation in a way everyone could understand, but he couldn’t take all the credit. “Greta,” he said, “would it be all right if I invited another carnivore to the next meeting?” Everyone looked somewhat anxious at this.

“Mei, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Gabu said. “I can’t tell you how many times I almost ate you when we first met. Can we really trust another carnivore not to hurt anyone?”

“I trusted you, didn’t I?” Mei said. “If I hadn’t given you a chance, we might never have been friends.”

“Mei’s right,” Greta said. “These meetings are open to everyone in the forest, should they wish to attend. It wouldn’t be right to exclude anyone based on their diet. That being said, Mei, I think everyone would feel safer if any carnivore you wished to invite made a solemn promise not to eat anyone for the duration of the meeting.”

“Or shortly before or after,” Leo added. “We wouldn’t want anyone getting eaten on the way home.”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t do that,” Mei said. “I trust him.”

Chapter 12: Philosophy with Takkan

Day 11: Philosophy with Takkan

The group of friends, as such they now considered themselves, had resolved to continue to meet every day for the foreseeable future. Mei had sought out Takkan after the last meeting and invited him to come the following day, an invitation that the fox had gladly accepted.

When Gabu and Mei arrived at the fourth meeting, Takkan wasn’t the only new face. There was also a vole, a chipmunk and a shrew, who introduced themselves as Lenny, Stephany and Jeremy respectively. It transpired that, since it was now official that the meetings would continue indefinitely, Greta had once again put the word out about them.

Lenny, Stephany and Jeremy, all small enough to be eaten by either Gabu or Takkan, were understandably nervous of the two carnivores. Those who had been here longer, and were now more comfortable around Gabu, were still somewhat wary of Takkan, even when he promised not to eat anyone as Greta had requested. It didn’t help that he was deliberately showing his teeth whenever he talked.

Gabu, too, acted somewhat mistrustfully towards the fox, whom he was meeting now for the first time. Mei wondered if the wolf was slightly jealous that he’d been spending time with another carnivore, a thought that made Mei chuckle.

Once the introductions were done, Mei said, “I’m glad you were able to join us, Takkan. The way you described Gabu’s situation the other day was really eye-opening for me. I’ve been using the problem you told me about to explain it to the others.” Mei said to the group, “Takkan’s the one who introduced me to the rolling boulder problem and how it relates to carnivores choosing whether or not to eating meat.”

Those who had been present the previous day now looked at Takkan with curiosity. “Makes sense that a carnivore would come up with a scenario so morbid as that,” Sagi said. Everyone else ignored him.

“I’m glad to have been of service, Mei, and thank all of you for inviting me. You really know how to make a fox feel welcome,” Takkan said with a toothy grin. Even Greta seemed slightly unsettled by this.

“I was wondering,” Mei said, “if you had any other insights that might help us understand Gabu’s situation better?”

“You want me to lead a discussion on philosophy as it relates to the issue of predation? I thought you’d never ask!” Takkan took a few steps away from the group and turned to face everyone. “There are a few things you need to know before we get started...”

Takkan’s Introduction to Moral Philosophy (optional reading)

Let’s start by talking about what we mean by “good”, since that will be the primary metric by which we decide what actions should or should not be taken. A useful definition of good is any action or outcome that, all other things being equal, is desirable and which one should therefore strive for.

I think everyone can agree that friendship, love, happiness, lack of suffering, lack of untimely death, and anything that improves one’s wellbeing are all consistent with this definition of good. That is not to say that striving for each of these things is always a good thing to do, especially if one form of good conflicts with another. We should not, for instance, try to eliminate all suffering by causing everyone to have an untimely death. However, if we can reduce suffering without compromising any other thing that we hold to be good, then it is unambiguously good to do so.

The things that are good for you might not be good for me, and some things might be good for everyone or, at the very least, bad for no one. To account for this, let’s introduce a distinction between absolute and individual good. An absolute good is something that is good for everyone, or that everyone can agree is good. For example, all other things being equal, the world would be a better place if there was more happiness, more love and friendship, less suffering, and less untimely death. All of these would be absolute goods.

An individual good is something that is good for one individual, but may be good, bad or neutral for others. For example, eating meat is essential to prevent the untimely death of a wolf, but necessitates the untimely death of the animal whose meat is eaten. Therefore, eating meat is individually good for the wolf but individually bad for those being eaten. It cannot be said to be absolutely good or bad.

One test for whether something is absolutely good is to consider whether it’s individually good for at least one person and individually bad for no one. Gabu and Mei being friends is individually good for them, and so long as their friendship does not harm anyone, their friendship can be said to be an absolute good. This is not lessened by Gabu needing to eat meat, since he would still need to eat meat regardless of his friendship with Mei.

By this definition of absolute good, no absolutely good action is detrimental to anyone, including the person taking the action. Therefore, if we have the opportunity to take an absolutely good action, it is always better for us to do so than not.

There’s also a practical case to be made in favour of everyone pursuing these absolute goods, even if not everyone agrees that their good is intrinsic. Pretend that we live in a hypothetical universe in which everyone has the power to make other people happy but cannot make themselves happy. Although a person choosing to make someone else happy is not individually good for that person, they might choose to do so regardless in the selfish hope that someone else will make them happy. If no one made anyone else happy, there would be no happiness and the world would be an objectively worse place, so it makes practical sense for everyone to treat others as we wish them to treat us.

This provides us with clear guidelines in the case of actions that are absolutely good, but we still need a framework to judge actions that are good for some people and bad for others. I’ll refer to these actions as “ambiguously good” from now on.

We might be tempted to view ambiguously good actions as contributing, either positively or negatively, to some metric of absolute good, thus expanding the definition of absolute good to include actions that have a positive impact overall, even if they are bad for some individuals. An action would, therefore, be morally justifiable if and only if it has no negative impact on the absolute good.

This theory would provide us with a clear answer to the rolling boulder problem, which Mei has already explained to you. Assuming that preventing one untimely death is just as good as preventing any other untimely death, we must conclude that preventing six untimely deaths is six times better than preventing one. Therefore, diverting the boulder to kill one person instead of six would contribute positively to this metric of absolute good and is a good action to take. Conversely, allowing the boulder to kill six people instead would contribute negatively to the absolute good, making it an objectively wrong decision.

For an example of where this theory breaks down, consider another hypothetical universe containing five hundred optimistic people, five hundred pessimistic people, and you. Your task is to distribute one thousand gifts to the other residents of this universe. Both optimistic people and pessimistic people become happier upon receiving a gift, but an optimistic person becomes ten times happier upon receiving a gift than a pessimistic person becomes upon receiving the same gift.

If our metric for what makes an outcome good is the aggregate sum of all happiness, then it would be an injustice to waste even a single gift on a pessimistic person when that gift could instead be going to an optimistic person, through whom it could do more good. (Note that “through”, not “for”, is the correct term here, since individual good does not matter under this theory.)

Similarly, it doesn’t matter if all gifts go to one optimistic person or each optimistic person gets exactly two gifts; fairness doesn’t matter so long as overall happiness is maximised.

Whether or not you agree that all actions contribute positively or negatively to some metric of absolute good is up to you. Personally, I think this is an oversimplification and leads to more injustices than it helps to prevent.

For now, let’s assume it’s impossible for a single metric or set of rules to adequately determine whether an action is absolutely good or bad in all cases. When deciding whether to take an ambiguously good action, we must therefore weigh up the individual good of that action to all persons who stand to be affected by it.

But, since it isn’t clear when it is or isn’t acceptable to put one individual good over another, how are we to decide what action to take in these situations? Should it matter if one of those individual goods belongs to ourselves or someone that we care about? Is it intrinsically wrong to be selfish, or to be biased in favour of our friends and loved ones?

If it is wrong for a carnivore to put their individual good ahead of that of all the animals they must kill to survive, then the very existence of a carnivore is therefore wrong. Likewise, one could argue that it would be wrong for a squirrel to eat the last acorn in the forest, since that squirrel would be putting their own wellbeing ahead of that of all the other squirrels who might have wanted to eat it. Never mind that if everyone thought like that, the acorn would go uneaten.

Some of these moral problems have no right or wrong answer, in which case we refer to them as dilemmas. When faced with a dilemma, it’s up to us as individuals to decide what to do. While moral theories can help us to decide or explain our reasoning, they usually won’t provide us with an unambiguous answer.

Takkan paused, perhaps waiting for questions, although no one asked any. Mei had just about managed to follow what Takkan was saying; a few people in the group, including Gabu, looked completely lost.

“Now that you know the basics,” Takkan said, “let’s take a look at some real-world dilemmas relating to predation. Like I said, there’s no objectively right or wrong answer to these questions. What I’m interested in is what each of you would do in these situations. Is everyone ready?” There were a few murmurs of assent. “First question. Assuming Gabu is capable of halving the number of animals he eats every week, which will cause him to suffer from hunger but won’t result in his untimely death, who thinks that Gabu has a moral obligation to do so?”

A few animals, Gabu included, nodded at this.

Takkan looked at Gabu. “Why is that, my dear wolf?”

“Because the deaths of innocent animals matter more than my suffering,” Gabu said.

“Do you mean that those deaths matter more in some absolute sense that everyone could agree with, or do you mean that they matter more to you?” Takkan asked.

“Both, I suppose,” Gabu said uncertainly.

“If I were to convince you, by way of some irrefutable argument, that your suffering mattered more, in the absolute sense, than the deaths of those animals, would that affect your decision?”

Gabu thought about that for a while. “No, because their deaths would still matter more to me.”

“Good,” Takkan said. “Now, does the extent of your suffering matter? Presumably, if the suffering you would endure by restricting your diet to a single animal per week was negligible, you would have no reason not to do so?”

“Of course,” Gabu said.

“But what if reducing your consumption by even one animal per week would cause you to be permanently hungry, to the same extent that you were at the top of that mountain? Is one life worth that amount of suffering?”

“No,” Gabu said ashamedly.

“Would anyone else make that trade?” Takkan asked the rest of the group. Everyone shook their heads. “Nor would I. We can conclude from this that there is an amount of suffering that is equivalent to the worth of one life, but that this amount is based on our own individual aversion to suffering and our own judgement, rather than some absolute rule.” Everyone seemed to broadly agree with this notion. “Shall we move on to talking about which animals Gabu is prepared to eat?”

“We already decided that I wouldn’t eat goat meat, even if there were any goats here other than Mei,” Gabu said.

“That may be true, but there are many animals in the forest besides your boyfriend and any hypothetical goats.”

Mei realised in that moment, far too late to do anything about it, that he hadn’t told Takkan that not everyone knew he and Gabu were lovers. He glanced around to see if anyone had reacted strongly to the news. Greta didn’t seem to care; Darrel, Leo, Janice and Frank all had self-satisfied but polite smiles on their faces; Tanya and the three newcomers, Lenny, Stephany and Jeremy, looked surprised but not put off by the news.

Sagi was the only one to speak. “Wait, boyfriend?” Gabu and Mei both blushed.

“Oh, not all of you knew? Hmm, curious,” Takkan said with his fox’s smile. Mei wished he’d get on with the discussion. Thankfully, he did. “Anyway, as I was saying, how do we determine whether it would be preferable for Gabu to take one life or another? We’ve been assuming that all lives are equal, but not all philosophers take this for granted. Even if all lives are equal, it may still be a greater injustice to kill an infant than an elderly animal, since we would be depriving the elderly animal of only a small proportion of their overall lifespan.”

“We could just as easily say that the elderly animal, as a valued member of her community, would be a greater loss than the infant, who may not survive to adulthood even in the absence of predation,” Greta said.

“Let’s assume that, as you say, the elderly animal is loved by more people than the infant is, and to a greater extent. Therefore, the death of the elderly animal would cause greater suffering amongst the living than the death of the infant would. If we, as moral beings, are concerned only with the effect of our actions on some metric of absolute good, then this fact is very relevant to the decision of which animal to kill. However, I maintain that this is a poor way of evaluating moral decisions, for reasons I have already discussed.”

“Can you think of a better way?” Greta asked.

“First, I want to establish whether Gabu killing the elderly animal would be an injustice against those who loved her, specifically on the grounds that her death causes them suffering, or if the only person who stands to be wronged is the animal herself.”

“If the first case is true,” Mei said, “then it would also be wrong for the elderly animal to give up her life voluntarily, since that would also cause the rest of her community to suffer. Surely everyone has a right to choose which causes they would sacrifice their lives for, without having to worry about wronging other people in the process?”

“Quite right,” Takkan said. “Yes, I believe that, in this case at least, the only people Gabu must worry about wronging are the animals he is contemplating killing. Being loved by other people doesn’t make your life more valuable than that of those who are unloved. In judging the extent to which an untimely death is wrong, however, we must surely consider the extent to which the death is untimely. Who here would rather eat an infant than an animal with only one day left of their natural lifespan?” No one said anything. “Who would rather eat the elderly animal, even if she was loved by more people?” Everyone, Gabu, Mei and Greta included, nodded. “Good choice,” Takkan said. “Here’s a slightly harder one. What if one of the animals was an infant, but the other was her middle-aged mother, without whom the infant could not survive? Who would you eat in that scenario?”

“Neither of them,” Gabu said. “I would let both of them live and find another animal to eat.”

“Okay, then,” Takkan said with an unpleasant smile. “What if this was happening at the top of the mountain, and your only alternatives to eating one of the animals were eating Mei or starving to death?”

This, Mei realised, was Takkan’s go-to punishment for thinking outside the box with a hypothetical question: make the scenario much more personal than it needed to be. Takkan had done much the same thing when he’d discussed the rolling boulder problem with Mei a few days ago.

Gabu folded his ears back. “In that case, I would eat the infant. It would be unkind to make the infant suffer and die without her mother, and it wouldn’t be right to eat both of them when I only needed to eat one.”

“Would the rest of you do the same?” Takkan asked. Everyone nodded solemnly.

“I think that’s enough for today,” Greta said. “Thank you, Takkan. This discussion has been very illuminating...if uncomfortable.”

“It’s been an absolute pleasure,” Takkan said. “I hope I haven’t forfeited my invitation to any future meetings?”

“No, you’re welcome to come whenever you wish, so long as you uphold your promise to not eat anyone as a result of their attending the meetings.”

“Of course,” Takkan said. “Fox’s honour.”

When everyone had dispersed after the meeting, Gabu and Mei were approached by Janice and Frank, the squirrel and mouse who’d been attending since the second meeting.

“Takkan is quite the character, isn’t he?” Frank said.

“I know he can be a lot to deal with sometimes, but he really helped me understand Gabu’s situation a lot better,” Mei said.

“Is it true that you two are partners?” Janice asked.

Mei noticed for the first time the way Janice and Frank were standing with each other. He thought back on how they always sat together at the meetings and came and left with each other, and he finally understood. “Yes, we are. And you two...?”

“We’ve been together for three months,” Frank said. That was a long time for mice, Mei knew. They didn’t live as long as goats or wolves. He wasn’t sure about squirrels.

Gabu was astonished. “Really? I thought Mei and I were the only ones. Two different kinds of animals who are in love with each other, I mean.”

“We thought the same until we heard about you two,” Frank said. “That’s why we had to come to the meetings and get to know you ourselves.”

“Do you two want to come back to our hill and talk some more?” Mei asked.

“We’d love to,” Frank said.

They ended up talking long into the evening. As it turned out, Janice hadn’t experienced the same lack of acceptance from the other squirrels that Gabu and Mei had from their families, but Frank had. The other mice, for whatever reason, didn’t like the idea of Frank spending time with a squirrel. Frank had been living with Janice and a few other squirrels ever since.

“But...why?” Gabu asked. “I can understand Mei’s herd being worried about a wolf, and as for my pack, they just think of goats as food. But why wouldn’t squirrels and mice get along?”

“Because squirrels are different to us,” Frank said. “People of all shapes and sizes are at least a little bit scared of people who are different shapes and sizes to them, even if there’s no reason why they should be. And if you start associating with people who are different, they’ll think of you as different too. That’s how they thought of me, at least.”

“That’s really sad,” Mei said.

“I don’t mind it anymore,” Frank said. “Just because they raised me doesn’t mean I need to care about what they think.”

They continued talking until long after nightfall. When Janice and Frank were ready to leave, Gabu and Mei escorted them back to the forest, just in case an owl spotted them while they were exposed in the meadow.

Once back at the hill, Gabu said, “Perhaps I should make a habit of escorting smaller animals around the forest? At least that would offset some of the harm I’m doing.”

“I’m not sure that would work. Any predators you’d scare away would just have to find someone else to eat instead, or else go hungry for the night.”

“Maybe more predators going hungry every so often isn’t a bad thing.”

Chapter 13: The Play

Day 12: The Play

At the fifth meeting, Gabu and Mei were amazed to find that attendance had more than doubled since the day before. Mei counted about fifteen new faces, consisting of birds, squirrels, mice, rabbits and other small mammals. No one was quite sure what had prompted the sudden increase in popularity.

Many of the newcomers hadn’t been at the very first meeting, and so had heard only rumours of Gabu and Mei until now. It was Greta who suggested that they should spend today’s meeting retelling Gabu and Mei’s story for the benefit of those who hadn’t heard it, and it was Takkan who suggested that this retelling should be a re-enactment.

“A re-enactment?” Gabu said. “You mean we should act out the story as we’re telling it?”

“That’s right,” Takkan said. “You two will play yourselves, of course, and those of us who already know the story can play supporting roles.”

“That does sound like it might be fun,” Mei said.

“All right, let’s give it a go,” Gabu said.

After about an hour of assigning roles and making sure everyone remembered the story, the fifteen or so newcomers arranged themselves in a large circle around the actors. Greta narrated the opening scene, and the play began.

Aside from acting as the narrator, Greta played Mei’s grandmother, the kind, elderly goat who wanted what was best for Mei and worried about him constantly, but who refused to side with Mei over his friendship with Gabu.

Mei had specifically asked Sagi to play Tapu, refusing to explain to the rabbit why he kept laughing at the idea of Sagi playing the overconfident goat from Mei’s herd who believed he could repel a wolf attack single-handedly.

Janice and Frank played Zack and Beach, two other wolves from Gabu’s pack. Throughout the course of the play, those two got up to all sorts of shenanigans on their own that Gabu was absolutely sure had never actually happened.

Takkan played none other than Giro, the leader of the Baku Baku wolf pack himself, portraying him as a scheming mastermind who orchestrated devious plots against the Sawa Sawa goat herd. At one point, when Giro was laying out his plan to attack Poro Poro Hill, the fox actually started singing, apparently making up a song on the spot, which the audience loved and the rest of the cast joined in with once Takkan repeated it.

Giro’s Plan (“Be Prepared” from The Lion King)

I see you are all here assembled
To hear what your leader shall say
If the goats were here now they would tremble
As for some this will be their last day

The winter shall soon be upon us
And the prey will be harder to find
Therefore we must now fill our stomachs
Lest to graves we shall all be consigned

So prepare to secure us a lifeline
Be prepared for all that we must do
This cause for elation
Will be our salvation
(But where are we hunting?)
In the hills that are crumbling

The goats they believe
That they’ve found a reprieve
But the Crumbling Hills shall spell doom
For any whom we shall find there

Be prepared!

Mei had never had more fun in his life. It was a relief not to have to worry about putting his story into words and instead relive the events as they had happened, surrounded by people he trusted and cared for greatly.

As soon as the play was over, the audience started cheering immediately.

“Not bad,” Takkan said. “Give me a little more time to prepare and I’ll have a full musical for us to perform.”

“I didn’t know you could sing or write songs,” Gabu said.

“They are but two of my many talents,” the fox said. “Poetry, philosophy, dance, debate...”

“Boasting,” Mei added with a smile.

“And boasting,” Takkan agreed. “Not many would consider it a talent but, you must admit, I do it fabulously.” Mei rolled his eyes. “You want to know the secret of how I performed that song with only an hour’s notice?”

“I was wondering that,” Greta said.

“The clue’s in the song: be prepared. I figured the whole thing out days ago. All it took was the right opportunity to use it.”

“Wait, is that the only reason you suggested we put on a play?” Sagi asked.

Takkan shrugged. “Sometimes a fox has got to make his own luck.”

Chapter 14: Remembering

Day 13: Remembering

At the following day’s meeting, some of the animals who had watched the play yesterday did not return. Presumably, their curiosity had been sated and they had no wish to engage with the group any further. Some animals did stay, and a handful of others joined for the first time today, so the total attendance remained roughly the same at about twenty.

One of the newcomers, a squirrel, walked timidly up to Gabu at the start of the meeting. Gabu gave her as warm a smile as he could without baring his teeth.

“You killed my brother yesterday,” the squirrel said, not in an accusatory tone, but matter-of-factly. Gabu’s face fell. Conversations stopped around them as everyone turned their attention to Gabu and the squirrel.

“I’m very, very sorry about that,” Gabu said. “I know there’s not much I can do to make it up to you, but if there’s anything at all I can do, you only have to ask.”

That was a reckless promise to make, Mei thought. What if the squirrel asked him to stop eating meat?

“No, that’s okay. I just wanted you to know that I—that lots of people loved him, and will miss him now that he’s gone.”

“What was his name?” Mei asked. “I’d like to know more about him, so that we can properly mourn his loss.”

“His name was Lucas. I’m Ava. He liked to watch the clouds and make out shapes in them. We would sit for hours in the meadow and do that together. At the end of the day, our father would tell us stories of great animals who live in the sky, higher than any bird has ever flown, who look down on those same clouds and make out shapes, just as we did. When we were snuggled up in our tree hollow, just about to fall asleep, Lucas would whisper to me that he wanted to meet them one day, to ask them if the clouds looked different from above to how they looked from below.”

“He sounds like he was a wonderful person,” Greta said.

“He was,” Ava said.

Tanya, the hedgehog, came forward and talked about her younger sister, who’d been killed by a badger only a few weeks ago.

One by one, more and more people spoke about loved ones they had lost to carnivores. Mei spoke about the goats from his herd growing up who had gone missing and had never come back. Takkan hadn’t lost anyone to predation, but he did talk about his mother, who had become sick the previous winter and never recovered. Gabu talked about his father, who had died only a few months before his mother had.

When there were no more stories left to tell, everyone lay on their backs and watched the clouds, no one saying a word, but everyone thinking of and remembering those who were no longer with them.

A few hours after they arrived back at Moonrise Hill, when the sun was just starting to set, Mei happened to glance out of the cave mouth and saw two small birds flying in their direction. “Toto and Riri—they’re back!”

When the sparrows arrived at the hill, they were exhausted from their flight. Gabu and Mei invited them inside and waited patiently while they rested. After a short while, the birds were ready to recount their story.

“We arrived at Sawa Sawa Mountain a few days ago,” Riri said. “When we told the first goat we found that we had a message from you, Mei, they sent us to talk to the Elder.”

“And you didn’t exactly talk to him, did you, dear?” Toto said.

“I may have spoken my mind to him about how cruel and heartless he must be to have driven a young, innocent goat like yourself away from the only family he’s ever known,” Riri said. “And asked him if he knew just how many times you almost died because of his reckless decision.”

Mei was speechless. He’d never seen anyone stand up to the Elder goat in the way Riri was so nonchalantly describing. He found that he was immensely grateful to Riri for defending his actions to the Elder, something that not even his own grandmother had done.

“The Elder pointed us to your grandmother and friends,” Toto said. “They were all relieved to find out you were alive; everyone assumed you and Gabu had drowned when you went over the waterfall.”

“We delivered your message just as you asked us to: Mei is alive and living in the Emerald Forest, just past the mountain to the east. He’s living happily with Gabu, the wolf he’s friends with, and the two of them have made a number of excellent friends in the forest who support their decision. He sends his love to Mii, Tapu, and Grandma, and hopes that one day, they’ll come to understand that he made the right decision.”

“And what did they say?” Mei asked.

“The first thing your grandmother said was that she knew she’d made the wrong decision the moment you jumped into the river,” Toto said. “She desperately wants to see you again, but she doesn’t think she’ll survive the trip around the mountain.”

His grandmother really said that? All this time, if not for the wolves chasing them, could Mei have simply gone back to his herd and been welcomed there? “What about me being friends with Gabu? Did Grandma say anything about that?”

“She wishes she’d given you the chance to explain the situation fully and believed you when you said that Gabu was truly your friend. Your friend Mii had a lot of questions about the two of you, but we thought it best to wait and ask you how much you want us to tell them.”

“Thanks for doing that. What about Tapu? Is he all right?” Mei was slightly worried that the sparrows hadn’t mentioned Tapu once.

“He...” Toto began hesitantly, “...still doesn’t see eye to eye with you over your decision to leave with Gabu. I think he feels that you abandoned him and the rest of your herd when you chose Gabu over them.”

“We tried to make him understand that you only left because they were making unreasonable demands of you, and forcing you to choose between them and Gabu was the exact reason you didn’t feel welcome anymore, but...”

“It’s okay,” Mei said. “Tapu can be stubborn. It’s possible he won’t ever change his mind about me now, which is sad, but I’ve got better friends now anyway.”

“That’s right,” Gabu said, and hugged Mei.

“As for the wolf you asked us to check up on,” Toto said, “we flew over Baku Baku Valley a few times, but we couldn’t find any wolf pups who looked like him. From what the goats told us, the pack seems to be in disarray since you left. Their leader and a few other wolves—we couldn’t find out which ones—didn’t survive the avalanche.”

“Giro is dead?” Gabu said, dumbfounded. “I...killed him?”

“We don’t know if it was you who killed him, or if he was buried in the snow,” Riri said.

“It amounts to the same thing either way,” Gabu said. “If I hadn’t challenged him and caused the avalanche, he’d still be alive.”

The mention of Gabu challenging his pack’s leader reminded Mei of something, but what? He suddenly remembered. Jess, the wolf from the Gara Gara Mountain whom Gabu and Mei had helped to escape from his pack, had told them how his friend Gon had challenged their leader to a duel and had died as a result. Jess had attacked the leader in retaliation, which is how he ended up on the run from his pack.

“Gabu,” Mei said, “that doesn’t mean you’re the new leader of the Baku Baku wolf pack, does it?”

“Technically, it does. But even if I wanted to go back, there’s no way anyone in my pack would follow me.”

“We also went to Para Para Fields to deliver your message to Kuro-san,” Toto said. “He said he didn’t know what news you were referring to; he didn’t know about you and Gabu, and we haven’t told him. He says you’re welcome to visit him whenever you like.”

“Okay, that’s good to hear,” Mei said. “Thank you so much for going all that way and back for us.”

“It was no trouble,” Riri said. “We did promise your grandmother that we’d be back soon to tell her more about how you’re doing, and to ask you whether you’d consider visiting her.”

“Let me discuss that with Gabu. I’ll come and find you in the morning to let you know what I’ve decided.”

Notes:

Kuro-san is introduced in episode 7 of Himitsu no Tomodachi. Jess is from episode 21.

Chapter 15: Goodbyes

Day 14: Goodbyes

The following morning, after a lengthy discussion with Gabu the previous night, Mei had made up his mind. He headed into the forest and found Greta, who helped him track down Toto, Riri and Sagi. The five friends met together in a clearing, the first time all five of them had spoken alone since Mei had told them about Gabu.

“I’ve got to hand it to you, Mei. I never thought I’d actually enjoy spending time with a wolf,” Sagi said.

“I’m glad to hear the meetings have been going well,” Riri said.

“It is truly remarkable how your and Gabu’s presence here has brought together so many animals who would never ordinarily talk to one another,” Greta said.

“Thanks,” Mei said. “I’m really grateful to all of you for sticking with Gabu and me. This forest wouldn’t feel like home without you here. The reason I wanted to talk to you all today before the meeting is that I’ll be leaving the forest tomorrow, temporarily, to visit some people from my old herd. I’m not sure how long I’ll be gone; it might be a few months. Gabu will be staying here.”

“You’re really going away for that long, just to visit the herd that kicked you out?” Sagi said.

“I’m not going to visit the whole herd, just a few people who I think truly care about me. Toto, Riri, when you’re ready to make the journey back over the mountain, could you take a message to my grandmother and Mii? I’ll be going to Para Para Fields to meet Kuro-san, and I’d like them to meet me there.”

“Of course, Mei,” Toto said. “We’ll also let Kuro-san know to expect you.”

“I’m surprised you’re not taking Gabu with you,” Greta said. “It’s only been a couple of weeks since the two of you were reunited.”

“Gabu and I have talked about that at length and decided it would be best if I go alone. As much as I’d like him to meet my grandmother and my friends, I’d rather take things slowly with them for now. And after all, someone has to keep the group going while I’m gone.”

Later that day, at the meeting, Mei made the same announcement to the rest of the group. Everyone who had gotten to know him over the past week was saddened to learn that Mei would be absent for so long, but they all agreed that it would do Mei good to see his family again and get some closure if he could.

“As this is the last time we’ll see you for a while,” Takkan said, “perhaps we could do something fun together for the rest of the meeting?”

“What did you have in mind?” Mei asked.

“Well, since clovers have a special significance to you and Gabu, I’ve just remembered a song we could all learn that I think you’d like. It’s called ‘Roll Me Over in the Clover.’”

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Greta said.

“Go ahead,” Mei said.

Once he had everyone’s undivided attention, Takkan said, “This is a call-and-response song. If I point at you, after I’ve sung the verse, you sing the chorus, which goes like this.” Takkan sang, “Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again. Let’s practise that together.”

Everyone followed Takkan’s lead and sang, “Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.” It didn’t sound great, but Takkan seemed satisfied.

“Let’s get started, then. Roll me over in the clover, roll me over lay me down and do it again.” Takkan pointed at Greta, who raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Well this is number one, and the fun has just begun. Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

Greta, with some reluctance, sang, “Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

Mei was quite confident that he knew what kind of song this was.

Takkan pointed at Darrel, the stag. “Well this is number two, and the things they say are true. Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

Leo joined in with Darrel as the two of them sang back, “Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

Takkan pointed at Gabu and Mei. “Well these are three and four, they were looking for one more.” A few members of the audience laughed. Mei blushed profusely. Gabu didn’t seem to understand. “Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

They sang back, Gabu enthusiastically and Mei reluctantly, “Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

The song continued for several more verses, Takkan pointing to a different person each time. Everyone, Mei included, was laughing and having fun.

“Well this is number five, and he called out when he arrived. Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Well this is number six, and she has the best of tricks. Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Well this is number seven, and I now believe in heaven. Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Well this is number eight, and it was hard to match her rate. Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Well this is number nine, and his eyes are just divine. Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

Takkan finished by pointing to Sagi, singing the last verse more slowly. “Well this is number ten, and he now sleeps in my den. Roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again,” Sagi sang enthusiastically.

Takkan called out, “Everyone sing the chorus!”

Everyone sang, “Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Herbivores only!”

“Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

“Everyone who still doesn’t get the joke!”

Gabu started singing, “Roll me over in the...” but trailed off. “Wait, am I the only one who doesn’t get it?”

Mei mumbled, “I’ll explain later.”

“Everyone, one last time!”

“Roll me over in the clover, roll me over, lay me down and do it again.”

When the meeting had concluded, everyone still laughing and talking about Takkan’s song, Gabu and Mei went back to their hill to spend the last night together they would have for a while. Over and over again, they told each other how much they loved each other and how much they would miss each other. Gabu was becoming increasingly distraught at the idea of Mei leaving.

“Gabu, it’s okay. This will be so much easier than the last time we spent apart, since we’ll know it’s not forever.”

“I know,” Gabu said, in tears at this point. “But it’s still going to be difficult not knowing if you’re safe. What if something happens and I’m not there to protect you?”

Mei laughed. “I’ve been living in a forest full of wolves my entire life and nothing’s happened to me yet—until I met you, that is. And the Baku Baku wolf pack is in disarray, remember? It’ll be safer than ever.”

“The wolves will be desperate, Mei. It would only take one wolf to notice you walking in the forest and, chomp, you’d be eaten.”

“Then it’s lucky for me that I’ve got plenty of experience dealing with wolves now. More than Tapu, at least.” Mei stood up and paced around the cave. Suddenly, he pounced at Gabu, growling and shouting, “I’m a wolf! I’m going to eat you!”

Gabu gave a theatrical yelp and allowed Mei to land on him. “No, please! I’m just a tasty goat. Don’t eat me!”

They spent the rest of the evening laughing, crying and hugging each other until they’d tired themselves out and finally fell asleep.

Chapter 16: Departure

Day 15: Departure

Mei, accompanied by Gabu, Toto and Riri, made his way to the foothills of the vast mountain that overlooked the entire forest, the same mountain that had led to such great anguish only a few months prior. Mei wouldn’t be attempting to climb the mountain this time, but just being near it brought back unpleasant memories in a way that not even retelling the events over and over again had done.

As they were walking, Riri said, “Toto and I think we’ve found a path that you can take to get past the mountain safely without having to go all the way up or around it.”

Toto chirped in affirmation. “We saw it when we were flying over to deliver your message; it’s nearly impossible to spot from the ground. We spent some time yesterday, after the meeting, checking along it to make sure it’s safe and has enough vegetation to keep you fed on your journey. We think you can reach the other side of the mountain in about fourteen days if you hurry.”

“Really?” Mei said. “That’s incredible. I was expecting it to take twice that long to go around.”

“You’ll be back even sooner than you thought!” Gabu said with delight.

“I’ll still be gone for at least a month; we’ll definitely miss the next full moon.” Last night had been the new moon, meaning the next full moon was about two weeks away. “But I’ll probably be back in time for the one after that.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Gabu said with a sad smile.

The sparrows led Mei to the start of a long, winding path that led part way up the mountain before going around it. They assured Mei that there were occasional bushes he could eat from, but Mei made sure to fill his stomach with the rich meadow grass before he left, just in case the sparrows had misjudged how often a goat needs to eat.

When it came time for them to part ways, Mei said, “Toto, Riri, when you get back from letting Mii, Grandma and Kuro-san know I’ll be coming, please could you take care of Gabu for me? You’ve been like a mother and father to us, accepted us faster and more completely than anyone else ever has.”

“Of course, Mei,” Riri said. “And thank you for saying so. It means a lot to us to hear that.”

“Goodbye, Gabu. I love you so, so much.”

“I love you too, Mei. Goodbye.”

After sharing one last hug with Gabu, Mei set off alone on the path around the mountain.

Chapter 17: Around the Mountain

Days 16-27: Around the Mountain

For the two weeks it took him to follow the sparrows’ path around the mountain, Mei spent most of his time thinking. He spent hours at a time contemplating how Mii and his grandmother would react upon seeing him again. How would he himself react? He was still upset that his grandmother hadn’t stood up for him, but at least she now realised that she’d been too hasty in her judgement of the situation.

Mei wasn’t sure what Mii must think of him now; she hadn’t said much to him after everyone found out. The sparrows had said that Mii had had “a lot of questions” about him and Gabu, so she would at least be open-minded.

As for how Kuro-san would react, Mei had no idea.

When he wasn’t thinking about the other goats, or worrying about how Gabu was doing without him, Mei spent his time thinking about the philosophical ideas Takkan had talked about. Was Mei being selfish by putting Gabu’s wellbeing ahead of other animals’? Or rather, he was definitely being selfish, but was that a bad thing? What was love if not valuing another person’s existence more than you would a random person’s? If Mei loved Gabu enough, did that make everything the wolf had to do okay?

Okay for whom? Mei imagined Takkan saying in response to that. Certainly not the animals he’s killing; they couldn’t care less how much you love him. But they weren’t the ones deciding how Mei thought about Gabu; Mei was, and the fact that he loved Gabu mattered to him. That wouldn’t help to convince anyone else that Gabu deserved to exist, though.

There was one thing Mei was sure Takkan was right about: Any other herbivore would leap at the chance to remove all predators from existence, and Mei couldn’t think of any reason why they’d be wrong to do so. Mei wondered whether anyone in the Emerald Forest would hurt Gabu if given the chance. It would be hypocritical of Mei to tell them they had no right to do so, seeing as he allowed the wolf to hurt countless animals whenever he went hunting. Again, Mei could think of no good solution. Perhaps their attempts to befriend the same animals Gabu hunted were destined to fail?

Except somehow, miraculously, they weren’t failing. The group of animals who chose to spend time with them had been growing every day. There were people whose names Mei didn’t even know who were happy to lie side-by-side with predators and watch the clouds pass by overhead. Maybe getting to know Gabu, just like Mei himself had done, or perhaps getting to know predators in general, was the key to looking past all the awful things they had to do to survive. Maybe people were starting to see that, despite all of that, a wolf or a fox or a bird or a spider could be a good, kind person, and being friends with them was better than being enemies.

Maybe, one day, the whole world could see that. For now, though, Mei would settle for convincing the three other goats in his life who still cared about him.

Chapter 18: The Second Full Moon

Day 28: The Second Full Moon

On the fourteenth day of Mei’s journey, the path around the mountain emerged into the foothills on the other side. Immediately, Mei recognised landmarks that he’d seen before, approaching the mountain with Gabu all those months ago.

If they’d known about this path the first time around, things would have gone very differently. The wolves would have caught up to them when they were about halfway along the path, and there would have been no avalanche to interrupt the fight. Mei didn’t know whether the outcome in that case would have been better or worse. All in all, Mei was glad things had gone the way they did, even thought it had resulted in Gabu almost dying and Mei almost getting eaten when they were finally reunited. Mei would rather go through all of that again than risk what might have happened if they’d tried to go around the mountain the long way.

By the time the sun was low in the sky, Mei had arrived at the same forest he and Gabu had spent the night in shortly before they started their ascent of the mountain. That had been where Mei had woken to find Gabu attempting to sneak back into their hiding place after a night spent hunting. What had upset Mei the most, more so than the hunting itself, was the fact that Gabu had been trying to keep his hunting secret from Mei. The ensuing argument might have become more serious if the two hadn’t been interrupted by Zack and Beach almost stumbling across them a few moments later.

Especially in the early days of their relationship, Gabu had always been anxious about what Mei thought of him hunting. The wolf had lied about his history of eating goats because he thought Mei would never want to see him again if it had turned out Gabu had eaten one of Mei’s friends or family members. Mei had known at the time, or at least strongly suspected, that Gabu was lying about not eating goats, but he went along with it because he understood the wolf’s reason for doing so.

In the first few weeks, Gabu had also had an odd tendency to act as if he didn’t eat meat at all. On one occasion, the wolf showed up with a branch full of berries clasped in his jaws, which he dropped on the ground in front of Mei.

“Take a look at these berries, Mei. I’ve spent all morning picking them. They’re delicious!” Gabu had said as he licked red stains from around his lips.

“You’re a terrible liar, Gabu,” Mei had replied, unamused. “Those are inedible. And the rabbit blood around your mouth looks nothing like berry juice.”

Now, looking back on that moment, Mei found it slightly endearing that Gabu had tried so hard to please him, even if the way he had done so had had the exact opposite effect.

As the sun set, Mei found found a suitable place to sleep from where he could see the sky. He sat there and watched as the full moon rose slowly up from behind the mountain, and he thought of Gabu, whom he knew was many miles in that direction, sitting by himself and watching the moonrise too.

No, Gabu wouldn’t be alone. Toto and Riri would be back by now, and would be watching the moonrise with him. Perhaps some of their other friends would be there too? Mei imagined Greta, Sagi, Darrel, Leo, Janice, Frank and Takkan all gathered together on Moonrise Hill, all watching the moonrise alongside Gabu.

Whatever the case may be, Mei knew that Gabu was thinking of him too, and that thought drove away the loneliness in Mei’s heart long enough for him to get to sleep.

Chapter 19: Reunion

Day 33: Reunion

From the foothills, it took Mei only four days to reach the outskirts of Para Para Fields, the vast expanse of grassland where Kuro-san and the other black goats lived. After spending the night in the adjoining forest, Mei made his way into Para Para Fields in search of the other goats.

It wasn’t long before he crested a hill and saw the Para Para goat herd grazing in the meadow. He spotted Mii and Grandma almost immediately, talking animatedly with Kuro-san on the far side of the meadow. Overjoyed to see them again, Mei ran towards them.

When Mii and Grandma spotted him, they ran up to meet him. Kuro-san, too, seemed pleased to see Mei, and followed at a respectful distance.

“Mei,” Grandma exclaimed, “I’m so glad to see you alive!”

“We thought we’d never see you again,” Mii said.

“Hello, Grandma, Mii. I’m really glad to see you too. I wasn’t sure you’d want to hear from me again after what happened.”

“I’m so, so sorry for letting that happen,” Grandma said. “If I’d known you were going to jump into that river, I would never have let the Elder force you into that situation. And you’ve been living on your own all this time!”

“Not quite on my own,” Mei said.

Kuro-san approached. “Sorry to interrupt, but did I hear correctly that you jumped into a river?”

“You really don’t know what happened?” Mei asked.

“Your grandmother wanted to tell me, but I asked her to wait since the birds said you wanted to tell me yourself.”

“That’s right,” Mei said, “and I suppose I shouldn’t keep it from you any longer. Kuro-san, do you remember that day you visited Sawa Sawa Mountain? You helped me find a four-leafed clover for my friend.”

“I do remember. I had a great time searching for it with you,” Kuro-san said.

“The friend the clover was for...” Mei glanced towards Grandma and Mii, who looked apprehensive but curious. “His name is Gabu, and he’s a wolf.”

Kuro-san’s eyes widened. He froze to the spot.

“When the rest of my herd found out, the Elder kicked me out, sort of. It’s a long story. I ran away with Gabu and I’ve been living with him ever since.”

Kuro-san started looking around frantically. The other two goats also looked nervous.

“Gabu isn’t here. He didn’t come with me on this visit,” Mei said. “Would it be all right if I told you the entire story? Mii and Grandma haven’t heard the whole thing yet either.”

Kuro-san stared at Mei in amazement, but was now smiling. “You’ve been friends with a wolf since before we met, and now you’re living with him? If anyone else had told me that, Mei-san, I don’t think I would have believed them.”

“Yep!” Mei said with a smile, relieved that Kuro-san was taking the news well. “Not only that. Gabu was the one who led us through the forest the first time we visited you here.”

“The wolf was there in the forest with us?!” Mii exclaimed. “Wait, was he one of the wolves that almost ate Tapu on the way back?”

Mei had forgotten about that. “Oh, um, he was actually pretending to chase Tapu so that the other wolf wouldn’t eat him, but yes. He’d been secretly protecting all of us from the other wolves ever since we met. You all owe a lot more to him than you know.”

“There were fewer wolf attacks than I would have expected for that time of year,” Grandma said.

“Please tell us the story of how you and the wolf met, Mei-san,” Kuro-san said. “I’ve never known a wolf to treat a goat as anything other than food, but this wolf sounds different.”

“It happened one evening in the late summer of last year. That day the storm came out of nowhere and I didn’t get back until that night,” Mei said to Mii and Grandma.

Mei told them the story of how he and Gabu had met in the abandoned barn, right up to how Mei had been seen going into a cave with the wolf by an elderly goat from Mei’s herd.

“So that’s when everyone found out about us,” Mei said. “The Elder was worried that Gabu might be using me to get information about the herd. He said that the only way I would be allowed to see Gabu again was if I tricked him into telling me about the wolves’ hunting patterns.”

“That information would do the goats a lot of good,” Kuro-san said. “It could save lives.”

“Except if the Sawa Sawa goats became too difficult to hunt, because we knew the wolves’ plans,” Mei said, “the wolves would just hunt and kill other animals instead. Since we’re the biggest animals around, that would mean more animals would have to die to make up for us. Either that, or the wolves would starve.” The other three goats looked slightly shocked at this. “Sorry, I’ve been thinking about this sort of thing a lot lately. I met a friend in the Emerald Forest who’s teaching us about philosophy and how it relates to hunting. It’s a lot more complicated when you see it from the wolves’ point of view, since they don’t have any choice but to hunt.”

Mei went on to tell them the rest of the story: how he and Gabu had jumped into the river to run away together, had gotten separated, and were finally reunited under the light of the full moon.

“Ever since that night, Gabu and I have been living together in the Emerald Forest. We eventually told the other animals of the forest about us, and we’ve made some really good friends. Toto and Riri, the sparrows who delivered those messages to you, were two of the first people we told, and they accepted us from the start.”

Grandma chuckled. “Those two did make quite a fuss when they met the Elder. I’ve never seen him look so timid.”

“That truly is an incredible story,” Kuro-san said. “Thank you for coming all this way to share it with me. I’m deeply sorry for everything you and Gabu-san have had to endure.”

Mei spent the rest of the day catching up with Mii, Grandma and Kuro-san. The situation in Sawa Sawa Mountain was much as the sparrows had said; with the leader of the wolves and some of the strongest pack members dead, the pack wasn’t organised enough to be a serious threat to the goats.

Tapu had refused to go with Mii and Grandma to see Mei, and Grandma had gotten angry at him. Most of the other goats were indifferent to Mei now that the drama seemed to be over. While Mei wouldn’t be turned away if he did go back, it sounded like things would never be quite the same as they had once been.

More than once, Grandma asked if Mei would come back to Sawa Sawa Mountain permanently. Mei said that he wouldn’t even consider it unless Gabu was allowed to live there too, alongside the goats, which Grandma said wouldn’t be possible. Mei didn’t regret this; he was better off living with Gabu in the Emerald Forest.

Kuro-san invited Mei to spend a few days in Para Para Fields before he went back, which Mei gladly accepted.

Notes:

If you’re not familiar with Kuro-san from the television series, read his story in Appendix 1.

Chapter 20: Catching Up

Days 34-37: Catching Up

Mei spent most of the next few days with his grandmother or with Mii, since he didn’t know how long it would be before he saw them again once he returned to the Emerald Forest. Given how old his grandmother was, there was a chance he would never see her again.

He spent a whole day picking berries with his grandmother in the Peri Peri Woods, through which he had come on his first visit to Para Para Fields with Tapu and Mii. Kuro-san was busy showing Mii around the meadow, just as Mii had shown him around Sawa Sawa Mountain on his first visit there.

As they picked, Mei told Grandma all about the new friends he and Gabu had made in the Emerald Forest.

“I’m glad you two aren’t alone there,” Grandma said. “Have you met any other goats yet?”

“I don’t think there are any other goats for miles around,” Mei said. “No one had even seen a goat until I arrived.”

“That’s a shame. If you ever wanted to start a family, you’d have to move somewhere where there are other goats.”

Mei sighed. “I’ve already told you, I don’t want to have kids. I’m happy just being with Gabu.” Mei had known that he didn’t want to start a family since long before he met Gabu, and had told his grandmother and the other adults that every time the topic came up.

“I didn’t want to have kids when I was your age either. But one day, I—”

“You met someone you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?” Mei interrupted.

Grandma smiled. “Yes, your grandfather.”

“I’ve already found someone I feel that way about. I climbed over a mountain just to be with him. Just because Gabu isn’t a goat and we can’t have kids together doesn’t mean I can’t be just as happy as I would be with another goat.”

“If that’s what you want,” Grandma said. “Does Gabu want kids? Err, pups?”

“We’ve never talked about it. Maybe next time I come to visit, I can bring him with me and you can ask him yourself,” Mei said, expecting his grandmother to recoil at the thought of meeting a wolf up close.

“That would be nice,” Grandma said.

It took Mei a moment to realise what his grandmother had said. “Wait, you actually want to meet Gabu?”

“Of course. If he’s really as important to you as you say he is, how could I not meet him?”

Mei smiled. “I’d like that.”

On the fourth day of their stay in Para Para Fields, Mei, Mii and Grandma were lying on the grass with Kuro-san and a few of the other goats, enjoying the sunshine and the gentle breeze. Mei was glad to spend some time with his friends and family without having to keep secrets from them or defend his relationship with Gabu.

Mei was lying facing the forest, whereas the other goats with him were facing the opposite direction, into the meadow. As a result, when a bush on the edge of the Peri Peri Woods rustled conspicuously, Mei was the only one who saw it.

Now alert, Mei watched as a pair of eyes peered out from the bush and scanned the meadow. It was a wolf, almost certainly from the Baku Baku pack, since they were the only wolves who counted this as their territory.

Mei stood up and said to the other goats, “Nobody move. There’s someone in the bushes.” Before anyone could react, Mei strode purposefully towards the edge of the forest where the wolf was hiding.

“Mei, what are you doing? Is it a wolf?” Mii called after him.

“Don’t follow me; I know what I’m doing. If anything happens, run.”

Mei met the wolf’s eyes, which widened in surprise. He lowered his horns as much as he could while still maintaining eye contact and kept walking determinedly towards the wolf. As Mei drew nearer, the wolf overcame his surprise somewhat and started to growl and edge forward.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Mei said. “The last wolves to chase after me ended up crushed under a mountain of snow.” Strictly speaking, that hadn’t been Mei’s doing, but Mei was counting on this wolf, who looked to be barely an adult, not having been there to witness that.

Sure enough, the wolf hesitated. “Wait,” he said, “you’re the goat Gabu was friends with, aren’t you?” The wolf’s manner changed immediately. Before, he had tried to make himself look big and intimidating. Now, he regarded Mei with curiosity, his desire to eat Mei apparently gone.

Mei glanced back to the other goats, who were watching anxiously. They still couldn’t see the wolf, and Mei wanted to keep it that way. He gave them a quick smile to reassure them and turned back to the wolf.

“That’s right. If you want me to tell you anything else, we can talk in the forest. But you’ll have to promise not to eat me or any of the other goats here, at least for now.”

“Yes, I promise,” the wolf said, quickly enough that Mei was sure he meant it. “Please, tell me if Gabu’s alive.”

Mei led the wolf a short distance into the forest, careful not to let the wolf block his way back into the meadow in case he needed to run. When Mei turned and looked at the young wolf properly, something seemed familiar about him. It couldn’t be, could it?

“Are you Boro?” Mei asked uncertainly.

The wolf, Boro (Mei was sure it was him), seemed surprised that Mei recognised him. “Yes, I am. How do you know my name?”

Mei smiled, relieved that this pup whom Gabu cared so much about was still alive. “Because Gabu’s told me all about you,” Mei said. “We actually met a couple of times. I was the goat who let you chase me for a while when Gabu was teaching you how to hunt. That was a fun day out, wasn’t it?”

Boro stared in disbelief. “But you...that goat...THAT WAS YOU?!”

“Of course it was me. What other goat would Gabu get for you to chase?”

Boro looked like he was trying to make sense of that, but gave up halfway through. “If you’re here, where’s Gabu? Is he still alive?”

“He’s fine,” Mei said. “Gabu and I have been living happily together ever since we escaped the pack. I’m sorry to hear not everyone survived the avalanche, by the way.”

“So many wolves died that day,” Boro said sadly. “I had no idea whether Gabu was one of them. Giro, Bari, so many others, all gone.”

“I heard the rest of the pack isn’t doing too well. Do you have a new leader yet?” Mei asked.

“Not really,” Boro said. “Some of them are following Lala now. Others, like me, are trying to survive on our own. So, Gabu really is alive? That’s...good. I’m glad for him. Would it be all right if I talked to him?”

“He isn’t here. I came here alone to visit a few friends. But I think he’d be glad to see you and know you’re okay. Next time I visit, I’ll bring him with me. We’ll come and find you.”

“Thank you so much,” Boro said earnestly. Mei found it a little odd for a wolf other than Gabu to be looking at him with such gratitude.

“I should be getting back now. Can I count on you to not hurt any of the goats here?”

“I won’t, I promise,” Boro said.

A thought occurred to Mei. “My friend and my grandmother, the two other white goats, will be passing through this forest on their way back to Sawa Sawa Mountain. Can you make sure they arrive there safely?” Boro looked hesitant. “Gabu did the same for us the first time we came here. He wouldn’t want anything to happen to them any more than I do.”

“Well, okay. I’ll do my best.”

Mei smiled. “Goodbye, Boro. Keep yourself safe.”

When Mei emerged from the forest unharmed, everyone was relieved to see him. “Mei, what happened? Who was in the bushes?” Mii asked.

“It was a young wolf called Boro. Gabu was like a brother to him. He was planning to attack the Para Para herd, but he promised not to when he realised who I was.”

“He promised not to attack us just because you’re both friends with Gabu-san?” Kuro-san asked in amazement.

Mei nodded. “He’s a good kid. He was really worried about Gabu, and I offered to tell him what happened to him if he promised to leave us alone.”

“You will never cease to amaze me, Mei-san,” Kuro-san said with a warm smile.

“That was very brave of you, confronting that wolf all by yourself,” Grandma said. “What would you have done if he’d attacked you?”

“I’d have figured something out,” Mei said. “Anyway, that reminded me, I think I should be heading back to the Emerald Forest before long; I want to get back in time to see the full moon with Gabu. Thank you for hosting us here, Kuro-san.”

“Actually,” Kuro-san said, “Mii-san and I have been talking. We want to go with you and meet Gabu-san for ourselves.”

It was Mei’s turn to be amazed. “Really? You want to come to the Emerald Forest with me?”

“I wish I could come too,” Grandma said, “but a trip around the mountain is a little more than I think I could handle. I’ll stay in Para Para Fields for a few more days and then head home.”

Mei hugged his grandmother. “I really hope you’ll get to meet Gabu one day.”

“I will, Mei. One of these days. We’ll be one big family, together at last.”

Notes:

If you’re not familiar with Boro from the television series, read his story in Appendix 2.

Chapter 21: Going Home

Days 38-55: Going Home

The following day, Mei, Kuro-san and Mii said goodbye to Grandma and the other goats. Somehow, Mei found this goodbye, leaving his grandmother behind, harder than he’d found the decision to leave his herd to run away with Gabu. Perhaps it was because, that first time, he had thought that no one in his herd cared for him anymore, so he wasn’t losing anything by leaving them behind. This time, he was leaving behind someone he knew he wanted to see again but didn’t know if he’d get the chance to.

Kuro-san didn’t seem as bothered by the prospect of a long journey away from the Para Para goats. He’d travelled on his own in the past, although never as far from home as the Emerald Forest. In fact, Kuro-san was overjoyed to be spending another three or so weeks with Mii and Mei.

“This will be just like old times,” Mii said to Mei as they were leaving. “The two of us going on adventures together. And Kuro-san, I mean.”

Kuro-san chuckled. “You’ve been on adventures before, then?”

“We got up to all sorts of trouble when we were younger,” Mei said. “Getting lost in unfamiliar forests, exploring caves, crossing ravines... The adults were worried about us constantly.”

“We had lots of fun, though,” Mii said.

“Do you and Gabu-san also have adventures together, Mei-san?” Kuro-san said. “Besides jumping into rivers and crossing over mountains together, I mean.”

“All the time. Every time we met up was an adventure back when we were keeping our friendship secret. I lost count of how many times someone almost found out about us or tried to eat me.”

“There must have been some enjoyable times too, right?” Kuro-san said.

“Of course!” Mei smiled at the many pleasant memories of times he and Gabu had shared together. “One evening, after playing together all day, we watched hundreds of butterflies emerging from their cocoons all at once. Gabu told me a legend that if you watch that happen with someone, the two of you are destined to be friends forever. And, as it turned out, he was right.”

“You two are really good friends, then?” Kuro-san said.

Mei wasn’t quite sure what the other goat meant by that. Of course they were good friends. “Yeah, we are,” Mei said with a smile.

“So...you’re going to spent the rest of your lives in the Emerald Forest? Living together?”

“We don’t exactly have anywhere else to go. Gabu doesn’t, at least.”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake!” Mii shouted from behind them. Mei and Kuro-san turned to look at her. “Mei, what Kuro-san is trying to ask you is are you and Gabu boyfriends?”

Mei stared at Mii in surprise, and turned to look at Kuro-san. Kuro-san smiled sheepishly, not denying what Mii had said.

“Oh, um, yes, we are,” Mei said. “We’re in love with each other.”

“I knew it!” Mii exclaimed. “I mean, it was obvious from the start that you were sneaking off to visit a secret boyfriend; I just never would have guessed it was a wolf. For a while, I was convinced he was visiting you, Kuro-san.”

Both Mei and Kuro-san looked at each other and blushed. Mii laughed.

“How did you know that Mei-san was visiting a boyfriend?” Kuro-san asked tentatively.

“I’ve known that Mei was interested in males since before he did,” Mii said with a grin. Kuro-san seemed slightly alarmed at this. Mei himself had no idea that Mii had known, not that he’d made any effort to conceal the fact.

They travelled for a few more minutes in awkward silence.

“So, Mei-san, have you and Gabu-san ever...you know?” Kuro-san asked.

“I’m just going to get some berries,” Mii said suddenly, and left the two of them alone. Somehow, that made it even more awkward.

“No, we haven’t,” Mei said quietly. “I’m not even sure how that would work.”

“It can be done. I’m not sure if it’s different with wolves, but...would you like to know?”

Mei thought about it for a second, glanced off to the side where Mii had gone, and slowly nodded his head.

Kuro-san walked over and whispered something in his ear.

By the time the three friends arrived at the start of the path around the mountain, four days into their journey, the moon had shrunk from a narrow crescent to an almost invisible sliver in the sky. From then on, night after night, the moon gradually grew wider. Seven days later, when they were halfway around the mountain, the moon was a half circle. Another four days, and the moon was almost full. Now, with about three days to go until they arrived in the Emerald Forest, Mei was getting worried.

“Is everything all right, Mei?” Mii asked.

“I really wanted to get back in time to see the full moon with Gabu,” Mei said, “but it looks like we might be too late.”

“The full moon is special to you two, isn’t it?” Kuro-san said.

“Yes, it is. Gabu has always found a lot of comfort in watching the moonrise on a full moon’s night. Just before everyone found out about us, he took me to a cave in Poro Poro Hill with a perfect view of the sky. He wanted us to watch the moonrise together that night, but the fog meant that we couldn’t see a thing. The day we were reunited was the first time we got to see the full moon together, and we haven’t had another chance to since.”

“We could take a shortcut by climbing a short way up the mountain and down again,” Mii suggested.

“Too dangerous,” Mei said. “If there’s another avalanche, we could all be killed.”

“Then let’s hurry, and hopefully we’ll get there in time,” Kuro-san said.

Chapter 22: The Third Full Moon

Day 56: The Third Full Moon

The sun had only just set by the time Mei, Mii and Kuro-san arrived on the far side of the mountain, only a short distance from the Emerald Forest and the wolf Mei couldn’t wait to see again. Even though they were exhausted from the long day spent travelling, Mei was desperate to get to Moonrise Hill, which was on the far side of the forest, in time to see the moonrise with Gabu.

The forest was eerily quiet as they hurried through it. Not a single creature was visible in the trees or on the ground. Mei started to get the sense that something was wrong. As they drew closer to the meadow that separated Moonrise Hill from the forest itself, a haunting melody drifted through the trees. Quiet at first, it grew louder the closer they got. It seemed to come from all around them.

“Is that singing?” Mii asked.

When they finally emerged from the trees and entered the meadow, they discovered the source of the melody.

Hundreds of animals were clustered around the hill, all facing towards it. It looked like only the animals closest to the centre were singing, but the unsettling sound carried all the way to the edge of the forest. Mei couldn’t spot anyone he knew from this distance.

At the top of the hill, they could see two lupine figures, neither of them resembling Gabu. When they drew close enough to see the figures more clearly, Mei was astounded to realise that he recognised one of them. It was Jess, the wolf from Gara Gara Mountain whom Gabu and Mei had helped to escape all those months ago. Mei had never expected to see Jess again, let alone standing at the top of Mei’s hill with another wolf he didn’t recognise and no sign of Gabu anywhere around.

Even more astounding was when the two wolves started singing.

Inside His Den (title song from The Phantom of the Opera)

G: At last a tasty goat
G: My feast begins
M: I don’t know who you are
M: But you’re not him
G: So long I’ve searched for one
G: And suddenly then
G: My favourite food is goat meat and it’s here
G: Inside my den

M: Gabu, remember me
M: I was your friend
M: Please do not let this be
M: How our song ends
G: If you don’t shut up now
G: You’ll silence when
G: I eat your flesh and nibble on your bones
G: Inside my den

M: There was a time when I
M: Would’ve let you eat
M: My body if you pleased
G: You’re naught but meat
Both: I have searched long for you
Both: Here in this glen
M: But now, it seems like everything is wrong
G: Inside my den

M: He’s there, the phantom of my best friend
Choir: Beware the phantom of your best friend

M: In all my fantasies
M: I never knew
M: Things would turn out like this
M: Eaten by you
Both: But on this full moon’s night
Both: My/your life will end
M: And I wish I’d never been your friend
G: Inside my den

M: He’s there, the phantom of my best friend

M: Do you remember how we met?
G: I told you we’ve never met
M: I will tell you how we met

M: One
M: Stormy
M: Night

G (spoken): One...stormy...?

M: One stormy night

G (spoken): I...remember

Mei was utterly bewildered by what he had just witnessed: Jess and the other wolf singing a reenactment of how he and Gabu had been reunited to an audience of hundreds of animals. Mei had realised what the song was about even before Jess had called the other wolf “Gabu” in the second verse.

Leaving Mii and Kuro-san behind, Mei ran into the crowd in search of Gabu, whom he soon found near the base of the hill, looking up at the other two wolves as if in anticipation.

“Gabu!” Mei shouted.

The wolf almost sprang into the air in surprise. “Mei?” he said, and ran over to hug him. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” Mei asked incredulously. “What are you and everyone else doing here?”

“Mei, I’m really glad you’re back, and I promise I’ll explain everything in a moment. But for now, please just watch what’s going on up there.”

Mei followed Gabu’s gaze to the top of the hill, where Jess and the other wolf were now sitting together, facing away from them, in much the same way that Gabu and Mei had done that night two full moons ago.

A moment later, the choir of animals started singing again, everyone joining in with the lyrics this time.

Watch the Moonrise (by MFE)

It can be unexpected
How a friendship can start
Who knew we could share so much
From worlds far apart

In the midst of one stormy night
We found comfort together
And continued to find it every day
In all kinds of weather

And we watched the moonrise
On the hilltop, you and I
And we watched the moonrise
With the starlight in our eyes

And I don’t know how to say just how much
You mean to me in every way
But I know that I can always trust in you

We both have our differences
And sometimes we fight
But we always can sort things out
And make everything right

No one ever is perfect
But that’s all right with me
Because when we are together
Life goes by perfectly

And we watched the moonrise
On the hilltop, you and I
And we watched the moonrise
With the starlight in our eyes

And I don’t know how to say
Just how much you make my day
But I know that I can always count on you

Nothing lasts forever
Everything must end
But I’ll always remember you
My wonderful friend

When the time comes to part our ways
For whatever reason
I will think of you every day
From season to season

And I’ll watch the moonrise
With my memories of you
And I’ll watch the moonrise
‘Til the day that I’m gone too

And I’ll try not to cry
When you’re not here by my side
But I know that I will always love you

They timed the song perfectly. As they sang, the full moon crept up from behind the hill and lit up the night sky. When the song ended, everyone cheered and shouted their congratulations.

Mei hugged Gabu tightly. “That was beautiful.”

“I’m so glad you liked it,” Gabu said. “How much of the play did you see?”

“We arrived at the start of the song before this one,” Mei said.

“This was only the rehearsal. We wanted to—wait, did you say ‘we?’”

“I had no idea wolves could sing like that,” Kuro-san said as he and Mii approached. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Gabu-san. My name is Kuro. This is Mii-san.”

Mii looked a little apprehensive about being this close to a wolf. Kuro-san looked as confident and unperturbed as he always did.

“Kuro? Mii-san?” Gabu said, apparently not understanding what was going on.

“My friends Kuro and Mii-sa—Kuro-san and Mii—wanted to meet you, so they came all the way here from Para Para Fields with me,” Mei said delightedly.

“Really? I’m so glad to meet you,” Gabu said. “Mei has told me so much about you.”

“Likewise,” Kuro-san said with a charming smile. “Who are the other two wolves? Mei-san told us you were the only wolf in the forest.”

“Oh, right. I haven’t told you.” Gabu turned and called up the hill, “Jess, Gon, Mei and his friends are here!”

Gon? Mei thought. But he was...

Jess and the other wolf came bounding down the hill towards them. Even Kuro-san shrank back at the sight of the unknown wolves running towards them.

“I asked Toto and Riri to go looking for Jess,” Gabu explained. “And guess who they found with him!”

“You must be Mei,” Gon said. “You have my gratitude for helping Jess to escape when he was in your territory. If not for your kindness, he would not be here today.”

Gabu laughed. “I’ve told you, it was no trouble.”

“Gon? Is that really you?” Mei asked. “Jess told us you fell off a cliff.”

“I did,” Gon said. “By the time I woke up, Jess and most of the pack were gone. With my injured leg, I dared not stay at Gara Gara Mountain long enough for anyone to find me, so I went off on my own to recover from my wounds. When I returned, weeks later, I found out that Jess had been banished, and so I set out looking for him.”

“What about your pack’s leader?” Mei asked.

“Oh, him?” Gon said with a bark-like laugh. Jess looked at him proudly. “He wasn’t so pleased to see me alive. I challenged him again, to a fair fight this time. And unlike last time, I didn’t lose. The pack’s in better claws now; I left someone I trust in charge before I went looking for Jess.”

“After you and Gabu helped me escape,” Jess said, “I went wandering from forest to forest. While I valued my freedom, being on my own for so long was making me depressed. I would spend days at a time doing nothing but hunting and sleeping. When Gon found me, I was convinced he was a ghost, or that my mind was playing tricks on me. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I was when I found out he was really alive.”

“That’s incredible,” Mei said. “I’m so happy for you. As it happens, Gabu and I went through something very similar only a couple of months ago.”

Gon laughed. “We know. Didn’t you hear the song we just sang about it?”

Somehow, Mei had forgotten about that. “Oh, right, of course.”

“Speaking of the play,” Gabu said, “there are a few people I have to go and speak to now, starting with Takkan. He wrote most of the songs, except that last one. Anyway, I’ll be back soon.”

“We should be going too,” Jess said. “It’s been a pleasure seeing you again, Mei. See you on Theatre Day.”

Mei wasn’t sure what “Theatre Day” was, but he said goodbye to the three wolves. He felt a little overwhelmed at everything that was going on, so he was relieved when Gabu returned a short while later, accompanied by Takkan.

“Welcome home, Mei,” Takkan said. “What did you think of the songs?”

“I only saw the last two,” Mei said. “They were...emotional. I really liked them.”

“Just wait until you hear the whole thing. Didn’t I tell you that I’d have a whole musical written out before you knew it?”

“I didn’t think you were serious, much less that I’d come back to find the entire forest in the middle of performing it,” Mei said with a laugh.

“You’ve got Gabu to thank for that. He’s the one who got everyone together and organised the practice sessions. He even wrote a whole song all by himself.”

Gabu smiled bashfully. “You helped with that a little bit.”

“I can’t wait,” Mei said. “Are you doing it again next full moon?”

Takkan looked questioningly at Gabu.

“If you’d like,” Gabu said. “Do you want to get some rest now, Mei? We can talk more in the morning.”

“That sounds nice,” Mei said with a yawn. “We’ve been travelling all day.”

Gabu looked to Mii and Kuro-san. “Do you two want to sleep in our cave tonight? There’s plenty of room.”

“No thanks,” Kuro-san said. “We’ll find somewhere to sleep in the forest. We’ll be sure not to disturb you,” he said with a wink to Mei.

When everyone had dispersed, Gabu and Mei retired to their cave. Although there was still so much to talk about, Mei was too tired to do anything but sleep.

Curled up next to Gabu, the memory of that last song kept replaying in his head. Because when we are together...life goes by perfectly. Mei smiled contentedly. Only Gabu could have written a song that so perfectly captured everything they felt for each other. But I know that I will always love you.

Notes:

If you’re not familiar with Jess from the television series, read his story in Appendix 3.

Chapter 23: First Day Back

-- Part 2 --

Day 57: First Day Back

As Mei found out the following morning, a few things had changed while he’d been away, Jess and Gon’s arrival being one such example.

“With you gone, I was feeling lonely all the time,” Gabu had told him. “There were plenty of other animals who were willing to spend time with me, but it wasn’t the same as being with you. I realised that what I was missing was someone who really understood me, like you do. The only other people I’ve felt like that with are other wolves, but obviously I couldn’t go back to my pack. It’s not as if they understand me anyway.

“Eventually, I remembered Jess, and I started to wonder what had happened to him. He was so understanding when he found out about us, after he tried to eat you, that is. I asked Toto and Riri to search the nearby forests to see if anyone had heard of a lone wolf with scars on his body. It took them a few weeks, but they eventually found him and Gon in a forest not far north of here.

“I couldn’t believe it when I found out that Gon was still alive, and Jess had been reunited with him. It’s just like what happened with us! I invited both of them to visit the Emerald Forest, so long as they only hunted in the forest east of here—that’s where they’re staying. Everyone was quite anxious at first about them being here, but everything was fine once they got to know them.”

The other big change was to the structure of the meetings. Everyone in the group had wanted different things out of them, so they eventually decided to split the group up into several smaller groups, each focused on one thing and meeting on separate days. Takkan ran two of these groups: the theatre group and the philosophy group.

The theatre group was currently working on the musical, which they called One Stormy Night, and had been working on it for many weeks now. Gabu was originally going to play himself, but they couldn’t find anyone to play Mei. When Jess and Gon arrived, it had been Gabu’s idea for them to take over the two leading roles.

When they planned the rehearsal for the full moon’s night, no one had considered the possibility that Mei might be hurrying back to see the full moon with Gabu. Gabu had wanted to keep the entire musical secret from Mei until the first full moon after he got back, when they would unveil it as a surprise for him. It was a nice thought, but Mei doubted Gabu would have succeeded in keeping it a secret from him for long, not when the whole forest knew about it.

Gabu didn’t know much about what happened in Takkan’s philosophy group, since he didn’t go to that one. Of their close friends, only Greta, Darrel and Leo attended that group regularly.

The other major group was run by Tanya, the hedgehog, and was called “Anything Day.” As the name suggested, Anything Day could consist of absolutely anything the group members felt like doing. The most common activities included games, discussions, telling stories, mourning lost friends, or just spending the day relaxing together. It was the most popular group by far, and almost everyone attended it.

Those three main groups were arranged over a repeating, five-day period, which went: Theatre Day, Philosophy Day, a free day, Anything Day, followed by another free day before it looped back to Theatre Day. Most of the time, no groups met up on free days. The only exceptions were Greta’s “Forest Affairs” meetings and Gabu’s Story Telling Day, which took place less often and always on one of the two free days.

Forest Affairs was what Greta had originally intended the meetings to be: a chance for everyone in the forest (who was interested enough to come) to discuss important issues. Greta only called these meetings when something came up that required everyone’s attention, like Jess and Gon’s arrival or organising yesterday’s rehearsal of One Stormy Night.

Gabu held a Story Telling Day every so often, whenever a new group of animals wanted to hear Gabu and Mei’s story for themselves. Gabu, so he claimed, had become quite good at telling the story by himself, although he was looking forward to doing it with Mei again.

Today, Gabu told Mei, was the second of the two free days, which meant tomorrow would be Theatre Day.

“So,” Gabu said when he’d finished explaining everything to Mei, “what do you want to do today?”

“We should probably go and see how Mii and Kuro-san are settling in,” Mei said.

“Oh, right. I forgot your friends were visiting. There was so much going on last night that I barely got a chance to talk to them.”

“They’ve been looking forward to meeting you properly. That’s why they came here.”

“They came all this way just to see me? You must have said some really good things about me,” Gabu said.

“Everything about you is good, Gabu.” Mei knew that was an overstatement, and he could see from Gabu’s face that he knew it too, but they weren’t going to start arguing about it now.

They made their way across the meadow and into the forest. To Mei’s surprise, the squirrels and birds in the trees did not shy away from the wolf walking so close to them like he was accustomed to. On the contrary, they chittered excitedly and called their friends over to see the goat and the wolf walking together through the forest. A few animals even called out Gabu and Mei’s names. Whenever this happened, Gabu would turn and smile at whoever had called out, but didn’t stop to talk.

“When did we get this famous?” Mei asked.

“Hmm?” Gabu was distracted smiling to one of his admirers. “Oh, everyone in the forest knows about us now. Did you see how many people there were at the play last night? And that was only the rehearsal.”

“How do they know you’re not here to hunt? Is it just because I’m with you?”

“I’ve only been hunting at night ever since you left on your trip. It’s actually easier for everyone that way, since they know if they see me during the day that I won’t hurt them.”

“Don’t you get tired during the day if you’ve been out hunting all night?”

“Sometimes, but it’s worth it to not have to worry about people running away from me when I’m trying to talk to them.”

As they walked, the sounds of small animals recognising and chattering excitedly about them followed them everywhere they went. They searched the forest for Mii and Kuro-san for several more minutes, but couldn’t find them.

“Where did they say they were sleeping, again?” Gabu asked.

“I don’t think they told us,” Mei said. “We could find Greta. She usually knows where everyone is.”

Gabu grinned conspiratorially. “I’ve got a better idea. Watch this.” He looked up at the crowd of birds and squirrels gathered in the trees above their heads. “Excuse me, we’re looking for the two other goats who arrived in the forest last night. If anyone finds them, can you ask them to come and talk to us here?”

Immediately, about half of the animals scampered or flew off in all directions to do as Gabu had asked.

“Okay, now you’re showing off,” Mei said.

“Maybe a little bit,” Gabu said, and both of them giggled.

It wasn’t long before Mii came running through the trees towards them, Kuro-san following close behind her. She slowed down when she saw Gabu, but pressed forward regardless.

“Mei, what’s going on?” she asked frantically. “A squirrel told us you wanted to talk to us urgently. What happened?”

“Oh,” Gabu said ashamedly and looked up into the trees. “I didn’t say it was urgent.” The squirrels and birds mostly ignored him, more focused on the two newcomers.

“Sorry about that,” Mei said to the two of them. “Gabu was showing off how popular he is now. We just wanted to ask how your first night in the Emerald Forest has been.”

“No need to apologise,” Kuro-san said. “I’m glad everything’s all right. Our first night in the forest was lovely. A very kind deer called Greta-sama showed us around and made sure we were comfortable.”

“Greta-sama?” Gabu said confusedly.

“Oh, that’s just something goats from my herd do to show respect when saying someone’s name. ‘-Sama’ is a suffix we use for respected elders. There’s also ‘-san’, ‘-kun’ and ‘-chan’, depending on your relationship with the person.”

“Oh, so that’s why you’re ‘Kuro-san,’” Gabu said.

Kuro-san smiled awkwardly. “You don’t have to call me that if you don’t want to. ‘Kuro’ is fine.”

Gabu looked questioningly at Mei, clearly unsure how to respond to this politely.

“I like ‘Kuro-san,’” Mii said. “It has a nice ring to it.”

“Thank you, Mii-san,” Kuro-san said. “Would you like me to call you ‘Gabu-san?’” he asked the wolf.

“Just ‘Gabu’ is fine,” Gabu said.

There was a long silence after that. Not a tense one, thankfully, but still awkward with no one knowing what to say.

“So, Gabu, you and Mei are boyfriends, huh?” Mii said.

“That’s right. I love him more than anything else in the world,” Gabu said. He licked Mei’s face affectionately.

“I love you too, Gabu,” Mei said. He pushed his face into the wolf’s chest, enjoying his warmth. When he looked back at the other two goats, Kuro-san was looking away, as if it would have been impolite for him to watch. Mei wasn’t quite sure what to make of this.

“I’m sorry I doubted that at first,” Mii said. “I mean, it was clear from the start that Mei loved you, the way he defended his friendship with you in front of the entire herd, but I didn’t believe that a wolf could love a goat as anything other than food.”

“That’s the way everyone reacts at first,” Gabu said. “Was it hearing our story that changed your mind?”

“No, actually, it was before then. When I saw the two of you jumping into that river together—which was an incredibly stupid thing to do, by the way—I realised I’d been wrong. If you’d really wanted to eat Mei, you’d have done it then. Instead, you risked your life to be with him. If I’d known at the time that you’d survived the waterfall, I would’ve made the other goats change their minds about you and take you back right away.”

Mei laughed at the idea of Mii telling the entire herd what to do. If anyone could have persuaded them to give Gabu a chance, it would be her.

“I’m really glad Mei had friends like you growing up,” Gabu said. “I doubt anyone from my pack wishes I was back with them.”

That reminded Mei that he still hadn’t told Gabu about meeting Boro while visiting Para Para Fields. He would tell him about that later, he decided.

“At least you’ve been able to make friends here,” Kuro-san said. “Everyone I’ve met in the Emerald Forest seems especially friendly to newcomers.”

“Not everyone was so accepting at first,” Mei said. “When I told my friends I was here with a wolf, Toto and Riri were the only ones who supported us from the beginning. They were the sparrows who carried messages between us. Actually,” he said to Gabu, “I don’t think I’ve seen Toto and Riri at all since I got back. Were they in the audience last night?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Gabu said. “Riri laid a clutch of eggs a few days ago. It won’t be long before they hatch, and then they’ll be parents. They’re spending most of their time at the nest until then.”

“That’s amazing,” Mei said. “Toto and Riri were like a mother and father to Gabu and me when we first arrived,” he said to the others. “I’m sure they’ll be great parents once they have children of their own to look after.”

“Do you think they’d mind us visiting their nest?” Mii asked. “I’d love to see them again.”

“That’s a great idea. I’ll take you to them,” Gabu said.

Gabu led them through the forest to a sturdy-looking spruce tree beside the river. Before Mei had even noticed the nest situated high overhead in the branches, he heard a delighted chirp and Riri flew down to greet them. He could just make out Toto peering out of the nest, equally pleased to see them but clearly not willing to abandon his position guarding the eggs.

“Mei, you’re back! And your friends are here too,” Riri exclaimed.

“We arrived last night,” Mei said with a smile. “Congratulations on the eggs. I was just telling Mii and Kuro-san what amazing parents you two will be.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Riri-san,” Kuro-san said with a bow.

“Thank you so much,” Riri said. “Tell me about your trip.”

They spent about an hour talking and catching up on news. Toto, who could hear what was going on from up in the nest, called down from time to time to join in with the conversation.

When Riri excused herself to go and forage for berries and nuts—this was the only exercise she and Toto got while not keeping the eggs warm—Mii offered to help find food for them. The three goats and the wolf returned to the nest a short while later carrying a leaf-full of berries each, which the sparrows thanked them for profusely.

“We won’t be able to join in any group activities until the eggs hatch,” Riri said.

“And until the chicks are able to fend for themselves,” Toto added.

“But please come and visit us as often as you like. Goodness knows we need the entertainment.”

Gabu and Mei said goodbye to Kuro-san and Mii not long after leaving the sparrows to their meal, heading back to Moonrise Hill to spend the rest of the day relaxing.

As they were lying in the grass at the base of the hill, Mei told Gabu about his encounter with Boro, including, as Boro had told him, that Bari had also died in the avalanche, and Lala was now leading what remained of the pack. Gabu listened to all of this without saying much, other than that he was glad Boro was safe. Mei could only imagine how conflicted Gabu must feel about the deaths of Giro and Bari, two wolves Gabu had looked up to all his life, but who had tried to kill him and Mei shortly before they themselves died.

Feeling guilty for bringing Gabu’s mood down after an otherwise enjoyable day, Mei decided to take his mind off it. “What day is it tomorrow, again?” he asked, already knowing the answer from this morning.

“Hmm? Oh, tomorrow is Theatre Day. Takkan runs it.” As Mei had hoped, Gabu brightened up at this. “You’re going to love Theatre Day, Mei. There’s singing and dancing and all sorts of fun to be had.”

Mei smiled. “I can’t wait.”

Notes:

The repeating cycle of days is inspired by a similar concept in Beyond the Storm. If you're liking this fanfic so far, I definitely recommend giving it a read.

Chapter 24: Theatre Day

Day 58: Theatre Day

Mei awoke early the next morning to find that Gabu was missing, which greatly alarmed him until he remembered that the wolf had taken to hunting at night during his absence. Trusting that Gabu would return soon, Mei closed his eyes. Sure enough, when he opened them again, he found Gabu asleep next to him and the sun considerably higher in the sky than it had been what felt like a moment ago.

Since Gabu was now fed for the day and showed no sign of wanting to get up any time soon, Mei took the opportunity to get some food for himself. He left the cave and began grazing on the soft grass that covered the hill. It had been a while since Mei had taken the time to fully enjoy his food with nothing else to distract him. He spent a good few hours eating one bite at a time, chewing it fully and then swallowing it.

He was interrupted some time after midday by the sound of fluttering wings and a small body landing a short distance behind him. He turned to see a woodpecker he didn’t recognise looking up at him.

“You must be Mei,” the woodpecker said tersely. “Takkan wants to know where Gabu is. He’s late for the practice session.”

“Oh, I forgot that was today. Gabu must have overslept. Tell Takkan we’ll be there in a moment.”

The woodpecker nodded and flew back towards the forest.

Mei ran back up the hill and woke Gabu up.

“Good morning, Mei. Did you have a nice night?” the wolf said as he awoke.

“It’s afternoon, silly!” Mei said with a laugh. “Come on, we’re late for Musical Day.”

“Theatre Day?” Gabu peered out of the cave to check the time. “You’re right, they’ll already have started by now. We’d better get going.”

Gabu led Mei to a spot on the riverbank where a large group of animals was already assembled. As it happened, they weren’t far from Toto and Riri’s nest, although not close enough for the sparrows to join in.

The first people Mei recognised were Jess and Gon, who were perched on a rocky ledge overlooking the slow-moving river. Most of the animals assembled were on the far side of the river from Gabu and Mei, on the same side as Jess and Gon. A handful were on the near side, including Takkan, Sagi, Janice and Frank.

The fox called out to Gabu and Mei as they approached. “Good afternoon, you two. Gabu, I hear you overslept again.”

“Sorry, Takkan,” Gabu said cheerfully. “It won’t happen again.”

“Hello, Mei,” Janice said. “Welcome back. Are you joining the theatre group?”

“If you’ve got a place for me, I’d love to,” Mei replied.

“Having your creative input in addition to Gabu’s wouldn’t be amiss,” Takkan said. “It adds authenticity.”

“Takkan won’t let us play side characters,” Gabu explained. “He says it would confuse the audience.”

“I’ll just follow Gabu’s lead for today,” Mei said.

“Excellent,” Takkan said. “Now, we’re about to start practising the scene where you two, played by the gorgeous Jess and Gon, of course, decide to run away and jump into the river together.”

“Prepare to get wet!” Sagi called to the two leading wolves.

“Prepare to get splashed!” Gon called back.

“Actors and choir members into position,” Takkan instructed.

“You’re going to love this song,” Gabu whispered to Mei. Takkan shushed him.

“Start from ‘There’s something I need to tell you,’” Takkan said. “When you’re ready.”

“‘Gabu, there’s something I need to tell you,’” Jess said. Everyone went silent, completely focused on the two wolves. “‘The other goats told me that the only way I’d be allowed to see you again is if I found out from you everything the wolves were planning.’”

Gon laughed darkly. “‘That’s a coincidence. The wolves told me to do the same thing to you. But now that we’re together, I could never dream of betraying you.’”

“‘Neither could I, but what option does that leave us?’”

In the background, the choir of animals arranged behind the two wolves began to sing in wordless harmony. After a short pause, the wolves began to sing.

I’ll Run Away With You (“All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera)

Gabu:
Now that they have found us
It seems we must decide
Stay here, home but without you
Or leave here and start anew

Mei:
Why must they come between us
How dare they cloud our light
Why stay, if I’m without you
With those who only doubt you?

Say we leave this place and go together
Leave behind the clouds and rainy days
May we find ourselves a place we call home
Anywhere is home if I’m with you
I’ll run away with...

Gabu:
I could be your shelter
You could be my light
I’d be never without you
And I would never doubt you

All I want is freedom
To love whom I do love
And you, always beside me
To sing to me so kindly

Say we leave this place and go together
Leave behind the clouds and rainy days
May we find ourselves a place we call home
Anywhere is home if I’m with you
Mei, I’ll run away with...

Both:
Say we leave this place and go together
Leave behind the clouds and rainy days
May we find ourselves a place we call home
Mei : Anywhere is home
Gabu : If I’m with you
Gabu/Mei, I’ll run away with you

Whatever comes our way, I’ll be with you
Come with me, I’ll run away with you

As the choir faded, Jess and Gon looked down into the river.

Jess turned to Gon. “‘Promise you’ll live so we can meet again, Gabu.’”

“‘I promise, Mei.’”

In unison, they took three steps back and, with one final nod to each other, they ran and leapt into the water. Unlike the fast-moving river that Gabu and Mei had themselves jumped into, this river wasn’t strong enough to carry the wolves along with it, so they had to paddle downstream to create the same effect.

Takkan ended the scene there and set about giving praise and criticism as he saw fit. Mei wasn’t paying much attention.

“Are you all right, Mei?” Gabu asked after a moment.

Mei had been staring at the same spot for several seconds without moving. He turned and looked to Gabu with tear-filled eyes. “I’m fine. It’s just...how many songs are there? In the play, I mean.”

“About seventeen, I think. Why?”

“Are they all as good as that one, and the ones I heard the other night?”

Gabu thought about that for a second. “Hmm, no. There’s one song where I—Gon, I mean—sing about trying not to eat you when we first met. That one isn’t exactly the best. You just happened to see some particularly good ones.”

“What’s this I hear?” Takkan said indignantly. “‘Pleasure to Eat You’ is a masterpiece and I won’t hear another word said on the matter.”

Mei, who had been on the verge of weeping only a moment ago, now laughed uncontrollably both at Takkan’s indignation and the ridiculous song title.

Takkan shushed Mei. Apparently, they were lining up to rehearse the scene again from the start. Mei leaned into Gabu’s side and watched on, this time paying more attention to the artful choreography than to the song itself.

From the way Jess and Gon looked at each other while they sang, it was clear their love for each other was no act. Even as they called each other ‘Mei’ and ‘Gabu’, Mei was convinced they truly meant every word they sang.

“That was a lot better,” Takkan said, “but some of you in the choir still need to learn the chord progression; I’m hearing too many wrong notes. Split into pairs and go over your parts together. If neither of you can remember them, come and find me.”

When Jess and Gon had shaken themselves dry from their second jump into the water, Mei leapt over the river at a point where it was narrow and walked up to them.

“You two are amazing singers,” Mei said.

“Thank you,” Jess said, “but it’s the choir that really makes the song sound good. You wouldn’t want to listen for long if it was just us singing alone. Our neighbours in the eastern forest could tell you as much.”

“We’ve had complaints,” Gon added.

“Do you only visit the Emerald Forest on Theatre Days?” Mei asked.

“More or less,” Gon said. “It’s a long way to come for an informal visit.”

“Tell me about it,” Mei said. “Gabu and I went there once, back when everyone was still worried about Gabu being here in the forest. Greta insisted that he go there to hunt until they’d decided what to do about him.”

“And you went with him?” Jess asked.

“I wanted to experience him hunting for myself. It didn’t go all that well in the end.” Mei remembered the heated discussion they’d had that had almost turned into an argument. “How do you two feel about this whole arrangement? It must be difficult being around so many animals you’re not allowed to hunt.”

“It was confusing at first, but I think we’ve grown accustomed to it,” Jess said. “It must have taken quite some work to convince the entire forest that wolves can be trusted, and I would hate for us to ruin that for everyone. As for all that stuff about whether eating meat is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, I don’t pretend to understand Gabu’s perspective on that. I would certainly think twice about eating an animal I was friends with, of course, but an animal I didn’t know? There’s nothing wrong with doing what’s natural.”

Takkan trotted up to them at that moment, presumably having crossed the river while Mei wasn’t looking. “Actually, there can be plenty wrong with doing what’s natural,” the fox said. “Some felines actively torment their prey before killing them, just for fun. You two should come to the philosophy group one of these days. I did a lecture on the relationship between nature and morality only last week.”

“While we appreciate the offer,” Gon said, “I think we have enough on our plate right now without having to worry about the injustice of our own existence.”

Takkan shrugged. “Suit yourselves.”

After the fox had hopped nimbly back across the river, he called out, “Everyone to your places. We’re going over the scene again in five minutes.”

“I’d better let you get back to work,” Mei said.

“Thank you for the kind words,” Jess said.

Takkan made everyone perform the scene about eight times in total. To Jess and Gon’s relief, he let them end the scene without jumping into the river every time. Mei couldn’t discern much difference between one attempt and the next, but Takkan seemed satisfied with whatever progress they were making.

Unlike Takkan, Gabu didn’t do much criticising, but praised everything from the way Jess and Gon delivered their lines to the choir members’ timekeeping. Occasionally, he would make suggestions, like having Jess and Gon look towards the mountain whenever they sang about finding a new home. The actors took these suggestions seriously, and many of them stuck.

Everyone was exhausted by the time Takkan finally announced they had finished. “Nice work,” he said. “Next time, I want to go over ‘Goats and Wolves’ again, so make sure you all know the words.”

“Goats and Wolves,” Gabu told Mei, was the most complicated song in the entire play; almost everyone had a part in it, and both Frank and Greta had lengthy solos.

After saying goodbye to everyone, Jess and Gon set off back to the eastern forest at a run, so as to get there before nightfall. Gabu and Mei went back to Moonrise Hill to watch the sunset together.

“That was fun,” Mei said as they sat atop the hill, gazing into the twilight sky. “Tomorrow is Philosophy Day, right?”

“That’s right. Are you going to go to that?”

“I want to try everything at least once. And besides, that first lesson Takkan gave us was sort of interesting, right?”

“His lessons are a lot more abstract now,” Gabu said. “I liked it better when it was simple problems where we had to decide what to do. I could understand that.”

“Abstract might be all right. I’ll have to see for myself.”

Chapter 25: Philosophy Day

Day 59: Philosophy Day

The next day, at the appropriate time, Mei made his way to the clearing where Takkan’s philosophy group was scheduled to meet. Gabu opted to stay home that day, but wished Mei luck as he set off.

In the clearing, Mei found Greta, Darrel, Leo and Kuro-san, alongside about six other animals Mei didn’t know. Everyone except Kuro-san was talking idly in pairs or small groups, presumably waiting for Takkan to arrive.

Kuro-san stood aside from the others, watching them with idle curiosity but not seeming to want to join in their conversations. He perked up when he saw Mei arrive. “Hello, Mei-san. Are you here for the philosophy group?”

“That’s right,” Mei said. “I’ve only heard Takkan talk about philosophy once, unless you count the time he and I talked through Gabu’s situation alone together. The ‘Gabu Problem’, he called it. But the one lesson I did hear him give was pretty interesting, so I thought I’d come and see what the group is like. How about you?”

“Greta-sama recommended the philosophy group to me. She and the other deer seem to enjoy it quite a bit.”

At that moment, Takkan arrived, announcing his presence with a call of “Good afternoon, philosophers!”

Everyone ended their conversations. A few called back, “Good afternoon, Takkan,” in unison.

Takkan hopped onto a rock on the edge of the clearing and sat down. Everyone moved into a semicircle around him. The fox surveyed the group and spotted Mei and Kuro-san. “It looks like we’ve got some new students.”

“Good afternoon, Takkan-sensei,” Kuro-san said. Mei wasn’t familiar with that particular suffix. “My name is Kuro. We met briefly a few nights ago, but I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’d be honoured if you would allow me to join your group.”

“Oh, I like this one,” Takkan said, almost too softly for Mei to hear. “It’s an honour to have you. You too, Mei. Now, last time, we talked about how one cannot derive normative claims from nature. Today, I thought we could further explore where normativity does and does not come from.”

Mei understood most of those words. “What does normativity mean?” he asked.

Takkan sighed. “You should really know these things.” For some reason, he emphasised the word “should,” even though it made the sentence sound a little unnatural.

A few people in the group, including Darrel and Leo, chuckled half-heartedly. Their laughter wasn’t unkind, although Mei took it that way.

“I’ve been away all this time. How could I possibly know—”

“He’s making a joke, Mei,” Leo hastened to explain. “‘You should really know these things’ is an example of a normative claim. It’s a statement about how the world should be, as opposed to how it is. Most often, normativity refers to how we should act, since that’s the part of the world that we have control over.”

“Oh,” Mei said. He still didn’t think Takkan’s joke was very funny, but he was glad to have received an answer to his question.

“Thank you, Leo,” Takkan said. “That’s one Virtue Point for you.”

“Yes!” Leo exclaimed quietly. “That’s nineteen now.”

“One Takkan Point to anyone who can explain what Leo did right,” Takkan said.

A squirrel Mei didn’t know spoke up. “It was an unselfish act that distributed good to other people proportionate to their need.”

“Well done, Linda. And who can tell me what I did wrong when I responded to Mei?”

Greta answered, “Your words misled Mei in a way that caused him distress for no reason other than your own amusement.”

“That’s right,” Takkan said. Seeing Mei’s confusion, he explained, “Takkan Points are what you get when you demonstrate an understanding of moral behaviour. You get Virtue Points when you exhibit moral behaviour, regardless of whether you understand why it was moral. That’s not a part of any moral theory, by the way; it’s just something I made up to motivate the students.”

“I believe that’s one hundred and nine Takkan Points I have now,” Greta said.

“If you say so, Greta,” Takkan said flippantly. “Now, on with the lesson. As we concluded last time, neither the universe nor the animals existing within it have a purpose. That is, there is no wrong way to exist that fails to achieve some ultimate purpose of life. Therefore, existence itself is not normative. Still, we as philosophers like to believe that true normative claims can and do exist. ‘You should not kill someone for no reason,’ for example, is a normative claim that we can all intuitively agree with. If we suppose, for the moment, that normative truths do not exist, or cannot be objectively justified, then nothing we say carries any actual weight. I can spend hours explaining why certain types of behaviour can be grouped into a category called ‘immoral’, but I can’t convince you to care about whether your behaviour does or does not fall into that category. The question, therefore, is not ‘What is moral?’ but ‘Why should I be moral?’”

“Because being moral is good, and you should always do what is good,” Greta said.

“The trouble with that argument,” Takkan said, “is it shifts the question of normativity from the word ‘moral’ to the word ‘good’. Why must I always do what is good?”

Linda, the squirrel, answered, “Because to say that you should do what is good is to say that you should respect the lives of other animals, and creating a society in which we respect each other means that everyone in that society can thrive as much as possible. It’s good for everyone if everyone is good.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Takkan said. “Your argument is that if I do what is good for other people, other people will do what is good for me and so I benefit. You might also be suggesting that even if I didn’t benefit from my own goodness, I should be good regardless because that benefits other people?”

“That’s right,” Linda said.

“As a rational fox, I will, of course, do what is in my own self-interest and be good to others if it means they will be good to me. However, if I find myself in a situation where doing good would be ultimately harmful to myself, to a greater degree than I might benefit from the reciprocal goodness of others, I am left only with the unfounded claim that I have an obligation to do what is right even if it does not benefit me. Even the first point, while it does explain why I am likely to do good in practice, does not obligate me to do so. Why should I do what is in my own self-interest?”

“Perhaps,” Darrel said tentatively, “you could rely on the fact that as a rational fox, the ends you choose to pursue are yours to determine. When you will an end, you must also will the means to that end. To do otherwise would be self-contradictory. The means to any end that you have chosen to pursue must certainly involve you yourself taking action to achieve that end. If you act against your own self-interest, therefore, you are undermining your ability to pursue your chosen ends, which is irrational. You may then ask, ‘Why must I be rational?’ to which the answer is, ‘Because it is your nature.’”

“As good an answer as any I could come up with,” Takkan said. “One Takkan Point for you, Darrel. It’s not a perfect solution, of course. If I were to pick holes in it, I would complain that either my own rational nature is non-normative, in which case it is impossible for me to fail to be rational, or my rational nature is normative, which contradicts our earlier conclusion that nature, including our own nature, is non-normative.”

Mei, who had been struggling to follow the discussion up until this point, was now completely lost. To his surprise, when he looked beside him at Kuro-san, the other goat did not look even slightly confused. In fact, Kuro-san was smiling unconcernedly at everything Takkan had to say.

Takkan continued the lesson for about an hour, discussing various competing theories for why things matter and eventually concluding that perhaps they don’t. Over the course of the lesson, Mei found that he understood what Takkan was talking about less and less frequently. He wasn’t sure whether this was because the content of the lesson was becoming increasingly complex, or because his failures to understand were piling up into an inescapable mound that no number of questions or clarifications could ever free him from.

He even started to get a little annoyed at how Kuro-san seemed to understand everything perfectly, despite having even less experience with philosophy than Mei himself did. Kuro-san never said anything, nor did he do so much as nod in agreement, but he kept smiling contentedly throughout the whole lesson.

When the lesson had finished and Takkan had said goodbye to everyone, Mei walked with Kuro-san back to Moonrise Hill.

“That was quite something, wasn’t it?” Kuro-san said as they walked.

“I’ll say. To be honest, though, I barely understood anything that Takkan was saying.”

“Oh, I didn’t understand any of it. But it’s truly marvellous to see him talking so animatedly about something he cares so much about.”

“Huh.” Mei didn’t know what to think of that. He was quite worn out from thinking about things.

As they drew nearer the hill and the wolf that waited inside, Kuro-san seemed not to want to go any further. “Thank you for joining me today. See you later, Mei-san!”

“Bye, Kuro-san,” Mei said, and walked up the hill and into the cave.

Gabu was lying there, not doing anything. He looked up when Mei came in. “Hello, Mei. How was Philosophy Day?”

“Hello, Gabu. I’m not sure if anything matters anymore,” Mei said as cheerfully as he could manage.

Gabu nodded gravely. “That’s the philosophy group, all right. I’m told it isn’t so bad once you really understand it, but...”

“Being a month and a half behind everyone else makes that difficult.”

Gabu hugged Mei. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m fine. I’m not really worried about whether stuff matters. No matter what philosophy says, you’ll always matter to me, Gabu. It’s just been a long day, that’s all.”

Gabu tightened his hold on Mei. They stayed like that for about a minute, until Gabu asked, “Do you want to go and visit Jess and Gon tomorrow?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

Notes:

For further philosophical reading along the lines of this chapter, see Korsgaard's The Sources of Normativity. Korsgaard's other work Fellow Creatures: Our Obligations to the Other Animals also has much to say on the issue of predation, albeit explored only from a human perspective.

Chapter 26: Visiting Friends

Day 60: Visiting Friends

Gabu and Mei left early the next day to arrive at the eastern forest in good time. Mei couldn’t help but remember the last time he and Gabu had made this trip and the awkward silence of their journey back. This time would be different; they were just going to visit friends, after all.

“What exactly happened at the philosophy group yesterday?” Gabu asked as they walked.

“Takkan was teaching us about something called normativity. It’s...it’s got something to do with the word ‘should’. As in, ‘You should be nice to people.’ That would be normative. But something descriptive like ‘You are always nice to people’ doesn’t count as normative because there’s no ‘should’ in there.”

“That doesn’t sound so complicated,” Gabu said.

“The complicated bit was that Takkan wanted us to prove that certain things are actually normative. The idea is that if something isn’t normative, you have no reason or obligation to do it, so you need to prove that something is normative if you want other people to take it seriously.”

“What kind of things?”

“Well, one of the first things he wanted us to prove was that we have a reason to look after our own wellbeing, that we’d be making a mistake if we suddenly decided to starve ourselves for no good reason.” Mei regretted the example as soon as he said it; he couldn’t help but imagine Gabu stubbornly refusing to eat any meat and suffering the consequences of that decision. He carried on talking regardless. “It’s the sort of thing that most people would take for granted, but Takkan wanted a convincing argument about why that’s the case. Darrel got close enough to an answer that Takkan praised him for it, but he wasn’t completely satisfied even with that. By the time they started talking about other kinds of obligation, like treating other people nicely, I couldn’t really follow any of the discussion.”

“It sounds to me like you understand the basics, at least. That’s more than I would have managed. Do you think you would understand more if you went back next time?”

“They’ll probably move on to talking about something else next time, but maybe.” The previous night, Mei had been sure he didn’t want to go back next Philosophy Day, but he was starting to reconsider.

Gabu, as if reading Mei’s mind, said, “You shouldn’t go if you don’t want to, but it might be worth giving it another try, just to be sure. For Takkan and the others, I’m pretty sure philosophy is just something they enjoy thinking and talking about, but you really care about this stuff. It actually matters to you. To us, I mean.”

“I’ll give it one or two more tries,” Mei decided. “Thanks, Gabu.”

They walked for a few more minutes in silence.

“You know,” Mei said, “I think Takkan missed the point of what he was talking about.”

“Hmm?”

“Everyone was so preoccupied with using logic and arguments to prove that we should care about stuff, but those things aren’t the reason we actually care about things. If I were to show you a flawless argument that proves you shouldn’t care about whether or not you eat meat, what would you do?”

“I would still care,” Gabu said. “That isn’t something I can just choose not to do.”

“Exactly,” Mei said. “We don’t care about things because of reasons; we have reasons because we care about things. And since you can’t convince people to care about things using logic, you’ve got to treat caring as a starting point and build from that, taking into consideration the things each individual person cares about.”

“What things do you care about?” Gabu asked.

“Aside from the obvious answers like you, my friends and my family...” Mei thought for a while, “...I care about treating people kindly and fairly, and not making things harder for them for no good reason. That should be my starting point for deciding how I should act in any given scenario. For instance, when I think about Takkan’s rolling boulder problem, treating people fairly would mean not basing my decision on who the people were—unless they were someone I care more about than being fair, I suppose. Treating people kindly...that means I should be kind to as many people as possible while still being fair. So the best decision for me, given the things I care about, would be to redirect the boulder. But another person, who cares about different things to me, might end up with a different answer. Takkan was right about that much, at least: If no one can agree on what the objectively correct things to care about are, then there probably isn’t a single right or wrong answer.”

It was only when Mei stopped talking that he noticed Gabu was smiling at him adoringly. “I’m so, so proud of you, Mei,” Gabu said. “But please, explain all of that more slowly so I can understand it.”

Mei laughed and started his explanation from the beginning, making sure Gabu understood every part.

As they approached the eastern forest, Mei found himself hesitating instinctively at the knowledge that two wolves lived and hunted within those trees. While Gabu was also a wolf, he was a wolf whom Mei knew and was friends with and who filled his heart with joy—a nonexistent category for most goats—whereas Jess and Gon were still in the default category of “wolf that might eat you.”

Gabu showed no such hesitation. He walked up to the edge of the forest and let out a howl. “Jess! Gon!” A moment later, there came an answering, wordless howl from deep inside the forest. “They’ll be here soon,” Gabu said to Mei.

Mei hadn’t heard Gabu howl to another wolf since before they’d run away together. It was a dominating, imposing sound that carried for miles, much unlike the polite bleat of one goat to another in a field. No species but wolves, except perhaps bears, could ever risk announcing their presence so brashly for fear of attracting predators. In the case of wolves, of course, there were no other predators that would dare attack them, a fact that tended to give them an air of careless confidence as they strode through their territory.

In the months they’d known each other, Gabu had tried to subdue his more wolfish instincts when he was around Mei, and that included more than just not eating him. Now, even in the slight roughness that had slipped into Gabu’s voice following his howl, Mei was reminded of just how much more Gabu had in common with Jess and Gon than with him.

“Great,” Mei said. “I can’t wait to see them.”

A few minutes later, the two wolves came rustling through the trees to greet them. The fact that they made no attempt to be quiet reassured Mei, who now felt silly for being so apprehensive earlier.

“I didn’t think we’d be seeing you again so soon,” Jess said. “Not that I’m complaining. What brings you all the way out here?”

“Just a social visit,” Gabu said. “Mei had sort of a rough time at the philosophy group, but he’s feeling better about it now.”

Mei didn’t mind that Gabu was speaking on his behalf, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to recount yesterday’s events again so soon. He decided to change the subject. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. How are you finding the eastern forest?”

“It’s pleasant enough, no shortage of prey,” Gon said. “Quite a few deer, but it seems wasteful to kill something so large when it’s just the two of us eating.”

Gabu moaned longingly. “I haven’t had a deer for months for the same reason. That, and I’m friends with half of them.”

Mei felt that he’d rather they’d talked about his experience of Philosophy Day than this. He was just about to change the subject again when he was struck by an idea. Could he suggest such a thing, though? He decided to put his new theory to the test. Was it kind? No less than any alternative; more so, perhaps. Was it fair? Certainly. Having made up his mind, Mei said to Gabu, “You don’t know any of the deer in this forest, do you?”

Gabu looked to Mei in slight surprise. “Um, no. Only Greta, Darrel and Leo.”

“So why don’t the three of you go and hunt one today? If you haven’t eaten already, that is,” he said as an afterthought to Jess and Gon.

“Not a bad idea,” Gon said. “We haven’t eaten since the night before last.”

Gabu blinked at Mei in confusion. “Are you sure you’d be okay with that, Mei?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? After all, if all three of you can fill your stomachs by only eating one animal between you, isn’t that better than each of you killing more than one?”

“When you put it like that, yes, I suppose it is. Much better, in fact,” Gabu said, although he still seemed uncertain.

“Lighten up, Gabu,” Jess said playfully. “Just picture a nice, juicy deer between your jaws. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Gabu’s stomach rumbled in answer. “All right, let’s do it.” He turned to Mei. “I can’t imagine you’ll want to come with us. Will you be okay on your own?”

“Of course,” Mei said. “I’ll stay near the forest edge and forage for berries. I could do with a snack myself.”

As the three wolves slunk into the trees in search of their meal, Mei stood and wondered whether he’d done the right thing.

In the end, Mei didn’t find any berries, but he did encounter a patch of clovers (no four-leafed ones, he was disappointed to find) near where they’d arrived, which he feasted on happily until the wolves returned.

When they did return, the first thing Mei heard was a boisterous exchange as they talked about their successful hunt. “...to teach me that thing you did with your teeth,” Mei could hear Jess or Gon saying in the distance.

“Eh, it’s no big deal,” Gabu replied. “Just something my father taught me.”

“He was a good hunter, then?” one of the other wolves—Mei was pretty sure it was Jess—said.

“By the moon’s claws, no one could beat him,” Gabu said. Both the expression he used and the slight growl in his voice as he talked were completely unfamiliar to Mei. “Although I bet you could’ve given him a run for his meal, Jess, with the way you outflanked that doe.”

“Gabu,” Mei called out to let them know he was there.

Gabu came bounding towards him, Jess and Gon not far behind. “Mei! Thanks for suggesting we go on a hunt today. It went great.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Mei said, which was mostly true.

“Jess and Gon are some of the best hunters I’ve ever seen. They know all these techniques I’ve never even heard of.” The wolfish growl was still there, very slightly.

“We should do this again sometime,” Gon said. “There’s a lot we can learn from each other.”

Jess glanced at the sky. “You two had better be leaving soon if you want to get back before nightfall. Sorry we didn’t get to spend much time with you, Mei.”

“That’s all right,” Mei said. “We’ll come back and visit again when we get the chance.”

“Either that, or we could come to you,” Jess said. “In any case, see you on Theatre Day.”

“See you on Theatre Day,” Mei echoed, and he and Gabu set off.

Gabu didn’t share too many details of the hunt with Mei, which Mei was thankful for, but it was still an enjoyable topic of conversation as they walked back to the Emerald Forest. They arrived just as the sun was setting ahead of them, casting Moonrise Hill in a silhouette surrounded by golden light.

Chapter 27: Anything Day

Day 61: Anything Day

Aside from Theatre Day, today was the day Mei had most been looking forward to—as, it seemed, most people did. Anything Day took place in the meadow between Moonrise Hill and the forest, so Gabu and Mei had only to step outside their cave when it was time for the day’s activities to start.

Almost everyone was there: Greta, Sagi, Darrel and Leo, Janice and Frank, Tanya (who was running Anything Day), Takkan, Kuro-san, and many others whose names Mei had forgotten or had never learned. The only people missing were Toto and Riri, who Mei presumed were too busy with their eggs, and Mii.

Everyone milled about, talking excitedly about what today’s activities might be. Tanya did much the same as everyone else. She was chatting with a pair of mice when Gabu and Mei arrived. The mice’s eyes widened when they saw Gabu and Mei approach—not with fear, Mei realised, but with wonder.

Tanya looked behind her and saw them. “Oh! Hello, Mei. I heard you were back, but I haven’t had a chance to ask how your trip went. How did it go?”

“Really good!” Mei said. “Everyone I met was really supportive once they took the time to listen. How have you been?”

“I’ve been all the better for having met you two. Being in charge of Anything Day has been an absolute delight, and none of it would be possible if not for you. Speaking of which,” Tanya looked around, “I think we’re just about ready to start.” She made a loud cheeping sound which got everyone’s attention. “Gather ‘round, everyone!”

The crowd arranged themselves into a circle around her, grouped loosely by species but with plenty of exceptions. Gabu and Mei fell back into the circle to avoid being at the centre of attention, as did the two mice.

“Does anyone have a suggestion for today’s activity?” Tanya asked.

A few people shouted out suggestions, many of them games Mei wasn’t familiar with. The suggestion that was met with the most enthusiasm was that they should tell stories, so that’s what they decided on. Tanya offered to start.

“This is a story I used to tell my younger sister before she died,” Tanya said. “It’s sort of a myth about how life started; most hedgehogs don’t believe it literally anymore.”

Tanya’s Story

Long ago, before there existed Animals, Plants, Rivers and Mountains, there was only Earth and Sky.

Lonely Earth said unto Sky, “I am lonely. Shine your radiance upon me, that I might become Mother Earth.”

Unknowable Sky, obeying Earth’s request, shone their radiance upon Earth, that she might become Mother Earth. Alas, while Sky’s radiance drew forth seedlings, the gestative precursor to Life, it also burned and destroyed them.

Crestfallen Earth said unto Sky, “Shine your radiance upon me softly, that you might nurture our children without destroying them.”

Obedient Sky, obeying Earth’s request, shone their radiance softly, that they might nurture the children of Earth without destroying them. Alas, Sky’s soft radiance did not light Fire, the spark of Life, and no seedlings grew.

Motherly Earth said unto Sky, “If you care for me and the dream of what our children might become, split yourself in twain, that one part might spark Life and the other part may cradle it in gentle Darkness.”

Parental Sky, obeying Earth’s request, split themselves into Day and Night. Countless times did Day and Night take turns, warming Earth by Day and soothing her by Night.

One Day, a seedling sprouted from the Earth, that it might bask in Day’s radiance. Only when the seedling had received Fire, the spark of Life, did Night take over from Day. Night cradled the seedling in gentle Darkness, granting it quiet reflection on how it might take form, and this reflection conferred Wisdom.

The three caring parents, Day, Night and Mother Earth, nurtured the seedling until it became Life. The first form Life took was Plants, spreading over their Mother Earth like a warm blanket, hugging and thanking her for their existence.

Proud Mother Earth said unto Plants, “I care for you, my children. Thank you for being Life. Whatever it is you wish, tell it me, that I might grant it.”

Wise Plants said unto their Mother Earth, “Mother Earth, we wish for Life to be special, and for that, it must be fleeting. Help us to appreciate the gift of our existence.”

Mother Earth, saddened but proud, obeyed Plants’ request. She called upon Day and Night, those who had created Life, to now create Death. Day and Night, saddened but understanding, obeyed Mother Earth’s request. From that Day forward, all Life would eventually end in Death. This fact they called Time. Shackled to Day and Night, Time crept ever onward, bringing Death to Life, as was Life’s request.

Mortal Plants, knowing that Life was finite, made the most of every Day and Night. Every tree and shrub and blade of grass knew that those they cared for would soon be gone, and so they treasured every moment spent together. This fact they called Love. They did not resent Death, since Love, uniquely amongst the primordial concepts, must by its very nature approve of itself and that which makes it possible. Thus, Plants Loved Life and Death equally.

Sorrowful Mother Earth looked upon her children and wept. She could not bear to witness her children accepting Death as easily as they accepted Life. For Life to have Meaning, she reasoned, it must Love itself above all else.

Cautious Plants said unto Mother Earth, “Mother Earth, refrain from creating Life that fights Death, for fighting that which is inevitable can only bring Pain.”

Unyielding Mother Earth paid no heed. From herself, she created a new form of Life, nurtured not by Day and Night, but by self-Love. This second form of Life became Animals. Mother Earth created Rivers, from which they might drink, and Mountains, that she might encircle them in her arms and keep them safe.

Self-Loving Animals feared Death above all else. In their efforts to avoid it, they learned to run and hide and build shelters. Every waking moment was spent preserving Life, as it is to this Day. The Plants were proven right, in that the futility of fighting Death brought Animals Pain, but so too was Mother Earth. As she had hoped, Animals experienced not only Pain, but also Pleasure, and the search for Pleasure gave their lives Meaning.

Both Plants and Animals, when contemplating the other, thought themselves the better off. “The grass is always greener,” said the grass, “for its contentment with what it has. What need have we of happiness?” “Why settle for a Life unfulfilled,” replied the grasshopper, “when you can live in search of happiness? What need have we of contentment?”

Weary Mother Earth, now satisfied with her creations, at last laid down to rest.

When Tanya finished telling her story, everyone bowed their heads in silent thanks, followed by a short discussion on the meaning of the story.

A few more animals took turns after Tanya to tell their own short stories, with genres including adventure, mystery, romance and horror. Each was met with the same respectful silence, and the occasional group discussion on the themes and characters of the story.

Unlike the other two groups Mei had seen, which had a definite ending after which everyone left, people drifted away from the group gradually until only a few were left. Eventually, only Tanya, Takkan, Kuro-san and a few others remained, in addition to Gabu and Mei.

The discussion on the last story morphed into a conversation on storytelling in general, a topic that Takkan was happy to talk about at length until Tanya officially declared Anything Day over and everyone began to depart.

“That was really fun,” Mei told Tanya. “I can see why this is everyone’s favourite group.”

“I’m glad you liked it. What do you think of the other groups?”

“Theatre Day was a lot of fun as well; I’m really touched that our story means so much to people that they’re putting all that work into the play. I’m still getting used to Philosophy Day, but I think I might learn to like it if I keep going enough times.” Takkan had left by this point, so Mei wasn’t worried about the fox overhearing. “Today has been much more relaxing than either of them, though. I think it might be my favourite too.”

Tanya smiled. “That’s nice to hear. I’ll look forward to seeing you again next time.”

It wasn’t quite dark yet, so when Tanya had gone, Gabu and Mei laid down on the grass at the foot of the hill and watched the sunset together.

“Gabu,” Mei said after a while, “what does ‘by the moon’s claws’ mean? I’d never heard you say that until yesterday.”

Gabu looked confused for a moment. “Oh, right, I must have said that when I was with Jess and Gon.” He looked almost ashamed of having done so. “I don’t really know what it means, now that I think about it. It’s just a thing some of the wolves in my pack used to say. I don’t think it’s very polite; I’m not sure why I said it.”

“I don’t mind,” Mei said, in case that’s what Gabu was worried about. Indeed, that did seem to reassure him. “It’s just that you seem to act a little differently when you’re around the other wolves. More...wolfish, I guess. I just wanted to make sure you’re not going out of your way to be more goat-like for my sake.”

Gabu was silent for a while. “I suppose I do do that from time to time. I know you’ll like me no matter how I talk and act, but I started doing it, trying to be more polite, before I knew that. This was back when I was worried you’d stop wanting to see me because I’m a wolf. And I guess I’ve never had a reason to stop doing it, so I kept going.”

“Do you want to stop doing it now?” Mei asked.

He gave that due consideration. “No, not really. I think I like myself better the way I act now. It’s not that I’m pretending to be someone different; I’ve just found myself changing slightly since I met you, and I’m okay with that. Being around other wolves makes me go back to old habits, I suppose.”

Mei smiled. “So long as you’re happy, that’s fine.” He shuffled closer to Gabu and licked the wolf’s face.

Gabu licked him back. “Hey, maybe you could try being more wolf-like once in a while, just for fun?”

Mei grinned mischievously. “Oh, you want to play that game again, do you?” He made a low growl, shifted his legs beneath him and threw himself into Gabu’s side. They ended up rolling together in a way that reminded Mei he had yet to put Kuro-san’s advice into practice. Another time, perhaps.

“Meeeeh,” Gabu bleated. “Please, someone help me!”

It was at that moment that Mei happened to look up and see Greta staring at them, eyes wide, from a short distance away. “Am I interrupting something?” she asked.

Gabu, noticing Greta’s presence a moment after Mei did, gave a bark of alarm and rolled back onto his feet. “Hello, Greta. We were just...playing.”

“I could see that. I was thinking of holding a Story Telling Day tomorrow, if you two would be interested.”

“Didn’t we just do that today?” Mei asked.

“She means our story,” Gabu explained.

“Oh, right.”

“Indeed,” Greta said. “Many of the animals who saw you two today haven’t heard it yet, or wanted to hear it again from your perspective, Mei.”

“I’d be happy to help tell our story to anyone who wants to hear it,” Mei said. “I suppose there’s a little more to it now than last time I told it, what with everything that’s been going on since we first arrived here.”

“It has been an honour to become a part of it,” Greta said. “I feel certain that people will be telling your tale for generations to come.”

Mei let that sink in.

“Tell anyone who wants to come to meet us here at the usual time,” Gabu said.

Greta nodded and walked back to the forest.

“I still have no idea how she always seems to know what the entire forest is thinking,” Gabu said when Greta had gone.

“Everyone probably knows by now to go to her if they want something.”

“They could just as easily come to us.”

“And then we’d never get any rest.” Mei looked around to make sure they were really alone this time. “Do you want to go back to the game? I could chase you around the hill.”

“I’m sure a hungry wolf like you would rather eat a tasty squirrel than a goat like me. Look,” Gabu pointed behind Mei, “there’s one over there.” By the time Mei had looked back around, Gabu was already halfway around the hill.

“Come back here!” Mei growled and set off in pursuit of his prey.

Chapter 28: Story Telling Day

Day 62: Story Telling Day

Gabu spent some time the following morning explaining to Mei what Story Telling Day usually involved. He would meet with a small group of animals, usually not more than five or six, and tell the story of how the two of them had met and ended up in the Emerald Forest, finishing by answering any questions his audience might have.

A little after midday, Mei saw Greta emerge from the forest accompanied by two adult rabbits and one child. She led them to a spot not far from the base of Moonrise Hill, said a few words to them, and then returned to the forest.

Mei wanted to leave the cave to greet them, but Gabu insisted they wait until everyone had arrived. “If we introduce ourselves now, we’ll have to do it again every time someone else comes,” he explained.

The three rabbits spent the next few minutes talking amongst themselves. The child kept glancing up at the cave hopefully, not paying much attention to their parents’ conversation. At one point, the child spotted Mei peering out of the cave at them, and their face lit up. Mei smiled warmly at them and retreated back into the cave.

Greta led three more groups of animals to join the waiting rabbits. The first group was a family of about eight rats, who talked pleasantly with the rabbits when Greta had gone. Mei thought he recognised some of them from Anything Day yesterday. The second group was a pair of squirrels, and the third was a trio of shrews.

After the third group had arrived, Greta looked up at the cave and nodded, which Gabu took as their cue to go down and meet them. There were sixteen animals in total, a lot more than the five or six Gabu had told Mei to expect.

Gabu and Mei walked side by side down the hill towards the large group of waiting animals. Greta, who had stayed with the group this time, said, “May I introduce Gabu and—”

“Mei!” The rabbit child shot out of the crowd, deftly avoiding their parents’ attempts to pull them back, and ran up to Mei, hopping excitedly on the spot. “You’re Mei, aren’t you? I’ve waited soooo long to meet you. Gabu told me everything about you, how you stood up to your herd and ran away with him to live here together. You’re so cool!”

Mei didn’t know what to say. Neither did the child’s parents, who stood at the edge of the crowd with resigned, apologetic expressions. Mei got the impression this wasn’t the first time this had happened.

“Yep, that’s him,” Gabu said cheerfully. “Hello again, Hiyaku.”

The child finally stopped bouncing and settled on the ground, staring up at Mei in adoration. Mei realised they were waiting for him to say something. “Oh, uh, hello, Hiyaku. Thanks so much for your kind words. It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” He gave a smile that he hoped masked his state of bemusement.

Hiyaku tilted their head. “Are you okay?”

Mei bent down and whispered conspiratorially, “Well, to tell you the truth, I am a little nervous about meeting all these new people.”

“That’s okay,” Hiyaku whispered back. “I get nervous too sometimes. I’ll be right over there in case you get too scared.” The tiny rabbit nuzzled their head against Mei’s leg and hopped back to their parents, where they stood grinning at Mei.

Gabu was stifling a laugh. Mei glared at him. He stopped for a moment, and then erupted in giggles.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Mei, and this is Gabu. The two of us met many months ago, far past the mountain, in an abandoned barn one stormy night.” Mei launched into the story, which he had become quite practised at telling by now. Gabu, true to his word, was even more practised. When he interjected to narrate parts of the story Mei hadn’t witnessed firsthand, he described them in more detail than Mei had ever heard them in. He even did voices for the other wolves, which Mei guessed he had picked up from the theatre group.

On prior occasions, Mei had ended the story with the night the two of them had been reunited under the full moon. A quick glance at Gabu as they reached that part of the story confirmed that the wolf had been doing the same. But he remembered how proud Greta had been to have become an important part of his and Gabu’s lives, and so he kept going.

“With the two of us finally together again,” Mei said, “we began our new life in the Emerald Forest. I had made four new friends in the time we’d been separated: Toto, Riri, Sagi, and Greta.”

All eyes in the crowd shifted to Greta. A few people seemed not to have realised until now that the doe who had brought them here had played an active role in the story they were hearing.

Greta herself looked surprised that Mei had mentioned her by name. Mei tried to signal to her that she could come up and tell her side of the story if she wanted, but she seemed to prefer to let Mei tell it.

“I hadn’t told any of them that Gabu was a wolf,” Mei continued, “only that he was a friend I had become separated from. Now that we had found each other, I couldn’t keep him a secret forever, and I wouldn’t have wanted to even if I could. But how could I tell my friends that Gabu was a wolf without them reacting the same way my herd did? In the end, I told them the story of how Gabu and I met, but I left out the fact that Gabu was a wolf.”

“I think you led us to believe he was a goat from a rival herd,” Greta said from the crowd. It was clear she was still slightly displeased at having been misled, but she could laugh at it now.

“That’s right,” Mei said. “I told them the whole truth right after I finished the story, once they already understood why I acted the way I did. Once everyone had gotten over the surprise and met Gabu for themselves, all six of us became close friends.”

“The group meetings became a regular thing,” Gabu said, “and more and more people started coming. Mei had to leave for a month and a half to visit his family and friends—”

“They apologised for not standing up for me when the rest of my herd wanted to kick me out,” Mei interjected.

“Right,” Gabu said. “And in that time, the group divided up and became something bigger than just the two of us. It’s become a place where all different kinds of animals can come together and be friends, if only for a day at a time. In that way, the Emerald Forest has become the home we dreamed we would find. A place where a wolf and a goat could live together without ever being troubled.”

There was a long, appreciative silence following that, which Greta eventually filled. “Does anyone have any questions?”

Hiyaku hopped up at once. “I do! What are your favourite days?”

“That’s an easy one,” Mei said. “Anything Day.”

“I prefer Theatre Day myself,” Gabu said.

The young rabbit was still bouncing. Did they ever tire out? “Who are your best friends aside from each other?”

“That would be Mii. She’s a goat I grew up with from my herd. She’s here visiting the Emerald Forest right now, actually, along with another friend of mine. What about you, Gabu?”

Gabu thought for a while. “You know, I hate to have to choose between them, but I think Sagi would have to be my favourite person to be around other than Mei. He’s a lot of fun, once you get to know him.”

As Hiyaku opened their mouth to ask another question, their mother interrupted. “Last question now, Hiyaku. No one else has asked any yet.”

“Okay.” Hiyaku stilled in thought for just a moment. “Oh! When are the two of you going to get married?”

Both Gabu and Mei made involuntary noises of surprise. Mei knew that marriage was more common in some placed than in others. Kuro-san’s herd, for instance, always preferred to marry before raising kids. But it wasn’t something that the Sawa Sawa goat herd—or, to Mei’s knowledge, the Baku Baku wolf pack—ever did, so it hadn’t even crossed his mind as an option for him and Gabu.

Marriage was a big commitment. Bigger, perhaps, even than running away together; Mei could always have changed his mind and gone back home, and Gabu could have survived on his own like Jess and Gon had done for a while. They had told each other many times that they’d be together forever, but they’d never made a public, formal promise to that effect.

It wasn’t so much that Mei was fearful of making a commitment to Gabu; it was that he might decide he wanted that and Gabu might decide he didn’t. Worse still, Gabu might go along with it just because that’s what Mei wanted, even if it made him miserable in the future.

Everyone was looking at them. Gabu and Mei turned to look at each other inquisitively. Neither of them wanted to say what they were thinking until they were sure the other was thinking the same. Was marriage something Mei wanted? Did he think it was something Gabu wanted? The only thing Mei was certain of was that here and now, with the pressure of seventeen pairs of eyes staring at them, wasn’t the time to make a decision.

“I think that’s something we need to decide together,” Mei said, never taking his eyes from Gabu’s face.

“I think you’re right,” Gabu said back to him.

The crowd was silent. Even Hiyaku had stopped shuffling. “Any other questions?” Mei asked.

“Marriage?” Mei said the moment they were alone together.

“It’s a big decision, all right.” Gabu lay down on the floor of their cave and invited Mei to curl up with him.

Mei did so. “I haven’t really thought about it until now. Have you?”

“A little bit. I asked Toto and Riri about it while you were away. It’s more of a thing here than it is...” he gestured over the mountain.

Gabu had asked about it; did that mean what Mei thought it meant? “And what do you think of it?” he asked as neutrally as he could.

“I think...” Gabu looked at Mei warmly. “I think I want to be with you for the rest of my life.” Mei’s heart overflowed with joy. Gabu wanted to— “And we don’t need any special ceremonies to prove that to each other.” Gabu smiled as if he’d just said something romantic. Mei’s own smile became fixed, which Gabu noticed immediately. His face fell. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t, if that’s something you want.”

“No. I mean, maybe. I don’t know. I need to think on it some more.” Mei hadn’t been sure, not until Gabu had said those words. Now, he wanted it more than anything. A big, special ceremony to formalise their love for each other would be the perfect start to this new life they were building together. But Mei couldn’t force Gabu into that if it wasn’t something he wanted. This was exactly what he had been afraid of.

“Mei?”

“Promise me something, Gabu. Don’t ask me to marry you, or agree to marry me if I ask you, unless you’re absolutely, completely certain that’s what you want—for yourself, not for me.”

“Of course,” Gabu said with a grin. “Trust me, I already learned that lesson about two months ago. Is that what you were worried about?”

“Maybe a little. The truth is, I really do want to marry you. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do to celebrate our relationship.”

“In that case, it looks like I’m the one who has to think on it some more. Just give me some time.”

“You can have all the time in the world,” Mei said, and leaned into Gabu’s fur as he closed his eyes.

Chapter 29: Goats and Wolves

Day 63: Goats and Wolves

Unlike last time, Gabu and Mei arrived at Theatre Day on time. Today, it was taking place on the edge of the foothills of the mountain. The play, Gabu explained, would move from place to place so that the scenery was different in each scene.

As people arrived, Takkan directed the “wolves” to stand on the rocky foothills, which symbolised Baku Baku Valley, and the “goats” (including Jess, confusingly) to stand in the flat, grassy meadow beyond them. Takkan himself joined the wolves, since he was still playing Giro. Greta and Frank, the only two soloists other than Jess and Gon, would be playing Mei’s grandmother and Bari respectively.

Gabu and Mei were the only ones present today who wouldn’t be singing. They watched from the side, where the audience would be, with the wolves to their left and the goats to their right.

Takkan, perched on the highest rock, directed the performers in a deep, commanding voice. He was already getting into character as the leader of the wolves, Mei surmised. “Gabu and Mei have just admitted their friendship to their pack and herd. Begin in 1, 2, 3, 4.”

The moment Takkan finished counting, the choir began singing the melody, no one singing any lyrics yet. A few seconds later, Greta sang the opening verse.

Goats and Wolves (title song from Rent)

Grandma:
How could you become friends with wolves
When wolves want nothing more
Than to eat us goats, Mei?

Family, friends, your mother too
If not for wolves
They’d be here today

Wolves!

Bari:
I knew you weren’t that bright
And you’re too polite
But I would never expect this from you

No wolf I’ve met would ever forget
The simple fact that
GOATS ARE YOUR FOOD!

Mei: But he’s really a nice guy
Gabu: Well he does have a nice thigh

Goats:
How could you ever be
Why would you ever be
How did you ever be
Friends with wolves?

Those wolves are cheats and liars
If you think he’s your friend
It won’t be long before you’ll be no more use

Given time, he will learn all our secrets
From your needless, heedless
Treacherous truce

Mei: We’ll be together ‘til the end
Gabu: I like him more as a friend

Wolves:
How could you ever be
Why would you ever be
How did you ever be
Friends with goats?

How could you disrespect your pack
When for all these years we’ve had your back
And now you betray

All of nature’s laws you infract
With your weird, confusing, evil act of
Befriending prey

Mei: I won’t rebuff him
Gabu: But I...

Goats/Wolves:
How could you ever be
Why would you ever be
How did you ever be
Friends with wolves/goats?

Mei: The night of the storm we met, two friends in the dark
Gabu: Day after day we met ‘til a bond we had forged
Mei: No truer a friend I’ve ever met
Both: No greater comfort have I found

Mei/Gabu:
I’ll never turn against my friend
No matter what you do
Or what you may say

Our friendship runs too deep
Is too complete
To ever wither and fray

Friends!

How can we exist in a world where
Family, friends have not a care
For what’s in our hearts

All:
How do we all stay together
When the cruel, uncaring hand of fate
Has torn us apart

Wolves:
Any threat to the pack
We all must attack

Goats:
Keep the herd safe and strong
And you won’t go wrong

Goats/Wolves:
When rules they flout
You kick them out

How could you ever be
Why would you ever be
How did you ever be
Goats: Friends with wolves
Wolves: Friends with goats
Friends with those
We naturally oppose
Wolves aren’t friends with goats
You can’t be friends with wolves/goats

The sound of so many animals singing at the same time was overwhelming. As Takkan directed them to repeat the song again and again, they attracted the attention of numerous animals who clustered in the trees near where Gabu and Mei were standing. The animals less adept at climbing trees remained hidden behind them, wanting to avoid the attention of the nearby wolf should his gaze turn their way. The squirrels and birds in the trees were more bold, chattering discontentedly about the noise the performers were making. In a rare quiet moment, Mei distinctly heard the phrase “wolf-lovers” from one loudmouthed squirrel. He did his best to ignore them.

After the fifth repeat, while Takkan was giving out feedback, a woodpecker swooped out from the trees and over Mei’s head, singing in a mocking voice, “You can’t be friends with wolves! You can’t be friends with wolves!” Gabu growled up at them, baring his fangs, but the bird only laughed and flew back to the trees.

“Ignore them,” Gabu said gruffly. “They’re only jealous.” Mei wasn’t sure what the woodpecker and the other animals were feeling, but he was quite certain it wasn’t jealously.

Takkan ended the meeting early. Perhaps he wasn’t used to having to sing along with everyone else so much. Mei was so distracted thinking about the woodpecker—and watching out for more overhead swoops that thankfully did not come—that he didn’t pay much attention to what Takkan said as he dismissed the group. In fact, Mei almost didn’t notice when Jess and Gon walked over to them.

“What did you think, Mei?” Jess asked.

“It was great,” Mei said. “It’s a shame you two didn’t have more lines, though.”

Gon laughed. “We’ve got plenty of lines in other songs. Jess and I were thinking of staying here tonight. If you want, Gabu, you can come with us tomorrow to hunt some more deer.”

“You’re welcome to stay in our cave if you’d like,” Gabu said. “As for the deer...” He looked to Mei. Mei wondered why Gabu thought it necessary to defer to him about what he ate, but not who slept in their cave.

“I’m fine with you going to hunt. I’ll be at Philosophy Day tomorrow anyway.”

Jess and Gon accompanied them back to Moonrise Hill, opting to sleep on the far side of the hill rather than in the cave. Mei got the impression that they didn’t yet trust themselves to sleep in the same cave as a goat, lest they get hungry in the night. They did come into the cave to talk until nightfall, however.

“So, funny story,” Gabu said. “We were talking to some people yesterday, and one of them asked us...” Gabu hesitated, not sure if Mei would be comfortable with him sharing what had happened.

“Asked us if we were planning to get married,” Mei finished for him.

“I see,” Jess said. “And what did you say?”

“We said we hadn’t talked about it, but we were going to,” Mei said. “Talk about it, I mean.”

“It hadn’t even occurred to us until then,” Gabu said. “Have you two thought about it?”

“Thought about it?” Gon said. “We already did it.”

“Really?” Mei said, just as Gabu said, “Huh?”

“Oh, yes,” Jess said, “we’ve been married since long before I met you two. We did it in secret. Most of our pack still doesn’t know, except for family.”

“Why keep it from them?” Gabu asked.

Jess and Gon exchanged a look. “It’s not the done thing. Not in our pack, at least,” Gon said. “‘What’s the point of marrying if you’re not going to have pups,’ they would have said.”

“And worse,” Jess added.

“But you wanted to do it anyway?” Mei asked.

“Of course. Why wouldn’t we?” Gon said. Mei didn’t have an answer for that.

“Do you think we should?” Gabu asked.

“Hmm,” Gon said. “You’ve been together for what, about a year? Most pairs would have done it by now. Of course,” he said with a smirk, “most pairs would have ‘done it’ and had pups running around by now, and you don’t have that problem.” For some reason, he looked at Mei in particular when he said that.

Jess glanced disapprovingly at Gon—at his husband, as Mei should think of him now. “Ignore him. Just do what feels natural, and you won’t regret it.”

“Thanks,” Mei said. “We’re trying to.”

Chapter 30: Deer and Wolves

Day 64: Deer and Wolves

For the second time in as long as Mei could recall, Gabu woke before he did. He and the other two wolves left early the following morning, but not before saying goodbye. “Stay safe,” Mei told them, since he couldn’t quite bring himself to wish them luck.

When Mei went to the clearing where the philosophy group usually met, he again found Kuro-san waiting alone, not joining Greta, Darrel, Leo or any of the other group members in their conversations.

The other goat greeted him as he arrived. “Hello, Mei-san. Tell me, how long have you known Takkan-sensei for?” He talked slightly hurriedly, not bothering with the usual pleasantries Mei would have expected from him.

“Hi, Kuro-san,” Mei said. “Um, Takkan? I met him about two months ago.”

“I was just wondering, since you’ve known him longer than I have, whether you think today would be a good day to—” Whatever Kuro-san was going to say, he didn’t get a chance to. Takkan arrived just then and Kuro-san stopped talking.

“Greetings, my lovely philosophers!” Takkan said as he assumed his position atop the rock.

“Good afternoon, my lovely Takkan,” Leo called back. A few people laughed.

“Has anyone been applying any ethics to their daily lives since we last met?” the fox asked.

“I helped a baby duck who was lost,” someone said.

“Not bad,” Takkan said. “One Virtue Point. Anyone else?”

No one else had anything to say, so Mei said, “I found a way for Gabu, Jess and Gon to get by without taking as many lives as they normally would.”

“Fascinating,” Takkan said. “Come up to the front and tell everyone about it.”

Mei, a little self-conscious, walked to the base of the rock Takkan was standing on and turned to face the much more experienced philosophers (plus Kuro-san) gathered around him. “You see, wolves normally do a lot of their hunting in packs. You track down a group of goats, deer or other large animals, you block off their escape, and you catch a few of them for the entire pack to eat.” The other group members, mostly herbivores, didn’t seem too pleased with the detailed description of how wolves hunted.

“That way,” Mei hastened to explain, “only a few animals have to die and everyone in the pack gets to eat. Gabu, Jess and Gon don’t have a pack, so they’ve had to make do with hunting smaller animals individually. A few days ago, I had the idea for all three of them to team up and hunt larger animals in the eastern forest. That way, only one animal had to die to keep all three of them fed for an entire day.”

There was a long silence following that, eventually broken by Darrel asking tensely, “What kind of large animal did they hunt?”

Mei looked apprehensively at the stag and the other two deer next to him. They were all much larger than Mei himself. “Um, they said they killed a doe.” Greta and Leo both grimaced at that, more than Mei would have expected them to out of mere sympathy for a member of their own species.

Darrel’s face remained fixed. “A doe. In the eastern forest.”

Leo turned to him. “Darrel, honey, it isn’t her. It can’t be.”

“You don’t know that.”

Mei was filled with dread. “There’s something else I should tell you.”

“What?” Darrel said coldly.

“They’re doing it again. Right now.”

As quickly as if a wolf were here now, Darrel turned on the spot and galloped out of the clearing, heading east. Leo gave a brief, pained look to Mei and followed after him. When they had gone, everyone’s eyes returned to Mei.

Mei looked to Greta, the only deer left now, for an explanation.

Greta sighed. “Darrel has a wife in the eastern forest.”

“What?” Mei said. “But I thought he and Leo were...”

“They are, and so is she. I’m not the best person to explain it.”

Mei didn’t understand, but that wasn’t the point right now. “Oh. Oh no. And I sent wolves after her. She might be...” He looked around the crowd, desperate for someone to reassure him, not knowing if he deserved reassurance. Kuro-san refused to meet his gaze. Somehow, that hurt even more.

A vulpine voice sounded from above and behind him. “An ethically sound plan. Well done, Mei. You get one Virtue Point.” Mei turned to stare at Takkan in disbelief. He did not feel virtuous right now. “I will admit, it’s unfortunate that a member of our group may have been adversely affected by your decision, but is that really any worse than someone you’ve never met experiencing the same loss? Does possibly being your friend’s wife make this doe’s life any more valuable than any other person’s wife or husband?”

“This isn’t the time, Takkan,” Mei muttered.

“On the contrary,” the fox said, “what better time to philosophise than when people’s lives are on the line? When else does it actually matter?”

“It’s not as simple as you think it is,” Mei snapped at Takkan. “You haven’t grown up with the constant threat of being eaten, or something happening to your friends or family. You can spend every minute of every day thinking, but you’ll never understand how much we have to lose.”

“Calm down, Mei. Takkan’s right,” Greta said. “On balance, even if what we fear is true, your actions have caused more good than harm. I would have done the same.”

“Good point, Greta,” Takkan said. “As I’ve said many times, utilitarianism is a poor solution to most moral problems, but I believe it may be the right choice in this particular case. Let’s bump your Takkan Points up to one hundred and ten, shall we?”

Most of the other group members didn’t look convinced.

“I...think I should leave for today,” Mei said. No one said anything to stop him. “Greta, if you see Darrel before I do, tell him I’m sorry.” The deer nodded. The entire group remained silent as Mei walked out of the clearing and returned to Moonrise Hill.

When Gabu returned several hours later, Mei was relieved to hear that today’s hunt had been a failure, not a single deer to be found. He told Gabu what had happened, and Gabu was suitably horrified to learn that he might have killed someone a friend of his cared about.

Mei didn’t get much sleep that night, which was how he knew that Gabu stayed with him the entire time, even though the wolf’s stomach rumbled occasionally due to him going slightly too long without food.

Chapter 31: Company

Day 65: Company

Gabu left early again the next morning to return to the eastern forest. He wanted to let Jess and Gon know what had happened, and that he wouldn’t be hunting deer with them again. He also desperately needed to find food, and since he’d committed to not hunting in the Emerald Forest during the daytime anymore, the eastern forest was his only option. When he was gone, Mei lay forlornly on the floor of the cave, torn between regretting and being unable to regret the decisions that had led to this point.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been lying there when Mii and Sagi arrived. “Oh no,” he heard the other goat say when she saw him. “This doesn’t look good.”

“Hopping hells!” Sagi whispered loudly. “I didn’t think he’d be this bad.”

Mei slowly got to his feet, embarrassed that he’d made his friends worry. “Mii, Sagi. How are you two today?”

“We’re fine,” Sagi said. “What about you? Where’s the wolf?”

“He’s gone to the eastern forest to try and fix my mistake.”

“Kuro-san told me what happened at the philosophy group,” Mii said.

“And Takkan told me,” Sagi added.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Mii said. She had always been the person Mei confided in most before he met Gabu. He nodded. “After you left the group, the others kept talking about whether you did the right thing or not. Takkan and Greta were adamant that you had, but pretty much everyone else disagreed.”

Somehow, that comforted Mei a little. Part of what had distressed him so much was feeling like he was the only one (aside from Darrel and Leo) who thought he had done something wrong. “Someone called Linda made a really convincing argument, I’m told,” Mii continued, “that you were wrong to meddle in who lives and who dies.”

“What’s more,” Sagi said, “she convinced Takkan, and that fox doesn’t change his mind easily. He really lives by all this stuff, you know? Every time he’s hunting, he’s thinking, ‘What would happen if I killed this mouse? Would I cause less suffering if I ate the mother or the kid?’ And that was before your wolf came along and became his philosophical muse or whatever. I went to see him after the meeting yesterday, and he’s reconsidering all of that. Says he wants to start hunting completely at random, no more discriminating based on age, species, or anything else.”

“What about the rolling bolder problem?” Mei asked.

Sagi laughed. “He mentioned that one, of course he did. Says he’d leave that up to chance too. The only thing he isn’t sure about is whether it should be more likely for the boulder to hit the one person instead of the six, or if it should be an even chance either way.”

Mei didn’t know what to make of that. In addition to possibly causing the death of Darrel’s wife, his actions had indirectly caused Takkan to change the way he hunted—for better or worse, Mei wasn’t sure, but it would certainly affect a lot of lives. He would have to ask Takkan about that, assuming the fox was still willing to speak to him. “I lost my temper with Takkan yesterday. Do you think he’s upset with me?”

“He didn’t say anything about that,” Sagi said.

“Kuro-san did,” Mii said. “He says the only thing Takkan seemed upset about was being proved wrong in front of all his students. What about you, Mei? Are you still upset?”

“Only with myself, but you’ve done a good job of distracting me. Thanks for that.” Mei smiled for the first time since yesterday. “Have either of you heard from Darrel? I’d feel a lot better to learn we were all worrying over nothing.”

“I haven’t seen him,” Mii said, “but I wouldn’t expect to normally.”

“Nor have I,” Sagi said. “We could go and find Greta if you really want to know. She always knows where everyone is, somehow.”

The three of them walked through the forest, talking as they went. The change of scenery improved Mei’s mood substantially. Mii told him a little of what she’d been up to since he last saw her: getting to know people and exploring the forest. She and Sagi had met a few days ago and now counted themselves friends.

When they found Greta, she told them that Darrel and Leo hadn’t returned from the eastern forest yet, which worried Mei. She wanted to talk more about whether Mei had done the right thing, but Mii deftly manoeuvred the conversation around to innocuous topics.

After they’d left Greta, Mei showed Mii the places he’d found with the tastiest grass, and Mii showed him some he hadn’t found. After a nice long meal, Mii and Sagi walked with Mei back to Moonrise Hill.

“Thanks for spending the day with me,” Mei said. “I’m not sure I’d have moved at all otherwise.”

“Not a problem,” Sagi said. “Glad to see you’re feeling better.”

“Will you be at Anything Day tomorrow?” Mei asked Mii. He hadn’t seen her there last time.

“Is that tomorrow? Sure, that sounds like fun.”

“See you two tomorrow, then,” Mei said.

“Oh, one more thing,” Sagi said as they were about to leave. “Takkan said to let you know he’s taking away your Virtue Point, whatever the hell that means.”

Chapter 32: Games

Day 66: Games

Gabu returned late at night when Mei was just starting to fall asleep. His day had been busier than Mei’s, but they both slept soundly until late in the morning.

Mii and Sagi were at Anything Day, as were most people Gabu and Mei knew, but neither Takkan nor Kuro-san were anywhere to be seen. Gabu noticed their absence too. “They’re not avoiding us, are they?” he asked after confirming Mei hadn’t seen them either.

“I didn’t get the impression that either of them had a reason to avoid us,” Mei said. He’d told Gabu about his friends’ visit the previous day. “Although neither of them came to see me themselves.”

When it came time to decide what activity to spend today doing, the most popular option was games. As for what games to play, there was no clear consensus. Athletic games invariably favoured some species over others, while more intellectual games held few people’s attention for long. As such, the group divided up according to what games people wanted to play, with many people moving from one game to another when they wanted a change.

Mei and Gabu started out playing Today I Saw, where everyone would take turns saying “Today I saw,” followed by some random object, and then have to list every object that had been said before. Anyone who forgot an object was out of the game, until the one remaining person was crowned the winner. Mei lasted three turns the first time he played it, and five turns the second time. Gabu kept going out in the first couple of turns.

Next, they joined another group playing Please, Mr Crocodile. Everyone lined up in front of the crocodile (Sagi) and chanted, “Please, Mr Crocodile, may we cross the river? If not, why not? What don’t you eat for dinner?”

Sagi replied, “Mice,” and the three mice in the group scampered past Sagi unhindered and lined up behind him. “As for the rest of you lot...” Everyone else tried to run past Sagi without being “eaten” by him. Gabu had only made it a few steps when Sagi flung himself onto the wolf in one leap.

The game started again with Gabu as the crocodile. Amazingly, almost no one shied away at the thought of a wolf trying to eat them, even if it was only pretend. Mei hoped that Gabu had the sense to avoid the few animals who seemed slightly afraid of him. Predictably, he let the only goat present pass freely, and he blocked a squirrel Mei didn’t know from running past.

After a few more rounds of that, they joined Mii and Greta for a game of Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. Greta explained the rules. “Everyone must walk around and make conversation with as many people as possible. One animal, chosen secretly by me, will be the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Their job is to wink at as many people as possible without anyone guessing who they are. If you’re winked at, talk to another two or three people so that no one can tell who winked at you, and then pretend to die. Anyone still alive can accuse someone of being the wolf in sheep’s clothing. If they get it right, they win. If they’re wrong, they’re out of the game. Understand?” Mei, the only one who didn’t already know how to play, nodded.

Everyone closed their eyes while Greta signalled to the wolf in sheep’s clothing who they were. Mei only knew that it wasn’t him. Then, everyone started walking around and chatting briefly to one another.

“Hello, nice to meet you,” an otter said.

“Lovely weather we’re having,” said a vole.

“Any idea who it is?” Gabu asked with a wink.

“Not a clue,” Mei replied. He fell down dramatically a few seconds later, after saying hello to Mii and the otter again. He kept an eye and an ear open to see what Gabu would do next.

The wolf talked to a few more people without incident, until suddenly the vole dropped down dead not long after talking to him. A few more fatalities followed shortly after.

Mei overheard Mii’s conversation with a shrew. “It’s a lovely day, isn’t it? Have you murdered anyone lately?” Mii asked.

“Why, no!” the shrew protested. “I would never do such a thing.”

“Hmm, that sounds to me like what a wolf in sheep’s clothing would say.” She narrowed her eyes at her. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Alison, and I am definitely not a wolf. You might try looking over there,” she said, pointing at Gabu.

Mii walked up to Gabu. “Good afternoon. Are you a wolf?”

Gabu became slightly flustered. “Uh, no. Definitely not. I’m a goat, just like you.”

“Really? But what a deep voice you have.”

“No deeper than yours,” Gabu said in a high-pitched voice.

“And goodness, what big eyes you have!” Mii was enjoying this far too much. “I bet anyone could see you winking a mile away.”

“I get them from my mother,” Gabu said, still in the high-pitched voice. “Anyway, got to be going.”

“Nice meeting you.” Mii walked back to Alison and said, “No, I’m pretty sure he’s a goat,” before promptly falling over sideways. She and Mei winked at each other harmlessly.

Alison ran over to Greta. “It’s Gabu! The wolf is Gabu!”

Greta declared the game over and Gabu was appointed to choose a new wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Don’t make it so obvious this time,” Mii requested. “If you choose Mei, I’ll know.”

Mei lasted until the end of the next game. This time, it was Greta who noticed that the wolf in sheep’s clothing was killing people in ascending order of size, so she figured out who would die next and paid close attention to who they spoke to. When she’d made her deductions, she called everyone together to dramatically reveal who the wolf was, followed by a brief scuffle in which the wolf (Alison) tried to wink at as many people as she could before they “caught” her.

When all the games were finished and everyone said their goodbyes, Gabu and Mei returned to Moonrise Hill. After all the day’s excitement, Mei had almost forgotten the events of two days prior. Darrel and Leo still hadn’t been seen, even by Greta, but Mei held out hope that the worst hadn’t come to pass. Perhaps the stags were so relieved to find Darrel’s wife alive that they wanted to stay with her for a few days? There was no sense worrying until they knew for sure.

Chapter 33: The Tale of the Lucky Pinecone

Day 67: The Tale of the Lucky Pinecone

Gabu and Mei were woken the following morning by a visit from Takkan. For the first time since Mei had met him, the fox seemed visibly distressed. “I hate to bother you so early in the day, but I wondered if you two would be able to help me with something?”

“Of course,” Mei said, still sleepy. “Is it about the hunting thing?”

“Good heavens, no. It’s just...” Takkan sighed, “...have I ever told you about my lucky pinecone?”

Gabu stretched awake. “Once or twice, perhaps,” he said with a yawn. “Didn’t you tell some long story about how you found it that turned out not to be about the pinecone at all?”

“I do like a good shaggy dog story. I should tell it to you sometime,” he said to Mei. Mei wasn’t awake enough to figure out what that meant. “But regardless, the pinecone does mean a lot to me. You see, I lent it to Sagi a few days ago, and he never returned it to me. I don’t want to seem rude by asking after it, and after all, Mei, you’ve known him longer than I have. Please, could you two find out for me what happened to my lucky pinecone?”

How could they do anything but accept? After Mei had eaten some breakfast, he and Gabu went into the forest to find Sagi.

The Tale of the Lucky Pinecone: Part 1

Takkan’s pinecone? Yeah, he gave it to me about three free days ago. Let me tell you the story...

It was a dark and rainy day. An icy breeze ruffled my fur, and I knew in my whiskers that something terrible was about to happen. With a creeping sense of dread, I hopped to my sister’s burrow. At first glance, everything seemed normal. I walked up to the entrance and peered into the depths. No welcoming voice rang out; no kits—baby rabbits, you know—ran out to greet me, or invite me in out of the rain. The reason: They weren’t there. My sister, her children, vanished. Fearing the worst, I ran to the den of my good friend Takkan, who came at once to investigate.

“Atrocious! Bamboozling!” he cried. “Stolen away in the night! By these heavy tracks, it is transparently obvious to me that a fearsome creature indeed is responsible.” What do you mean? Of course he talks like that! “A bear, Sagi,” he told me. “Your sister and those sweet little nephews and nieces, with their large round eyes and soft ears, have been kitnapped by a bear.”

My heart nearly froze in my chest. I’m not exactly a weakling, but even I’m no match for a bear, or so I thought. “That is fearsome news indeed,” said I. “I must go at once to save my family from their grizzly fate. Will you accompany me?”

“Alas, I cannot,” Takkan said. “But here, take this pinecone. It will confer upon you the necessary fortune to triumph in your endeavour wherein so many others have failed. Now, go! See whether you might avert the cruel hand of fate before—dare I even suggest it?—it is too late.”

Thanking him, I set off at once. Conducting a thorough search of the area around their burrow, my eyes lit upon the same tracks Takkan had seen: great depressions in the mud, tipped with long, sharp claws that could tear even a wolf to shreds. They took me north. With the blazing sun on my back, I began my adventure.

As it turned out, I wasn’t fated to complete my journey alone. Not an hour into my travels, who should I find but Mii, grazing alone in a field of clovers. “Sagi,” she said to me, “what brings you here?”

“A quest, milady. I hunt the fearsome bear that has stolen my sister and her children from me. Such a cruel creature it must be to have snatched them up in the middle of the night and taken them who knows where. And so I venture on, unsure if I’ll ever see them again, or return alive myself.”

“Oh, Sagi, how brave you are to attempt something so dangerous. Of course I will go with you and help in any way I can.” She really said that! Go ask her yourself if you don’t believe me.

So the two of us headed north. The first hurdle we came to was a river, far wider than any you’ve ever seen, with water that roars like a fearsome beast and currents that will suck you under before you’ve had a chance to scream. “How ever will we get across?” Mii cried, clearly distraught.

“Leave it to me.” With a display of cunning even Takkan would be proud of, I spotted a rotted tree decaying by the riverbank. With one well-timed kick, it creaked and splintered and crashed down, forming a makeshift bridge to the other side. But our troubles weren’t over yet. As we mounted the fall’n log, it wobbled and spun like a dying animal. With my rabbit’s reflexes, I easily stayed atop it, but Mii wasn’t so nimble. Down the log she slid, ready to plunge into the freezing darkness of the icy water and be swept away to sea. And that might have been her fate, had I not quickly grabbed her hoof to slow her fall, pulling her with all my might back onto the log. “No need to thank me,” I said as I guided her safely to the other side.

Next, we came to a surly old badger, who stood squarely in our path and refused to budge. His eyes burned with hatred and malice. “If ye wish to pass, thou must answer mine riddle,” the badger said. While I could have sent him flying with one foot tied behind my back, I decided to let Mii deal with this one on her own.

“Tell me, badger,” she said. “What riddle would you have us solve to earn our passage? While I am not even half as gifted in the art of riddling as some of my associates back home, I dare say I could make easy work of any riddle devised by one such as yourself.”

“Thou should think twice before dishonouring me. For thine insult, mine riddle shall be twice as fiendish as that which I would otherwise offer. Answer me this: It doth live in the mouth, and on some days may bite like a tooth whilst on other days it may soothe. Answer rightly, and thou shalt pass unscathed.”

“My word, that is a tough one,” Mii said.

“Doest thou give in?” the badger said, showing his fangs. It was clear that if we failed to satisfy his despicable whims, we would instead satisfy his hunger. “None has ever solved this riddle, and none ever shall. Not even the wily Takkan, fabled to reside in the very forest from which you come, could ever hope to—”

“But I did solve it,” Mii said with a devious smile. “My word. It lives in my mouth, and it has the skill to bite or soothe as I see fit. I could not say the same of your word, of course, as it lacks the skill to do either, and with the way you insist on flinging it from your mouth with reckless abandon, it could not rightly be said to reside there.”

“Curses!” the badger cried. “Go on past. I’m sick of the sight of you.” He stepped aside.

At last, we came to another forest, and therein we found a cave. The bear’s tracks led inside, and a terrible snoring came from within. “Wait here,” I told Mii. “If I never make it out alive, tell my story.” Into the icy darkness I strode. Tap, tap, tap went my feet on the cool stone floor. Louder and louder came the snoring, until finally I was mere inches from the bear. It was only then that I noticed, held fast in the bear’s sleeping arms, the battered and bruised forms of my sister and her children, too terrified to speak. Desperate to free them, I grabbed at the bear’s huge paws and pulled, but I couldn’t move them.

It was at that moment that the bear woke up.

She opened her eyes and saw me. Roooooaaaaaar! “How dare you try to escape my clutches? Were my arms not full of your terrified companions, I would mash you into a paste for your insolence.”

“Are you truly so dull as to mistake one rabbit for another? I did not escape because I was never caught. Furthermore, I demand that you free my sister and her children at once!”

She only laughed. My sister caught my eye, silently begging for me to run, but I would do no such thing. The bear drew close to me, her horrible head mere inches from my own. “Oh, I do admire bravery. Just for that, you will be the first one I eat.”

In that instant, I concocted a plan. “You swear it? That I, Nobody, for that is what I am called, shall be the first to be eaten?”

The huge creature bellowed, “Let it be known: I shall devour Nobody first; I will feast on Nobody’s bones this day.”

“And I, Nobody, will not go free? You swear that too?”

“Why are you so eager for your own demise? No, Nobody will not go free, this or any other day.”

“Fantastic! We’ll all be taking our leave, then.” Even now, the bear failed to understand the cleverness of my trick. She looked at me in utter confusion. I almost pitied her. “You said it yourself. You will devour nobody first, feast on nobody’s bones, and nobody will not go free. Clearly, that leaves us with no other option but to depart at once.”

“You insolent creature,” she snarled. “Fine, then. Take your worthless kin and leave this place.” She released her grasp, and my sister and her children ran to me. As we left that dark and dismal place, she called after us, “Know that I release you from my captivity only out of the kindness of my heart. Spread the word far and wide: Nobody has failed to best the great bear of the northern woods!”

And so concludes my tale. What’s that, the pinecone? Ah, yes. It transpired, as all twenty of us made the long but uneventful journey back to this forest, that I had never asked Mii what she was doing in that field of clovers. “I was looking for a four-leafed clover. I need to find something lucky,” she told me. And so, as a token of my gratitude for the cleverness she displayed in outwitting the badger, I bequeathed the lucky pinecone to her. I had no more need of it.

Gabu and Mei thanked Sagi for his story and went to find Mii.

The Tale of the Lucky Pinecone: Part 2

He told you I said WHAT?

First of all, there was no bear. Sylvia and her kits had gone to visit a friend in another forest. Sagi didn’t know that and thought something terrible had happened to them, so he panicked and asked Takkan to help find their tracks. Foxes are good at that sort of thing, better than wolves, apparently. Takkan told him that the tracks led north and showed him how to follow them, which is when he met me in the clover field on the edge of the forest.

When he told me his sister and her kits had gone missing, I said I’d help. He made it sound quite serious, which I suppose it could have been for all we knew at the time. In any case, I believed him.

We didn’t encounter any surly badgers or deadly rivers either. It was a lovely day and there were no obstacles whatsoever.

After we found Sylvia, it was clear there’d been a misunderstanding. She actually thought it was quite funny that Sagi had worried so much about her. Apparently, she’d told Sagi weeks ago that she’d be visiting her friend today, but he’d forgotten.

I was glad everyone was safe, but I was more than a little annoyed at Sagi for taking up so much of my time when I was supposed to be finding a four-leafed clover for Toto and Riri. He gave me the pinecone and told me it was lucky; I didn’t know it was Takkan’s at the time. Since it was getting late, I gave up on looking for a clover and took the pinecone to the sparrows.

Hmm? Oh, they wanted something lucky for their egg. It was the same day that that horrible incident happened. Wait, you don’t know? Oh... I suppose I’d better tell you, then. It’s not pleasant.

Earlier that day, all five of Toto and Riri’s eggs fell out of the nest. I know, it’s awful. By some miracle, one of them rolled into the river and was swept downstream. They flew after it, but they would’ve drowned if they’d tried to go into the water to get it out.

I happened to be near the river when it happened. They called out to me and I jumped into the water and caught the egg in my mouth. I was scared I was going to swallow it, but somehow I managed to get it safely to the riverbank. It was cracked.

We dried and warmed it as much as we could, but there was no telling whether it was going to hatch. Toto and Riri were distraught, of course. They were desperate to save this one egg, but there wasn’t much else we could do other than wait and see what happened.

That’s why I was looking for a four-leafed clover, and why I gave them the lucky pinecone. They needed all the luck they could get.

Listening to Mii’s story, Mei was ashamed to realise that he hadn’t been to see the sparrows in over a week. He should have been there when they were going through that, like they had been there for him and Gabu. Dreading what they would find, they left Mii and went to Toto and Riri’s nest.

There was a faint rustling sound coming from the nest as they approached. It was too high up for them to see inside. Tentatively, Mei called up to them, “Toto? Riri?”

The rustling stopped and, a moment later, the beautiful grey and pink head of a young sparrow chick peered out at them.

The Tale of the Lucky Pinecone: Part 3

Gabu, Mei, it’s lovely to see you. I’d like you to meet Hikari. Yes, he is, just like his mother. She’s busy feeding him right now. Here, let me come down so we can talk.

Ah, Mii told you about that, did she? No, don’t worry about it; we actually wanted to be left alone after it happened, just until we knew whether Hikari would survive. After he hatched, we were too busy looking after him to think about telling anyone.

You see, it all started about eight days ago. Most of the time, Riri and I make do with berries and seeds. Since meeting you two, we’ve been trying to cut back on eating meat as much as we can; it seems wrong not to. But the chicks would be hatching any day now, and they would need to feed on insects to grow healthy and strong.

I went out to forage for some. I was out of practice, but I eventually found a small cluster of beetles under a rotten log. There was no way I could have known; I only found out afterwards. As it turned out, the mother of those beetles had earned a favour from a finch. She asked the finch to watch over her children and make sure no harm came to them.

What’s that? Why yes, Mei, beetles can talk. They speak in very tiny voices that you have to be close to the ground to hear.

The finch had only been gone a moment. In that time, I had swallowed six of the young beetles he had sworn to protect. By chance, I had left the mother alive. When the finch returned, he was furious, perhaps more at himself than at me, but still furious at me nonetheless. He said I would suffer the same agony that I had inflicted on the beetles. It wasn’t until it was too late that I realised: He meant the ones I had left alive.

The next day, it was Riri’s turn to find food. I was watching the eggs. When I heard an agonised chirp that sounded like my wife’s voice, I flew at once to investigate. It wasn’t her, of course. She and I returned to the nest at the same time...to see the finch pushing the last of our eggs out of the nest.

The first four had shattered on the ground. The last egg, our little Hikari, rolled into the river. It’s only thanks to Mii’s bravery that he survived. When he was safely back in the nest, and when we could do nothing but hope that the crack in his shell wouldn’t be fatal, Mii left to find something lucky.

She returned after a few hours with a pinecone. We thanked her for it, but we’d already given up what little hope we had that the egg would hatch. But perhaps that pinecone truly was lucky, because Hikari was born a healthy little chick just one day later.

Where’s the pinecone now? Ah, a couple of days after Hikari hatched, someone came to us asking for advice about something. It wasn’t the first time they had done so. We offered what advice we could and gave him the pinecone, since we didn’t need it anymore and it sounded like he did.

Oh, I see. And he wants it back? Well, in that case...you should probably ask Kuro-san about it.

Gabu and Mei stayed until Riri had finished feeding Hikari, after which she came down to talk and Toto went back up to watch over him. Eventually, they said goodbye to the three sparrows and went to find Kuro-san.

They found him on the south side of the forest, where he had taken to spending most of his days, and asked him about the pinecone.

The Tale of the Lucky Pinecone: Part 4

I don’t have it anymore. I gave it to Takkan.

“What?” Mei said. “That doesn’t make any sense. It was Takkan who asked us to find out what happened to it after he gave it to Sagi.” Had Kuro-san found out Takkan was looking for it and returned it since this morning?

“Takkan asked you to...? He gave it to Sagi-kun?” Kuro-san looked just as confused as Mei and Gabu felt, and perhaps a little bit hurt.

“He gave it to Sagi days ago,” Gabu said, “before Toto and Riri gave it to you. Can you tell us the whole story?”

Kuro-san looked hesitant. “Well, okay...”

The Tale of the Lucky Pinecone: Part 4 (cont.)

As you know, Mei-san, I met Takkan properly for the first time when I attended his philosophy group. He struck me as a deeply interesting person, passionate about what he believes in and so very knowledgable. He sort of reminds me of you, in a way. I found myself wanting to get to know him better, even though he’s a fox and I’m a goat.

The trouble is, many times when I’ve extended offers of friendship in the past, the other person hasn’t been interested in being friends with me, or they’ll be friends for a while and then stop wanting to see me. Being rejected so many times has made me wary of who I try to become friends with.

I voiced these concerns to Riri-san and Toto-san, who have been a great help in the past with...unrelated matters. They told me that I should let Takkan know how I felt. The worst that could happen is he says no, and that wouldn’t leave me any worse off than I was then. They also gave me a pinecone for luck, which I assumed was a local custom. I had no idea it was Takkan’s. Oh, they didn’t know either? That would make sense, then.

It was a couple of days ago that I finally found the courage to speak to Takkan about it. He was still a little discomforted by the unpleasantness of the day before, but talking to me about it seemed to make him feel better, which I was glad of.

He noticed the pinecone I had with me. I don’t know why he didn’t tell me it had been his to begin with. I gave it to him as a present and asked if he wanted to be friends, and...and then...

At that moment, as if by chance, Takkan himself strode into sight. He was singing a familiar-sounding melody. “...and he now sleeps in my den. Roll me over, lay me down and do it again. Oh, fancy seeing you here. Hello, Gabu, Mei, Kuro-chan.” There was a long pause where no one knew what to say. “So, did you find out how my lucky pinecone ended up back in my possession after five days?”

“We’ve got a pretty clear idea, yes,” Mei said, still dumbfounded.

“Wait,” Gabu said, “you’ve had it this entire time?”

“Ever since Kuro-chan gave it to me.” Mei could hazard a guess at what that suffix meant. “I didn’t accidentally lead you to believe otherwise, did I? What happened to it, out of curiosity?”

“Well, it helped Sagi fight off a bear, it saved the life of Toto and Riri’s chick, and...” Mei looked between Takkan and Kuro-san, “...it restored Kuro-san’s confidence in his ability to make friends.”

Suddenly, Kuro-san started giggling. Despite the mounting realisation that Takkan had engineered (or at least taken advantage of) this whole situation for sheer theatricality, Mei started laughing too. Gabu followed soon after.

Takkan only smiled. “Sounds like a fascinating tale. Adventure, heroics, tragedy, romance. Like I said this morning, I do love a good shaggy dog story.”

Chapter 34: Relationships

Day 68: Relationships

Takkan arrived to the following day’s theatre group meeting accompanied by Kuro-san. The two of them spoke briefly, after which the fox assumed his position at the centre of the growing crowd of animals and Kuro-san went over to speak with Gabu and Mei.

“Hello, Kuro-san,” Gabu said. “What are you doing here?”

“Good afternoon,” Kuro-san said, unperturbed by the bluntness of Gabu’s question. “If it’s all right with you, I’ll be joining the theatre group. Takkan told me all about it last night, and it sounds like fun.”

“That’s excellent,” Mei said. “Is there a particular role you’re going to play?”

Kuro-san nodded. “I’ll be a Sawa Sawa goat. One of your friends, Mei-san. Like Mii-san but...not Mii-san, if that makes sense.” It did not, but Mei understood.

“There are a lot of songs you’ll have to learn,” Gabu said. “And lines, if you have any. You only have about three more Theatre Days to learn them before the full moon.” Mei hadn’t realised there would be so few practice sessions before they’d be performing the full play. Gabu must have been keeping count.

“Takkan says he’ll teach me the songs personally,” Kuro-san said cheerfully. “And I’ll only have lines if one of the other actors isn’t able to be in the play. I think he called that being an ‘understudy.’”

Gabu looked confused. “Why would the other actors not be in the play?”

Kuro-san hesitated.

“In case something happens to them,” Mei tried to explain.

“Like a hungry carnivore who doesn’t share our love for the performing arts,” Takkan said, approaching out of nowhere. “Kuro will just be watching for today, at least to begin with. I thought you two could keep him company.”

Kuro-san smiled when Takkan arrived, but frowned at that last part. “Are you two not going to be acting either?” he asked Gabu and Mei. “I know Jess-san and Gon-san are playing your parts, but...”

“Apparently, having us play other roles would be confusing,” Mei said. “You’ll be the only real goat in the play.”

Gabu was still looking at Takkan. “You made plans for our actors getting eaten?” he asked.

“Of course,” the fox said. “All the prey animals, at least. It’s a miracle none of them have been eaten already.”

“It just seems a little...wrong,” Gabu said. “None of them are replaceable.”

“They’re irreplaceable as people,” Takkan said, “but not as actors. If we want the play to be a success, we need to be pragmatic. And before you complain that their lives are more important than the play—because I could see you were going to say that—planning for them being eaten doesn’t make it any more likely to happen, nor would not making plans be any good to them if it does.”

Kuro-san seemed torn. “I do see what Gabu means, though. Isn’t it tempting fate?”

Takkan gave his usual smile. “Just because you’re tempted by me, darling, doesn’t mean metaphysical concepts are likewise inclined. And anyway, if fate thinks that’s tempting, just wait until it’s seen what you’ve seen.”

Kuro-san smiled back, looking only slightly discomforted by Takkan’s public flirtation. “I wouldn’t blame it if it was,” he said quietly.

Mei had only just started trying to decide whether he had an opinion on Takkan assigning understudies—kind, yes; fair, probably—when the fox announced to everyone present, “We’ll be going over spoken scenes today. Anything involving an actor other than Jess or Gon. Let’s start with Mei sneaking away from the herd to visit Gabu.”

With practised ease, about half of the actors gathered into a convincing impersonation of a herd of goats, while the others stood off to the side. Sagi was still playing Tapu, although no one ever referred to him or most of the other goat characters by name. Officially, according to Takkan, “Any resemblance to real animals is purely coincidental.” Mei was glad of that; it would have been awkward for Mii if she’d had to watch an actor portray her specifically as an impediment to Mei’s happiness.

They started the scene. Sagi, a squirrel and a rat interrogated Jess about where he was sneaking off to. Greta noticed the commotion and insisted that the other goats accompany him for safety.

Jess led them to a bush where Gon was unsubtly hiding, half of his head protruding from between the leaves. Mei knew that, if he wanted to, Gon could make himself completely hidden, but it was better for the audience if they could see his reactions to the outrageous things Sagi was saying about wolves.

Eventually, Gon lost his temper and leapt out of the bush, chasing the unwanted visitors away from him and Jess. Takkan ended the scene there, and they skipped ahead to when Jess met back up with his worried friends, who were sure he’d been eaten.

Kuro-san stood by Gabu and Mei and watched with interest as scene after scene unfolded. He didn’t say anything other than to quietly complement the performances in the few seconds between each scene.

Very occasionally, an actor would forget a line, causing a noticeable span of time where nothing happened. The first time this happened was when the wolves were discussing their plan to hunt goats in Poro Poro Hill. Takkan had extended the song he wrote all those weeks ago to include parts for all of the wolf characters, Gabu explained in a whisper, but they were skipping over that song today to focus on the dialogue, which was somewhat harder to remember on account of not rhyming.

This scene took place just after that song. In it, Gon tried to convince Takkan (playing Giro) to hunt somewhere that he hadn’t made plans to meet a certain goat that very same day. Frank (playing Bari) was supposed to reprimand Gon for questioning their leader, but he stumbled over his first line and hesitated on the second.

When it became clear that Frank wasn’t going to remember on his own, Takkan called out, “If a line you forget, improvise instead.” It sounded to Mei like a mantra the fox had used often.

Frank looked up at Takkan, and then back to Gon, getting back into character. “‘What’s wrong, Gabu? Too good for Giro’s plan, eh?’”

“‘No, that’s not it at all,’” Gon said, perfectly mimicking the way Gabu spoke when he was nervous. “‘It’s just that I saw a flock of migrating geese over by Doki Doki Stream just yesterday, and they’ll be gone soon if we don’t hurry. Have you ever tried goose, Bari?’” Doki Doki Stream was, as far as Mei knew, not a real place, but it fit well enough with the other place names Mei had heard in his life that it might as well be.

“Good,” Takkan commended. “For future reference, the line is, ‘What’s the matter, Gabu? It’s almost as if you don’t want to eat goat meat tonight.’ To which Gabu replies...”

“‘No, that’s not it at all,’” Gon said again. “‘Believe me, there’s nothing I’d like better than to find myself with a nice goat tonight’—and then I say the thing about the geese.” Mei was pretty sure Gabu hadn’t written that line.

“Let’s start this scene from the beginning, shall we?” Takkan said.

After that, on the few occasions that someone made a mistake, they self-corrected and the scene went on as if nothing had happened. If the actor had improvised over the forgotten line, Takkan would remind them of the correct line afterwards, except when the improvised line was deemed funnier or cleverer, in which case they left it in.

“Takkan’s really good at getting everyone to work well together,” Kuro-san commented at one point.

“It’s taken a lot of work,” Gabu said.

“I hope I’m not disrupting things by joining so late. I’d hate to ruin all of that.”

Gabu was silent for long enough that Mei began to worry he was going to confirm Kuro-san’s doubts. Mei was just about to say, “Of course not,” when Gabu said, “You’ll have to work hard at it, learning the songs and everything. But if Takkan thinks you can do it, so do I.” The wolf smiled at Kuro-san, keeping his jaws tightly closed and his fangs tucked away politely. “It’s good to have you here.”

“Thank you,” Kuro-san said, smiling back. “And I will.”

A few scenes later, Mei watched as Jess and Gon were spotted leaving the cave together by a goat, who had gone immediately to tell the rest of Jess’s (his, he corrected himself) herd. Meanwhile, Bari had told the wolf pack that Gon—Gabu—helped a goat to escape. The next scene would be Jess and Gon returning home and being forced to admit their friendship. The scenes at Baku Baku Valley and Sawa Sawa Mountain would happen at the same time, with the dialogue switching back and forth between the goats and the wolves, culminating in the song they’d practised last time, although they’d be skipping that today.

Before the scene began, Takkan invited Kuro-san to join the crowd of goat characters interrogating Jess. “When Mei announces that the wolf is his friend,” Takkan told him, “chatter worriedly with the people near you. You can also improvise lines if you’d like; it doesn’t matter if people talk over each other in this scene.”

Kuro-san happily did as he was told. He stood alongside the other actors and watched with genuine-seeming curiosity as the Elder goat, played by Janice, asked Jess to explain himself. A few of the other actors expressed their disbelief that the rumours could be true.

When Jess, after a very long pause, said “‘I’m sorry but...it’s true,’” Kuro-san and the other actors began murmuring to each other. Kuro-san said, “‘Oh no,’” barely audible over the commotion, and then went back to murmuring as Jess explained, “‘Well I know he’s a wolf, but he really is a nice person!’” A short distance away, Gon offered a similar explanation to the other wolves, but Mei was too focused on Kuro-san’s side of things to pay much attention.

The goat characters weren’t convinced. “‘Wolves are nothing more than liars and murderers, Mei!’” someone said. Sagi helpfully explained that wolves couldn’t help eating meat any more than goats could help eating grass.

“‘But he’s different from the others,’” Jess said, now seeming unsure of himself. “‘He’s special.’” On the wolves’ side, Gon was explaining that just because he was friends with one goat didn’t mean he was friends with all of them.

“This is when ‘Goats and Wolves’ would normally start,” Takkan said. “Let’s end it there. Well done, Kuro-san, and everyone.” The “and everyone” sounded like an afterthought.

That was the last scene in which any goat characters (other than Jess, of course) had any dialogue, and the wolves only had a few more. Once those were finished, the practice session ended for the day.

Gon suggested that next time, they should spend some time going over the scenes in the last third of the play, everything after he and Jess jumped into the river together. Those later scenes had been finalised relatively recently, and while Jess and Gon had practised them alone, they wanted to make sure there were no last minute changes that needed to be made. Takkan and Gabu agreed, so that became the plan.

Like last time, Jess and Gon went with Gabu and Mei back to Moonrise Hill. “Did you find out what happened with those stags?” Jess asked as they walked.

“We haven’t seen them since Philosophy Day,” Mei said. “They’re not still in your forest?”

“They could be,” Gon said. “We haven’t hunted any deer since Gabu told us what happened.”

“We could look for them,” Jess offered. “I’m sorry to have caused tension; we’d like to make up for it if we can.”

“We’d appreciate that,” Gabu said.

After a while, Gon said, “What’s the deal with this Kuro kid joining the play?”

“He and Takkan...recently got acquainted,” Gabu said. “He seems like a nice person. And he’s Mei’s friend.”

“He prefers to be called Kuro-san,” Mei said, because no one else was going to. “Do you have a problem with him joining?”

“Not at all,” Gon said. “Just a bit sudden. ‘Acquainted,’ you say?”

Mei hesitated. He wasn’t sure if Takkan and Kuro-san wanted other people to know about them, but then again, Takkan had gone out of his way to make sure Gabu and Mei found out, and neither of them had told them to keep it secret. Mei briefly explained about the pinecone adventure Takkan had sent them to find out about, including the surprise twist at the end.

“Huh,” Jess said, “it seems like everyone in the forest is attracted to males.”

“Except perhaps Greta,” Gon said.

“You think Greta likes other does?” Gabu asked, surprised.

“Have you spoken to her?” Gon said. “I’d be surprised if she ‘likes’ anyone in that way.”

Mei couldn’t argue with that. Instead, he said, “Toto seems to like Riri quite a lot. And there’s Frank and Janice.”

“They’re the sparrows who found us, right?” Jess said. “They used to come to Theatre Day.”

“That’s right,” Gabu said. “They’re busy raising their chick now.”

“Good fortune to them,” Gon said. “Takkan and Kuro-san, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised about the fox, at least. He keeps calling us ‘gorgeous.’”

“He does have a way with words,” Mei said.

They arrived at Gabu and Mei’s cave. Gon invited himself in, while Jess shrugged apologetically.

“What about you two?” Jess said. “Have you given any more thought to what we discussed last time?”

Gabu and Mei looked at each other. Neither of them had said a word to each other about getting married since everything that happened last Philosophy Day and afterwards.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jess said. “It took us weeks to make the decision for ourselves.”

“What was the ceremony like?” Mei asked.

Jess smiled, lost in thought for a moment. “It was wonderful. We went with a few friends to a meadow that means a lot to us, far from the mountain.”

“Where you first met?” Gabu asked. It seemed a silly question to Mei; they were from the same pack, so of course they would have grown up knowing each other.

“In a sense,” Gon said with a wry smile.

“We spent most of the day there,” Jess continued. “The rest of the pack thought we were out hunting. There was a lot of talking, mostly getting to know each other’s friends better. When it was time, we stood facing each other with everyone else in a circle around us, and we proclaimed our love for one another.”

“That sounds beautiful,” Gabu said.

“By rights,” Gon said, “wolves of our standing should have had the entire pack in attendance, but we didn’t want to make a fuss. There are a great many people here who would be honoured to be in your circle when the time comes. I count myself among them.” Jess nodded in agreement.

“Thanks,” Mei said. “That means a lot.” In truth, he wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but it seemed the right thing to say in response to it.

“I don’t mean to sound rude,” Gabu said, “but what’s the point of getting married? The ceremony sounds nice, but it doesn’t make a difference to anything, does it? You two would still be together, married or not.”

“Other than being able to call ourselves husbands,” Jess said, “which we liked the idea of at the time and still do, the ceremony is the point. The reason for the circle of friends is to make sure the people you care about, who care about you, know that you care enough about your husband to spend your life with him. It makes your relationship official—more real, in a way—because other people acknowledge it. That’s how it worked in our pack, at least, and I gather it’s the same here.”

“Given the business with your pack—and herd—refusing to accept your relationship,” Gon said, “I expect having people formally acknowledge it would be a welcome change.”

“We don’t need anyone else to make our relationship real,” Mei said, “and most people here have been supportive already, but...” He looked to Gabu for confirmation. His wolf smiled encouragingly. “Yes, that would be nice.”

Chapter 35: Waku Waku Hill

Day 69: Waku Waku Hill

Jess and Gon slept on the far side of the hill again. In the morning, they said a quick goodbye and left to return to the eastern forest.

“Are you going back to the philosophy group today?” Gabu asked when they’d gone.

“Yes. I want to ask Takkan about his new way of hunting.”

“What was that again?” Gabu asked with a yawn. It was still early by his standard.

“Sagi says he doesn’t want to discriminate based on age or species and wants to hunt completely at random. It’s something about not choosing who lives and who dies, I think he said.”

“Does that mean he could end up hunting people he cares about?”

“I’ll have to ask him. Actually, they’ll probably also want to talk about what happened with Darrel’s wife. Would you like to come with me today? I’d rather not be on my own when they start talking about that. You can ask Takkan about the hunting thing yourself.”

“Sure, if you’d like me to come. I probably won’t be much help with the philosophy, though.”

“That’s all right. Just knowing someone there is on my side will be enough. Kuro-san might be too, but he didn’t seem to want to speak to me right after it happened, so I’m not sure. It’ll be nice to spend the day with you as well.”

“It has been a while since we’ve had the day to ourselves; there’s been quite a lot going on recently.” Gabu closed his eyes and appeared to go back to sleep. Just as Mei was thinking the conversation was over and was about to go outside to eat breakfast, Gabu said, “How about we go for a walk afterwards?”

Mei smiled. “I’d like that.”

In the afternoon, Gabu followed Mei to the clearing where the philosophy group met. Gabu had never gone to Philosophy Day before, so Mei told him a little of what to expect. Truth be told, Mei didn’t know much either, having only been to a meeting and a half.

When they arrived, Kuro-san wasn’t waiting there like he’d been previously. Perhaps now that he and Takkan were boyfriends, he didn’t need to... No, there he was, arriving with Takkan now. Were they really living together already?

Greta stood alone; Darrel and Leo were nowhere to be seen. She smiled at Gabu and Mei and walked over to stand next to them. Kuro-san did the same, just as Takkan was hopping up to perch on his rock—Mei had never known anyone without feathers who perched as much as Takkan did—and start the meeting.

“Salutations, philosophers, and Gabu!” the fox called, looking at the wolf with curiosity. Gabu smiled at Takkan but didn’t say anything. “Before we begin, I know last time became somewhat heated, but I want to make it clear that this is a safe space. We’re all here to learn, after all.”

Mei wasn’t sure if he should feel patronised, or if the remark was even directed predominantly at him. Takkan seemed to be waiting for someone to say something, so Mei said, “I’d like to apologise for leaving early last time. I don’t always know what’s right and what’s wrong when it comes to hunting, but it’s something that matters a lot to us. It was very difficult for me to learn that my choices may have harmed someone I care about.”

“No apology needed,” Takkan said. “At least you came back.” The emphasis on “you” was barely perceptible. “As it happens, we spent a great deal of time discussing the matter after you left,” he said with a glance at Linda, “so we needn’t do so again if you’d rather we didn’t.”

“We heard that you decided to change the way you hunt,” Gabu said. “I was wondering if you could explain that to me?”

Takkan smiled widely. “I wonder who told you that! As a matter of fact, the changes to my hunting philosophy are exactly what I wanted to discuss today. These changes are the result of my own personal reflection following last meeting’s discussion. To get us started, can anyone propose a working model for ethical hunting with the usual constraints?” Takkan looked at Greta, as if knowing that she’d be the one to answer.

“As much as you like to diminish utilitarianism,” Greta began, “it is one of the only moral theories you’ve taught us about that allows for the quantitive comparison of two or more acts, as opposed to the qualitative categorisation into right or wrong that most other moral theories confine us to. The constraints you mention, for the benefit of whose who haven’t heard them,” she glanced at the wolf and two goats standing next to her, “are that the model cannot require any act that results in the death or chronic discomfort of the would-be hunter, and that scavenging is not a sustainable alternative to hunting. As such, any moral theory that regards killing another animal to be impermissible under any circumstances, such the Formula of Rationality, would be immediately disqualified. It is for this reason that I believe utilitarianism to be the only practical moral theory on which to base a theory of ethical hunting.”

“Thank you, Greta,” Takkan said. “One Takkan Point. If no one has any objection, I think we can accept utilitarianism as the foundation of our ethical hunting model.” Takkan looked to Linda as if expecting her to say something. She only nodded. “We must then ask ourselves how we can quantify the harm done by a given model of hunting, and how can we find a model that minimises that harm.”

Now Linda spoke up. “If the purpose of the hunting model is to determine what subset of prey available to be hunted the hunter should choose to eat, then the harms we should consider are twofold. There’s the direct harm done to the animal who is killed, and there’s the indirect harm suffered by those who are affected by the animal’s death. In a sense, both types of harm are a deprivation of opportunity: the opportunity to continue living in the former case, and the opportunity to benefit from the prey animal’s existence in the latter.”

The phrasing of that sounded more than a little uncompassionate to Mei, but he supposed the phrase “benefitting from an animal’s existence” was intended to be as general as possible. It covered both enjoying someone’s company and also being dependent on them for your own survival, like in the case of an infant.

“In that way,” Linda continued, “they are directly aggregable. We can look at the amount of happiness that the prey animal would have enjoyed during the remainder of their life and add that to the happiness they would have brought to other people. This total metric can be used to compare the overall harm that would be done by eating one animal instead of another. That being said, as I explained last week—”

“Thank you, Linda,” Takkan interrupted. “I know you’ve got more to say, and I promise we’ll get back to it. Three Takkan Points for that explanation. I particularly like your idea for unifying two types of harm that would appear at first glance to be incomparable. Mei, you’ve thought about this problem as much as anyone else here, if not more. Can you see any faults in the model Linda describes?”

Mei was caught off-guard. It was true he’d thought about the problem of hunting for hours at a time, but never in the same terms that Linda and Greta were using now. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. “It makes sense when we’re all here talking about it, but it isn’t much use when you’re out hunting. How are you supposed to tell how happy an animal’s life would have been?”

“That’s a fair criticism,” Takkan said, “and one that’s crucial to the problem we’re about to discuss. One Takkan Point. Of course, on the face of things, the utilitarian hunting model seems fine. It’s the way I’ve been hunting for most of my life. But last week, Linda showed us a fascinating argument that undermines the whole thing. Linda, would you care to remind us?”

“As Mei said,” Linda said, “we have no way to judge the potential happiness of an individual’s life. As such, when using the hunting model in practice, we must resort to generalisations, thereby assigning moral worth to entire groups of animals at once. Since there’s no practical difference between assigning moral worth to every animal in a group and assigning moral worth to the group itself, if we’re doing one, we can be said to be doing the other. Are young rabbits worth more or less than elderly squirrels? To put it another way, if you use this model in practice, you are killing people because of their species or age.” That idea made Mei uncomfortable. He couldn’t imagine how Takkan must have felt hearing that for the first time, since the fox had been doing exactly that. “Reasons don’t matter in utilitarianism, but few people use utilitarianism as their main moral theory; for most moral beings, reasons are the primary determiner of right and wrong. If you’re going to choose between killing one person or another, you would hope to have a better reason than ‘because she was a rabbit.’”

“Thank you, Linda,” Takkan said. “To make sure everyone understands this intuitively, I’d like to look at a small example. Gabu...” Gabu had been paying attention, but his eyes widened at being addressed directly all the same, “...during the time that you and Mei were keeping your relationship secret, let’s say a small animal saw the two of you together and was actively threatening to tell everyone about you. You hadn’t eaten at all that day, and you could make the entire problem go away with just one bite. You have to eat someone that day anyway, so why not this one troublesome creature? Would you have done it?”

“Well, you see,” Gabu said uncertainly, “that sort of thing did happen quite a few times. Not the threatening, but people seeing me and Mei being friends. Most of the time, I’d just pretend to be hunting him and nothing bad would happen.”

“And when that didn’t work?” Takkan said.

“We would ask the person nicely not to tell anyone,” Gabu said with a smile. “That only happened two or three times, though.”

“My point is,” Takkan said with only the slightest hint of impatience—no one could be truly annoyed at someone like Gabu, “if you felt that you had no choice but to eat an animal or let that animal tell everyone about you, would you have done it?”

Gabu’s face fell slightly. “No, I... That wouldn’t seem right.”

“Why not? If you eat this animal now, you won’t have to eat another animal later. The same number of animals die at the end of the day.”

“Because...” Gabu said, and then had a flash of inspiration, “...like Linda said, I’d be killing them for a reason. And it wouldn’t be a good one.”

“Perfect!” Takkan said. “I’d like to highlight that whether or not a carnivore should hunt isn’t the topic for today’s debate; the reason a carnivore hunts is because that’s the only way a carnivore can survive, which we’re taking to be a good reason for now. The question is of who a carnivore should hunt. As Linda explained and Gabu’s example demonstrated, any active decision regarding who lives and who dies should be made with a good reason, ideally one that depends on neither age nor species, nor whether killing them would be convenient for you. Can anyone suggest a sound way of determining whether a reason is good?”

A mouse Mei didn’t know spoke up. “Because the animal you’re killing is a bad person?”

“That would be an example of a reason, not a method to determine whether a reason is good,” Takkan explained patiently. “But let’s examine it all the same. What is a bad person, Antony?”

“Someone who lives their life without regard for moral behaviour,” the mouse said.

“Which moral behaviour?” Takkan said. It sounded like he was stalking his prey with words. “The one that says anything goes so long as it advances the common good? The one that forgives any wrongdoing if no one has taught you how to be virtuous yet? Perhaps you mean the one that forbids lying, even to save someone’s life?”

Antony was wise enough not to reply to that. Takkan let his prey go. One Virtue Point, Mei thought.

“The way I see it,” Takkan said, turning his attention back to the group, “the world would be a dangerous place, more than it is already, if the task of judging and killing those who commit moral wrongdoings was left to carnivores. Just imagine it: badgers, foxes and wolves patrolling the forest, ready to pounce on anyone who steps out of line. No one could contest such a system without being accused of being wrongdoers themselves, even if the only crime they committed was to question a carnivore’s authority. No, even if we could all agree on what immoral conduct a person deserves to be killed for, it would be a slippery slope indeed to conflate justice with hunting.”

“To answer your earlier question,” Greta said, “there are plenty of moral theories besides utilitarianism you could use to judge whether a reason for hunting someone is good or bad. Deontology, for instance.”

“I can hardly avoid using another animal as a mere means when the end in question is satisfying my hunger,” Takkan said. “Unless the animal chose to be eaten, that is, but such cases are too rare to be relied upon. No, it is my conviction that the only admissible reason to eat someone is because you are hungry, and this reason provides no guidance as for who I should eat.”

“What would you suggest, then?” Greta said.

Takkan smiled. “Well, since we can find no reason suitable to decide whether to eat one animal or another, we must conclude that we should not decide.”

“And starve?” Greta asked.

“No,” Mei said. “He means we shouldn’t be the ones to decide. He’s talking about hunting at random.”

Now Takkan looked slightly annoyed. “You could have let me say it.”

Most people except for Linda were surprised by this. Mei got the impression that the squirrel had already figured most of this out for herself.

“At random?!” Greta said, sounding alarmed. “Surely matters of life or death are too important to leave up to mere chance?”

“Why so?” Takkan said. “Almost all deaths are a matter of chance anyway, whether it’s from injury, disease or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. By taking any decision-making out of the question, the cause of death isn’t me, Takkan, deciding that someone should die; it’s predation itself that’s to blame. A force of nature, just as any other natural cause of death. When I set out to hunt, I’m not myself. That is, no part of my personality plays a part in whom I eat; I might as well be any other fox. Or, to put it yet another way, it is my body, that feeble thing to which my mind is tethered, that is doing the hunting, not me.” Out of the corner of his eye, Mei saw Kuro-san smiling appreciatively at that turn of phrase. “I am bound to its whims. If it is to be satisfied no matter what, then let me be apart from it.”

“It sounds like you’re saying it’s not your fault if you eat people,” Gabu said. “Isn’t it better if you take responsibility for what you do?”

“Better for whom?” Takkan said. “Me? My prey? Some divine entity who reads my thoughts and judges me for them? Denying the existence of the latter, the only one who stands to care is myself, and so it is my business alone whether I wish to feel responsible for being what I am. Reasons only matter when there’s a choice to be made, and some would say not even then.”

“Except in virtue ethics,” Linda said without hesitation.

For the slightest fraction of a second, Takkan looked surprised, almost as if he’d forgotten or hadn’t known what Linda had pointed out. He covered his surprise with a very convincing look of mild annoyance, which he then shrugged off. “I’m not a virtue ethicist, so I feel no obligation to care out of concern for my own goodness. As it happens, I do care immensely about the lives I am regrettably forced to take, but that’s no reason for me to adversely affect the way I hunt—adversely for my prey, that is, for the reasons we’ve discussed.”

“What if you meet someone you know while you’re out hunting?” Mei asked. “Is there a chance you would eat them?”

“On the contrary,” Takkan said. “I would almost certainly refrain from eating any person I have a personal connection with. Not because I value my friends highly—that would imply I value non-friends lowly, which would be unfair—but because it would be disadvantageous for me to eat them. The reason I eat meat is for my own well-being. Let’s say I encountered Linda. Eating her would be harmful to my mental well-being, since I would be deprived of her philosophical insights, so on balance, it would be better for me if I did not eat her. Even a person whose existence is of no practical utility to me may cause me great anguish if I were to eat them, so I would not do so in that case either.”

“What happened to, ‘no part of my personality affects how I hunt?’” Mei said.

Takkan shrugged. “It’s not a perfect theory. If anyone can offer a practical way to improve it, I’m all ears.”

“I’ve got a question,” Gabu said. “How do you hunt randomly? I try not to go to the same parts of the forest too many times, but picking a different place every time can be really difficult.”

“I was wondering when someone would ask that,” Takkan said delightedly. “I’ve devised a scheme that ought to lead me to a completely different part of the forest every day, and with almost no creative input on my part. It’s complex enough that even if I wanted to end up in a specific place, I would be unable to derive the starting parameters that would result in me doing so.”

There was a long silence.

“How does it work?” Gabu asked.

“Regrettably, it would be best if I did not say. If everyone knew where I was going to hunt before I did, they would all move someplace else and I’d have to start afresh with a new scheme.”

“So it’s based on something everyone can see, like the wind or the clouds,” Mei deduced.

“It could be,” Takkan said coyly. “Or it might not. And in case you were thinking of asking, Gabu, I won’t tell you privately either. We wouldn’t want to both end up hunting in the same place, after all. No, this secret will stay between me and Kuro-san.”

Everyone turned to look at Kuro-san, who smiled sheepishly. “It’s quite ingenious,” the goat said, “if a little hard to follow.”

“I was only asking because...” Gabu said. “Should I be hunting like you say, without deciding who to hunt?”

“‘Should’ is a difficult word in philosophy,” Takkan said. “If you agree with the reasons we’ve discussed for why hunting at random is less prone to injustice, and if there’s no reason why things should be different in your case, then you may safely conclude that this is a reasonable endeavour for you to pursue.”

“I do agree with them,” Gabu said earnestly. “I would never want to hurt anyone because of who or what they are. I understand all the reasons why I should be doing that, but I have no idea where to begin.”

Takkan gave Gabu a long, contemplative look, as if sizing him up, and then sighed. “When were you planning on hunting next?” the fox finally asked.

“Tonight.”

“I’ll meet you at the forest edge. We’ll figure something out.”

The discussion returned to the philosophical implications of randomised hunting, becoming more and more abstract until they’d all but lost sight of the original question. Mei could tell that Gabu wanted to leave now that the conversation was beyond anyone but Takkan, Greta and Linda’s comprehension, but he was putting up with it for Mei’s sake.

When the meeting finally came to an end, Gabu and Mei returned home to take a brief nap before embarking on the walk they had discussed that morning. A short while later, when they’d both stretched awake, Gabu said, “Do you remember the first day we spent together, just after we first met?”

“How could I forget?” Mei said. “It’s a shame you had to spend the day hungry.”

“I was thinking we could do something like that again. Go on a picnic, I mean. There’s a place I’ve been meaning to show you.”

Mei smiled. “That sounds wonderful. Do you need to go and find...lunch...first?”

“There’ll be lunch there. Trust me.”

Refusing to say any more on the matter, Gabu led Mei out of the cave and around to the small stretch of flat land between the southwest side of the forest and the range of hills flanking the mountain.

“I’ve never gone this way before,” Mei said.

“I explored this way a few weeks ago,” Gabu said. “It’s quite a climb from here.”

Gabu led him further south, snaking from valley to valley until they were surrounded by hills on all sides. Then, Gabu started up a rocky path that took them up the side of one particularly large hill. It wasn’t quite like the path they had taken all those months ago on their way to the picnic spot; it was more grassy and there were no steep cliffs for an unsuspecting wolf to drop his lunch over, but it was certainly reminiscent of it. That must have been why Gabu had chosen it, Mei thought.

Several minutes of climbing later, they reached a plateau near the top of the hill. The land here was flat and grassy, larger than most clearings you could find in the forest. On the south side, the remainder of the hill provided partial shelter for a dense thicket that had decided to brave the winds. Mei walked to the north side of the plateau and gazed out in wonder. The late afternoon light cast the scenery in a gentle golden glow.

“The view is wonderful. I can see right over the Emerald Forest,” Mei said.

Gabu smiled proudly. “I call this place Waku Waku Hill. Excuse me for a moment.”

Mei watched him walk over to the cluster of bushes on the opposite side of the plateau, and then he went back to looking out over the edge. He hadn’t seen the Emerald Forest from above like this since first arriving here; it looked as warm and inviting as ever. More so, perhaps, now that he’d made friends and memories here.

Gabu returned a short while later carrying a leaf-full of small blue berries in his teeth, which he placed carefully next to Mei before sitting down beside him. Then, with a grin, Gabu lowered his head and ate some of the berries.

Mei stared in astonishment. “I thought you could only eat meat!” he eventually managed to say.

“I thought so too until I found these,” Gabu said around a mouthful of the berries. He swallowed. “I can’t survive on them alone—believe me, I tried—but they taste really good. You should try some.”

Hesitantly, Mei took a bite. They were much milder than berries he’d had in the past, without so much of the sour tang he was accustomed to. “They taste...blue,” he said.

“I know, right?” Gabu said with a laugh.

“How did you know you could eat these? You don’t go around trying random berries in case you can eat them, do you?”

“I don’t know. They just looked tasty, and so I ate them. I’ve never seen them anywhere except here.” He ate some more of them.

They sat together, looking out at the forest bathed in the light of the setting sun and sharing the berries. Mei had only seen Gabu eat a handful of times, and never in such a calm environment as this. They’d certainly never shared the same meal together. It was nice.

“Where do you think the sun goes when it isn’t in the sky?” Gabu asked as the sun started to set behind the mountain to their left.

“Probably the same place that the moon goes,” Mei said. “It must get back east somehow, unless it’s a new sun every time.”

“I’m certain it’s the same moon every time, since the shapes you can see on it are always the same, even when it’s only a crescent. And that’s another thing: Why does the moon have to get bigger and smaller when the sun gets to be a circle all the time?”

Mei thought about that. “I don’t know, but there’s probably a story that explains it. Like Tanya’s story about where life came from.”

“Those stories aren’t true, though. They’re just what we tell pups who ask questions we don’t know the answers to.”

Mei thought about that too. “Does it matter if they’re not true? We’ll never know the real answer, and it’s not as if it affects anything. Even if the words aren’t true, it’s still true that somebody said them, and someone else listened.”

“Is this more philosophy?” Gabu asked.

“Maybe,” Mei said. “If it is, it’s not the same kind that Takkan teaches us about.”

“What happens if two people believe different things? If one person says that life has always been here, and another person says the sky and the earth created it, they can’t both be right, can they?”

“Is that a problem?”

“I guess not.”

“Anyway,” Mei said, “who says only one thing can be right? Plenty of animals would say that wolves eat goats, and they would be right. But here you are, eating lunch with a goat.”

Gabu smiled. “I am, aren’t I?” They went back to watching the sunset. The berries were gone by this point. “Why do you think we’re here?” Gabu asked. “Why do we exist?”

“Now that sounds like the kind of question Takkan would have an answer for.”

“What do you think the answer is?”

“Maybe...” Mei said. “Maybe something has to exist that can ask the question ‘Why are we here?’ Otherwise, there would be no point in ‘here’ existing at all. What good is a sunset if no one’s there to look at it?”

“So we’re here to look at sunsets and ask ‘Why are we here?’ And if we weren’t here, then ‘here’ wouldn’t exist?”

“I think so. There’s a riddle I heard once: If a tree falls in the forest and no one’s there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

“Why wouldn’t it? And there’s always someone in a forest, even if you can’t see them,” Gabu said.

“The point is that a sound is something you hear. You can’t see or touch a sound, right? So does it really exist if no one’s hearing it? And if that’s true, you could say the same about everything we experience.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Gabu said. “It’s just...I was expecting you to say something like ‘We exist to be with each other.’”

“Oh.” Mei smiled apologetically. “That would have been more romantic, wouldn’t it?”

Gabu smiled back. “I like yours better. It makes me think about things, which is something I like about being with you.”

Mei wasn’t sure what to say to that, but enjoyed the compliment all the same. “Thank you for showing me this place. We should come here more often.”

“How about after every Philosophy Day?” Gabu said.

“It’s a date.”

If Gabu hadn’t agreed to meet with Takkan that night, they might have spent the night there. As it was, when the last of the sun’s light had disappeared, they made their way back down the hill. Spending the evening on Waku Waku Hill had been like a breath of fresh air, Mei thought. They’d scarcely had a chance to do something like this since everyone had found out about them all those months ago. As they walked, they talked about small, inconsequential things like how pretty the night was. It was cold, but being with Gabu made Mei feel warm.

When Moonrise Hill and the entrance to their cave came in sight, Mei remembered a conversation he’d had a whole month ago. They had some time left before Gabu had to leave, right?

“Gabu?”

“Yes, Mei?”

“There’s...something I’d like to show you too.”

Chapter 36: Future Hopes

Day 70: Future Hopes

Gabu returned in the early hours of the morning. Mei, who was usually asleep by this time, had stayed awake to welcome him back and ask how the hunting trip had gone.

“It went well,” Gabu said, visibly exhausted. “Takkan met me outside the forest and said something like, ‘It seems you’ve had a pleasant night so far,’ and smiled at me.” Gabu grinned awkwardly. “I don’t know how he knew.”

Mei smiled back sleepily. “Did he tell you how to hunt randomly?”

“He took me to the middle of the forest and told me to walk in any direction until I reached the edge of the forest, counting how many tracks of prey I could find, but without actually hunting any of them. I counted ten, which he said was impressive since he only counted eight. I won’t have to do that bit again now that we know the answer is ten; Takkan said that was just to ‘calibrate’ it.

“When we were back in the middle of the forest, he told me to pick a leaf from a bush, let it fall to the ground, and look at which direction it’s pointing in. Then, I look up and count how many stars I can see through the treetops and clouds. If I count to ten, I have to start back over at one. Then, I walk in the direction the leaf was pointing until I’ve found the same number of tracks as there were stars, coming back the other way again if I don’t find enough tracks. That’s the track I’m allowed to follow, and I’m allowed to hunt any animals it leads me to.”

Mei had a hard time following all of that. “That sounds like quite a lot of work for you. Are you sure you want to do that every time you hunt?”

“It’s not too bad. Takkan says it will take me to a different part of the forest every night, and I won’t have to make any decisions about who I hunt. We can’t tell anyone the part about the stars, though.”

“Hmm, let me guess,” Mei said. “If they know that part, everyone will know to stay away from the middle of the forest on a cloudy night, right?”

Gabu smiled. “That’s exactly what Takkan said.”

Mei thought about this for a while. “I’ve got an idea. When you’re counting the stars, start from the number you counted to last time. Oh, and if you can’t see any stars, add three instead.”

“Will that make it more random?” Gabu asked.

“I think so, or more fair, at least. That way, you’ll only get the same number twice if there are exactly ten stars, which I doubt will happen very often, and you’ll spend about the same amount of time near the edges of the forest as you do in the middle.”

“I’ll do that instead, then. There were only two stars tonight.” They both turned to look out of the cave at the sky, growing brighter in the early morning light. “Last night, I mean.” Gabu yawned.

“It’s been a long day,” Mei said. “Let’s get some sleep. It’s a free day today, so we won’t miss anything.”

By midday, restlessness had overtaken Gabu and Mei’s desire to remain curled up together in a state of half sleep, half wakefulness. They got up, stretched, and looked out at the world. The forest was as alive as ever, with birds flying happily in the sky and squirrels scurrying throughout the trees.

“It’s a lovely day today,” Gabu said. “It would be a shame to spend all of it inside.”

“We haven’t visited Toto and Riri in a few days,” Mei said.

Gabu smiled. “We could go and see how their chick is doing.”

They left the cave and made their way through the forest towards the sparrows’ nest. As was now the norm, calls of “Gabu! Mei!” and “Oh my goodness, it’s them!” followed them wherever they went. Gabu smiled and nodded, and called out brief replies to anyone addressing him directly. Mei still found the attention a little overwhelming, and kept his head facing forward as he walked alongside Gabu.

When they arrived at the sparrows’ spruce tree, Mei called up a greeting. Three sparrow heads appeared over the side of the nest, Toto and Riri smiling down at them. Hikari looked a lot more grown up than last time they had seen him. His patchy grey and pink flesh was now almost entirely covered with a thin layer of brown feathers. Mei could see the resemblance to his parents.

“Gabu, Mei, so kind of you to visit,” Riri said. “Just give us a moment.” To Mei’s astonishment, Riri picked Hikari up in her talons and flew with him down to the ground, where she set him down gently. Toto followed shortly after. “That’s better. Now we can all talk without having to shout.”

“Hello,” Gabu said to the sparrow chick, lowering himself to the ground to be closer to him. Hikari stared up at him impassively.

“Say hello, Hikari,” Toto prompted. Hikari gave a half-hearted chip.

“This is Mei, and this is Gabu,” Riri said, pointing to each of them in turn. “Mei is a goat. They usually live in wide, open fields and eat grass. They go...” She looked at Mei expectantly.

“Meeeeeeei,” Mei bleated.

“Meh,” Hikari echoed inexpertly.

“Goats only eat plants,” Riri said, “so they’re safe if you stay away from their hooves. Show him your hooves, Mei.” Mei did so bemusedly. “Gabu is a wolf. They live in forests, fields and rocky mountains, and they eat other animals. Most wolves are dangerous, so you shouldn’t go near them unless you know they’re safe. Gabu is a friend, so he’s safe to be around. Isn’t that right, Gabu?”

“Of course,” Gabu said, “during the daytime, at least.” Riri gave him a glare that said very succinctly, “If you eat my child, daytime or not, I’m never speaking to you again.” He hastily said, “I mean, yes, I’m totally safe.”

“That’s right,” Riri said. “Now, you’ll know that there are wolves around when you hear this sound...” She looked at Gabu.

Gabu’s ears flattened and his eyes shifted from left to right self-consciously. “Awoo,” he said. It was the softest howl Mei had ever heard.

“You can do better than that,” Mei said with a grin.

“Awooooo,” Gabu howled a little louder.

“Whoo!” Hikari said, flapping his wings with excitement. Gabu’s eyes practically had hearts in them.

“He’s growing up fast, isn’t he?” Mei said.

“He’s about normal for a chick of his age,” Toto said. “It’ll be about a week before he’s able to fly, and another three or so weeks after that before he can fully take care of himself.”

“It’s been hard work looking after him,” Riri said. “But at least he can tell us what he wants now, can’t you?”

“Food! Food!” the chick said.

Toto laughed. “You had food an hour ago.”

“We could look after him for a while if you’d like,” Mei said. “It sounds like you could do with a rest.” Gabu nodded his head in agreement.

Toto and Riri exchanged a glance. “Actually, if you wouldn’t mind,” Toto said, “that would be a big help. What with one thing and another, we haven’t had any time to ourselves in quite a while. Are you sure you want to, though? Our little Hikari can be a bit of a wingful at times. You needn’t go to the trouble if you were only offering to be polite.”

“Aww,” Gabu said, “how much trouble could he be?” As someone who had been a troublesome kid himself, Mei could hazard a guess.

“You’ll be on your best behaviour for Gabu and Mei, won’t you, Hikari?” Riri said. “Now, let’s see, he won’t need feeding for another few hours, but if he gets thirsty, I’m sure you’ll be able to fetch some water from the river. Don’t leave him alone, especially while he’s down here on the ground. The only reason I’m letting him be down here is because you two are here; I wouldn’t risk it at all if it was just us protecting him. And above all else, don’t let any other—” she stopped herself, “...don’t let any predators eat him. Can you remember all that?”

“Water from the river if he’s thirsty, don’t leave him alone, don’t eat him,” Mei summarised. “Uh, don’t let anyone eat him, I mean. I think we’ve got all that.”

“And if anything seems to be wrong with him, just howl and we’ll come straight back,” Toto said.

“Of course,” Mei said. “You two enjoy yourselves.”

“Thanks so much for doing this,” Riri said.

“It’s the least we can do after all you’ve done to help us,” Gabu said.

“We’ll be back soon, Hikari. Be good!”

With that, Toto and Riri hopped into the air and flew off out of sight. Gabu and Mei were left with Hikari staring up at them inquisitively. They glanced at each other, both realising at the same time that they had no idea how to start a conversation with a child who was only a few days old. It didn’t seem like Hikari was about to break the ice either.

“So,” Gabu said after a while, “how much have your parents told you about us?”

Hikari was silent for several seconds. “Not much.”

They waited for the child to say more. When it became clear he wasn’t going to, Mei said, “Did they tell you that we came from far away, over the mountain?”

Hikari shook his head. He didn’t seem particularly interested. Remembering how disinterested he himself had been in adults’ personal lives when he was a kid, Mei decided to drop the subject.

“Do you know any songs?” Mei asked.

Hikari scrunched up his face in concentration, and then made a sequence of chirping sounds that went, “Cheep-cheep-cheeeeep, cheep-chchchch cheep-cheep.”

“I don’t think I know that one,” Gabu said. “Could you teach it to us?” Hikari looked up at Gabu impassively. “Or we could teach you a song? Here’s one that a friend of ours taught us. It’s called ‘Roll Me Over—’”

“I don’t think that’s quite the right song to teach a young sparrow,” Mei said hurriedly. “Let me try your song, Hikari. Meh-meh-meeeeeeh, meh, meh-meh-meh-meh meh-meh,” he bleated. “Was that right?”

“Need t’ trill,” Hikari said.

“I’m not sure I can do that without a beak. How’s this? Meh-meh-meeeeeeh, meh, mhmhmhmh meh-meh.”

“‘T’s better.”

“Let me try,” Gabu said. “Awoo-woo-woooo, woo, whuuuu woo, woooo.”

Mei laughed. “Not so loud, or else Toto and Riri will think something’s wrong. Thanks for teaching us that, Hikari. Can you tell us what the song means?”

Hikari thought long and hard. “‘T means, ‘I am here.’”

“That’s sort of like how howling works,” Gabu said. “A howl can mean lots of different things, but the most important one is, ‘I am here.’ And if you hear it, you howl back, ‘I’m here too.’ ‘We’re all here together.’” Gabu got a faraway look in his eyes, seeing which somehow made Mei miss being with his herd, if only for a moment.

Mei caught Gabu’s eye and smiled. “We’re here.”

Gabu smiled back. “We’re all here together.”

Hikari, oblivious to the moment that had passed literally over his head, went back to pecking at the ground disinterestedly. Everything was quiet for a few minutes until the chick said, “‘M cold.”

“You’re cold?” Mei said in alarm. “What do you parents do when you’re cold?” he asked, already knowing and dreading the answer.

“Mama ‘n Papa sit ‘n me.”

“I think we might hurt you if we tried that,” Gabu said.

“Let’s try this instead,” Mei said. He moved to lie down right next to Hikari, who pressed himself into the fur on the goat’s side. “Is that better?”

Hikari shook his head. “Still cold.”

“Okay, Gabu, very carefully—”

“I’ve got it.” Gabu lay down on the other side of Hikari and gently shuffled closer so that the chick was squeezed between them. “How’s that?”

“‘T’s good,” came the muffled reply.

It was a little different to how Gabu and Mei usually lay down together, on account of Gabu being so much further forward than Mei that they couldn’t look each other in the face without Gabu turning his head. After a while, Mei began to suspect that Hikari had fallen asleep. Sure enough, when he asked in a soft voice whether the chick was awake, there was no reply except for a quiet, regular breathing.

“This isn’t quite what I would call a wingful,” Gabu said quietly. “I don’t know what Toto and Riri were worried about; looking after him is a breeze.”

“Don’t forget we’ve only been doing it for a few minutes,” Mei said. “I’m sure there’s more to raising a chick than playing games and keeping them warm.” He remembered a conversation he’d had with his grandmother not so long ago. “Have you ever thought about having children?”

“Not really,” Gabu sighed. “I mean, when I was growing up, I thought that I would one day, because it seemed like the sort of thing that everyone does. But there was never really anyone I would have wanted to have pups with. Until I met you, that is—which isn’t to say I would definitely want to if we could,” he added hastily.

Mei started to laugh, but quietened himself. He didn’t want to wake Hikari up. “There’s nothing stopping us from trying,” he said in a playful voice. “But seriously, there might be other ways. Not all children have someone to take care of them like Hikari has—or like we had, for that matter, even if it wasn’t our parents. If there was a child who was in need of someone to raise them...”

“You’re saying we could adopt someone else’s child and take care of them as if they were ours?”

“It’s a possibility. Only if we decide we want to.” Mei looked up into the trees, where the forest’s many inhabitants were going about their varied business. “It would be a big responsibility. I’m not even sure we’d be able to raise a child who isn’t a goat or a wolf. Who would teach them the things they need to know to survive? I mean, I could probably teach a deer how to run, or you could teach a fox how to hunt, but how would we teach a squirrel how to find nuts and seeds?”

“I’m not so sure that teaching more animals how to hunt is a good idea,” Gabu said solemnly.

“You’d rather they starve?—sorry, Philosophy Day was yesterday. Anyway, my point is that becoming parents is still an option for us, if that’s something that you want.”

“Something that I want?” Gabu turned his head around to look at Mei, smiling. “What about what you want?”

“I’ve never really wanted to have kids, but...”

“But you’re worried that I want them, and being with you means I can’t have them?” Gabu said, still smiling.

Mei sighed. Sometimes, Gabu knew him far too well. “Okay, yes, I might have been thinking that. And now you’re going to tell me that you don’t see me as a hinderance to your happiness, and you probably weren’t going to have kids in any case, so I shouldn’t do something I don’t want to do just because I think it’s what you want?”

Gabu laughed. “Actually, I might want to have kids someday. And you’re right, there are plenty of ways we can do that if we want to. But not right now. Not any time soon, I mean, and it’s not like there’s any rush. We can spend the next few years thinking about it and decide when we’re ready.”

Mei smiled. “That’s a good plan.”

Just then, a voice they’d thought was asleep said, “If you two gonna have a baby, I wanna play with them.”

“It sounds like someone’s awake,” Mei said to mask his surprise. “Did you hear all of that conversation?”

“Not much. ‘M too hot.”

Gabu and Mei moved apart quickly. “Sorry about that,” Gabu said. “I guess we’re warmer than Mama and Papa, huh? Do you want a drink?”

Hikari nodded.

While Gabu went to the river to fetch some water, Mei said, “Do you ever get lonely, not having any birds your own age to play with?”

“Sometimes.”

“I wonder if we can do something about that.” Mei looked up into the trees again. No one was paying attention to them anymore. “Hello? Um, excuse me?” A squirrel met his gaze inquisitively. “This young sparrow is Hikari. I was wondering if you could ask around and see if there are any bird families with young chicks who might like to be friends with him.”

The squirrel looked at Mei as if sizing him up, and then glanced at Gabu, who was busy soaking a leaf in the river a short distance away. The squirrel nodded and scampered off.

“There. I’m not sure if anything will come of that, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.”

Gabu returned with the water-soaked leaf for Hikari to drink from, and Mei told him what he’d just done. “That’s a good idea,” Gabu said. “There must be plenty of young birds who would be happy to have someone new to talk to.”

Toto and Riri returned a short while later, looking a lot more relaxed than Mei had seen them in months. While Toto was telling Hikari how much they’d missed him and asking whether he’d been well-behaved, Riri asked the two of them whether there had been any trouble.

“None at all,” Mei said. “You must have done a good job of raising him so far. He’s smarter than I would have guessed for a child of his age too.”

Riri chuckled politely. “He does have a tendency to understand things you don’t expect him to. We’ve had to watch what we say around him.”

“Thanks for letting us look after him,” Gabu said. “It’s been a great experience.”

“Not at all. You’re welcome to do it again any time you like—goodness knows we could use the break. Although, please don’t feel obliged.”

After Gabu and Mei had recounted everything that had happened while Toto and Riri had been away, and after the sparrows had thanked them for their help another half-dozen times, Hikari was getting sleepy and needed a nap. Gabu and Mei said their goodbyes.

As they were walking back home through the forest, they heard a familiar-sounding voice from somewhere close by. “We call this one speckle leaf. It’s good for treating scrapes and small cuts, but you can only find it in the spring and early summer.”

They rounded the trunk of a large oak tree and saw Greta and Mii talking to one another in a clearing. Mii was showing Greta a green, leafy plant with dark green spots on the leaves.

“I see,” Greta said. “Do you eat it or put it on the wound?”

“You dip it in water to make it damp,” Mii said, “and then you cover the injury with it until it starts to heal, which usually takes about half a day for scrapes and one or two days for cuts. You need to change the covering once a day, and it’s important that it doesn’t get dried out.”

Mei waited until Mii had finished talking, and then said, “Hello, you two.”

Mii and Greta looked around. “Oh, hello, Mei and Gabu,” Mii said. “I didn’t see you there. I’m showing Greta some of the herbal remedies we learned back in Sawa Sawa Mountain.”

“I’ve never heard of most of these before,” Greta said. “Does everyone in your herd know these things?”

“Definitely,” Mei said. “We’re taught all the herbal remedies as children. It’s important that wisdom like that gets passed on every generation, since it must have taken a really long time to find these things out in the first place.”

“We did the same in my pack,” Gabu said. “You’ve never heard of speckle leaf before, Greta?”

“I haven’t even noticed it before now,” Greta said. She looked between Gabu and Mei as if in confusion. “Do goats and wolves both call it the same thing? If they found out about it separately, I would have expected them to give it different names.”

Gabu and Mei looked at each other. “We’ve always called it speckle leaf,” Gabu said. “I guess I’ve never thought about it before now. That is strange, now that you mention it.”

“Wolves listen to rumours from other animals, right?” Mii said. “Maybe the goats found out about it first and the news somehow reached the wolves. Or it could be the other way around.”

“It could have been any species that learned about it first,” Mei said.

“An entire forest sharing wisdom with each other, regardless of species,” Greta said in wonderment. “Just think of the good we could do if everyone collaborated like that on everything.”

Mii laughed. “Let’s start with just our two forests sharing wisdom about herbs, all right? Speaking of which, Mei, have you seen any sun root in this forest?”

“I haven’t really been looking for it,” Mei said. He remembered all too well the unpleasantly strong taste of the pale orange root given to young goats to improve muscle growth. “I’ll let you know if I find any.” Mii looked a little disappointed, so Mei added, “Although I did see some violet bloom on the northern bank of the river, near where it curves out to the side. I can show you if you want.”

Mii hadn’t known about that, so Mei led the four of them there, explaining to Greta on the way the uses of violet bloom for relieving anxiety and insomnia.

They spent the rest of the day exploring the forest, showing each other where to find herbs that the others hadn’t known about and discussing their uses.

Greta continued to dwell on the benefits of inter-species and inter-forest collaboration, a prospect that seemed to interest her greatly. Mei, at least, knew what she meant. The community he and Gabu had found in the Emerald Forest was unlike anything he’d ever known back home. His herd had always had a strong sense of community, and it was the same with the wolves from what he understood, but it was always out of self-preservation.

This was something completely different. The animals here, herbivores and carnivores alike, were thriving in a way that never would have been possible with every species keeping to themselves. And it was with immense pride that Mei realised that he and Gabu had helped to build this community. They had been the focal point around which everyone had gathered together.

Perhaps Greta was right. Perhaps everywhere could be like this.

Chapter 37: Disaster

Day 71: Disaster

“Gabu, Mei, wake up!”

Gabu hadn’t gone hunting that night, so the two of them had spent a nice, relaxing night curled up together. Now, though, they were awoken early in the morning by frantic hoofbeats and a desperate-sounding voice that neither of them had heard in seven days.

“Please, it’s Leo. I can’t find him!”

Mei opened his eyes. “Darrel?” he said sleepily.

Gabu, too, awoke and stared in disbelief at the stag standing at the mouth of their cave. “Huh? You’re back! We haven’t seen you in—”

“There’s no time,” Darrel interrupted. There were tears in his eyes. “Please, I think he’s gone up into the mountain alone. You two are the only ones I know who have ever survived up there. Please, you have to help him.”

Mei stood up. He had no idea what was going on, but he would never forgive himself if he caused the stags to suffer any more harm than he might already have caused. He was hungry and still sleepy, but those things could wait. “Show us where.”

Soon, Gabu, Mei and Darrel were galloping at full speed through the forest. Startled birds flew out of trees as they ran past. Ripples of confusion radiated out, adding to the sense of dread permeating the air. Something was very, very wrong.

Mei was desperate to ask Darrel where he and Leo had been, whether his wife was alive, why Leo would be up the mountain alone, but there was no time for that. Any breath they might have wasted on questions and answers would slow them down. Those things, too, could wait until they knew Leo was safe.

In minutes, they were at the foothills of the mountain. Mei, who was the best climber among them by far, showed the others how to jump from foothold to foothold to climb the steep inclines and ascend faster. Soon, they were dozens of feet up the mountain, and the slope was getting steeper and steeper.

“I don’t know where he’s gone,” Darrel cried. “Mei, can you check up there? Gabu and I will search around here.” Up where Darrel was indicating, Mei could see an outcrop of rock that looked like there might be a ledge concealed behind it. The slope was almost vertical. Darrel and Gabu would have no chance of getting up there without finding another path.

Mei nodded and leapt towards the cliff face, beginning to climb it at once. Several times, he almost lost his footing. A fall from here might send him all the way down the mountain, which was a considerable way down by now. Foothold by foothold, he pulled his way up towards the outcrop. Panting from the effort, he finally reached a flat surface, got to his hooves and looked around. Sure enough, there was a narrow strip of rock that formed a walkway to the other side of the outcrop, still hidden from view. Not daring to look down, Mei crept along it to the far side.

Standing just behind the outcrop, watching Mei approach with wide, apprehensive eyes, was Leo. Mei, now more confused than ever, didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, he heard a strange noise in the distance.

“I’m sorry,” Leo said quietly, almost too soft to hear.

Mei’s heart filled with dread. There it was again, the sound of something grinding on stone and, this time, a frantic yelp that could only have been...

“Gabu,” Mei whispered.

He turned around and scrambled back across the walkway until he could see what was going on. Darrel was standing at the edge of a craggy ledge, close to where Mei had left him. Down, much further down, Gabu was lying motionless.

“No...”

“I’m sorry,” Leo said again from behind him. “It’s only fair.”

The next few moments were a blur. Somehow, Mei was back down the cliff and racing towards Gabu’s prone form, whom Darrel was walking slowly towards. Mei arrived there first. He skidded to a halt, standing between Gabu and Darrel, and lowered his horns at the stag. He could only hope that Gabu was still alive.

“She’s gone,” Darrel said, still walking inexorably towards them. “I’ll never, ever see her again because of you.”

Mei didn’t care. “If you touch Gabu one more time, I’ll—I’ll kill you too!” He knew he could do it. Even if he couldn’t overpower Darrel on his own, he knew people who would do it for him. He was not going to lose Gabu again, not after all they’d been through.

“Mei...” a hoarse voice groaned from behind him. It sounded like he was struggling to breathe. There was still hope.

“Get out of the way,” Darrel said. “It’s better for everyone this way.”

“I mean it!” Mei shouted. “Get away from him!”

Darrel towered over Mei, whose head barely rose above Darrel’s legs. The stag’s antlers alone were as long as Mei was tall. Looking down on Mei with a look of grim determination, Darrel began to raise a hoof.

“Darrel, that’s enough,” came a voice from above them. It was Leo. “Look at him; he’s probably dying already. He’ll never hurt anyone else, ever again.”

For several heartbeats, Darrel held the hoof in mid-air. His eyes flicked back to look at Leo, and then down again to Mei. With a look of contempt, he slowly lowered the hoof and backed away.

Wordlessly, Leo climbed carefully down the slope to join Darrel. “Let’s go home,” he said imploringly. Darrel nodded once.

As the stags were leaving unhurriedly down the mountain, Darrel turned back to Gabu and Mei and muttered, almost inaudibly, “We never should have let you stay.”

When the stags’ backs were turned, Mei turned his attention to Gabu, who was lying on his side, breathing heavily. His legs were sprawled in front of him, his eyes staring fixedly ahead. Mei started to cry silently. “Gabu...” he started to say. He felt powerless.

Gabu met his eyes. “Mei,” he moaned breathlessly. “My leg...can’t stand up.”

An icy wind came down from the mountain and made Mei shiver. He remembered the freezing cold, his body so numb that he couldn’t walk, in so much pain that he could barely keep his eyes open. Believing that he had no chance of surviving the storm, Mei had told Gabu to live for the both of them.

Fuck that. They were both going to live.

“It’s okay,” Mei said as soothingly as he could between the tears. “We survived this mountain once; we can survive it again. Just keep breathing. I’ll go and—”

“Gabu!”

More hoofbeats were thundering towards them. Mei looked down the mountain and saw Greta and Mii running up the slope. Flying low above them were Toto and Riri.

The sparrows arrived first. “Oh my goodness, is he okay?” Riri said. Greta and Mii arrived a few seconds later. Still panting, Mii bent down to examine Gabu.

“He...Darrel...” Mei started to say.

“We know,” Toto interrupted.

“His leg is badly broken,” Mii said, her voice shaking. “He’s bleeding too, but not too much. We need to get him back to the forest.”

“He can’t walk,” Mei said weakly.

Greta lowered herself to ground level. “Help him get on my back.”

Slowly, and with great pain and difficulty on Gabu’s part, Mei and Mii supported Gabu as he dragged himself onto Greta, who began carrying him gently down the mountain.

“This has got to be a first,” Greta said, laughing nervously, “a wolf riding down a mountain on a doe’s back.”

“How did you know where to find us?” Mei said. He was still in shock from the events of a few minutes prior.

“We heard you running through the forest,” Toto said. “Riri followed you to make sure everything was all right. She saw everything and came back to get help.”

“It wasn’t just me. You found Greta,” Riri said to Toto.

“And you found Mii,” Toto said.

“We didn’t know if we would get here on time,” Mii said. “This is...awful.”

Thankfully, Gabu’s condition didn’t get any worse as Greta carried him through the forest and back to Moonrise Hill. Toto and Mii went ahead to prepare a bed of soft grass for him. Riri went back to their nest to make sure Hikari was safe. Mei stayed by Gabu’s side until Greta set him down gently on the grass.

“We’ll need some red clover to help the bone mend,” Mii said to Greta. “I’ll get some willow bark to relieve the pain.”

“Understood,” Greta said. She was about to follow Mii out of the cave, but hesitated at the cave mouth. Mii had already gone. “Red clover is the one with spotted leaves, right?” she asked Mei.

“Pink spiky flowers,” Mei corrected her.

“Right, of course.” Greta left in search of the herb.

“I’ll wait outside,” Toto said, leaving Gabu and Mei alone.

Gabu, who hadn’t said much but whose breathing had calmed down some, was lying on the grass bed and smiling up at Mei as if enjoying a private joke.

“What’s so funny?” Mei asked.

“It’s just nice not to be the one having to save your life for a change,” Gabu said.

“I didn’t save your life. You’ve got Greta and the others to thank for that.”

“Before then,” Gabu said, “after he kicked me off the ledge. He would have finished me off if it wasn’t for you.”

Mei’s face turned from a sad smile into a scowl. In all of the panic, it had slipped his mind who was responsible for all of this. “I shouldn’t have trusted him. How could he do this to you? We were friends.”

“He was sad and angry. Would you really have tried to kill him if he’d hurt me again?”

“He would have deserved it,” Mei said bitterly.

“Probably as much as I would have deserved it for killing his wife.”

“That’s not the same. You would never kill anyone if you could avoid it...” As he was talking, Mei realised the point Gabu was making. “Which is why I shouldn’t have wanted to kill him out of revenge either.”

“It wouldn’t make anything better,” Gabu said solemnly. “Think of how Leo would feel.”

“He was part of it too.” Mei sighed. “But I guess it’s just as much my fault that she died as it is yours.”

“We never tried to make anyone unhappy,” Gabu said. “Let’s keep it that way, okay?”

“Okay. How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been through worse. Actually, no, that’s not true, but I think I’ll be fine in the end. Mii really knows what she’s talking about, huh?”

“I had no idea she was this good at herbal remedies.”

At that moment, Mii returned, Greta following not long after. She instructed Gabu to chew on the willow bark and red clover, which Gabu said tasted very bitter. “That’s how you know it’s good for you,” Mii said in response to that.

“Since when do you know so much about herbs?” Mei asked. “You’re better at it than anyone else our age was.”

“Oh, I got interested in them after I got sick that one time. Do you remember? You got me those polka dot berries that only grow in Baku Baku...Valley.” She looked between Mei and Gabu, realisation dawning. “You can’t be serious.” Gabu smiled sheepishly. “In that case, you can think of this as my way of saying thank you.”

Anything Day was cancelled. Or, to put it another way, that day’s activity became going to see how Gabu was doing, since that’s what it seemed like everyone in the forest did at some point that day. The news of what had happened spread like wildfire. Gabu and Mei’s close friends were among the first to visit, but many people they knew less well or not at all came besides.

“Darrel did this to you?!” Sagi exclaimed. “That scheming, pretentious, double-crossing... I thought philosophers were supposed to be good people!”

“He did, but let’s not talk about him right now,” Gabu said. He still couldn’t stand up, but the pain had eased thanks to Mii’s herbs. “How are Sylvia and the kits doing?”

After the first few visits, Gabu had gotten bored of talking about himself, so he’d taken to asking his visitors about other things, anything to take his mind off the situation. On the pretence of going out to eat some grass, Mei left the cave and found a group of animals who were waiting their turn to see Gabu.

“Hey, I bet none of you can make Gabu laugh without him realising that’s what you’re trying to do. Tell everyone else who comes here to do the same.”

Before long, the game of “try to make the wolf laugh” had taken on a life of its own. Visitor after visitor told outrageous jokes and personal stories, often for several minutes at a time. Gabu loved it, even if he did have to listen to variations on “howl are you doing?” more times than he could count.

The last visitor of the day was Greta, and she hadn’t come to tell jokes. “There’s a problem. Darrel and Leo are staying in the forest, and people aren’t happy about it.”

“Neither am I,” Mei said. “They probably already know that Gabu isn’t going to die after all. If they decide to try again while he’s still recovering, I don’t know if I could stop them.”

“I’ve got birds and squirrels watching them to make sure they don’t try anything like that without us knowing. Even so, many animals have come to me saying they want Darrel and Leo to be exiled from the forest.”

“Then do that,” Mei said.

“That’s not my decision to make. And, if you’ll forgive me for saying so, it’s not yours either. As we have already established, when a significant proportion of the forest feels that someone should no longer be welcome, a forest meeting is held to determine their fate. I’m here to let you know that such a meeting will be taking place tomorrow at midday. Strictly speaking, your presence is not required, but I would strongly recommend it.”

“What do you want us to do?” Gabu asked.

“You’ll have an opportunity to take a leading part in the philosophical discussion on whether Darrel and Leo committed an injustice for which they deserve to be exiled. The two of them will be there too, but Linda from the philosophy group will be doing most of the arguing on their behalf, just as I’ll be arguing on yours.”

“Wait, Linda is taking their side?” Mei asked, shocked. “She’s a better philosopher than Takkan is. How can anyone hope to argue against her?”

“I asked her to. Ordinarily, she would never take their side over yours. It’s true that Linda is an excellent philosopher, but she’s also exceedingly fair-minded. She won’t let Darrel and Leo argue in bad faith, and she’ll concede any valid points that we make.”

“And you’ll do the same with us?” Gabu asked.

“Of course,” Greta said simply.

“Where will Takkan be in all of this?” Mei asked. “Listening to both sides and deciding who’s right?”

“Takkan won’t be taking a direct role in the discussion. He, too, is an excellent philosopher, but he does have a tendency to see any situation, no matter how serious, as a purely intellectual exercise, which I didn’t think would be appropriate here. Aside from that, the philosophical discussion serves only to provide a framework to explore both sides in a reasoned manner; it won’t have a direct effect on the outcome of the meeting. That will be determined collectively by everyone present, just as it was last time.”

“I suppose that’s fine, then,” Mei said. “We’ll be there, assuming Gabu can walk that far.”

“We’ll hold the meeting in the meadow outside, as close to here as possible.”

As Greta was just about to leave, Mei said, “Greta, why are you always the one who decides these things? I don’t mean to sound rude, but what gives you the right to speak for the entire forest?”

“I don’t speak for the entire forest,” Greta said. “I just make arrangements for the forest to speak for itself.”

Chapter 38: The Will of the Forest

Day 72: The Will of the Forest

The meadow was packed. Birds, squirrels, mice, rats, voles, rabbits, hedgehogs, shrews, deer, raccoons, badgers, foxes, weasels—Mei gave up trying to count all the different species who were crowded around Moonrise Hill.

The only space that wasn’t completely filled was a semicircle of land outside the entrance to their cave. There, Gabu and Mei were joined by Greta and Linda. Darrel and Leo hadn’t arrived yet, although Greta assured them they would be here. Somehow, it hadn’t occurred to Mei that he and Gabu would have to be near Darrel again. What if he tried to hurt Gabu again? No, he wouldn’t dare try it with all these people around.

At the front of the crowd, Mei saw people he recognised. Sagi, Mii, Kuro-san and Takkan were all standing together, smiling at Mei whenever he looked their way. There were also people he’d met at Theatre Day, Philosophy Day and Anything Day, although he couldn’t remember their names. Toto and Riri were there too, just not at the same time. Every few minutes, one of them would fly back to the forest and the other would return, both wanting to keep abreast of developments but not wanting to leave Hikari alone.

Gabu had managed to walk out of the cave and lay himself down on the grass with almost no assistance from Mei, holding his broken leg (his left foreleg) limply in the air while he hopped forward on the other three. The day was lovely, and Gabu seemed to be enjoying spending time in the fresh air and sunlight after more than a day spent inside. He seemed almost oblivious to the huge crowd gathered around them.

After several minutes of waiting, Mei spotted the two sets of antlers making their way towards them through the crowd. “They’re coming.” Gabu tried to stand up, but gave up quickly and settled himself back down.

“We won’t let them hurt you,” Greta said. She indicated with her head a group of three unfamiliar deer (two does and one stag) who were standing watchfully at the edge of the crowd. Mei hadn’t noticed them until now. One of the does caught Greta’s eye and raised her brow questioningly. Greta gave a tiny shake of her head, and the doe nodded and looked away.

“Are you sure you’re not the leader of the forest?” Mei asked jokingly.

Greta didn’t get a chance to answer. Just then, Darrel and Leo broke through the final ranks of the crowd and entered the space where Gabu, Mei, Greta and Linda were standing (or lying, in Gabu’s case). Wordlessly, they moved to the opposite side of the clearing, the crowd moving back to make room for them. Linda walked over to stand beside them.

Leo looked slightly nervous, Mei thought. He kept glancing from one direction to another, as if searching for a place to look where dozens of pairs of eyes wouldn’t be staring back at him. He didn’t find anywhere. Darrel, on the other hand, was resolute. He stared fixedly at Gabu, Mei and Greta, barely even blinking. Linda, when Mei looked at her, smiled apologetically. Mei couldn’t quite bring himself to smile back.

Greta stepped into the middle of the clearing and addressed the crowd in a loud, clear voice. “Yesterday morning, Darrel, aided by his partner Leo, lured Gabu and Mei into the mountain, separated them, and kicked Gabu off a ledge. After falling a considerable distance, Gabu landed, broke his leg, and was unable to move. Darrel then proceeded towards Gabu and raised his hoof at Gabu and Mei. After some words from Leo, both stags left Gabu and Mei alone on the mountain and returned to this forest.

“Some days prior to that,” Greta continued, “Gabu and two other wolves, Jess and Gon, had set out to hunt deer in the eastern forest. The idea to do so came from Mei, who reasoned that a single deer could feed all three wolves the same as could many smaller animals. When Mei disclosed these events at a recent philosophy group meeting, at which Darrel and Leo were present, they feared that Darrel’s wife Maureen may have been killed, and the two of them left to investigate. As we now know, their fears were correct.

“Does anyone dispute the veracity of these facts?” Greta concluded, and was met with silence. Greta turned to Gabu and Mei, and then to Darrel and Leo. “Do all of you accept this as an accurate summation of what happened?”

All four of them nodded.

“Good. I’ve arranged this meeting because a large number of you expressed your outrage at the way in which Darrel and Leo acted yesterday.” This was met with a ripple of murmurs throughout the crowd. “One animal killing or attempting to kill another is a terrible thing. In the case of predators killing to survive, this is widely accepted as a necessary evil. However, there has never until now been a case where one animal has tried to kill another out of spite or retribution.

“This presents a difficult moral dilemma: Should we tolerate attacks by non-predators on predators, either retributive or preemptive, if those attacks will negate the harm that predator would have done in the future?” The murmurs grew louder. “We will now commence with an ethical discussion on this matter, with myself arguing that such attacks should be condemned and Linda arguing in favour of allowing such attacks. Linda, will you begin?”

“How about I start?” Darrel said. The crowd became silent. “I greatly respect you, Greta. We’ve always had our disagreements, but I’ve come to appreciate the way you conduct yourself in ethical debates. You’ve always been an advocate for the common good, that no single animal is more important than the forest as a whole, and that fact is at the heart of why I stand by my decision to attempt to end Gabu’s life.

“We all know Gabu and Mei. Their story never fails to bring a tear to the eye of anyone who hears it. But, sadly, their being here comes at a terrible price. Every day that wolf is alive, people die to keep him that way. There’s no way around it. This fact is so deeply ingrained in predators’ lives that it has come to be known as the ‘Gabu Problem.’” Mei recoiled at hearing those words. They’d seemed so quaint when Takkan had used them all those weeks ago, but they sounded deeply ominous when spoken by Darrel now. “When I found out that my dearest Maureen had been killed, I decided that I would be the one to solve it. One life does not outweigh many, Greta. You know that better than anyone.”

Mei couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This was so unexpected that he hadn’t even known to be afraid of it. Darrel had clearly rehearsed his speech to sound as convincing as possible, and he was succeeding. It touched on all the points that Mei had agonised over so many times, and to which he had found no satisfying counterargument. The animals in the crowd continued to watch silently, waiting for whoever was going to talk next. Mei couldn’t tell how many of them had been convinced by Darrel’s words.

“Thank you for starting us off, Darrel,” Greta said. “If I understand your point correctly, you are saying that we should allow any person to be killed if their death would benefit others. That would mean, for instance, that if there is a water shortage, then those of us who require more water than others should be killed to ensure that there is enough to go around. Indeed, there may be situations in which the death of any one of us could be deemed to advance the common good. The knowledge of this, that any of us may be killed at any time, is likely to cause more distress than such a maxim would prevent.” It was a weak argument; even Mei could see that.

“That’s a catch-all counterargument,” Linda said. “Whenever utilitarianism produces a result that conflicts with a person’s subjective intuition of right and wrong, the ‘knowledge causes distress’ argument is often the only recourse. Relying on it amounts to saying, ‘we should only use utilitarianism when it supports the intuitions we would have followed anyway.’”

Greta bit her lip. It was clear that this was exactly the hole she was hoping wouldn’t be picked at.

“However,” Linda continued with a slight smile, “the fact that utilitarianism so often produces unintuitive results is a good reason not to use it at all.” Darrel’s head snapped down to look at Linda with narrowed eyes. “But we’re getting off topic. The pertinent question is whether animals should be allowed to kill to protect their own lives or that of other animals.

“To answer that question, we can examine precedent using deontology. Consider what happens when a carnivore kills their prey. To phrase it as a maxim, ‘a carnivore may take the life of another animal to ensure their own survival.’ If we universalise this, we find that any animal may take the life of another animal to ensure their own survival.

“By taking a somewhat loose interpretation of the concept of killing to include killing by proxy, we can then generalise this further and derive the maxim, ‘an animal may induce in another animal the desire to kill for the purpose of ensuring the first animal’s survival.’ This, I believe, is what happened when Darrel made the decision to kill Gabu. The unknown animals whose lives are threatened by Gabu’s existence induced in Darrel the desire to kill Gabu to prevent those animals from dying. If we assume that this constitutes as good a reason for Darrel to kill as would be to preserve his own life, then we can find no fault in Darrel acting upon this desire.”

“You make a good point,” Greta admitted. “Would you allow us some time to think on what you have said and prepare a suitable counterargument?”

“Of course,” Linda said.

When it became clear that nothing more would be said for the time being, the crowd began talking amongst themselves, the sound of which granted Greta, Gabu and Mei privacy to talk without being overheard.

“That sounded like a much more convincing argument than what Darrel said,” Mei said. “We could argue about whether killing to save other people is the same as killing to save yourself?”

“I don’t think that would end well for us,” Gabu said.

“They were both good arguments,” Greta said. “I’m sorry, I should have prepared better.”

Just then, Mei noticed Takkan. He was still standing at the front of the crowd with their other friends, but he was mouthing something at them repeatedly. “What’s Takkan saying?” Mei asked.

Greta looked at him. “Categorical imperative.” When he saw that Greta had got the message, Takkan looked away to examine the sky innocently. “But how could...? Perhaps...” Greta trailed off, deep in thought. Mei didn’t dare to interrupt to ask what she was thinking. “Yes, that could work.”

After a few more minutes of putting her thoughts in order, Greta was ready to resume the discussion. “Thank you for your patience,” she said in a loud and clear voice. The murmuring of voices faded quickly. “For ease of analysis, Linda, your maxim can be simplified to, ‘when the lives of people in a group are at risk, a member of that group may kill animals outside that group in order to ensure the group members’ survival.’ Is that consistent with what you have said so far?”

“It is,” Linda said simply.

“Let us examine what happens when we apply that maxim first to prey animals, and then simultaneously to predators. The present state of affairs is that predators kill prey animals to survive. Hence, the lives of all prey animals are at risk from predators, and so any prey animal may kill any predator at any time.

“Now our state of affairs is that prey animals kill predators to survive. By the same maxim, this gives predators a reason to kill prey animals even when the predators are not in need of food. The more that prey animals are a risk to predators, the more predators must become a risk to prey animals, and on it goes in a self-reinforcing cycle.

“Because prey animals are now at greater risk than they were originally, this contradicts the stated end of ensuring their own survival. Contrary to that end, in a war between all predators and all prey animals, it would almost certainly be the prey animals who suffer the most. Thus, this maxim fails the universalisation principle and should not be acted upon.”

Darrel laughed derisively. “That’s clearly nonsense, right, Linda?”

Linda didn’t answer at first. She was mulling over Greta’s words. “No, it’s a logically sound counterargument.”

Darrel continued to look at Linda expectantly. “Aren’t you going to make a counter-counterargument?”

“I don’t think there’s anything more that I can productively say on the matter,” Linda said impassively. “You’re welcome to try, though. Deontology always was your preferred moral theory, after all.”

That did not reassure Darrel. “Fine, then. You’re misapplying universalisation when you say the maxim must apply to all herbivores and all carnivores simultaneously.”

“How so?” Greta asked.

He didn’t have an answer for that. “You’ve twisted Linda’s maxim into something you know can’t be universalised. It’s a scarecrow fallacy.”

Greta only raised her brow in response to that.

Darrel was getting desperate. “Carnivores don’t count as ‘everyone.’ They can’t survive without leaching off others, so they can’t really be counted as independent persons at all.”

“Thank you, Darrel,” Greta said. She stepped forward to address the crowd. “Moral philosophy cannot carry punitive weight, on account of there being no single moral theory that is objectively correct and which everyone can be expected to follow. For that reason, the matter of whether Darrel and Leo should be allowed to remain in the forest will be decided by—”

“Wait!” Darrel interrupted. “I apologise for those last remarks; they were untrue and uncalled for. But if you’re rejecting Linda’s maxim, surely that casts doubt on whether wolves are justified in eating meat to begin with, which were the grounds on which Gabu was allowed to remain in the forest when he first arrived?”

To Mei’s horror, Greta thought about this. “A valid point.”

“In that case...” Darrel now addressed the crowd. “Everyone here will now have the opportunity to vote on what the conclusion of the meeting shall be. Firstly, could everyone back away a good distance?” The crowd hesitated at first, but did as Darrel said when Greta nodded her assent. “Thank you. Now, everyone who believes that Gabu should be exiled from the forest, please come forward.”

Mei saw Gabu’s fur stand on end as, one by one, animals stepped out of the now distant crowd and began walking towards them. Soon, they were surrounded by a solid ring of animals three or four deep. Mei didn’t see anyone he recognised, save for one woodpecker who might have been the one that had harassed them a couple of Theatre Days ago. Many of them were staring defiantly at Gabu, as if daring him to attack them in his injured state.

“Thank you,” Darrel said, and the animals slowly rejoined the crowd. Mei was thankful to be away from them.

“And now,” Greta said, “everyone who believes that Darrel and Leo should be exiled from the forest, come forward now.” This was it, Mei thought, the moment that would decide their fate. Whatever happened, at least it wouldn’t be as bad as having to leave his home the first time around.

For the span of several heartbeats, nobody moved. Then, a white goat stepped out from the front row of the crowd and started walking purposefully forward. It was Mii. Before she’d reached them, others followed in her wake. Sagi, Kuro-san, Takkan, Frank, Janice, Tanya—they were among the first. Deer, squirrels, birds, foxes, animals of all species started to come forward. Mei spotted Hiyaku dragging their parents forward. Ava, whose brother Lucas had been eaten by Gabu, strode confidently forward at the head of a group of squirrels. Toto and Riri flew over the heads of the crowd, presumably having come directly from their nest, and landed next to Mii.

The animals began to form up into a ring around them, which quickly became two, then three, then four animals thick. It was still growing. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” a voice Mei didn’t recognise said, presumably directed at Darrel. “Haven’t they gone through enough?” More comments followed. “Leave them alone!” “There’ll always be a place here for you, Gabu.” The noise began to grow, as did the crowd of animals clustered around them, until people were roaring their support for Gabu and Mei.

Mei noticed Kuro-san whisper something to Mii and the others, and then the seven of them started chanting something. It took them a couple of tries to get it in sync. “Arashi no yoru ni! Arashi no yoru ni!” One stormy night, Mei translated in his head. “Arashi no yoru ni! Arashi no yoru ni!” It spread quickly through the crowd. “Arashi no yoru ni! Arashi no yoru ni!” Soon, everyone was shouting it in unison.

Greta tried in vain to calm everyone down. “Thank you, that’s enough!”

“ARASHI NO YORU NI! ARASHI NO YORU NI!”

A few larger animals, mostly deer and a few foxes, pushed past the front of the crowd and began advancing menacingly towards Darrel and Leo, who backed away in terror.

Mei hurried to get between them. “That’s enough. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

The advancing animals got the message and retreated back into the crowd. That calmed things somewhat, and the chant began to die down.

“You’re all siding with him? The carnivore?” Darrel said meekly. Mei couldn’t quite believe it either.

“The will of the forest is conclusive,” Greta said. “Darrel and Leo, on behalf of the Emerald Forest, I hereby ask that you leave the forest. You have until midday tomorrow to say your goodbyes. Gabu and Mei, as we have now proved for the second time, the Emerald Forest will always be a home to you. You belong here as much as anyone else does. The meeting is now at an end. Thank you, everyone, for your time.”

It took a long time for everyone to disperse, with many people wanting to congratulate Gabu and Mei personally on the favourable outcome. Eventually, only Gabu, Mei, Greta, Linda, Darrel and Leo were left standing there, in addition to their close friends, who had stayed behind. Darrel and Leo were looking crestfallen.

Despite himself, Mei found himself feeling sorry for them. “Where will you go?” he asked.

“The eastern forest,” Leo said, “or perhaps further.”

“I really am truly sorry for what happened,” Gabu said. He was still lying on the ground. “I don’t think I ever got a chance to tell you that.”

Darrel grunted noncommittally, turned away from them, and started walking east.

Leo turned to follow Darrel, but Mei stopped him. “Wait. I don’t think any of this was your idea, was it, Leo? You don’t have to leave if you don’t want to. We’ll tell everyone you can stay.”

Leo smiled sadly. “I’m sorry too. But no, I won’t stay.” He looked towards Darrel, who was still walking away sullenly. “What would you do if Gabu had to leave, even if it was because he did something wrong? He’s got no one left now, other than me. And, at the end of the day, I still love him, no matter what.”

Mei smiled back. “Take care of him.”

“I will.” With that, Leo turned away and caught up with Darrel. The two of them walked side by side away from the Emerald Forest, and toward their new life.

Chapter 39: Return to Normal

Day 73: Return to Normal

After everything that had happened over the last couple of days, it didn’t seem right that things should suddenly go back to the way they were before. Of course, things weren’t the same as before. Gabu still couldn’t walk more than a few steps at a time, and he had to take herbs every day to ease the pain and hasten his recovery.

Mii insisted that the herbs should be taken on a full stomach, and Gabu wasn’t in any position to go hunting, so in the morning, Mei went alone to Waku Waku Hill and returned with a branch full of the blue berries Gabu liked, which he carried in his teeth. Hopefully, Gabu would be well enough to resume hunting before the lack of meat became a problem.

Mei had expected to miss Theatre Day that day, since Gabu couldn’t walk that far and Mei didn’t want to be there without him. And so it was a big surprise when a large group of animals, led by Takkan, arrived in front of Moonrise Hill. It was about half of the theatre group, including Jess, Gon, Janice, Frank, Sagi, Kuro-san and Greta. Those seven, plus Takkan, approached the cave entrance while the main group waited in the meadow.

“Good afternoon, my proverbial protagonists,” Takkan said with a grin. “If Gabu and Mei can’t come to Theatre Day, I thought to myself, then Theatre Day must come to them. The show must go on, after all.”

“We heard about what happened,” Gon said. “Those stags had better hope we don’t get hungry for deer meat while they’re around.”

“Are you two all right?” Jess asked.

Mei struggled to answer all three speakers at once. “This is quite a surprise. Yes, we’re doing fine now, aside from Gabu’s leg. Please don’t eat Darrel and Leo.”

Gon’s laugh sounded like a bark. “If you insist.”

“Thank you all for being so thoughtful,” Gabu said to Takkan and the others. “I don’t want to put everyone to any trouble for my sake.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Takkan said. “We were going to rehearse the final third of the story today anyway, and what better place to do so than the place where it all ends?”

Between them, they managed to help Gabu out into the meadow, so that they could use the hill itself as a stage. Takkan had told the choir members and the actors who played the goat characters that they didn’t need to come today, since only the wolf characters would have any parts to play in this practice session. A few of them, including Greta and Kuro-san, had come anyway.

Jess and Gon started with the scene in which Gabu and Mei were reunited with each other after surviving the waterfall. After that, just as it had happened in real life, they set off in search of some place where the wolves wouldn’t find them. They stopped for the night in a small forest, argued briefly about Gon sneaking off to go hunting, and were almost discovered when Zack (or was it Beach?) noticed a pretty flower just next to the bush they were hiding in. When the other wolves were gone, Jess said, “That wolf really likes flowers, huh?” to which Gon replied, slightly defensively, “It’s perfectly normal for a wolf to like flowers,” and both of them laughed. The humour of that moment broke the tension between them from their earlier argument.

Soon, Jess and Gon were at the foothills of the mountain (actually Moonrise Hill) and were beginning their ascent. After some time spent climbing, they stopped to rest on an overhanging ledge (in reality, the top of the hill) and looked back at how far they had come.

“‘We’ve climbed quite a way, haven’t we?’” Gon said.

“‘Yeah, and I’m tired enough to know it!’”

“‘Look over there, Mei. You can see Sawa Sawa Mountain from up here.’”

“‘You sure can. I can also see Baku Baku Valley.’”

“‘They look so small from all the way up here.’”

“‘We used to live in those little places, didn’t we?’”

“‘Yeah. Every day we would chase and be chased, hide away and seek after. It was such a bother.’”

Jess sighed. “‘You are funny. I never thought I’d hear a wolf say something like that.’”

“‘I never thought I’d hear a wolf say something like that either.’” They both laughed.

“‘Gabu, there’s something I need to tell you.’”

“‘What’s that?’”

“‘I’m...really glad I met you on that stormy night.’”

“Wait,” Mei—the real Mei—said. The scene paused and everyone turned to look at him. “I want to change that line. Just give me a second to think of something.” Gabu smiled up at him knowingly. Mei smiled back and remembered how he’d felt in that moment, how he still felt now. “‘Gabu, there’s something I need to tell you.’”

“‘What’s that?’” Gabu said.

“I... ‘Ever since I met you on that stormy night, every day has been better than the last. All the trouble and hardship—being with you just seems to make it all worthwhile.’”

“‘Really? Well, I feel the same,’” Gabu said. After a long pause, he continued, “‘Hey, Mei, do you really believe there’s another forest?’”

“‘There is. There has to be.’”

“‘I bet you it’s perfect. It’s going to be great.’”

Mei sighed contentedly. “I love you, Gabu.” He said it as if it was the simplest thing in the world, and Gabu melted into a happy puddle.

“I love you too, Mei.”

When it was clear the two of them had finished, Takkan said, “Fabulous! It lacks the sweet subtlety of, ‘Only if you’re there, Gabu,’ but I think we can make it work. Jess and Gon?”

Jess smiled earnestly. “Run it by us a couple more times and we’ll have it memorised.”

After practising the revised version of the scene a few more times and polishing the wording in a few places, they moved on to the scene atop the mountain, followed by Gabu’s confrontation with the pursuing wolves. Both of these scenes had songs that Mei hadn’t heard yet, in which most of the story was told, but they were skipping those today and focusing on the short sequences of dialogue before and after. “You’ll hear them in a couple of weeks when we perform the play for real,” Gabu said. Mei got the impression that he didn’t want to spoil all the surprises ahead of time.

“After the avalanche,” Takkan said, “there’s a brief intermission in which we relocate to inside the forest, where we have Mei pining after Gabu. When he hears news of a wolf in the meadow, Mei runs here and we begin the final scene. For today, we’ll go through the whole sequence here. Jess, just move your legs up and down so it looks like you’re running.”

They did as Takkan said, and they soon reached the start of the song Mei had arrived during last full moon. Since they were skipping that song and the one after it, the last thing Jess and Gon acted out was Mei realising that Gabu wasn’t himself, and then it was over.

“The ending was a little sudden, wasn’t it?” Mei said.

“You think we need something extra in between the songs?” Gon said. “‘Mei, where are we? What’s going on?’”

“That might help,” Mei said. He tried to remember what he’d said at the time. “And then, how about Jess says, ‘I’ve been waiting for you this whole time!’ as if you’re about to cry. After that, we can do the final song.”

“Just those two lines?” Takkan said. “No, ‘At last, the two of us can live out our days in peace, free from the tyranny of a world that isn’t ready for a love like ours?’”

“That’s a little melodramatic, don’t you think?” Gabu said.

“And losing your memories and almost eating your best friend isn’t?” Takkan countered.

“Okay,” Mei said, “Gabu, what is it you said to me as we were watching the full moon?”

“‘The moon’s beautiful, isn’t it?’” Gabu said. Just like that, the memories came flooding back.

“‘Yeah, it really is.’”

“‘I’ve been waiting so long to watch the moonrise with you, Mei.’”

“‘Me too, Gabu. But it was definitely worth the wait. Don’t you think?’”

“‘Yeah, and this is the best one ever.’”

“‘Gabu?’”

“‘Hmm?’”

“‘We’re finally able to be together, aren’t we?’”

“‘Yes, Mei. And we’ll always be together. I promise.’”

“I love you, Gabu.”

“I love you too, Mei.”

There was a pause.

“See?” Takkan said to the group at large. “I told you we couldn’t do this without the real Gabu and Mei here.”

“I don’t recall anyone arguing with you,” Jess said.

Takkan shrugged. “I just thought I’d point out how good an idea it was. That was truly beautiful, you two. Gabu, why didn’t you tell me about those lines when we were writing the script?”

“Because...” Gabu hesitated and looked apologetically at Mei, “...when Mei told me he loved me, I thought he meant as a friend. And then it got even more awkward.”

Not too long ago, Mei would have been annoyed at Gabu for telling everyone about that. Now, though, he only laughed. “How far we’ve come, huh?”

“It takes a while to figure it out sometimes,” Jess said.

“Not us, though,” Gon said. “Other times, you just know what you like.”

“In my experience,” Takkan said, “it’s quicker to figure out what you don’t like.” He noticed Kuro-san’s look of curiosity. “I’ll tell you about those experiences later.”

Perhaps sensing it was time to change the topic, Jess said to Gabu and Mei, “Can you go over that again? I want to make sure we remember it right.”

Chapter 40: Desperate Measures

Days 74-77: Desperate Measures

Content warning: Assisted dying

The next morning, Gabu’s leg was feeling only slightly better. This was a problem, because he was also getting hungrier day by day.

“I’ll get you some more of those berries,” Mei promised, and went to do so. When he returned, Gabu ate them up quickly before chewing his daily herbs, which tasted no better than they had the day before.

“Thanks, Mei,” Gabu said. “Are you going to Philosophy Day today?”

“Not today. I think I’ve had enough of philosophy for a while.” Gabu didn’t argue. In fact, he looked a little relieved that Mei would be there with him all day.

They did the same thing the day after that. Gabu tried to hide how hungry he was getting despite the berries, but Mei was all too familiar with the confused sideways glances that meant Gabu was struggling not to think of him as food.

Gabu kept trying to walk longer and longer distances, and he was succeeding, even if he still couldn’t put any weight on his left foreleg and had to hop everywhere. Any animal he successfully hunted like that would have to have a broken leg themselves. Despite the growing severity of the situation, Mei couldn’t help but find the thought of Gabu hopping after fleeing animals a little bit funny. He insisted it was nothing when Gabu asked what he was giggling about. Gabu, in turn, insisted whenever Mei broached the subject that the berries were enough to keep him fed, and that he could last another few days without eating meat. Neither of them believed it.

When Anything Day came around, Mei was worried that Gabu might accidentally eat one of the smaller animals who came near him. No one will notice one tiny mouse, right? Mei could almost imagine him thinking; after all, Gabu had almost eaten Mei’s ear that one time. That Anything Day was spent just chatting, no one wanting to suggest any physical activities that would exclude Gabu.

“He’s definitely getting thinner,” Mii commented. Gabu was elsewhere, talking to a couple of rabbits at the time.

“I don’t know what to do,” Mei said. “He won’t talk about it.”

“This is getting ridiculous. I’ll talk to him.” Mei was about to protest that it wouldn’t do any good, but then he remembered who he was speaking to.

When Gabu had finished his conversation with the rabbits, Mei watched as Mii walked boldly up to him and start talking. He was too far away to hear what they were saying, and he didn’t feel like joining in. He watched as Gabu became increasingly dismissive (in the charming, not too obnoxious way that he did) and Mii became increasingly frustrated with him.

She stomped back over to him. “You have got to do something.”

“What can I do?”

“Anything. Listen, if he isn’t eating a proper diet, the bone might heal wrong. He might never be able to run properly again. Mei, he might die.”

Mei blinked back tears. “Okay... I’ll see what I can think of.”

That night, while Gabu was sleeping fitfully, Mei snuck out of the cave. The meadow was bathed in a dim, ghostly white light from the half moon shining overhead. As he crossed over into the nighttime forest, he felt more alone than he had done in months.

Mei arrived in the very middle of the forest. No forest was ever silent at night, but they always felt empty. In fact, for many of the forest’s residents, perhaps most, this was the most active time. Rustles and chirps surrounded him on all sides. He couldn’t see anyone, but he knew they were listening.

“He’s dying,” Mei said loudly. “Gabu, he—he can’t hunt. He’s been eating nothing but berries for seven days now. If it goes on like this, he’s not going to make it. Please, I know that someone here knows someone who isn’t going to make it either, someone who might even want a quick and peaceful end. If he means anything to you—and believe me, he means the entire world to me—please help us out. We really need it.”

Mei waited and waited, but no one answered. Dejected, he walked back to Moonrise Hill, where Gabu was waiting for him, still asleep.

Later that night, there was a small sound at the mouth of their cave. Gabu awoke first. “Hello,” Mei heard him say. “Who are you?”

Mei got up fast. Standing there were five mice, two of them elderly, the other three middle-aged. One of the elderly mice looked like he was having trouble breathing.

Before they could say anything, Mei said, “Thank you so much for coming; I can’t begin to tell you how much it means to us. Can you excuse us for one moment?” He took the confused Gabu to the back of the cave. The mice didn’t say anything, but waited patiently at the cave mouth.

“Mei, what’s going on?”

“Gabu,” Mei looked him square in the eyes, “promise me that you’ll do what I ask you to do. No more deflecting.”

“But—”

“Promise me.”

Gabu looked over at the mice. Mei knew that he understood. “I promise.”

Mei walked back to the mice. Gabu stayed where he was. “I’m sorry about that. Please, come in. It’s awfully cold out tonight, isn’t it?” And, just in case they were worried about entering the cave, he added, “Nothing will happen until you’re ready.”

“It’s certainly a rough night,” the mouse who had been having trouble breathing said. “My name’s Morty. These are my wife and three adult daughters,” he said, indicating the four other mice. They all had tears in their eyes, but smiled kindly up at Mei. “We heard you were in need of some assistance, and as luck would have it, I’m able to provide.”

The reality of the situation was beginning to dawn on Mei. They’d ruled this out as a possible alternative to hunting months ago, thinking that no one would be willing to do it even if they were already dying. And yet, when Mei had asked, someone had come. “Thank you so much, I—”

“Eh, you already thanked me just a moment ago,” Morty interrupted. He looked at Gabu, who was watching quietly from the back of the cave. “Do I get to meet him first?”

Mei swallowed. “Go right ahead.”

Morty walked up to Gabu. The other mice stayed with Mei. “So, this is the wolf I’ve heard so much about. It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.”

Gabu was on the verge of tears. “I honestly don’t know what to say. Are you sure you want to...”

“When you get to be my age, dying doesn’t seem like such a big deal anymore. Besides...” he coughed suddenly, “...I don’t reckon I got much say in the matter in any case. Perhaps in the next life, you’ll do the same for me.”

Gabu nodded. It didn’t look like he could speak coherently if he tried.

Morty walked back over to the other four mice. He kissed his wife and hugged each of his daughters in turn. “Not much to say that ain’t already been said. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too,” they each said.

“Wait outside with them for me,” Morty said to Mei.

The mice looked up at Mei, and then to Morty. They seemed reluctant to follow him out. “It’s okay,” Mei said, “I don’t...” He almost said, “I don’t bite,” but stopped himself just in time. “I don’t think any of us wants to see this.”

They went outside, staring up at the sky, at the forest, anywhere but at the cave behind them. The four mice held each other tightly.

The last thing they heard was Morty’s cheerful, confident voice shouting, “Sayonara!” He pronounced it wrong.

The next morning, it was clear that both Gabu and Mei wanted to talk about the events of the previous night, but neither of them knew what to say. “That was...” Mei began but trailed off.

“Awful,” Gabu said. “I’ve never eaten anyone whose name I knew before, let alone someone who was just standing there, wanting me to do it.”

“I’m sorry to have put you through that, but you need to eat meat. Mii says you could be like this for the rest of your life if not.”

“Oh, no, I’m glad you did it, although I’m still not sure how you did it. It may be harder for me than hunting normally, but surely it’s better to eat someone who’s already dying, and who wants to be eaten, than to eat someone without asking them first?”

“I guess so. I honestly didn’t think anyone would come. How are you feeling now? With hunger, I mean.”

“A lot better. I think I can go another few days without eating meat again, although if anyone else comes to us, that would definitely help.” Mei wasn’t sure how much to believe Gabu about being able to last a few more days. Surely one mouse couldn’t keep him alive for that long?

Gabu resolved to spend the remainder of the day resting to conserve his energy. As was now the daily ritual, Mei walked alone to Waku Waku Hill and picked a fresh cluster of berries. The bushes that had once been so plentiful now looked noticeably sparser. On the way back, he collected Gabu’s herbs and returned with them to Moonrise Hill.

They received two further visits at separate times the following night: a shrew and a small bird. It was just as upsetting as the first time, perhaps more so since the shrew and the bird both lacked Morty’s easygoing attitude and were visibly afraid to die, even if it was already certain. Mei felt the need to check multiple times that they definitely wanted to go ahead with it and weren’t being unduly pressured into it. In the end, the bird changed her mind, much to the relief of her companions, and was carried back to the forest. From the look of things, Mei would be surprised if she survived the night.

It wasn’t enough. Back when Gabu had been eating regularly, a mouse and a shrew might have been enough to keep him going, at least in the short term. Now, though, when his body had been deprived of meat for so many days, one small animal a night wasn’t enough to undo the harm that had already been done. On top of that, Mei didn’t know how long people would keep coming for.

Chapter 41: Help

Day 78: Help

“A shrew and a mouse?” Gon said incredulously. Theatre Day had been spent rehearsing the route the performers would take through the forest as they moved from scene to scene, something they’d practised only a few times before now. Since Gabu wasn’t able to take part in that, Mei had stayed with him. Now that Theatre Day was over, they were in the middle of telling Jess and Gon about the events of the past few days. “You think a shrew and a mouse are going to heal your leg?”

“There was also a bird,” Gabu said meekly, “but she changed her mind.”

Jess and Gon looked at him as if he’d just said that a loosed boulder had decided not to roll down a hill. “When I fell off that cliff,” Gon said, “I ate until I couldn’t eat any more. And do you know what happened?”

“What?” Gabu said.

“I survived.”

“What Gon means is,” Jess said, “you need to be eating a lot more than that. Perhaps twice what you usually eat, if you want it to heal quickly. Perhaps more, considering you’ve been starving yourself. Have you never taken care of a sick pack member before?”

“I was thinking I could get by just by eating people who want to be eaten,” Gabu said. “That way, the only people who die are the ones who are already dying.”

“Which would include you if you keep that up,” Gon said darkly.

“He still can’t hunt for himself,” Mei said, hoping they would get the message without him having to ask explicitly.

“Why didn’t you come to us?” Jess said. “It’s long overdue we repaid your kindness in helping me escape from my pack. We can stay and hunt for you until your leg heals.”

Gabu still looked undecided, so Mei decided for him. “Thank you. That would really help.”

“Okay,” Gabu said, “but you’ve got to hunt randomly.” Jess and Gon looked at him in confusion, so Gabu explained the way Takkan had taught him of hunting in a different part of the forest every night. He tried briefly to explain the reasoning behind it, but neither he nor Mei understood it well enough to explain it to someone else, and Jess and Gon weren’t interested in philosophy anyway.

“Well, that’s a load of—”

“Of course,” Jess interrupted. “We’ll try our best.”

“Thanks,” Mei said. “I’ll go and warn everyone that you’ll be hunting in the forest starting from tonight.”

As Mei was leaving, Gon shook his head in disbelief. “Warning the prey before you hunt. This forest is insane.”

After Jess and Gon had left to find somewhere to stay in the Emerald Forest, Gabu and Mei remained in their cave. Gabu was starting to get restless from having to stay still for so long, so Mei tried to keep him occupied with conversation.

Some time later, Mei spotted three birds flying over the meadow towards them. One of them, smaller than the other two, was flying slightly erratically; they kept landing and struggling to get airborne again, and the other two had to keep going back to wait for them.

“Look!” Mei said. “I think that’s Hikari over there. He’s learning to fly.”

Gabu limped to the mouth of the cave to watch. “It sure is. He got really far that time.”

The two of them cheered whenever Hikari made any progress and shouted encouragement when he was struggling. Slowly but surely, Hikari and his parents made their way towards them. When, with one last burst of effort, Hikari ascended the hill and landed right in front of Gabu and Mei, Toto and Riri joined in with the celebratory noises.

“Mama, Papa, I’m not a little chick anymore,” Hikari protested. “You don’t need to make a big deal out of it.”

“You’ll always be our little chick,” Toto said. “Hello,” he said to Gabu and Mei. “We’re teaching Hikari how to fly.”

“That was amazing,” Mei said. “You came all this way without any help.”

“I sure couldn’t have done that,” Gabu said.

“It was nothing,” Hikari said shyly. “And you’re a wolf,” he said to Gabu. “Wolves don’t fly.”

“I did jump across a really wide ravine once,” Gabu said. “Mei and I were being chased by the other wolves who wanted to kill us.”

“That’s different. You need wings to fly for real.”

“I guess you’re the expert,” Gabu said. Mei stifled a laugh. Luckily, Hikari didn’t seem to notice.

“How many wolves were chasing you?” he asked.

“Fourteen in the group that came after us,” Gabu said promptly, “seven at that particular moment. The wolves that found us were led by Bari, the second-in-command of the Baku Baku wolf pack. He once ate an entire goat in one bite.”

“Wait, really?” Mei said. That didn’t sound possible, even if it was a young goat.

“That’s what they say,” Gabu said. Hikari was listening intently. “If it had been Giro’s wolves that found us, we probably wouldn’t be here today. Giro is—was—the leader of the pack. He killed Mei’s mother when Mei was very young, but not before his mother bit Giro’s ear clean off. And it never grew back.”

“He’s not the leader anymore?” Hikari asked.

“No,” Gabu said. “When Giro and the other wolves cornered me, high up in the mountain, our fighting caused an avalanche that killed Giro and a few of the other wolves. I don’t know who’s leading what’s left of the pack now.”

“Lala,” Mei reminded him. “Boro told me when I met him.”

“Oh, good for her. She always wanted to be in charge. Anyway, that’s enough of my stories. How are you doing, Hikari?”

“I’m fine,” Hikari said.

“Did you find any friends after we asked around for other young birds?” Mei asked.

“Yeah, Camille. She’s cool. She’s a swift.”

“The two of them get on very well together,” Riri said.

“She’s just a friend,” Hikari said, lest anyone mistakenly think otherwise.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Mei said.

“Now that you can fly, you can visit her all by yourself,” Toto said.

“Camille is older, but swifts take longer to fledge than us,” Riri explained. “It might be another month before she can fly on her own.”

“I’m going to help teach her when her wings are ready,” Hikari said proudly.

“Then you’d better keep on learning,” Toto said. “How about you fly all around the hill and back?”

“All by myself?”

“All by yourself.”

Hikari hopped up to the cave mouth, took a running start, and flapped his way into the air. He quickly disappeared out of sight.

“They grow up so fast,” Mei said. “It seems like only yesterday that he could barely form complete sentences.”

“Yeah,” Gabu said, “but in truth it was a whole seven or eight days ago.”

“Was it that recent?” Toto said. “It feels like longer.”

“Do you two want another break from looking after him?” Mei asked.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Riri said. “He should be easier to take care of now that he can keep himself warm and chew his own food. The only thing you really need to do is make sure he doesn’t get eaten.”

“I think we can manage that,” Mei said, conscious that Gabu still hadn’t eaten properly yet.

Just then, Hikari returned. “I did it!” he chirped.

“Amazing!” Toto said. “How many times did you have to land on the ground?”

“Only twice. I think I can do it all in one go if I try again. Can Gabu and Mei watch this time?”

Mei looked to Gabu, unsure if he should be moving around, but Gabu seized at the excuse to leave the cave. “Of course,” he said, and followed Hikari outside, Mei following alongside.

“We’re going to go back to the forest to check on some things,” Riri said. “You’ll be well-behaved for Uncle Gabu and Uncle Mei, right, Hikari?” The two of them beamed at being called uncles. Hikari nodded. “All right. We’ll be back soon.”

No sooner had Toto and Riri flown out of sight than Hikari was hopping up and down to get Gabu and Mei’s attention. “I’m going to do it again now. Ready?”

“Ready,” Gabu said.

They watched intently as Hikari took off and flapped his way around the hill. He tried to fly high enough above it that he would remain in sight of them, but he kept dipping down below the top of the hill, unable to sustain the altitude. At one point, when he was on the far side of the hill, he dipped down and didn’t come back up, which lasted long enough that Mei started to worry. But then he was back in the air and soaring around the remainder of the hill.

“I only landed once that time!” he said as he reached them.

“That was a lot better,” Mei said. “Do you want to try it one more time?”

This time, Hikari was a lot more confident. He sailed around the hill in record time without stopping even once and was met with whoops and cheers from Gabu and Mei.

“Race me!” he said, already getting ready to go around again.

“Uh,” Mei said, looking at Gabu’s leg.

“You two race,” Gabu said cheerfully. “I’ll be here to congratulate the winner.”

“Okay, then.” Mei lined up beside Hikari. “Three, two, one, go!”

Mei got an early lead, shooting ahead while Hikari struggled to get into the air. Grass was trampled underhoof as Mei sped around the first quarter of the hill. In a matter of seconds, however, Hikari had caught up. He glided effortlessly right beside Mei’s head, grinning widely. Mei put on a burst of speed and maintained the lead, leaving Hikari behind. Again, Hikari was right next to him, and then ahead of him. The young sparrow even performed a mid-air loop, during which Mei almost caught back up, but with a flap of his wings, Hikari was moving faster than ever. At last, they returned to where Gabu was sitting and enjoying the show. Hikari was the clear winner.

“Wow,” Gabu said, “it’s a good thing sparrows don’t hunt goats or wolves. Otherwise, we’d all be in trouble!”

Mei was exhausted. “Yeah, I thought running away from wolves was hard work.”

“You think I could’ve beaten you too if you hadn’t hurt your leg?” Hikari asked Gabu.

“Hmm, I might have had a chance back when I was a little younger than I am now, assuming I was very hungry at the time. I don’t think even your parents could have flown as fast as you just did.”

“I don’t know,” Hikari said, “they can fly really fast when they want to.”

They continued playing flying and racing games all the rest of the day. Toto and Riri joined in when they returned from their break. Hikari was right; they could encircle the hill in half the time it took Hikari, and a third of the time it took Mei.

To make things fairer, they played in pairs, Riri and Mei on one team and Toto and Hikari on the other. The first person in each team would carry a twig around the hill and pass it to their teammate, who would then carry it around the hill a second time. Hikari’s team almost always won, except when Toto intentionally gave Mei a head start to keep things interesting.

It was quite literally the most fun Hikari had had in his life, and the most fun the rest of them had had in ages.

Chapter 42: Recovery

Day 79-82: Recovery

Jess and Gon arrived that night, carrying a dead rabbit each in their jaws. Mei didn’t recognise them. Gabu ate them hungrily.

In the morning, Gabu tried walking around again. After some practice, he perfected a half-hop-half-limp that avoided putting too much pressure on his injured leg. Mei protested at first, but Gabu insisted. “How am I supposed to heal without fresh air and exercise?”

Again, Mei stayed away from Philosophy Day.

The next night, Jess and Gon appeared twice, once with a dead squirrel each and once with a raccoon. Neither Gabu nor Mei knew any raccoons personally, so they felt less bad about Gabu eating one—until they realised they felt that way, that is, after which they felt worse.

On the free day, Gabu insisted on both of them visiting Waku Waku Hill again. Since it would take Gabu a large part of the day to get there, they decided to spend the night. As they passed through the forest, Gabu called out for someone to let Greta, Jess and Gon know they were heading south into the hills.

“Won’t Jess and Gon need to know which hill to bring food to?” Mei asked.

“They’ll figure it out,” Gabu said.

Mei had forgotten how beautiful the sunset was from Waku Waku Hill. As for the moon, it was now three quarters full. “Four days left,” Gabu told Mei when he asked; he’d been keeping careful track.

When Jess and Gon arrived to deliver Gabu’s nightly meal (three voles), they found the two of them curled up asleep together near the edge of the plateau. “You should really be more careful around cliffs,” Jess said as they awoke.

“Mei knows cliffs better than anyone,” Gabu said. “He wouldn’t let anything happen, even when we’re asleep.” Mei appreciated the sentiment but wasn’t sure the confidence was well placed. Jess and Gon’s experience with cliffs wasn’t to be dismissed either.

Since they’d come all this way, Jess and Gon decided to spend the night there as well. Gabu and Mei didn’t mind; they’d already made good use of the time spent alone.

When they all awoke, Gabu showed Jess and Gon the berries he liked so much.

“Huh,” Jess said, “I didn’t know there were blueberries growing around here. I haven’t had them in months.”

“Blueberries—is that what they’re called?” Gabu asked.

“It’s what we called them on Gara Gara Mountain,” Gon said, eating a large mouthful of them. “You’re telling me your pack never had a name for them?”

“We never had them back home.”

“Speaking of back home,” Mei said, “we should be getting back in time for Anything Day.”

“We’ve been meaning to stick around for that one of these days,” Jess said. “It sounds like fun.”

“You’re going to love it,” Gabu said.

When they arrived back in the meadow outside Moonrise Hill, the crowd had already gathered for Anything Day. Tanya introduced herself to Jess and Gon and explained how the day worked.

Before they discussed what today’s activities would be, Takkan had an announcement to make, and he dragged Gabu, Mei, Jess and Gon to the centre of the crowd in order to make it.

“Ladies and gentlefolk, the final performance of our musical theatre production One Stormy Night will take place three days hence from noon until sunset. That’s Philosophy Day, or the day preceding the full moon’s night, for those who keep track of such things. The musical will tell the tragic and wonderful tale of Gabu and Mei’s escape from persecution to live among us here in the Emerald Forest. The leading roles will be played by the gorgeous and talented Jess and Gon. Interested persons should assemble at this very spot just before noon in three days’ time. Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful Anything Day!”

“Told you he keeps calling us ‘gorgeous,’” Gon muttered, but smiled wryly all the same.

“Thank you, Takkan,” Tanya said. “I’m sure we’ll all be there. Now, who has a suggestion for today’s activity?”

The consensus ended up being storytelling. Jess and Gon were especially popular for this, since they had dozens of stories that no one had heard before from their time in a wolf pack other than Gabu’s. Gabu and Mei, too, were fascinated to hear what it had been like.

After Anything Day was over, they didn’t see Jess and Gon again until that night, when they arrived carrying a rat and a chipmunk. “It won’t be long before you’ll be hunting for yourself again,” Jess said.

“I hope so. Thanks for doing this in the meantime,” Gabu said as he accepted the meal.

Gabu and Mei spent the free day walking around the forest, catching up with people they hadn’t seen in a while. Gabu’s leg continued to get better, and his mood was considerably improved as a result.

“It’s kind of like learning to fly,” Gabu said. “You start out having to hop to go even the shortest distances, then you can go a little way before you need to rest, and after that, it’s just a matter of going further and further until you have to stop.”

“Just make sure you don’t make it worse by pushing yourself too hard,” Mei said.

“I know. But Mii says I’ve got to regain the muscle strength, and walking is the best thing for that.”

Mei relented. It was nice to be spending time with Gabu outside the cave, after all.

Chapter 43: The Last Theatre Day

Day 83: The Last Theatre Day

“This is it, everyone,” Takkan said, “the last Theatre Day before the opening night.”

“Does it count as an opening night if it’s also our closing night?” Greta asked.

“Yeah,” Sagi said, “and you said we’re starting at noon.”

“Okay,” Takkan said, playing up his annoyance for dramatic effect, “this is the last Theatre Day before the opening-closing noon-until-sunset. Happy now? Anyway, this is our last chance to straighten out any flaws. Does anyone have any lines you still can’t remember? Anything you don’t understand?”

“There’s something I don’t understand,” one hare said. Something seemed off about her tone. “Why are those two carnivores suddenly hunting in this forest?” She indicated Jess and Gon. “A friend of mine knew someone who got eaten by them only a couple nights ago. The deal was that no other wolves would be hunting in this forest.”

“I understand your concern,” Takkan said placatingly, “but this isn’t the time for that. We can discuss politics after tomorrow.”

“Politics?!” a rat exclaimed. “You think people dying is politics?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I think premade communal arrangements about whether people die in one forest or another are politics,” Takkan said calmly, “but can we please get back to th—”

“In case you hadn’t noticed,” Gon said loudly, “Gabu hasn’t been hunting at all for the past two weeks. I think this forest can survive a few more nights of increased hunting to compensate, don’t you?”

Everything was falling apart. Everyone was talking at once, and no one was listening to anyone.

“QUIET!” Greta bellowed. The noise faded. “Thank you. Jess and Gon, I understand you’ve been hunting on Gabu’s behalf while he recovers from his injury. This, I think, is fine, since the same number of people die as they would if Gabu himself were hunting. As for whether you’re entitled to hunt for yourselves in addition to this, we can discuss that another day. Until then, if you want to hunt for yourselves, please do so in the eastern forest. Is everyone satisfied with this arrangement?” As so often happened when Greta asked if everyone was satisfied, no one said anything. Gon nodded curtly.

The mood remained sour as Takkan said, “Good. Now, as I was saying, is there anything related to the play that we want to revisit?”

“Perhaps we could go over ‘I’ll Run Away With You’ again, just once?” Mei said. That ought to cheer people up, he thought but didn’t say.

It worked. The hare, who was part of the choir, made no more fuss as they all set up for the song. By the final chorus, she and everyone else were having fun and the atmosphere was lighter. Jess and Gon’s performance was as beautiful as the last time Mei had heard it.

They went over some scenes and a few more songs, including ‘Pleasure to Eat You’, which Mei was hearing now for the first time. Gabu wasn’t too fond of it, but Mei found it hilarious. Everyone acted extremely professionally, and they hardly ever needed to redo a scene because of a mistake. More often, they would find small things to improve, like changes to lines to make them easier to say or to sound better.

By the time the practice session came to an end, late into the afternoon, everyone was feeling confident about tomorrow’s performance.

“Remember,” Takkan said, “we want everyone to arrive nice and early. If anyone isn’t here an hour before the performance, I’m going to start prepping understudies. Now, everyone go home and get some beauty sleep. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”

Gabu and Mei saw Jess and Gon again that night when the wolves brought Gabu a hare and a squirrel. “That’s not the hare who was at Theatre Day, right?” Mei asked warily.

“No,” Jess said, “I think Takkan would kill us if we hunted one of his choir members right before the big day.”

“I’m sorry about that, by the way,” Gabu said. “Did you have time to get any food for yourselves from the eastern forest?”

“No, but we ate last night, so we’re not too hungry,” Jess said, putting the hare down in front of Gabu while Gon put the squirrel down next to it.

Gabu looked at the dead animals. “In that case, you’d better have some of this. You’ll need the energy more than I will tomorrow,” he said with a smile.

Jess and Gon didn’t need telling twice. Mei looked away as the three of them started eating.

Chapter 44: The Fourth Full Moon

Day 84: The Fourth Full Moon

Mei could only assume that some people didn’t understand what the word “noon” meant, because people started gathering outside Moonrise Hill from when it was barely light outside. A few of them actually approached the cave, but Mei pretended to be asleep and they went away. Gabu didn’t need to pretend; he somehow managed to sleep through the growing noise outside.

The first actors started to arrive a couple of hours before noon, at which point Mei woke Gabu and the two of them went down to join them. Greta was busy seeking out new arrivals who had gotten lost in the throng and directing them to Takkan, around whom all the actors were gathering. After an hour, everyone was present and accounted for.

Still, the crowd continued to grow, larger than had been at last month’s rehearsal, larger even than had been at the forest meeting a few days ago, which had been the single biggest gathering of animals Mei had ever seen until now. This easily dwarfed it.

“What’s going on?” Sagi said. “I didn’t think there were this many people in the entire forest!”

“Ah, about that...” Takkan said. Everyone turned to look at him. “...I might have sent word out to a few of the neighbouring forests that we were putting on the play today.”

“How many of the neighbouring forests?” Greta asked.

“Hmm,” Takkan thought for a while, “all of them.” Everyone stared at him in disbelief. “It was quite a puzzle figuring out how to direct them all here without a common point of reference. But then I realised: Everyone knows by now which general direction the forest with the goat and the wolf is in from their own forest, so they can start by heading in that direction. Then, when they come across another forest, they can ask the locals for directions, and so on until they arrive here. It seems to have worked well, don’t you think?”

“How will the people at the back hear what we’re saying?” Jess asked.

“You’ll just have to remember to project your voice like we practiced,” Takkan said unconcernedly.

“May I ask why you’ve done this?” Greta said.

“You want to know why I’ve set things up so that everyone this side of the mountain—everyone who’s been hearing rumours of the goat and the wolf living together for months now—will have a chance to hear the full and unabridged tale for themselves?” Takkan said. “Well, I thought that was obvious.

“If it can happen once that a goat and a wolf should fall in love and their families and friends reject them because of it,” he continued, “then the same thing can happen anywhere in the world. It probably is happening as we speak. By putting on this play, we’re not just showing the world that Gabu and Mei exist; we’re showing all the other Gabus and Meis that they’re not alone, and we’re showing their families and friends that they don’t need to turn against someone just because of who they fall in love with.”

“That’s...incredible,” Gabu said, awestruck. “So that’s the real reason you wanted us to put on a play all those months ago.”

“Hmm, actually,” Takkan admitted, “I wanted us to put on a play because I’ve always liked the idea of running one and I’ve never had the chance to until now. I wasn’t even thinking about any of that when I decided to send the word out about the play. But you must admit, it’s a good retrospective justification, even if it only occurred to me a few minutes ago.”

Mei decided to overlook all the twisty, turny logic that must go on inside a fox’s head for that to make sense, and instead said, “You really think this play will make that big of a difference?”

“Perhaps not, but it’s a start. It might be enough for one or two more predator-prey couples to come forward—in forests where that isn’t already normal, I mean,” he said, smiling at Kuro-san. “And maybe someday it will be normal everywhere.”

“It reminds me of the stuff you were saying about collaboration between forests, Greta,” Mii said. “We’re helping people like Gabu and Mei in other forests to be more accepted. Perhaps word will even get back to Sawa Sawa Mountain and the rest of the herd will finally get the message.”

“We can hope so,” Greta said.

“Excellent,” Takkan said. “Now, let’s put on a show that will change the world.”

At last, noon arrived. Everyone was already in position for the opening scene, but there was one final surprise that had to happen first.

Unbeknown to Gabu or Mei (or most people in the theatre group, for that matter), Greta and three other deer had been working on one additional song. Mei later learned that Greta had written it herself with only minimal help from Takkan. Just before the start of the play, the four deer lined up in front of the hill and started to sing, Greta singing most of the lines while the other deer provided harmony.

One Stormy Night (title song from Grease)

There was a time when I was all alone
When no one understood
Home didn’t feel like home

But then I met someone who changed my life
Someone to light my way
Through all the pain and strife

One stormy night

They think our love is something they should hate
That we should be like them
Keep to the narrow and straight

They try to keep us down but we won’t yield
We know it in our hearts
We got to be what we feel

One stormy night

One stormy night, with a crash, with a fright
Then to you I am clinging
One stormy night, as the sky is ignited
This night is just the beginning

The two of us were born to worlds opposed
That we could become friends
No one had ever supposed

If there’s a chance that we can both coexist
Then we can find a way
For our friendship to persist

One stormy night

One stormy night, in your smile I delight
Something more might be blooming
One stormy night, our love bold and exciting
But soon disaster is looming

They say our love is unnatural
Caused by confusion, just a deception
We’re not welcome here

Reject convention, overturn the rules
Remember love is love
And it is they who are fools

If there’s a chance that we can all coexist
Then we will find a way
Our love will not be dismissed

One stormy night

One stormy night, we will fight for our right
To be free from accusers
One stormy night, now that we are indicted
Together we’ll make a new future

One stormy night, underneath the moonlight
After all our endeavours
One stormy night, we’re at last reunited
One stormy night lasts forever

One stormy night, stormy night, stormy night...

As the words “stormy night, stormy night...” echoed and faded out, Jess began running frantically towards the hill, and the play had begun.

It was one of the most surreal experiences Mei had ever had. If he looked past the fact that he was being played by a wolf, and Gabu was being played by a wolf who didn’t look like Gabu, it was so easy for his mind to fill in the rest of the gaps. It was like watching his own life from an outside perspective.

Whenever the characters went somewhere, the actors would go somewhere, and so the audience moved with them, always to another part of the forest with some feature befitting the next scene. From time to time, the performers would take a break (which Takkan called an intermission), reconvene at the next location and resume the play. This served to draw out the play throughout the entire afternoon and early evening.

Every important scene had a song that told the main parts of the story: Gabu and Mei meeting in the abandoned barn, realising the next day that they were a goat and a wolf, the other goats and wolves finding out about their relationship, lamenting the hopelessness of their situation at the top of the mountain, to name just a few. Hearing them in the context of the story, rather than as isolated songs, brought back memories of that time and heightened the emotions even beyond how Mei had originally felt when experiencing them.

For the entire last third of the play, there wasn’t a single moment that Mei wasn’t crying, and he wasn’t alone. It seemed like everyone in the audience, which must have contained hundreds of animals, perhaps thousands, truly understood how Gabu and Mei had felt when these things happened. They hadn’t been there themselves, but it was almost as if they had been.

They returned to Moonrise Hill just as the sun was starting to set behind them, and they finally reached the song Mei had arrived during at the rehearsal last full moon.

There was a problem.

“If that cloud doesn’t pass,” Takkan whispered, “the moonrise won’t be visible.”

Mei looked past Jess and Gon, who were already sitting patiently at the top of the hill after having finished ‘Inside His Den’. Indeed, the patch of sky just behind the hill looked a little too grey.

Sagi, who had been keeping an eye on things from the far side of the hill, came bounding towards them. “It’s too late,” he said, “the moon’s already risen behind the cloud.”

“Okay, this is fine,” Takkan said. It didn’t sound like he believed it. “It’ll just be a horizontal moonrise when the cloud passes.”

Mei scanned the horizon. “The cloud’s passing very slowly. It looks like it could be another few minutes.”

“Tell them to stall,” Takkan instructed Sagi. “Improvise, anything!”

Sagi ran off at full speed, going around the hill and, presumably, climbing up it from the far side to pass the message to Jess and Gon. Sure enough, the wolves’ ears flicked as the unseen messenger spoke to them.

Jess and Gon kept looking straight ahead, but Mei thought he saw their mouths move. After a few seconds of this, Gon said in his Gabu voice, loud enough for everyone to hear, “‘Something’s wrong. The moon should have risen by now.’”

“‘I don’t understand,’” Jess said, “‘after everything we’ve been through, why can’t this one thing go right? It’s as if even the moon doesn’t want us to be together.’”

“‘Look at me,’” Gon said softly. Jess turned to look into Gon’s eyes. “‘No matter what anyone says or does, whether they’re your herd, my pack, or the moon itself, we will always be together, and I will always love you.’”

They leaned closer to one another until they were less than an inch apart. Their lips touched softly, and they kissed. As they did so, miraculously, the cloud parted and they were silhouetted in moonlight. The audience cheered.

At last, they broke apart, turned back to the full moon, and launched into a slightly amended version of the closing lines. The choir’s voices swelled, and they sang the final song, the one Gabu had written himself.

When the song ended, Mei was completely in tears. He stared up at the moonlight, savouring the gentle words of the song so fresh in his memory. Gabu was trying to get his attention. “Huh?”

Gabu smiled. He, too, had been crying. “Come with me.”

Mei wasn’t sure what was going on. Gabu led him up the hill, Jess and Gon retreating so that Gabu and Mei had the hill to themselves. Mei could feel the thousands of eyes on them, but he had eyes only for Gabu, and Gabu only for him.

“Mei,” Gabu said, his green eyes shining in the moonlight. Somehow, even though he spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, his voice was as soft as a summer’s breeze. “Being with you this past year has made me the happiest wolf alive. I don’t know how much time we’ll have left—no one does—but the one thing I’m sure of is I want to spend every day of it with you, to never leave your side no matter what.”

Mei knew what was coming, but he could hardly believe it. “Gabu...”

“I want to wake up every morning beside you; I want to be there for you when you need me most. And when we’re both old and we’ve done all there is to do, I want to watch the moonrise with you, one last time. I’ve waited far too long to ask you this, Mei, but...will you marry me?”

“Oh, Gabu...” Mei could hardly speak. “Of course I’ll marry you. You only had to ask.”

They hugged each other, tight enough that it felt like they would never let go. The audience had cheered loudly when Jess and Gon kissed, but that was nothing compared to this. The goats at Sawa Sawa Mountain might not have heard about the play yet, but they couldn’t possibly fail to hear this.

Chapter 45: A Month Goes By

Days 85-110: A Month Goes By

Once the giddy excitement had worn off enough for them to make plans, Gabu and Mei decided to schedule their wedding for the next full moon. When else would have made sense?

They started asking around to make sure they had the right idea about what getting married would involve. The custom here, they learned, was much the same as Jess and Gon had described: The couple stood in the middle of a ring of close friends (their “circle”) and declared their intent to be together for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes, when the couple had a lot of friends or was a high-ranking member of a community, their circle was actually multiple circles, with close friends occupying the inner ring and acquaintances occupying the outer rings. When Gabu and Mei started asking who would want to be in their circle, they quickly found that even two or three rings might not be enough. It wouldn’t be on the same scale as the play had been, or even one of Greta’s forest meetings, but it would be a lot of people nonetheless.

Jess and Gon decided that they wanted to stay in the Emerald Forest indefinitely rather than go back to commuting from the eastern forest. Greta called a meeting to make sure everyone would be fine with two more wolves hunting in the forest permanently, and almost no one spoke out against the idea.

As it turned out, in the days following the play, Jess and Gon had become almost as popular as Gabu and Mei themselves were, perhaps even more so. That didn’t last long, however, as a result of Gon’s habit of baring his fangs and growling at anyone who tried to bother them while they were minding their own business in the forest. There was only so much Jess’s apologies could do in the face of that.

Gabu still relied on Jess and Gon to hunt for him, but he started accompanying them on hunting trips so that he could relearn how to hunt with his broken leg. His leg was continuing to heal nicely, but it could be months before it was fully back to normal. Soon, Gabu was able to catch small rodents if he caught them by surprise, although he still relied on Jess and Gon for chasing prey over long distances.

He wasn’t the only one enjoying a newfound independence. Hikari was finally old enough to take care of himself without the constant vigilance of Toto and Riri looking after him. The young sparrow often visited Gabu and Mei (whom he still called “uncles,” much to their delight) by himself, and took great pleasure in exploring the forest and the sky above it unaccompanied.

Hikari enjoyed his independence so much that he convinced his parents to spend a few days away from the forest, relaxing and enjoying themselves, during which time he could be by himself. Gabu and Mei encouraged the idea, declaring that Toto and Riri deserved a break after all their hard work raising Hikari. After making Hikari promise to tell Uncle Gabu and Uncle Mei if he needed anything, Toto and Riri finally relented and went along with the idea. They returned a week later looking thoroughly relaxed.

The theatre group had been on hiatus since finishing the play, save for one meeting where the group members discussed ideas for future performances. Greta was interested in writing a play of her own, and already had a few ideas to get started. She just needed some time to finalise the story. Mei, for his part, wanted to be an actor this time, although Gabu was happy to continue participating from the sidelines.

In the weeks following the performance, nothing seemed any different on a grander scale. Mei wasn’t sure what he had been hoping for—more couples making the journey to the Emerald Forest so they could love each other freely? If the play had changed the world, then it had done so in small, subtle ways that may take years to be fully realised.

“Never mind,” Takkan had said. “Social revolutions don’t happen overnight. Well,” he smirked at Gabu and Mei, “maybe some nights.”

Mei still hadn’t gone back to Philosophy Day. After what had happened with the stags, he decided that treating right and wrong as things to be studied just wasn’t for him. He resolved to rely on his own intuition in future, since it seemed to serve him better than any of the moral theories Takkan and the others had talked about.

Kuro-san and Takkan continued living together, but Kuro-san started to wonder about whether he wanted to live in the Emerald Forest permanently or go back to live with his herd. Takkan had lived in the forest all his life and didn’t want to leave, so that put a strain on their relationship. Even if Takkan did go with him to Para Para Fields, Kuro-san wasn’t sure his herd would accept a fox living among them.

Mii wasn’t as worried. “I might go back one day,” she said when asked, “but I’m happy staying here for now. I like it here.”

All in all, the month went by fast. Before they knew it, the next full moon, and therefore Gabu and Mei’s wedding, was only a couple of days away.

Chapter 46: The Day Before

Day 111: The Day Before

It was the last day before Gabu and Mei’s wedding. Over the past few days, the two of them had been getting increasingly nervous. It wasn’t that they still harboured any doubts over whether they wanted to get married, but a thousand tiny things still nagged at their minds. What if they got sick? What if it rained? What if something totally unexpected went wrong? It was a big day, and the pressure for it to go perfectly was just as great.

At around midmorning, after Mei had eaten breakfast and when Gabu was just starting to get up, Hikari paid them one of his frequent impromptu visits. “Hey there, Uncle Gabu and Uncle Mei,” he said.

“Hello, Hikari,” Mei said. “How are you today?”

“I’m fine. Mama and Papa said to say hi from them too. You two must be excited about tomorrow?”

“We can’t wait,” Gabu said as he stretched fully awake. “How’s Camille?”

“She’s fine too. I think she’ll be ready to start flying soon.”

“Maybe you could bring her here and we could race around the hill again?” Mei said half-teasingly.

“Come on, I haven’t done that since I was little. Anyway, I can’t stay long; I promised Mama I’d go foraging with her today.”

“You’d better not disappoint her, then,” Gabu said.

Hikari was about to leave when he turned and said, “Oh, I almost forgot, the clover field is looking nice today. You two should go and see it. Now.” With that strange remark, Hikari took off skilfully and flew back towards the forest.

“Clover field?” Gabu said, confused.

“The one on the north side of the forest? I guess we could take a look. Maybe there’s a four-leafed clover he wants us to find.”

Since they didn’t have anything better to do, Gabu and Mei set off towards the clover field. They crossed the river at the point where it was narrow and walked around the outside of the forest until the clover field was in sight.

In the distance, Mei could see three figures, two white goats and a brown wolf. That didn’t make any sense, Mei thought. There was only one other white goat in the forest. And if that wolf was Jess or Gon, where was the other of them? The three of them were standing together, looking around curiously as if they were lost or looking for something. “Who are they?” Mei asked.

“I don’t know. They haven’t seen us yet.”

As they got closer, it almost looked like... No, it couldn’t be. Could it?

“Grandma,” Mei said under his breath. He ran forward, Gabu following at his side. It really was her. And the other goat standing beside her was someone Mei had expected to see even less. It was Tapu.

“Wait, is that Boro?” Gabu said between pants of exertion. Mei looked. The wolf looked a lot older than Mei had last seen him, and it had been even longer ago that Gabu had last seen him, but it was definitely him.

Grandma, Tapu and Boro saw them at last. Grandma’s face lit up with delight at seeing Mei again. She couldn’t run, but she began walking quickly towards them. Tapu looked like he had mixed emotions, which Mei had expected. The last thing Tapu had said to him was to accuse him of choosing Gabu over the herd. It couldn’t have helped Tapu’s opinion of him when Mei proved him right by jumping into the river with Gabu. Mei couldn’t quite tell what Boro was thinking. Gabu had caused so much turmoil for the Baku Baku wolf pack, and Boro had looked up to him especially.

“Mei,” Grandma said as they embraced each other, “it’s been so long!”

“Only a couple of months,” Mei said. “I didn’t expect to see you here. What’s going on?” Grandma didn’t answer. There was more that had to be said first. Tapu and Boro had stayed a few steps away, as though unsure if they were welcome here.

Gabu smiled at Boro, who came forward slowly. “It’s really you,” he said. “Giro and the others died because of you, but they were trying to kill you, so I suppose that’s their own fault.” Gabu’s smile fell slightly. “I guess that makes you the leader of the pack now.”

“Boro...” Gabu said, “...I’m really sorry I had to leave, and for what happened. I should have been a better example for you. But look at you! You’ve grown up into a strong, healthy wolf. I’m so proud of you.” Boro smiled at that.

“Mei, Tapu would like to say something to you,” Grandma said.

Tapu stepped forward, not meeting Mei’s gaze. He looked terrified. “I’m sorry, Mei. After all those years we were friends, I guess I still thought of you as a little kid who needed looking after. When you chose a wolf over your own herd, I thought it was because you didn’t understand me or the lessons I was trying to teach you. But in the end, it was me who didn’t understand you. I’ve been a bad friend.”

What could Mei say to that? He’d long since written Tapu off as someone he’d never see eye to eye with again. But against all the odds, it sounded like he really had changed. “Tapu, come here,” Mei said neutrally. Tapu did so. It looked like he was about to cry. Mei hugged him. “It’s okay. You’re here now. Thank you.” Tapu cried into Mei’s shoulder. “I wish I’d told you two and Mii about Gabu from the start, rather than trying to hide him from you.”

“No,” Tapu said, “we wouldn’t have understood.” Tapu might not have, but Mei wasn’t so sure about Mii and Grandma. He let it go.

“What are you three doing here?” Gabu asked. “Why are you together?”

“We’re here for your wedding, of course,” Grandma said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” She walked up to Gabu. “So you’re the wolf who makes my Mei so very happy. I’ve wanted to meet you for so long.”

“I’ve wanted to meet you too, Mei’s grandmother,” Gabu said.

“Please, call me Grandma. We’re family, after all.”

Gabu smiled and started to cry. “Thank you, Grandma.”

“I found this young pup trying to herd me back through Peri Peri Woods on my way home,” Grandma said. “As if I haven’t been making that journey myself since before any of you were alive. He said he’d been about to eat us in Para Para Fields, but you talked him out of it, Mei. Luckily, you’d warned us about him, so we soon saw eye to eye.”

“I wish you’d warned me about her,” Boro said, chuckling nervously.

“Huh,” Gabu said, “I guess it runs in the family.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mei and Grandma said in unison.

“Nothing!”

“As I was saying,” Grandma said, “Boro and I quickly became acquaintances. It turns out having a wolf for a friend can be useful from time to time; that’s something we should have learned from you, Mei. When your sparrow friends came and told us you two were getting married, the three of us thought we’d come and surprise you.”

Gabu sighed. “Toto and Riri—of course it was them.”

“Hikari must have been in on it too,” Mei said. “I knew there was something odd about the way he wanted his parents to leave the forest so suddenly.”

“Is Mii here?” Tapu asked.

“Yes,” Mei said. “And Kuro-san.”

“Do you think we could see her?”

“Of course, I’ll just go and...” He was about to say, “warn her about you;” he didn’t like to think what Mii might say upon seeing Tapu unexpectedly. “...let her know you three are here.”

In the end, Mii was quite restrained. Tapu hadn’t wronged her directly, after all, and Mei had made it clear that he forgave Tapu. She was happy to see Grandma again too.

They took Grandma, Tapu and Boro on a tour of the Emerald Forest, introducing them to all their friends. In the evening, the six of them sat in the meadow and shared stories, laughing and crying well into the night. It was exactly what Grandma had hoped for all those weeks ago: They were one big, happy family, together at last.

Chapter 47: Epilogue

Epilogue

The snow-topped mountain sparkled in the golden light of the setting sun. Flying around it was easier, sure, but you would miss this spectacular sight. She always made sure to make this part of the journey in the evening, just to see the mountain at its most beautiful.

It was even better up close. The shadows from the setting sun threw into sharp relief the glistening peaks and ridges that flew past underwing. As she crested the summit, the forest came into view, its vibrance heightened ever so slightly by the soft evening light.

The mountain took a while to fly over, and the light didn’t last forever. Gradually, as the last of the sun’s light dipped below the western horizon behind her, the full moon rose with a proud grace over a hill in the distance. As much as the waning sunlight had been beautiful, the gentle moonlight that washed over the forest in calming waves felt far more majestic.

With the full moon now fully fixed in the firmament, the song thrush glided past the foothills and over the forest itself. High over the treetops she soared, gazing down and marvelling at the stillness that nighttime brought.

She rose up higher into the cloudless sky until the sounds of nocturnal insects faded and she was awash in serene, selenian beauty. The west wind aided her onward, filling her wings and pushing her towards her distant home.

From up here, the song thrush could see for miles around, but it was a most peculiar sight indeed that caught her attention. In a meadow just east of the forest were six or seven concentric rings of shapes. It was hard to count, since the outer rings blurred into each other. As she got closer, she realised the shapes were animals of all different species, about an entire forest’s worth, she thought. Some in the middle rings were standing halfway up the gentle slope of the hill, while the outer rings broke to make room for it. All of them, even the hill itself, it seemed, were gazing into the centre as if witnessing something miraculous.

When she finally flew close enough to see what they were staring at, the song thrush saw something inexplicable. A white goat and a brown wolf were standing, facing each other, their heads barely inches apart. They looked at each other as if they were the dearest friends in the world, but, of course, they couldn’t be.

The forest held its breath.

Slowly, as if afraid to break the spell, the goat and the wolf moved their heads closer together. Their eyes were closed. From high overhead, the song thrush saw the goat’s lips move and the wolf speak a soft reply, just a handful of words between them. And then, at long last, they kissed. Lovingly. Adoringly. There was no mistaking it. The tension in the forest melted away.

In a moment, she had flown past them. A joyous cheer rose up from behind her, loud enough to shake the earth. As the cheers subsided, she looked back and saw the inner ring come forward to congratulate them. Four other goats, three other wolves, a rabbit, a fox, a deer and three sparrows embraced the goat and the wolf. They vanished from sight as the wind carried her forward.

As she glided over the moonlit fields beneath her, the song thrush was left with nothing but her own recollections of what had just happened. She gave up trying to make sense of it. Instead, she called to mind an old song, one that often brought her comfort on long migrations with nothing else to do, and she started to sing.

風のうた

野原の草が　ラララ　波のように　揺れるのは
その上で　僕が　ラララ　踊っているからさ

(The grass in the field is swaying)
(Because I’m dancing upon it)

ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　僕は風
ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　見えないけど
ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　僕は風
ヒュウルル　いつも　そばにいる

(Hyululu, hyululu, I am the wind)
(Hyululu, hyululu, you cannot see me but)
(Hyululu, hyululu, I am the wind)
(Hyululu, I am always beside you)

木の葉が　くるくる　ルルル　舞い落ちて　行くのはね
その下で　僕が　ルルル　歌っているからさ

(The leaves on the trees are spinning and falling)
(Because beneath them I am singing)

ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　僕は風
ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　見えないけど
ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　僕は風
ヒュウルル　君の　そばにいる

(Hyululu, hyululu, I am the wind)
(Hyululu, hyululu, you cannot see me but)
(Hyululu, hyululu, I am the wind)
(Hyululu, I am right beside you)

お池の水が　キララ　さざ波を　立てるのは
すぐそばで　僕が　キララ　笑っているからさ

(The water in the pond is rippling)
(Because right beside it I am laughing)

ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　僕は風
ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　見えないけど
ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　僕は風
ヒュウルル　頬を　撫でてゆく

(Hyululu, hyululu, I am the wind)
(Hyululu, hyululu, you cannot see me but)
(Hyululu, hyululu, I am the wind)
(Hyululu, I will always stroke your cheek)

ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　僕は風
ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　見えないけど
ヒュウルル　ヒュルル　僕は風
ヒュウルル　頬を　撫でてゆく

(Hyululu, hyululu, I am the wind)
(Hyululu, hyululu, you cannot see me but)
(Hyululu, hyululu, I am the wind)
(Hyululu, I will always stroke your cheek)

頬を　撫でてゆく
(I will always stroke your cheek)

-- The end --

Chapter 48: Appendices

Summary:

These appendices are a retelling of certain episodes from the television series, for the benefit of readers who aren’t familiar with the series.

Warning: The chapter before this one contains spoilers. If you arrived here by clicking a link from another chapter, use your browser’s back button or click the link at the top or bottom of each appendix to go back.

Appendix 1: Kuro-san

Episode 7 | Return to Chapter 19

Gabu is the happiest wolf in the world today. Mei sent him a message earlier this morning saying he wanted to meet up, and now Gabu’s on his way to their regular meeting place, looking forward to everything they might do together. Gabu has been the happiest wolf in the world quite a lot of days lately.

“Hey,” Gabu says to himself, “a field of clovers! If I can find a four-leafed one and give it to Mei, he’ll be so happy.” As he gets closer to the clover field, he realises he isn’t the only one here. A black furred goat is standing amidst the clovers with its back to him and its head bent down to the ground. Suddenly, Gabu’s last meal feels like forever ago, and he has to remind himself of his promise to Mei not to eat any more goats.

And then Gabu hears a familiar, high-pitched laugh. “Mei?” He creeps further forward, hiding in a bush, and Mei’s there too. He’s smiling at the other goat and laughing, just like he laughs with Gabu.

The black goat finds something. It’s a four-leafed clover. He gives it to Mei, and Mei’s face lights up even brighter than before. Gabu’s heart sinks.

Gabu’s at the meeting place. He’s been waiting here for a while, and Mei hasn’t arrived yet. He’s probably spending time with that other goat instead of me, Gabu thinks.

Mei arrives. “Sorry I’m late,” he says.

Gabu forces his ears up. “That’s okay. I only just got here myself.”

Mei comes closer, his tail wagging. “I got you something.” He’s holding the four-leafed clover the other goat gave him. Maybe that’s where he got the first clover too, that day not so long ago when they first found out they were a goat and a wolf.

“Thanks,” Gabu says. “Did you find this for me?” He knows Mei won’t lie to him, but he feels the need to check anyway.

“Actually, a friend found it for me,” Mei says happily. “He’s really kind.”

Mei is talking, but Gabu doesn’t know what about. He’s still thinking about Mei’s black goat friend, who gives him clovers and spends time with him while Mei’s promised to see Gabu that day. “Gabu, are you listening to me?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry, Mei. I was just distracted.”

“You’ve been awfully quiet today, Gabu. Is everything…” Mei notices something behind Gabu. “Hold on, I’ll be back in a moment.”

Mei runs off, and after a while, Gabu follows him. He crests a hill and sees Mei and his friend talking together again. Both of them are smiling.

They look so happy together, Gabu thinks. So Mei only came to see Gabu because he promised to, but what he really wants is to spend time with his friend. Well, that’s fine. If he wants to do that, Gabu will let him.

Gabu turns and starts walking back to Baku Baku Valley.

He’s almost home when he hears Mei’s voice calling after him. “Gabu!”

Gabu turns sharply and runs at Mei, growling and baring his fangs. Mei gives a cry of alarm, and Gabu chases him a safe distance off the path.

“Gabu, what’s going on? I thought we were going to spend the day together, but you disappeared.” Mei has calmed down slightly from the surprise of Gabu chasing him. “Is this a new game we’re playing? You should probably explain the rules first.”

“You need to be more careful, Mei!” Gabu looks around to make sure no one’s following them. “That path can be seen from Baku Baku Valley. What would you have done if a wolf had spotted you?”

“But,” Mei looks like he’s trying not to laugh, “you’re a wolf, Gabu.”

Gabu’s ears flatten. “I know I’m a wolf. You don’t have to point it out all the time.”

Mei’s face becomes more serious. “Is something wrong? You’ve been acting weirdly all day.”

Gabu looks around one more time. He can’t see any other wolves. “It looks like you’re safe here for now, but you should hurry back.”

“Back where?”

Gabu turns away. “It’s rude to keep someone waiting.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know, your black goat friend from earlier.”

“You mean Kuro-san?”

“Is that his name?” Gabu starts walking away. “You shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

“Kuro-san isn’t waiting for me. He had to go back to Para Para Fields before it gets dark.”

“Huh?” Gabu says. He looks back at Mei.

“He came here on an errand for his herd’s Elder, his grandfather. Everyone really likes him—except Tapu, for some reason. He’s really nice and cool. He’s the one who found that four-leafed clover for me.”

“Is that right?” Gabu says distantly.

“When I saw him again, I went and said goodbye. I’m really glad to have met him.”

Gabu remembers again the look on Mei’s face when Kuro-san gave him the clover. “He sounds like a really nice guy. You should go with him.”

“What?” Mei sounds confused. Does he really not understand that this is for the best?

“I don’t think we should meet up like this anymore. It would be awful if anyone found out. You should go and be friends with Kuro-san instead.”

“Gabu, what are you saying?”

“After all, it’s best that goats be with goats, and that wolves be with wolves,” Gabu says, trying to make him understand. “I guess this is goodbye.” He starts walking away again.

“Gabu!” Mei calls after him, but he keeps walking. This is for the best. Suddenly, there’s the sound of hooves on grass and something hard hits him from behind. He gives a yelp of pain and turns around. His head is lowered, which allows Mei to look down at him. Mei looks furious, and there are tears in his eyes. “What’s all this about goats with goats and wolves with wolves?”

“Well…it’s just that goats are goats and wolves are wolves.” Gabu doesn’t meet Mei’s eyes.

“Are you saying we aren’t friends?”

“I…” Gabu doesn’t know how to explain it. “I’m just doing this to make you happy.”

“Happy?!” Mei is shouting now. “Do you think I would be happy if we never met again?”

“You would be better off with a goat for a friend instead of me.”

“Gabu, you…” Mei starts sobbing. He turns and runs away from Gabu.

“Mei, no! I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“My happiness should be of no concern to a wolf like you,” Mei snaps back.

He’s almost at the edge of the clearing when Gabu calls out, “Mei, I’m sorry!”

Mei pauses.

“I saw you getting along well with that other goat, and it made me feel… I might have said some things I shouldn’t have said.”

Mei takes a few tentative steps back towards him.

“Can we still be friends?”

They look at each other for the span of several heartbeats, and then Mei smiles.

They’re walking together in the direction of Sawa Sawa Mountain. “Is your butt still sore?” Mei says.

“My…”

“From when I hit it. I’m sorry about that.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I think I kind of deserved it.” Gabu chuckles weakly. In truth, it is still a little sore.

“Thanks for looking out for me earlier when we were near Baku Baku Valley,” Mei says. “It feels like you’re always coming to my rescue.”

“Well, it’s only natural.”

“Natural?” Mei says. “Why?”

“Huh?”

“Well, I’m a goat and you’re a wolf. That’s not very natural.” He says it carefully, as if Gabu will take it the wrong way.

“Of course it is, Mei. Because you’re such a special friend to me.”

Mei stops for a moment, smiles as if to himself, and then continues walking. “You know, Gabu, I’m always happiest when I’m with you.”

And once again, Gabu is the happiest wolf in the world.

Return to Chapter 19

Appendix 2: Boro

Episode 15 | Return to Chapter 20

He stares over the ledge. It’s a long way down, and although he knows that wolves have survived the fall before, he also knows that not all of them have. From a nearby rock, his friends are watching with a mix of excitement and trepidation.

“Is Boro serious?”

“There’s no way he can make that jump.”

He does his best to ignore them as he backs away from the ledge, his eyes fixed on the far side. Tobi Tobi Gap is an unofficial rite of passage. Making the jump takes not only skill, but also bravery. He’s pretty sure he’s got the former—he’s been practising similar-sized jumps over less perilous gaps—and today, he feels he also has the latter.

Before he can change his mind, he starts running towards the gap. As the empty air looms closer, he remembers the dizzying drop below it, with its sharp rocks and rough slopes lying in wait for anyone unfortunate enough to fall down.

He can’t do it. At this point, so close to the edge, it’s almost more dangerous to stop than to keep going, but he tries anyway. His paws skid, sending rocks flying off the ledge, but he stops himself just in time.

“Boro, we’re still too young for that,” Hoko calls from where his friends are watching.

“Yeah, we can’t make a jump like that like an adult can,” Tomo says.

“But it would be awesome if we could,” Kazu says.

A loud, commanding voice fills the air. “Hey, what are those kids doing?” Bari says.

“It looks like they want to jump over Tobi Tobi Gap,” Gabu replies. Boro hadn’t notice Gabu watching, and he feels a little ashamed that the older wolf witnessed his failed jump.

“Ah, I see,” Bari says.

“Listen up. Today, you’ll be going out in pairs. You kids will get to learn everything the adult you’re paired with knows.”

“Hei, Bari,” Boro and the other kids say.

“And you lot,” Bari says to the adults, “don’t make yourselves look dumb in front of the kids. Got that?”

“Hei!”

“Good. Now get to it.”

Beside him, Zack starts introducing himself to Hoko, but Boro ignores them and turns to Gabu, whom he’s paired with. “It’s a pleasure to be learning from you, Gabu,” he says, his tail wagging. He knows that the adult wolves treat Gabu kind of like an outsider, but Boro feels like an outsider too sometimes, so that’s okay.

“The pleasure is all mine, Boro,” Gabu says, and they set off together. Gabu sounds just as excited as Boro feels. “Here we go!”

Over the course of the day, Gabu teaches him all sorts of skills that will be useful to him when he’s old enough to go out on hunts. Gabu shows him how to identify tracks, how to jump with confidence over large gaps, and how to cross a river quickly by hopping from stone to stone.

“Make sure to choose only the biggest stones,” Gabu says. And when a moment later, Gabu misses a jump and falls into the water with a splash, he surfaces and says without missing a beat, “And that’s how we dive into the water to hide our scent.”

“Got it,” Boro says, and Gabu beams with pride at his own teaching skills.

“Hey, Boro,” Gabu says, “what are these tracks?”

Boro gives them a momentary glance, and then sniffs at the ground. “It’s a goat,” he says, and then he catches another scent. “And over here… This one’s a deer!”

“Huh,” Gabu says, and sniffs at the ground where Boro is pointing. “You’re right. I wouldn’t have noticed that. You’ve got a really good nose.”

Gabu lets Boro follow the deer tracks himself. Before long, he glances up and spots a pair of deer grazing in a meadow below. “Look, there they are! How do we hunt them?” Boro is so focused on the deer that it takes him a moment to realise that Gabu hasn’t responded. “Gabu?”

“Ah, Boro, are you actually hungry right now?”

It’s only been a few hours since Boro ate some leftovers this morning. “No, I’m not.”

“In that case, we won’t be hunting today.” Gabu starts to walk away.

Boro hurries after him. “B-but I found some prey for us.”

“I don’t really like to hunt if I’m not hungry,” Gabu says. “If you want to hunt, you have to wait until when you get hungry. Otherwise, it’s a waste of food.”

That doesn’t sound right to Boro. More food for the pack is always better, but Gabu is older and knows best. “Okay…”

“Zack and I caught a rat together,” Hoko says proudly. It’s nighttime, and Boro and his friends have met up to tell each other their news from today.

“Cool,” Tomo says. “Beach helped me catch a rabbit.”

“No way!” Kazu says, and turns to Boro. “What did you get?”

“I found a couple of deer,” Boro says, and the others are suitably impressed.

“That’s awesome! Big game,” Hoko says.

“So, how was it?” Tomo says.

“Were they hard to catch?” Kazu says.

“Um, I don’t know. Gabu said we shouldn’t hunt it.”

“Huh?”

“That’s weird,” Tomo says. “If you find prey, you’re supposed to hunt it, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but…” Hoko gives the others a meaningful look.

“Oh right, yeah,” Kazu says. She gives Boro a look that’s almost sympathetic.

“What?” Boro says. He looks to Tomo, but he only shrugs.

“Gabu’s really bad at hunting,” Hoko says. “Everyone says so.”

“He probably didn’t chase the deer because he knew he couldn’t catch them,” Kazu says.

“Oh,” Tomo says. “Yeah, I heard that too. Sorry you got paired with him, Boro.”

“I heard that Gabu’s a coward,” Hoko says. “He’s probably just afraid of hunting.”

“Is that true?” Boro says. He knows that the other wolves don’t respect Gabu much, but he didn’t seem like a coward when Boro was with him today. Except, that thing with the deer was definitely odd…

“It’s okay, Boro. We’ll teach you how to hunt properly.”

“Thanks, guys. I think I’ll go and get some sleep now.” As Boro leaves his friends and starts walking towards the sleeping caves, he notices a familiar scent on a large rock near where he and the others were talking. It smells recent. It kind of smells like…Gabu.

“Hey, are you really smelling a goat this way?” Hoko says.

“Yeah, I told you I am,” Tomo says. “Beach said I have a pretty good sense of smell.”

“Come on, Boro,” Hoko says. “How are we supposed to teach you how to hunt if you’re way back there?”

Boro is following a few steps behind his friends. He sighs and comes a few steps closer.

“Cheer up a bit,” Kazu says.

“Hey, uh,” Tomo says, “the smell of flowers is way too strong here. I can’t get the smell of the goat anymore.”

“What?” Kazu says. “But we came all this way!”

Boro sniffs the ground. The smell of flowers is strong, but he can still smell the goat. “It’s all right. We’re still on the right track.”

Everyone turns to look at him. “Really?!”

“Not bad, Boro!” Hoko says.

The scent leads to a cluster of flowery bushes, where the scent of the goat is at its strongest. Strangely, Boro thinks he can smell Gabu’s scent again too, but he’s probably just imagining it, the same as last night.

“Is it hiding in there?” Hoko says. She runs up to the side of the bush and sticks her paw inside it, wiggling it about.

“What are you doing?” Tomo says.

“I thought I could get it out by scaring it. Looks like it’s not working. Wait, I think I heard something!”

“Really? I didn’t hear anything,” Kazu says.

Hoko goes back to wiggling her paw inside the bush, but no goat emerges.

“Hey, if there is a goat in there and it tries to run away, how are we going to catch it?” Tomo says.

“Are you kidding?” Hoko says. “Goats spend all day eating grass. They’re too fat to run very fast.”

“Yeah,” Kazu says, “and eating all that grass makes their heads go bad, so they think slowly too. You need to eat meat to get smart, you know.”

Just then, there’s a definite rustle from inside the bush.

“See, I told you I heard something!” Hoko says.

“Shh! It’s coming this way,” Tomo says.

Sure enough, the branches closest to them are starting to move of their own accord. Suddenly, there’s a sound from the opposite side of the bush, and now Boro can hear hooves getting further and further away.

“It tricked us!” Kazu shouts.

The four wolves run around the bush in time to see a white goat galloping away.

“Let’s get it!”

They run after it. At first, the goat is running slower than them, so they quickly catch up to it, but it speeds up slightly when they get closer, and now they’re running at the same speed.

“Help! Wolves! I’m so scared!” the goat cries in a high-pitched, faintly masculine voice.

Tomo, Kazu and Hoko are closest, almost catching up to the goat. It runs in a circle, the three of them following after it, and they get close enough to leap at it. Except somehow, the goat dashes out from under them, and the three wolves collide with each other and land in a pile.

Boro catches up to them, panting.

“Get off of me!” Hoko yells.

“I was just trying to catch the goat,” Tomo says.

“Where were you, Boro?” Kazu says.

Boro looks at the three of them, still lying where they fell. “Um, where’s the goat?”

“Oh, right!” Hoko says, and stands up, throwing the other two off her.

“Hey, tell me before you stand up,” Kazu says.

“Shut up!” Hoko says. “The goat’s getting away.”

The goat’s tracks lead to a river with thick foliage along its bank.

“This is as far as it goes,” Boro says.

“It must have crossed the river to hide its scent,” Hoko says.

“Hold on,” Boro says. He’s just spotted some hoofprints in the mud of the riverbank that lead upriver on the side they’re standing on. “The goat wanted us to think it had crossed the river, but it actually went this way.”

They follow the hoofprints quite a distance upriver. There are still more tracks to follow when Boro hears a rustling sound from back the way they came. He looks in time to see the goat trying to sneak out of one of the bushes on the riverbank.

The hoofprints must have been a distraction. It’s smiling smugly in their direction, but it stops when it sees Boro looking at it. By the time Boro can say, “Hey, it’s over there,” the goat has already leapt nimbly from rock to rock across the river and is running away again.

They reach the rocks, and Hoko tries to jump on them in the same way the goat did, but her paws slip on the first rock and she lands in the water. Tomo has more luck, making the first jump successfully, but then he jumps without looking and has no rock to land on. Kazu reaches her second rock, but it’s too small and she slips off it.

Now it’s Boro’s turn. He stares at each rock in turn, and makes sure to only choose the biggest ones. In no time at all, he’s at the other side.

“How did you do that?” Tomo says from the water.

“Gabu taught me,” Boro says proudly.

It isn’t long before Boro has tracked the goat to a rocky bridge over a chasm, with a gap in the middle. It looks kind of like Tobi Tobi Gap, although this gap might be just a little bit wider. He watches as the goat leaps effortlessly across. On the far side, it turns and smiles tauntingly at him.

“Damn that goat,” Hoko says.

“What should we do?” Kazu says.

“I guess we’ll have to turn back,” Tomo says. “You were really cool today, Boro. Boro?”

Boro is staring at the gap. He backs away from it, and his friends back away from him.

“Don’t be reckless, Boro!” Hoko says.

“It’s all right. Gabu taught me how to do this.”

“Gabu did?” Kazu says in surprise.

Everyone, the goat included, stares at him as he starts running towards the gap. This time, he doesn’t think about what’s below him, just the goat waiting for him on the other side. He jumps and, for what feels like several seconds, he’s in the air. And then he lands on the other side, just barely, his paws scrabbling for purchase. The goat gives a shriek of alarm and bolts off.

Boro pulls himself up and onto his feet while his friends give shouts of encouragement from behind him. And then there’s another familiar voice.

“Boro! Leave the rest up to me.” A shadow passes overhead, and Gabu lands easily in front of him. Boro smiles as he sees Gabu run off after the goat, and Gabu smiles back at him.

The goat runs this way and that, but Gabu is catching up. Gabu leaps, and for a moment it looks like he’s caught it. But then, the goat is running away again, and Gabu’s walking back towards them.

“Hey, Gabu,” Hoko says, “why did you let that goat get away?”

“Because even though I caught it,” Gabu says, “I wasn’t hungry at the time. Do you understand why you weren’t able to catch it before?”

“Because we’re still too young for that?” Hoko says.

“No, wrong answer.”

“Because that goat was faster than most goats?” Tomo says.

“Nope! Well, yes, but that’s not the reason.”

“Then why was it?” Kazu says.

“The reason you weren’t able to catch it is because you tried to hunt it for fun,” Gabu says. “For you, it might just be a game, but the goat will always be running for its life. After all, it doesn’t want to get eaten.”

“Oh,” Boro says, now understanding Gabu’s lesson from before. “So the reason we couldn’t catch the goat is because we weren’t actually hungry.”

“Right answer,” Gabu says, and smiles at him. “You’re going to be a great hunter one day, Boro. All of you are.”

Return to Chapter 20

Appendix 3: Jess

Episode 21 | Return to Chapter 22

The moment when it happens is a blur. Mei is wandering around the outskirts of the forest, waiting for Gabu to arrive, when out of nowhere, a grey wolf with a scar on its face starts charging towards him. Mei freezes. He barely has time to register, Wait, that’s not Gabu, when suddenly, Gabu’s there too.

“Mei!” Gabu cries in alarm. He’s running towards them, and just as the other wolf is lunging at Mei, Gabu leaps and catches the wolf hard on its side. Both of them go tumbling to the ground. Gabu recovers first and moves to stand protectively in front of Mei. “Get away from him!” Gabu says, and there’s a growl in his voice Mei has never heard before.

The unknown wolf struggles unsuccessfully to get to its feet. Its eyes dart between Gabu and Mei. “Goat,” it manages to say before falling unconscious. It’s got a scar on its hind leg too, a deep, vicious looking cut that must have happened in the last few days.

Gabu is panting heavily. Mei is shaking. “He must have fainted from that wound,” Gabu says. “At any rate, we’re fine now.”

Mei recovers from the shock enough to say, “We’re not fine. He saw the two of us together. Gabu, he knows about us now!”

Gabu’s eyes widen. “He’s not from my pack. Bari told me just before I left about these wolves from Gara Gara Mountain. They’re looking for a traitor who fled to this forest after attacking their leader. This must be him; he’s got the same scars Bari told me about.”

“Does that make a difference?” Mei says.

“It might do. If I talk to him and ask him not to tell anyone what he saw…”

Mei looks at the prone form of the wolf. “Okay. I’ll hide in the bushes while you talk to him. Be careful, all right?”

“I will, Mei.”

The wolf remains unconscious while Gabu finds some herbs and places them on the scar on his leg. Eventually, the wolf stirs, looking blearily up at Gabu. “You’re the guy from before,” he says, not in an accusatory tone. He tries again to stand, but it looks like the wound is causing him too much pain.

“I’m not going to tell your pack you were here,” Gabu says. His ears are down.

“You know about me?”

“You were wounded by your pack’s leader and ran away. Your name is Jess, right?”

The wolf glances at the herbs Gabu has put on his leg. “You know about me, and yet you still help me. Why?”

Gabu glances off to the side. “I might become a traitor too, all right?” Mei stifles a gasp. “That aside, there was something I wanted to ask you. It’s about what happened before you passed out.”

“You mean when I attacked that goat?”

“Yes. Did you see anything?”

Jess thinks. “I saw you and the goat. You said, ‘Mei’, or something.” Gabu’s head sags. “What’s wrong?”

“I have a request for you. Please don’t tell anyone else about it.”

Jess seems confused. “About what?”

“About…me being friends with a goat.”

“Friends…with a goat?” Jess’s eyes widen. “Are you serious? Are you really friends with a goat?”

Mei can’t believe what he’s hearing. He jumps out of the bush he’s hiding in. “Gabu, why did you tell him that? Uh—” Both of the wolves are staring at him. No one moves.

“To think that you two could actually be friends.” Jess gives a short bark of a laugh. “I’m sorry. This has nothing to do with an outsider like me.” He’s recovered some of his strength, and the three of them are walking through the forest, trying to get Jess to the edge of the Baku Baku wolves’ territory without either of the wolf packs finding him.

Mei is in front. He leads them into the middle of a shallow stream, the water washing gently over their hooves and paws. They follow the stream for a while to disguise their tracks.

“It seems you two are experts at moving while hiding,” Jess says to Gabu.

“You could say that,” Gabu says.

“Although,” Jess lowers his voice, “you have a lot of self-control.”

“What do you mean?” Gabu says.

“To be so close to such a delicious looking goat and not want to eat it.”

Mei continues walking forward, pretending not to hear. By the sound of it, Jess also has a lot of self-control, although Mei still looks subtly around for places to run to in case he’s mistaken.

“W-what are you talking about?” Gabu says unconvincingly. “Of course I don’t want to eat him.”

“You dislike goat?”

“I don’t dislike goat. I… I love…” Gabu trails off. “Look, Mei is different. He’s my best friend. I couldn’t possibly eat him.”

They leave the stream and stop walking to give Jess a chance to rest. He lies on the grass and closes his eyes.

“How’s your leg?” Gabu says.

“Better. The pain is fading, and the swelling seems to have gone down too.”

“Can I ask you something? Why did you try to attack your leader?” Jess opens his eyes and looks up at Gabu. “You don’t have to answer,” Gabu says quickly. “I was just curious.”

Jess thinks, and then sits up, the trace of a smile on his mouth. “I also had a friend like you two.” Mei, who has been keeping watch up ahead, looks back in curiosity. “His name was Gon. We were very close.

“Our leader was no good for the pack, causing trouble. Gon decided to challenge him and become the new leader. From the moment Gon told me of his plan, I already expected some cowardly trick. I told him as much, but he was resolute.

“When Gon issued the challenge, our leader named an outcrop of rock as the location, as was his right. Before the fight had even begun, our leader had the upper paw. Gon was backed against the edge of the cliff and lost his footing. He tried to claw his way back up, but the leader pushed him off. I tried to save him, but I was too late. Gon had fallen to his death. I attacked the leader in retaliation.”

“Over there is Hashi Hashi Hill,” Gabu says. “Once you’re past there, my pack won’t follow you.”

“Thank you,” Jess says. “Without your help, I would never have made it this far.”

“It was no trouble,” Gabu says. “You won’t tell anyone about us, right?”

Jess looks between Gabu and Mei, smiling faintly. “Do you really think anyone would believe me? No, your secret is safe with me.”

He makes to leave, but Mei steps forward. “I think you did the right thing, standing up for your friend.”

“Mei…” Gabu says.

“Thank you,” Jess says again. “I think the same.” He gives a short laugh. “To think that I would agree with a goat…” He takes another few steps. “Hey, before I go, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?” Gabu says.

“Are you going to stay living like this forever?” Gabu and Mei look at each other. Neither of them has an answer. “Well then, goodbye,” and he walks past the hill and out of sight.

Return to Chapter 22

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of あらしのみらいに