It was a strikingly handsome wolf, with sharp eyes that blended blue and green, and fur that was a mix of off-white and black. Its legs and body looked strong and powerful, making it truly wonderous—and perhaps a bit suspicious—how anything could have managed to attack and wound such a creature so severely.
Ami stepped toward it with curiosity, but then, lost in some other thought, she sat down on a small rock in front of it. The wolf was watching her, too... without even blinking.
Jagannath arrived soon after with first aid. Sitting beside the wolf, he began cleaning its wound gently with antiseptic liquid. The creature let out a low, heavy groan from the pain. Because her Daddy was right there beside it, Ami felt brave enough to move closer to the wolf herself.
She slowly raised her hand and stroked its head with immense affection. As if the pain had suddenly vanished, the wolf looked at her. Its gaze was fixed on her grey eyes, and hers on its deep ones. It was as if she were searching for its soul. Ami, meanwhile, looked on with a tiny smile. Even Jagannath's initial fear had begun to fade away.
Now and then, the wolf would press its face into Ami's small lap and whimper from the pain. Although its heavy, black-furred body felt weighted against her, she held its face close with great care.
"Careful, daughter... there might be ticks on its fur," her Daddy said, watching them.
"It's okay, Dad..."
That was her only reply. Then, she lowered her face and kissed it. The wolf's body gave off a pleasant scent. Ami was too young to fully understand that—or perhaps she just didn't realize that most wild animals aren't supposed to smell that good.
After finishing the dressing and applying the medicine, Jagannath slowly poured the water he had brought into the wolf's mouth.
"Look, Ami... let it rest now. It's getting dark. We should head back to the tent,"..he said.
"Let's take him too, Dad!"
Saying this, she looked at the creature and called out,
"Come, Wolfy... Dad will give you food. Don't stay here alone."
Jagannath couldn't help but smile at the love in Ami's voice. As he walked back with his daughter, he felt certain that the wolf would not follow them. By then, it had become quite dark. He gathered some firewood and set up a campfire.
Then they sat down to eat. During the meal, Jagannath gave a portion of their food to the wolf. He had doubted whether it would eat it, as these creatures are typically raw meat eaters. But contrary to his expectations, the wolf ate the food with great haste; perhaps it was just that hungry.
When it became late at night, Jagannath took Ami and went inside the tent. She was occupied with a game involving a cube. As he looked at her with a smile and prepared to close the tent, he saw the wolf slowly approaching them. A small fear crept into him—could it be coming to harm them?
Just as he was about to close the tent in worry, Ami spotted it.
"Dad, Wolfy..." she said with immense joy.
"Ami, this isn't a puppy or a kitten for you to be this happy... it might attack us," he said with a hint of irritation.
"But Grandpa used to say that wolves don't attack humans, right?" she replied. And she was right. There is a belief that they possess an aura much stronger than that of humans. With that aura, they do not attack anything except negative forces or the animals they hunt for food. Their laws have many such peculiarities. Even though they are animals, they do not break the laws of the forest.
Since Jagannath had treated the wolf, it would certainly feel a sense of gratitude. However, seeing its sheer size, a fear remained. He hadn't felt it as much when the creature was lying down, but now, standing beside Ami, the wolf was taller than her.
Suddenly, before Jagan could stop her, Ami ran toward it. She began inspecting its wounds.
"Dad, the wound has started to heal...!"
she exclaimed, her small eyes filled with happiness.
Suddenly, the wolf stuck out its tongue and licked her face—perhaps a gesture of affection.
"Aich..!" she said with a laugh.
Jagannath's fear had also lessened by then. Ami brought the wolf inside the tent. However, rather than going all the way in, it lay down on the floor. Ami pressed her face into its soft fur and hugged it.
"Daughter, its fur might be allergenic,"
Jagannath cautioned, but even as he spoke to move her, she held on tight. When he tried to gently pull her away, the wolf let out a low growl, as if it didn't appreciate the interference. It fixed him with a sharp, glowing blue stare. Sensing it meant no harm, Jagannath lay down near them. Even as they drifted into sleep, the wolf's eyes remained wide open, watching the entrance with vigilance—as if it had become their guardian.
Finally, in the pale light of dawn, the wolf rose from Ami's side without waking her. It gazed at her for a long time, bringing its face close to inhale her scent deeply, perhaps to etch her into its memory.
It turned and began to walk away slowly. Miraculously, the wounds on its body had completely vanished. Its slow walk soon turned into a steady pace, then a run, and finally, it moved with the speed of lightning toward a distant part of the forest. It ended its journey atop a cluster of rocks on a high mountain. From there, one could see the waves of the sea crashing below and a mysterious island in the distance. As the wolf looked toward that island and let out a long, powerful howl, the full moon hung large in the sky.
At that same moment, the sun began to sink into the western horizon. Hearing a sound, Ami's eyes snapped open in a start. For a moment, she was disoriented; she realized she was not in a tent, but in a room. The little Ami was gone; she had grown much older now.
More than twenty years had passed. It hadn't been just a dream; it was a reality she had once experienced. Even as she thought of it now, her mind was filled with the image of those blue eyes and that sharp, piercing gaze.
At that same moment, far away, another man woke up from that very same dream. He was someone who hid a multitude of mysteries within his eyes, alongside pupils that blended blue and green. In that instant, it wasn't the little Ami who was in his mind. Instead, it was the image of a woman—so incredibly beautiful and filled with the full radiance of youth.
She was Amika Jagannath.