The old woman wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked at her husbands frail body lying on the cart. For years, he hadnt been able to leave his straw bed, eat without help, or speakjust breathe heavily and stare at the ceiling with cloudy eyes.
To her, hed become a burden. Once, hed been a strong man, the provider, the protector. But time had taken everything from him. Now, he just ate their last scraps of food without giving anything back.
One day, after chopping firewood and enduring endless complaints and sleepless nights, shed had enough. She hauled him onto the cart and took him deep into the woodswhere rumours said wolves roamedand left him beneath an ancient, withered oak.
“Forgive me, old man,” she muttered, no tears in her eyes. “I cant do this anymore Survive if you can.”
And she walked away.
As the last creak of the cart wheels faded into the distance, the old man knewhe was alone. Completely alone. In the middle of the woods, surrounded by hungry wolves.
The cold seeped into his bones. The ground was damp and icy, the night air biting his skin.
A lump formed in his throat. He couldnt even call out; his voice was long gone. He just lay there, staring up at the dark sky through the branches. Hungry. Thirsty.
Then, suddenly, he heard something terrifying
At first, just a faint crack of twigs, paws padding softly. Then closer. One set, then another. Heavy steps. The wind howledor was it a wolf?
His heart pounded so hard he thought it might burst. Wolves. Shed left him here for them to tear him apart.
Out of the darkness, a shape emerged. Grey, massive, with gleaming eyes that held a cold fire. A wolf.
It stopped and stared at him. But thensomething unexpected happened.
The old man wanted to shut his eyes, to spare himself the sight of the beast, but he couldnt. This is the end, he thought. The wolf will eat me alive.
But the wolf didnt lunge for his throat. Didnt bare its teeth. Instead, it crept closerthen lay down beside him, so near he could feel the warmth of its thick fur.
The animal took a deep breath, closed its eyes, and didnt move againjust the occasional twitch of its ears.
At first, he didnt believe it. But then he felt itthe heat, strong and alive, radiating from the wolfs side.
Half-dead and frozen stiff, he pressed closer.
The wolf didnt leave. The wolf kept him warm.
And so they stayed all nighttwo old creatures, forgotten by the world, who had found each other in the dark woods.
