FicWad

-Lee walked down the street with his duffle bag slung over his shoulder. It was spring in the mountains and that meant that it was time for him to visit the town once again. Lee lived deep in the mountains away from civilization but the land didn't provide everything. About once a month this time of year, or whenever it was necessary, he would come into town for any supplies he needed that he couldn't make himself.
-he was a young man in his twenties with unkempt brown hair and brown eyes. Despite his hermit lifestyle his face was cleanly shaved. His clothes were roughed up and he carried a bear skin blanket in his bag for sleeping outside. He had a large bowie knife on his belt but the police knew he was alright.
-Lee walked into the small grocery store to buy the supplies, he made a small amount of money by selling the furs of the animals he hunted for food. Everyone in the town knew about Lee and there were plenty of rumors about what he did up in the hills. Luckily the store owner was a friend and didn't give him a hard time.
-"So Lee," the old man said. "Trees keeping you company?" Lee smiled at his friend. He was always trying to set Lee up with any available girl that came in the store and had sent a few out to Lee's cabin but they were all self centered air heads and Lee had no interest in them.
-"Oh the wild is very good company old friend," Lee said. "You should come out and visit us sometime I'm sure you would be welcome." The old man and Lee smiled at each other and they both chuckled.
-The old man sold Lee some medicine and a few other items that Lee needed. Lee knew how to live off the land and if he really wanted to he could stay up there and never come down but there were some things that were just easier to buy and besides, he liked some human contact.
-"Good luck Lee, have a safe trip," the old man said as Lee walked out the doors. Lee waved back and set out for home. He stopped and talked with a few of the people who knew him but most of the younger people just stopped to stare at him.
-Lee was stopped by three small children. They stared at Lee and he stared back. He found the naïve gullibility of children refreshing. What they could believe was limited only by what they could imagine. In many ways Lee envied that.
-"Is it true you talk to animals?" The oldest of the children asked. Lee had heard this rumor before, and several others. He simply smiled at the boy and knelt down to his level.
-"I talk to them all the time," he said and waited a moment as the child's eyes went wide with wonder. "They just don't talk to me." Lee chuckled and walked away while the children ran off to make up stories to their friends. Lee didn't mind, as long as their stories put a smile on their faces then it didn't matter to him what they said.
-Lee had lived here for about five years and he felt he knew his way around the woods pretty well. He loved nature and the animals but there were a few human nuisances that he had to put up with.
-Mr. Jericho was the biggest of them. He was an old farmer who lived near the trail Lee used to get into town. In all honesty the man was a little crazy. He was always chasing away anyone who got anywhere near his farm and was always wanting to go hunt down the wolves that he claimed were eating his animals.
-Thankfully the mayor had enforced the protection act and forbidden Jericho from forming a hunting party, but Lee suspected the old coot probably tried hunting them on his own. Lee would just have to be careful not to get shot by accident, or knowing Jericho, on purpose.
-After about an hours hike Lee was well away from the town. He was walking down a dirt trail near Jericho's farm when he noticed something up ahead. Whatever it was it was lying on the side of the trail and it looked like an animal. Lee knew that no cars went down this path so it couldn't have been hit. He decided it would be best to approach loudly so the animal would be aware of his presence and it would probably just leave. Most animal attacks occurred because animals were startled and attacked. Lee knew that if he made himself know he could avoid an altercation.
-As Lee got closer the animal turned its head to look at him and Lee realized it was a small wolf. He expected the animal to run off at the sight of him but instead it just sat there looking at him. Lee had come across wolves before and he knew they didn't like being around people, so why wasn't this animal running?
-Lee moved around the wolf and the wolf watched his every move. Although it did not get up or even growl at him the thing that was the most peculiar was the look on its face. It seemed as if it were asking for help. The expression made a chill go up Lee's spine, it seemed so, human.
-Lee got around to the other side of the wolf and saw that its right paw was caught in a bear trap. It wasn't bleeding too badly and Lee hoped that it wasn't broken. He knew it was probably one of Jericho's traps but he wasn't sure how to get it off the wolf without it biting him.
-"Ok now, easy there," Lee said softly as he inched towards the wolf's foot. "I'm not going to hurt you; I just want to get that thing off your leg so I'd appreciate it if you didn't bite my head off." He knew it might bite him anyway but he couldn't just leave it there.
-Much to his relief the wolf seemed to understand his intentions. It watched him closely but did not bare its teeth or growl. Lee's hand slowly moved towards the wolf's trapped paw. He took hold of the trap and pried it open enough for the animal to free itself before he let go and the trap snapped shut.
-The wolf came up to Lee and licked his face in gratitude and then sat in front of him as if waiting for something. Lee knew that he shouldn't but he felt compelled to slowly reach out his hand and pet the animal. For a wild wolf it certainly seemed tame. It let him pet its head and seemed to like it but suddenly the wolf looked past Lee and snarled. Lee immediately withdrew his hand and remained still. The wolf wasn't snarling at him but he wasn't going to push his luck. The wolf looked at him once more and then ran off into the tree line.
-After the wolf was out of sight Lee turned to see what had scared it off. He saw two men riding up to him on horses. One of them was Jericho and the other man was his farm hand Jack. Jericho rode up to Lee with a very angry look on his face.