Lupa, the She-Wolf
The girl was entering adolescence when her dark eyes changed to a bright gold. Her family, worried, took her to their village healer. Prayers were made to the gods, but they didn’t answer. The villagers, in fear, ostracized the young girl, eventually forcing her to leave their village. The girl’s name was lost to the annals of time, but as she grew so would her legend and would call her Lupa – meaning “She-Wolf”
Alone & Finding The Wolves
Lupa spent her time trying to find a place to call home. Thrown out of her village, she received a similar welcome in any human settlements. Her strange eye color made people believe she was either sick or possessed. Lupa was forced to find a place on her own, but soon realized she wasn’t. She began to see strange images in head.
The images lead her to a pack of wolves. Lupa was initially afraid, but she soon found out the wolves were speaking to her. With the wolves, Lupa would learn to hunt and take care of herself. They gave her the name Moonseeker and a female wolf named Rising Sun became bonded with her. She spent years with the pack, eventually growing into adulthood.
Nearing Madness
Ostracized by humans, Lupa found solace among the wolves who accepted her without question. She began to resent people, avoiding them when possible. The lack of human contact meant she felt the wolf within her get stronger. Rising Sun constantly had to remind Lupa that she was two-legs. Lupa could feel the madness within her, and did what she could to avoid it. She almost succumbed until she met a human male with golden eyes the same as hers.
He went by the name Broken Fang. Finding human contact, Lupa was able to keep the wolf at bay. The pair traveled together with Rising Sun when they came to a traveling caravan. As usual, the pair were shunned, but the caravan’s hunting party gave chase. Broken Fang was killed. Lupa and Rising Sun fled, finding a cave in which to hide. Lupa felt the madness coming as she grieved but she knew she couldn’t succumb because she was pregnant.
Twin Boys In The Snow
Lupa gave birth to a still born son. Lost in her grief, she almost gave in to the wolf. It was Rising Sun who brought her back. Rising Sun took Lupa from the gave to the river where two infant children were. Lupa acted quickly, bringing the children into her cave to warm next to the fire. They were ill and she nursed them back to health. Holding the boys, Lupa’s madness retreated. She had what she needed to remind herself that she was human.
Lupa raised the boys for as long as she could, but she soon realized that she couldn’t keep them. Her life wasn’t the life for a child – especially with Broken Fang gone. She was saddened, but had to do what was right for the children. Lupa knew of a farmhouse nearby and approached it. The farmer and his wife were in the field working and immediately went on guard as they saw her eyes but they hesitated as they saw the two babes in her arms. Lupa approached the man and handed him one child, speaking only the child’s name “Romulus.” Then to the woman she gave the other and spoke the name “Remus.” Lupa walked away, turning once more to tell the pair “I will be watching.”
The Boys Grow & A Legend Begins
The farmer and his wife raised the two boys like one of their own, ever mindful that the woman with golden eyes was watching. While doing chores, Romulus and Remus would sometimes look to see Lupa standing on the hill with a large wolf, watching with rapt attention. Their parents keep secret that this woman had brought the twins to the house, but were warned to stay away.
The boys didn’t listen, eventually finding Lupa’s cave. Lupa, glad to see they wanted to know her welcomed them and spoke with them, but warned them to stay away. Her life was not theirs and they could do more than be wandering vagabonds. They complied, but would leave her gifts on feast days and would wave when they saw her. It was the few times Lupa would smile. The boys would become men and would eventually make their own legend. Romulus would eventually found the city of Rome and it would eventually expand into an empire. Remus would die at his hands. Romulus let the legend of his rescue spread, changing it to her was actually found by a wolf.
As the boys left, Lupa would find purpose. She became a protector of the oppressed and ostracized. Those who hurt others in her domain would face her wrath. It was said you would only see her if she wanted you to see her. The only two reasons were an assurance of her protection or you were her next target. People began to pray for forgiveness before entering her domain.
Lupa became a master of the dream world, eventually finding out how to enter the dreams of others, and if you saw her in your dreams it meant she was hunting you. She never attacked innocents, only attacking those who took advantage of others – especially children. The people in the area surrounding her cave gave her the name Lupa.
Other Lives
First Age – Marta Gonzalez
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