The Circle of Wolves

A Story of Ashok

as told by an Elder Sentinel   "They say that when the wind blows,the lonely howls of Ashok are heard.   You see, Ashok was not always so brutal as we know them to be now. Once, he was kind and gentle. Well, as gentle as a large white wolf can be. Ashok was not only a god, but a parent of all wolves. Wolves look to him for advice still, you know. He is very wise.   Ashok was happy, once, long before we mortals can remember. He was the winter wolf, with white thick fur. It is said that it shone like moonlight on the snow, for those lucky enough to meet him. Ashok also had his siblings as his pack, each representing their respective season. Though their names have been lost to us, we remember them. The Green Wolf of Spring, the Brown Wolf of Summer, and the Red Wolf of Autumn.   The Green Wolf of Spring was said to leave flower blossoms with each step. Filled with a gentle calm, The Green Wolf was a guide to the new beginnings that spring promised.   The Brown Wolf of Summer was warm and friendly, with the energy of a pup. The Brown Wolf was the warmth and leisure of the summer weather.   The Red Wolf of Autumn was said to rustle like the leaves that fall from the trees. You knew they were near when you smelt the scent of leaves on the ground in the forest. The Red Wolf embodied the planning and harvest that was necessary to survive the coming winter.   Then there was Ashok himself. With his white fur and blue eyes as clear as the winter sky, he embodied both the hunt for food and the quiet introspection that came with the winter season.   Ashok and the other wolves were happy to live together, in the balance of the seasons and of nature itself. Until a battle broke out between the gods, both ones we know about, and those who have been forgotten. No one remembers exactly why, mind. All we know is that the other wolves were killed, and Ashok went hunting those responsible for the destruction of his family, leaving destruction and death in his wake. He became the remorseless hunter that the world recognizes today.   Not everyone remembers Ashok’s siblings, and the balance they stood for. We do. That is why we wear the circle of the wolves. The White paw print at the top, for the Wolf of Winter. Next, clockwise, The Green paw print, for the Wolf of Spring. Next, the Brown print, for Summer. Finally, the Red print, for the Wolf of Autumn. We work together, as they once did, each playing a part. Do not forget them."