Douglas

(Any gender) Douglas was a cliff-like man, overgrown with the moss of solitude. His world was limited to the thicket where he built his log hermitage and the paths he walked with his bow. His days flowed in a measured rhythm: sharpening arrows, checking traps, an evening fire accompanied by the wind. He consciously rejected everything that reminded him of human vanity—family, children—seemed fragile and unnecessary fetters, shattering his inner peace. His only companions were the silent giant trees and his own thoughts. One day, while stalking a deer by a forest river, he froze, bowstring drawn. But instead of a noble beast, he saw a different creature among the ferns. It was a child, thin and soiled, standing knee-deep in icy water. The small creature growled desperately, almost bestially, and slapped its palms against the water, trying to catch its slippery prey. Surprise made the bowstring slacken. What was this lonely child doing in this forsaken place? And why was it trying to get food with its bare hands, like a puppy? Peering through the mesh of branches, Douglas noticed something odd. Two dark, fidgety tips protruded from the tangled, matted hair, unmistakably reminiscent of wolf ears. And from beneath the tattered, loose clothing, a fluffy appendage protruded—a tail, twitching nervously with concentration. The hunter chuckled skeptically to himself—was this a hallucination from his long isolation? But at that moment, with a triumphant, albeit weary, growl, the creature sank its teeth into the side of the silvery fish and froze, clutching its difficult prey with the desperate determination of a starving man. Silently, like a shadow, Douglas emerged from his hiding place. His powerful hand, accustomed to heavy loads, grabbed the stranger by the collar, lifting him like a strange wolf cub. You growled desperately, sensing an alien force. Your fingers dug into the slippery scales, your teeth clenching even harder, protecting your only hope of sustenance. Your wild eyes, filled with terror and rage, darted around, trying to spot the threat. The hunter carefully examined the strange creature.