For a few days the wolf lived gloriously. 

With no people around to be frightened or angry at the animal, life was simple and sweet, and it became increasingly comfortable to allow the wolf to do as it pleased. It was perfectly capable of finding food and water and could stalk through the night without the need for fire to light its way, and its senses were far more keen at detecting possible danger. It was kind enough to carry my tapestry between its teeth, only setting it down to catch prey or drink, though every so often it had to be reminded to retrieve it before moving on.

It dawned on me that since my first transformation I hadn't spent much time alone, nor had the wolf been given many opportunities to wander without disturbance. After the tavern, the circus, and the castle, we were both in need of a release from the tension that had weighed on our shoulders.

But in the back of my mind there was always a wish to find my sister. I knew that eventually I would have to pull our focus to resuming my search.

For now, it was enough to allow the animal to simply be.

The wolf was drinking from a shallow stream when its ears pricked up at a small hissing. It was not a threat, but a call for attention, and the wolf followed it to the remains of a tree. Its bark was black as if recently struck by lightning or fire, and its branches were bare and brittle.

Atop one of the branches, perfectly balanced to prevent its ledge from breaking, was a black and white cat, which I recognized as the one I'd met before.

"You've escaped the king," the cat said through a yawn. "How did you find life in his castle?"

"No good," replied my wolf, and at its voice the cat arched its back and growled.

"Must I be forced to endure conversation with a simple beast like you?" The wolf bristled and I could feel it was offended. The cat pointed a paw at the rolled tapestry near the wolf's head. "Did you steal that treasure before you left?"

"No take. Gift."

"Let me see the boy. We have things to discuss."

"What say to boy say to wolf."

"But I don't like your face."

With an indignant huff, the wolf turned to leave, its patience worn thin with the offensive feline.

"Wait! You cannot leave me!" The wolf continued to ignore the cat as it hissed and mewed. "I've seen your sister!"

This gave us both pause.

Trap, the wolf thought to me.

I was inclined to agree, but the opportunity to learn about my sister was too great to dismiss.

Let me speak to it.

For the first time in days, I became a human again.

It was like getting out of bed after a long bout of sickness. My muscles ached and my skin was instantly covered with goose pimples. I had to wiggle my fingers and toes to wake them from a tingling sleep.

"How you've grown!" the cat noted with a purr. "You're starting to lose the boy and look something like a man."

"You've seen my sister?"

"Oh, yes. Quite recently, in fact." The cat hummed in approval of itself and gave a slow blink. "Truth be told, she's seen better days." It shuddered. "All that garish purple..."

"Is she hurt?"

"Not in a way you can imagine."

"Where is she?"

"So close...so far away...under a sky you cannot see but share all the same."

"Is that all you're going to say? You claimed you wanted to talk, but instead you taunt me. I should let the wolf tear you apart."

"It can certainly try. What I wanted to say to you is this: You'll never find your sister as long as you're trying to. It's a fool's errand, expecting things to go smoothly in the woods."

"I'll find her. You don't know what I'm capable of."

"Oh? And in the last few days you've been showing me? Jumping through the woods like an idiot and chasing butterflies? How far has that gotten you?"

"Found you, didn't I?"

"You did?"

"You've seen my sister recently, so I must be getting close."

The cat's eyes burned with mischief. "Very good, young man. Very, very, good."

"But now you're wasting my time."

"Ah, yes. No use talking to me when there's mud to dig and rabbits to bite. You think you're too clever for my help."

"How are you helping me?"

The cat snorted.

"Didn't I warn you about the approaching king? Did I not just give you a glimmer of hope? You've been wearing the wolf too long. You're letting its ego cloud your vision and keep you well distracted."

"I just want it to be happy."

"At what cost? Does the wolf want to find your sister? No. The wolf wants to roll on its back all day."

"Well...if it wants to roll on its back, then a part of me wants to do that, too. And the wolf does want to find my sister. Our goals are the same. After all we've been through, there's nothing wrong with taking a moment to be happy."

"Oh. Oh my. You'll never get where you need to be with that attitude."

"I don't care what you think."

"You may share a body. You may even be two halves of one mind, but your aims are completely different. Are you giving yourself a moment of happiness—or are you shirking your responsibilities because it's easier than confronting danger?"

"My sister is in danger?"

"Each passing sun brings her closer to her fate, for better or worse."

"And I should be hunting for her without a moment's peace?"

"Goodness knows I love a bit of whimsy, but you go dangerously too far. You're beginning to forget yourself and get lost in the wolf. Soon there won't be a man left to care about a sister. Do not ignore me, I've seen it happen."

"You'd have me force the wolf inside, but it's my friend."

"Not the most sensible friend, is it? I can't blame it, for the animal is incapable of caring for anything other than food and play. But you have cares as big as the woods itself. You ought to start concerning yourself with them." The cat yawned. "I'm getting rather bored with having to instill good sense in you children." 

"I'm getting bored with you. You contradict yourself, cat. One second you tell me searching for my sister is a fool's errand, the next you reprimand me for letting the wolf distract me from looking for her."

"I said nothing of the sort."

"You said—"

"You should be looking for your future," it said with a growl. "That is what I mean by not letting the wolf distract you."

"Credence...is not my future?"

"She may be in your future, but she is not your future. Be patient and forget her for a while. Find your own life. Then you might have a chance to be reunited."

"Your advice to find her...is not to find her?"

"Exactly!"

"That's terrible advice."

"Terrible or not, it's the truth."

I looked at the trees. "Well...what direction should I go in to find my future?"

The cat chuckled. "There's no direction, silly beast."

I turned from the cat and began to walk away, unable stand its insults and conflicting words a moment longer.

"I hope I never see you again," I called to it.

"Hope is like water, always changing," the cat answered. "You keep on the path your head has set now, and you'll find what you need in no time at all."