Leave.

That was the thought racing through both our minds.

Go back to the woods and leave the titans behind.

I could barely stand to look at the beasts, but fear would not allow me to take my eyes from them.

Running away didn't feel like a cowardly thing to do, but a smart one, for under the trees there were no giants. Jedd sensed my desire to flee, and at dinner he looked at me with sympathy.

"You're afraid," he noted. "You cannot stay."

"I am afraid. Aren't you?"

"Be a fool if I wasn't."

"How do you live like this? Constantly anticipating an attack—with the titans two steps away?"

He considered my question for a moment, then set his bowl down and gave me a hard look.

"Haven't you ever felt a kind of way...like you know who you are...and even if others find it odd...to you, it's as natural as breathing?"

I nodded. "When I first arrived you said the woods were dangerous. But I was born there. I know the woods. The monsters there are nothing compared to what you face in the plains."

"I believe I would feel the same about the trees." Jedd paused. "Go into the chest where the robes are kept and tell me what you find."

I obeyed his request.

"There's just wool," I said.

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Look harder."

Confused by his request, I dug through the wool, examining it for any peculiarities, until my hand hit something hard beneath it. Under the wool was a book. There was no title on its cover or an image to suggest what was contained within. I held it up for Jedd to see.

"Open it," he urged.

The smell of hay wafted from the pages. I turned to the beginning of the story and let my eyes wander over the words. It was the history of Lightning that Jedd told me, but the story was changed. From what I gathered in the first few pages, there never was a man named Micah.

Instead, the First Worshipper of Lightning had been a ram.

"I don't understand," I whispered. "What is this?"

"The truth. When Lightning rose from the water, the first creature He laid eyes on was not human. The story is the same as the one I told, with a few...slight differences. The people of the plains were not people, not at first." Jedd grinned and a softness filled his eyes. "Lightning loved us because we were gentle and did not engage in the same sins as humans. We knew nothing of stealing or hurting each other. The only thing that threatened us was man. And when the human shepherds refused to cease their slaughtering of us, Lightening decided to teach them a lesson. 

The sheep of the plains became humans. The humans of the plains became sheep. That is why Lightning's first gifts were language and knowledge. I told you the titans were sent by Lightning's brothers to bring Him home, but the truth is they were sent as revenge. Lightning's brothers were fond of humans and refused to see their bloodlust as evil. 

Lightning is the only god who's ever cared for us. Man must learn the error of his ways, and we will teach them through Lightning's gentleness and mercy. They will learn that life needn't be a violent war, but should be spent caring for others and being cared for. Until then, we will continue to protect people, showing kindness that was never bestowed upon us. This has been our charge from the beginning. That wool in the chest belonged to my earliest ancestor, from when he shed it to grow human skin. All descendants of the first twelve families own such a relic." 

He gave a sly smile. "That is also why, as a true fellow animal, I can understand the wolf when it speaks. Thank you, by the way, wolf, for the compliment two days ago. I never thought of my voice as—how did you put it? 'As loud as the horns that announced a champion, but as lovely as the movements of a Hag Dancer'. I'm not sure what that means, but I'll take it as praise."

Inside, I felt a small embarrassment from the wolf.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"Does the truth frighten you? Or make you think less of me?"

"No, I'm only curious. Why reveal it now?"

He shrugged. "Because you asked why I choose to live the way I do. The simple answer is...I must. This is the lot my kind have been given and we're grateful for it. Lightning saved us from a miserable existence, and we give thanks by keeping His command. Don't know life any other way. Don't want to. And what harm can it cause to let you know my secret?"

"None, I suppose."

"You think it was unwise to trust you?"

"If I were you I might have feared that telling a stranger—a human—the truth might upset them. Might anger them and make them want to take revenge."

"We both know you're not that sort of human."

"Still, it's a risk."

"All of life is a risk, Josiah. I count myself lucky to have Lightning on my side. I think we understand each other. You know why I choose to stay, and I accept why you have to leave. It's a shame to lose you, but I'm a capable herder."

"You are."

"I can manage the fields on my own. My people are special. Few, but special." He sat back and stroked his chin. "If you don't mind leading the flock one last time, we'll say farewell in the morning."

The following dawn, I was filled with a strange anticipation. The only other time I can remember having such a feeling was the morning Ma sent us into the woods. I knew I would never see Jedd again, and while I didn't know the man well, I had a fondness for him. We kept each other at a distance during our brief time together, detaching our interest just enough to form a bond that was neither affectionate nor disagreeable.

As if we both understood we were not meant to be lifelong friends.

I retrieved my sack made from the cloak of stars, and after a final serving of delicious vegetables I helped Jedd drive the sheep into the field. The plains were particularly lovely that morning, and it almost felt like I was looking at them for the first time. I would miss the grass that swayed under the gentle wind and the clouds that always promised storms.

"Like living in a dream," Jedd whispered as he admired the view with me. "Never gets old, boy. Never will."

I could not keep my eyes from traveling to the titans. Perhaps because I knew I was leaving them behind, they didn't seem as terrifying.

What a strange world, I mused to myself, to have the most beautiful land but share it with the most wretched enemy.

"You came as a wolf," Jedd said, stirring me from my thoughts. "And I chose to trust you. I was suspicious, but something told me there was good in you. And you're exactly what I hoped for. Where would I be if I'd struck you down at the start? I'd be without a helper to protect the field and worse off for it. Maybe even dead." He turned to me. "I've seen sadness in your eyes, boy. It reaches down and touches your heart. I know because I've felt it, too. And I know where that sort of sadness comes from: Hopelessness. Resigning to be on your own." He shook his head. "We need others to survive."

"But you live alone."

"I have solitude, but I'm not alone. I have my community. And for a time I had you. Who would believe it? A sheep and a wolf living in harmony! It still amazes me, but the miracles of Lightning come in many forms. I think you were sent to remind me about the importance of others. After my wife passed I...I've been withdrawn and haven't grown close to others like I should. I believed sorrow was the only thing I had left. This was Lightning's way of pushing me forward. I hear you, Lightning. I'll strengthen my relationship with my people, because they're the family I have. And in the end, family is the thing worth living for."

"It's better to be alone," I argued gently. "No one will die or get hurt. No one will leave you."

"But life would certainly be empty, wouldn't it?"

This gave me pause, for I remembered saying something like that to the Hag Dancer. 

"It would be safer," I answered. 

"That's one way to look at it, I suppose."

There was a tear in the corner of Jedd's eye, threatening to fall with his next blink.

"Will you be all right?" I asked.

Jedd smiled. "Go on, Josiah. The woods are calling."

I began to lift the robe from my body, to return it to Jedd before transforming, but the herder stopped me.

"Keep it. Next time you stumble across someone you won't have to talk to them without modesty. Take care of it—and mind your surroundings."

"I will. Thank you."

"Find your people, Josiah. They're out there, if you choose to find them."

I tucked the robe next to my tapestry in the cloak of stars, and when the wolf appeared it gathered my belongings in its teeth.

"One last thing," Jedd said as the wolf began to depart. "Now you know the history of Lightning. One day, when you have a family, you might share it with them. Even if it's a bedtime story or a fanciful tale. Even if you don't believe it. Remember the god who gave my kind the chance to survive. And maybe spare a sheep's life when you can."

"I will remember and tell your story," the wolf said and Jedd replied with a knowing wink.

I still miss the food Jedd served. My mouth waters at the memory of those savory vegetables, and I often crave to eat them again. Over the years I've tried to grow crops as tasty as those from the plains, but nothing has ever come close.

I miss the peace of Jedd's life, too, for I've not found anything quite as harmonious.

But nothing could ever bring me back to the place where titans roam.

The wolf returned to the trees. Beneath the canopy of leaves and branches the ground was cool and hard, much different from the perpetually warm and soft grass of the plains. The smell of wet moss hit its nostrils, filling the wolf with a comforting sentimentality.

Jedd was wrong. The wolf and I didn't need anyone else.

Home, the wolf thought contentedly.

Home, I agreed.