Racum Raccoon's Arc

Chapter 5 of 6

The older wolf stood slowly, using the workbench to push himself up. He looked at Racum for a long moment, then turned to Mad Dog. "I'll wait outside," he said. Mad Dog nodded without looking up. The older wolf moved toward the door, then stopped with one paw on the frame. He turned back. "There's something you should know, Racum." The older wolf reached into his vest and pulled out a metal locket, worn smooth at the edges. He held it in his paw like it weighed more than it should. "Your grandfather gave this to me before he disappeared. Told me to keep it safe until you were old enough to understand what it meant." Racum felt his chest tighten. The locket had initials carved into the front, letters he recognized from the old tree where he lived. "Your father doesn't know I have this. Never told him. Your grandfather made me promise." Racum wanted to ask why, wanted to know what the locket meant and why his grandfather had left it with someone outside the family. But the older wolf was already moving toward the door again, and Racum realized he was supposed to decide something right now. He could follow and demand answers, could make this about solving the mystery. Or he could let the wolf leave and think about what to do when he wasn't feeling the pressure to act. The tightness in his chest pulled him toward the door, but he stayed where he was. "Thank you for telling me," he said. The older wolf nodded and stepped outside. Through the doorway, Racum could see the massive boulder where the path split toward the main trail. The wolf set down a weathered iron chest beside it, the kind that held a lifetime of tools and work. He didn't look back. Racum sat down on the log next to Mad Dog, the weight of the locket's existence settling over him like a question he couldn't answer yet. For once, not knowing what to do felt different than failing. It felt like choosing to measure twice before he cut.