The Retirement

The canoe drifted quietly about fifty feet from the rocky shoreline. The woman leaned back into the chest of the man, both sitting on the bottom of their vessel. The man, facing the stern, leaned his back against the bow seat, the paddles stowed under the thwarts. The two sat quietly, in awe of what they were watching. They, too, sensed the shift in the gentle breeze that was now coming out of the southwest. They saw the alpha male raise his head and then look directly at them. He was magnificent. At his side, the alpha female lay, watching the pups play, oblivious to the world around them. Ever so slowly, three adult wolves moved out of the forest, forming a semicircle around the mother and pups. Movement on the inside of the tree line indicated the presence of other members of the pack. After a few minutes, the alpha female rose and led her pups down to the water to drink. They followed their mother, took their time drinking, and when they were done, they followed her back up the gentle slope, where they continued to play.

One by one, the rest of the pack made their way down to the lake to drink under the watchful gaze of the alpha male, who maintained his watch on the drifting canoe. As they finished drinking, each member of the pack moved back up the hill. Most disappeared into the trees, but several lingered near the alpha female and the playing cubs. When the last had finished their drink and headed up to the safety of the forest, the alpha male remained by the lake for a bit. He casually took another drink. There was no fear, no aggression, no threatening posture—just a certain confidence. He slowly turned, moving up the hill, lingering near the alpha female. He nuzzled her, and then she led the cubs into the forest. One by one, the remaining members of the pack followed, leaving the alpha male by the tree line. He knew the pack was at the top of the pyramid. A family, and their strength was each other, working together to survive in an unforgiving but beautiful land. The alpha knew this strength was paramount in their day-to-day struggle to stay on top in this environment. He quietly disappeared into the forest.

In the canoe, the female pushed gently back into the male. His arms were wrapped around her, and he squeezed her, gently kissing her on the cheek. They understood too.