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The twins were sparring with swords they found in an old battlefield. The swords had nicks in the blade from excessive use but despite their abused appearance, the metal was sturdy and sharp. The handles were made of plain bronze wrapped in black leather to cushion the palms.
The twins’ sparring would occur every day at dusk after their chores. Since the moment they discovered the swords they were excellent fighters. It was as if they were born to fight. They had instincts only a seasoned warrior would have, not children of a shepherd who had never seen a war.
An hour into their mock battle, the hair stood up on the back of their necks. They felt as if they were being watched. They turned towards the valley wall where rocky cliffs overlooked the pass. A few hundred yards away from them on a ledge lay a massive black wolf. He seemed to watch them as a teacher watches his pupils, studying them as they learned to fight. Romulus tightened his grip around his sword with a menacing smirk. He whirled the weapon around his arm and took a stance ready to sprint at the wolf.
Remus stepped in front of his brother, blocking his way to the wolf. “What is the point in hurting an innocent animal, Rom? He’s not attacking us. Leave him be.”
“What are you afraid of, Remmy? Don’t worry, I won’t let him eat you. Can’t we have fun for once?” Romulus playfully slapped the side of Remus' arm.
“It is a wolf, Romulus, a sacred animal. Do you really want to anger the gods?”
Romulus smiled brightly at his brother, “If they didn’t want us to kill their beloved pet then they shouldn’t have given us these swords and presented us with a challenge. What greater glory than to return with the pelt of a rare black wolf?”
As Romulus took off jogging towards the low cliff, Remus spoke under his breath, “What greater blasphemy?” He followed his brother not knowing whether it was to stop him or help him.
Instinctively, the twins gracefully jumped on rocks and leapt over gaps so smoothly you would have thought they were flying. In a matter of seconds, they were beneath the cliff the wolf had been laying on. Just before they reached the wolf, the enormous animal stood up defensively with its hair sticking up on its back.
What an epic battle, Romulus thought. We’ll be immortalized forever.
Suddenly, a large grey and white she-wolf jumped directly in front of them. She was not as large as the black wolf but still larger than a normal sized wolf. The she-wolf almost matched the boys’ height at 5’10. The twins fell backward in surprise. She was defending the twins against the larger black wolf, growling and baring her teeth. The twins gathered their composure and took their attacking stance, as oddly as it sounded, to provide back up for the grey she-wolf.
The grey wolf snarled at the larger black one and slowly walked towards the cliff it stood on. The black wolf backed up, providing room for her to jump onto the ledge. Before the twins could climb up with her, the two dogs snarled and leapt in the air, colliding with one another.
The grey wolf fell to the ground on its side with a whimper, but quickly stood up and lunged at the black wolf’s neck. The black wolf fell on its side after the she-wolf rammed her shoulder into its abdomen. The grey wolf had a chunk of black neck fur clamped between its teeth. She swiped her paw against its face and stepped on its stomach, pinning the black beast to the jagged cliffside.
The black wolf let out a roar never before heard from a wolf. With a burst of energy, the black wolf rolled the grey one off its body. One swipe of its paw and the grey wolf slammed against the cliff wall. The boys watched their defender slump to the ground. They thought for sure she was dead. Miraculously, she stood up again and stalked her opponent with a slight limp.
What happened next was the most shocking moment in the boys’ life. What should have been a snarl from the grey wolf were words.
“Mars, stand back from my cubs! You have no business here,” the she-wolf ordered.
The black wolf, Mars, coolly answered back, “They are my children, Lupa. Do not forget that, She-wolf, and do not forget I am your master.”
“I have no master, you Lord of War. I am the mother and queen of all wolves. I show allegiance to whom I please,” Lupa arrogantly replied.
“You foolish dog, I created you! You are my child as much as they are!” growled Mars.
“We may be your children, but we are not your servants. We are born warriors, the strongest of the demigods. We are the children who can challenge the gods, including you, Mars. Now I warn you one final time, back away from my cubs!” yelled Lupa followed by a guttural growl.
“I will leave, Lupa, only because they are not ready to fulfill their destiny. You left them in the care of a shepherd, a man with no fighting skills. I had to influence them to exercise their birthright. You let them grow-up weak,” growled Mars.
Mars looked over his shoulder as he walked away. “Consider yourself warned, Lupa. Train them, or I will.”
Mars bounded away towards the forest and vanished into the shadows.
Lupa faced the twins and jumped down to their level. She stood so tall she was eye to eye with them. Remus and Romulus should have been scared of this massive wolf, but there was something memorable about her.
Remus spoke first, “Lupa, is it? Why are you so familiar?”
“Because I am your guardian, Remus,” Lupa said as she walked over and nuzzled their shoulders.
Romulus shook his head in defiance and jerked away from the wolf, “We have guardians, Acca Larentia and Faustulus. They are our parents and good people!”
“I lured you to the shepherd and his wife after nursing you when I found you in the Tiber,” Lupa licked the wounds on her paws. The twins looked at each other apprehensively. Lupa responded to their odd look, “Come here, place your hands on my head and I will show you.”
The twins placed a hand on either side of Lupa’s head behind her ears. Lupa shared her memories of finding the babies, nursing them, playing with them, and sleeping next to them. Finally, she showed them how she played with the infants while luring them to the field, causing the stampede of sheep.
The twins yanked back their hands in alarm and stepped away from the wolf. Before they could speak, Lupa interjected, “You must leave your home and come with me. You have a destiny to fulfill, one that cannot happen if you remain here. It will be a fatal decision if you stay. Unfortunately, you have heard Mars’ threat. As much of an arrogant culus as he is, he is right in that you have grown-up weak.”
Romulus shook his head, “I am not afraid of a God,” he said refusing to leave his adoptive family.
Remus steadied his hotheaded brother and asked, “Fatal to whom?”
Lupa sat down and pointed her nose toward the twin’s home, “Your parents will die a cruel death. Mars does not give second chances, nor will he offer pity to them in order to force you on your path. You must gather your belongings and meet back here. I will give you an hour for your goodbyes.”
The twins knew they needed to save their adoptive parents. They walked back to the house and silently gathered their belongings. Before they walked out the door, their father, Faustulus, blocked their path. He looked at his boys and nodded, “I do not know where you are heading, but I know that I cannot stop you. I have always known you are meant for a life far beyond being shepherds. You are the twin boys of Mars, aren’t you?” He chuckled sadly at the twin’s identical shocked expression, “Did you think I could not figure it out? Your fighting skills are skills that only can be owned by a heritage of war. I had a suspicion it was he who visited our house and gave you those necklaces when we first brought you home”
Faustulus grabbed his sons into a hug and held them tightly. He gently kissed the sides of their heads then stepped out of their path with a smile, “Thank you for the joy you have provided us. Never forget that we loved you and that we will always love you.”
The twins walked away not knowing what to say to their father. They were halfway between the house and the cliffs when they heard the
ir mother’s pleas. She was running towards them with her arms stretched wide, until she heard the howl of Lupa and saw the giant wolf watching them. She knew she should not move closer and glared at the grey wolf. She blew her twins a kiss as her husband walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her body. He supported her weight so she could weep at the loss of her children.
The twins forced themselves away from their family. Their mother’s sobs pulled at their hearts. All they wanted to do was run into her arms and tell her everything would be all right, that she was safe now.
Remus placed a steadying hand on Romulus’ shoulder. The tight grip was a comfort to Romulus. They were all each other had now.
The twins finally reached the top of the cliff wall and saw Lupa waiting for them by the outline of the forest. They gazed down the cliff one last time to where their parents stood. Without another word, they turned their backs on their childhood home forever.