I stare in disbelief at the magnificent beast in front of me. Its fur is a gorgeous silver-grey, fringed with black, and its eyes are a comforting shade of brown. The wolf gazes calmly back at me.

"Hello," I breathe.

HELLO, comes the reply. The responding voice is so deep and powerful that I am startled once again. The wolf twitches an ear, as though amused. It does not speak aloud, but the words are clear in my mind.

There are questions I am supposed to ask, but now that I am face to face with the beast, I am blanking for the words. It takes me a moment to organize my thoughts.

"Are... Are you my totem animal?" I finally manage to say.

OBVIOUSLY.

Well, then. I must have done something right, to get such an animal. I can't help but smile, even as I struggle to remember the rest of my questions.

"Um... How long have you been with me?" I ask.

I AM RUNNING WITH YOU, the wolf answers simply.

That doesn't answer my question, but I don't really care about the answer anyway. It's just what my guide told me to ask. The rest of the questions are a bit more interesting, though.

"Why are you with me?" I continue.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

...Alright then.

"What do you have to teach me?"

This time, the animal huffs, exhaling shortly through its nose. TEACH YOURSELF.

"Are you going to give me any straight answers?"

The wolf doesn't respond; it just stares at me with its intelligent, soulful eyes.

There are more questions, I know, but it's pointless if they don't have answers. I don't remember them, anyway.

Somehow, though, I don't feel irritated in the slightest. It's too thrilling to be in the presence of a wolf, however unhelpful it may be. And to know that it is my wolf, my companion, my totem animal. I smile again, and lift my hand towards the beast.

"Will you come with me?"

There are no words to answer me, but the wolf touches its muzzle to my outstretched hand, which is as clear of a reply as any.

I stand up and turn to face the orchard where I had come from. The snake, still coiled around my arm, lifts its head, and the wolf steps to my side. A surge of confidence rushes through me. I throw back my shoulders and lift my chin. I feel powerful, like I could take on the world -- and actually stand a chance.

The serpent takes to the air. We jog past the trees, me and the wolf, following the Gatekeeper as it leads us through the maze of trucks and branches. Soon we make it back to the garden, over the hedges, through the flowerbeds, and to the fountain. I'm not quite sure what to do here, since there's no sign of any entryway back to the rock gate, but the snake doesn't give me time to wonder. It dives into the fountain, disappearing into the black water with a tiny splash. I pause at the edge of the stone decor and gaze down into the rippling water. The snake is gone.

I touch the water with my hand, shivering at the coolness. Bringing my hand out, however, I realize that it is completely dry.

The wolf and I exchange glances. Without any further thought, I take a deep breath and hurdle over the side of the fountain, falling into the water. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a grey streak of movement as the wolf leaps in as well.

Instead of hitting the bottom of the fountain, I end up sprawled in the dirt of the previous world, lying in front of the giant rock structure. I lift my head to see the snake coiled up on the ground in front of me. It opens its mouth, revealing the shiny black marble still held between its teeth. I grin back at it before getting to my feet and brushing myself off.

The wolf is still at my side. I reach out a hand to twist my fingers through its thick fur. Its skin is warm to the touch.

The snake flicks its tail to get my attention, then looks up at the sky. I follow its gaze up, staring at the blanket of white clouds high above. It's time to go home.

Wings unfurl from my shoulders, stretching slowly out to their full length. I look back at my Gatekeeper one last time.

"Thank you," I tell it.

The serpent's eyes gleam. It stays coiled up, watching me with what I imagine is a satisfied expression.

My eyes trace the shape of the sky for a brief moment. Then, with a powerful stroke of my wings, I am airborne. The wolf has become a silver stream of light at my side as I streak up towards the clouds. It takes almost no time at all to reach them. We continue rising up through the white, feeling no fear at all as it turns to gray and then eventually an enveloping darkness.

Moments later, we burst out from the black, touching down on the ledge before the darkness. We're back underground, in the cave with the sacred fire. We run side by side through the curving tunnel, and then past the colourful flames and its dancing reflections on the walls of the cave. Our surroundings blur. I barely register passing through the stone, then resurfacing at the pool with the medicine wheel, then falling up through the earth, reliving my entire journey down in the blink of an eye, but in reverse -- and with a silver wolf at my side.

Abruptly, I jerk awake, blinking my eyes open to see the familiar surroundings of the physical world. I shift into a sitting position, my hands roaming over the soft fabric of the couch I was lying on. I feel a little bit dizzy.

My guide, sitting in a rocking chair across the room, with a book open on her lap, looks up and smiles at me.

"Welcome back."