This relatively unrewarding task was enlivened by reports from the farmers that a wolf or wolves had been raiding the flock, and that a party wished to hunt the animal. For several days, Laurel and some of the grogs attempted to track the wolf with little success. When the wolf slew one of the black-wooled sheep, the other magi intervened. This wolf was now threatening the vis source of the covenant, and must be dealt with immediately, they informed Laurel.
Fortunately, the wolf had this time left tracks which might be followed more easily. He was tracked to his lair in the rocky region on the eastern edge of the valley, where he was confronted by Laurel. Tongue of the Beasts and a spontaneous ReAn which lifted the beast into the air served to solve the problem. The wolf and his mate could not simply leave since she had just littered, but they would stay far from the village and leave in the spring when the cubs could travel, in exchange Laurel would provide food for them.
This peaceful resolution had an unexpected side-effect. One of the cubs was born with completely black fur, perhaps the result of eating the black sheep, perhaps the aura, perhaps both or neither. For whatever reason, the cub was obviously magical (his name, according to the wolf-father roughly translates as "Smells Strange", wolves not being noted for abstract naming practices). Laurel asked if the cub might remain. The cub and both parents were agreeable (Smells Strange perhaps having the effect on the other wolves that a human with the Gift has on other humans).
In this way Laurel acquired her magical animal companion, the wolf Smells Strange.