This story was told to me by my uncle, who actually experienced this teaching by his father, who is my grandfather.
I would like to say here that, I will share this story with you in plain simple language as I strongly feel that the only way to share a teaching is in the purest form as possible in this day and age as everything seems to become complicated by things which are not relevant to a teaching. It is my belief that all things need to return to simplicity in order to restore balance in the world.
Now, on to the sharing of the fire and the wolves:
One winter, during trapping season, my grandfather and my uncle were returning from their trap line with their catch of beavers. As the sun settled in the west, my grandfather ( Mishomis )told my uncle, we have to hurry as it is getting dark fast. My uncle, wondered about this statement as his father had not appeared to be in hurry on other days, but this time, my uncle sensed a difference in how his father moved through the bush with an urgency that meant, lets get back to our cabin.
As they walked through the snow, their snowshoes seemed to have sprouted wings. The only sounds were ones of the whisper of the snowshoes as they were placed one in front of the other and the swishing sounds of the sled runners. Just then, my grandfather stopped in his tracks and stood very still, he turned to my uncle and told him “ the wolves are coming, they are after our harvest of beavers”. As my uncle held his breath, he could hear the wolves, making their talk and heard the crunching of their paws on the crusty snow.

My grandfather knew that they could not outrun the wolves and also knew that he did not want to shoot the wolves just for the sake of being safe. He knew that there was always another way to do things, so proceeded to tell my uncle.” run ahead of me and look for birch trees along our trail back to the cabin and light the hanging bark as this will light our way and keep the wolves back from us”.

My uncle did not hesitate and did as my grandfather had told him.
While lighting the birch bark, he looked back and saw the trail of fires that outlined the path his father was walking and saw the wolves on both sides of the fire trail. My uncle did this until they reached their cabin, quite safe and still with their harvest of beaver.
Years later, as I started to walk in the good traditional way of our people, I understood the meaning of this teaching of this story. There is a balance for all things in this world of ours and when more people understand about this, more will be restored to all peoples and to the healing of this world.

In another teaching, I will share with you about the Sacred Fire and how it relates to this teaching of the Fire and Wolves.

Meegwetch
Makwa.