The Raven's Enigma

"Night Wolves?" I inquired. "Who they are? What do they have to do with the Vory?"

Nastassia gave me one long, deep, meaningful gaze and astonished me with her passionate yet pensive monologue. I felt lured and drawn into her strange, mystical world; there was Russia in her, that mythical country of Dostoyevsky and Gulags, a vast, wide esoteric land filled with beauty and pain. I felt close to her. "You know why wise people often suggest living life like a wolf? You'll never see a wolf performing in a circus. You'll never see a wolf beg for a treat or roll over upon hearing a command. Unlike some people and animals, wolves don't mate with their mothers or sisters. A wolf mates with one wolf for life. In the event of a mate's death, the remaining spouse mourns for no less than three months, and the mourning can last for a whole year. Also, they care for the young and sick. As humans, we have a lot to learn from wolves."

The wolf embodies the Russian soul.

"You in the West always say Russian bear this or Russian bear that. But that's just half of the story," she let that uniquely Russian smile, toska, Nabokov described as "a sensation of great spiritual anguish, often without any specific cause" and said:

"The bear represents Russian strength, but the wolf embodies the Russian soul."

What follows is the CHAOS. Read more...