"A Wolf in the Fold" is a six-page prose story written by Bill Willingham. Willingham also drew two full-page illustrations for the story, in addition to the six pages of prose. The story recounts incidents from Bigby Wolf's past, when he was known as the Big Bad Wolf.
The story is included in the Fables: Legends in Exile and Fables Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 collections.
Plot
The wolf has established himself as a predator in a forest in an unnamed part of the Homelands. When the forces of the Adversary invade, the wolf is not concerned over any moral or political issues but is angry that they interfere with his hunting. He kills some of the invaders and finds they have a distinctive and unpleasant taste.
The wolf spends several years hunting down members of the Adversary's forces. Several attempts were made to stop him but these were unsuccessful. One captive that Wolf questions says he should join with the Adversary's forces, but the Wolf says he will not serve under anyone else's command.
One day, the wolf sees a group of prisoners being escorted by some of the Adversary's troops. Among the prisoners are Snow White and Rose Red. The wolf attacks the guards. Most of the other captives panic but Snow and Rose remain calm. Snow picks up a sword from one of the fallen guards but the wolf says he doesn't have any interest in attacking them.
The wolf tells them he can tell they are from some other world and surmises they are looking for a passage that a witch used to escape from the Adversary to another world. The wolf tells them the passage exists and offers to show them the way. But he requires each of them allow him to bite them so he can confirm by their taste that they are no spies sent by the Adversary.
Two hundred years later, after finally making the journey to the mundane world himself, the wolf is living in Carpathia. He is friends with a local count, on whom superstitious villagers blame the wolf's predations. Snow White and Feathertop visit the wolf and tell him the Fables are forming a community in America and invite him to join it. Snow explains that there will be two communities; one for Fables who look like humans and one for Fables who do not. But because of his past attacks on Fables, the wolf will not be allowed to enter the non-human community. Snow produces a magic knife that will allow the wolf to transform into a human form.
The wolf accepts the offer. On the voyage to America, now in the shape of a man, the wolf has a conversation with Feathertop, who says he has characteristics that would have protected him if the wolf had attacked. Feathertop asks the wolf why he decided to accept their invitation. The wolf doesn't answer Feathertop's question but his unspoken answer is that he was interested in Snow from the first time he saw her and he joined the community to be near her.
Continuity
- When Snow White and Feathertop visit the wolf (Bigby) in Carpathia, Snow refers to him as "Gaffer Wolf", gaffer being a colloquial term for a man past the age of adolescence. Bigby has been called this in other stories, such as "Blood Tells" from Fables #3.