Winter Wolf

3. Survival

A new morning. A new beginning. A new me. I was first to awake that morning. I sat up and looked over at my older brother Arlo. He was asleep, tired from yesterday. His auburn colored hair was disheveled as well as his clothes. After all that had happened we didn't bother to find supplies, food, or water. It's a surprise Arlo didn't pester about it yesterday. I guess it just goes to show how exhausted he was.

I left the cave as quietly as I could and took a look around. Tall pine trees are in every direction. A walking distance away is a river. Surprisingly the river hasn't frozen over yet, but the water is undoubtedly cold. I guess I found a water source for now. I walked on. Deeper and farther into the forest, but not too far. Who knows how frantic Arlo will be if he wakes up with me gone. I love him to bits and pieces but he worries too much. My parents used to say that I should've been the boy while Arlo should've been the girl. Which made Arlo mad and try to do something "manly." Ninety-nine percent of the time he failed. He's more of an organizer or planner. I'm the one who spent days with dad. Days with dad were days in the forest. We hunted, ran, climbed, whatever our hearts desired. I love outdoors, I love adventure, I love everything that I should not. Our society tells us that girls stay at home. Girls clean the house and care for the children. Where is the adventure in that? I refuse to wait around for a "prince charming" to whisk me away. The reality of the story is that the men only want the beautiful, obedient women, the ones who agree with their standing in society. I however do not.

I see a doe off in the distance. Grazing on the few patches of green remaining. If only I had my bow and arrow. Hunting is something I can do if given the right weapon. My skill is archery. My father introduced me to it at the age of nine. I stuck to it until I became skilled at it. Now it's like second nature. But I don't have a bow or any arrows so I can forget about that. But if I learned anything from my dad it's that when you don't have what you need, you improvise.

~Arlo's P.O.V~

"Morning Nyx," I say as I sit up and rub my eyes. "Nyx?" I look around for any sign of my little sister, but of course she's gone. "I swear! For one day can she just stay put!" I take off running into the forest. Who knows what could have happened. A wolf could have gotten her, or maybe a bear! No wait.... It's winter. Those things are hibernating... Oh forget about it! Just run!

I ran on, yelling my sister's name over and over again. Never was there an answer. My breath visible in the cold air. I ran faster and faster until my lungs burned. Then I saw her. She had her back turned to me, still not responding to me.

"Nyx?" I called out to her. Walking closer and closer, trying to get a look at her face. I was about to tap her shoulder when she suddenly turned my way.

"You idiot!" She yelled at me. "You scared off our chance of food!"

"Food?"

"Yeah food. You know the things we eat so that we don't you know, die!"

"I know what food is. Cut the sarcasm. What do you mean by food?"

She sighed, "There was a doe Arlo. I was trying to get it for food. But someone scared it off with the yelling and stomping feet."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

I am Arlo Archer. I am a planner. I am a worrier. I am not my sister, not in anyway possible. I stood there looking like the biggest idiot. Which happens ninety-nine percent of the time...