Fire and ash

The Lake

I ran away from the fox back towards winter and mom. My heart, felt as light as a feather, yet it didn't feel right, it seemed as if Sasha had grudgingly agreed instead of willingly, which was probably true. I felt like it was my duty to make her have the best time as my friend, but how? She obviously didn't like me and probably would never hang out with me. Oh, why do I have to be so deeply in love with her?! 

I finally caught up with winter and the others. "Soooo, how'd it go?" winter asked almost teasingly, yet curious. 

"We are now friends," I announced hoping my voice wouldn't give away the uncertainty I felt.

"Nice! Did you mess up our words, cause you look like something went wrong?" I felt my face go red, I was sure that if someone were to shave all my fur off I would look like a tomato.

"Yeah, I did mess up." It was true, If I hadn't hesitated she probably would have done it more willingly.

"Oh cheer up sis! I understand you made a mistake, but everyone does, don't worry so much." I nodded, Winter always understood. 

"Thanks." 

*****

We had been walking for what felt like hours, the moon was now high in the sky. "I'm hungry!" Goyel yowled. My stomach seemed to growl back in agreement.

"Yeah, Ma can we eat?" Mother looked back at me and sighed.

"Shure, we can stop soon, but we are quite close to the intended destination." She replied, "Once we get there the other animals plan to rest there until tomorrow morning." I nodded, Winter seemed to already know this.

The trees had changed from charred Pine to deep jade Evergreen. Here the ground was overgrown, nothing like the needle sprawn undergrowth of the old forest. Everything seemed different; the smells, the scenery, the air, It felt like I was in a whole new world. Even the Dirt was different!!! 

Steadily the ground started to become softer, the grass became more and more visible, trees began to clear, and eventually, we came upon a lake. Its wide glassy surface was mesmerizing and beautiful.

 I gasped as I came upon the beautiful body of water, there were already other animals there, and was full of life. "Are we stopping here?" I asked.

"Yes, this will be the place where we will rest." Mother answered. By now the many animals we had been traveling with were gathered all around the lake. 

a thought hit me, will we be eating any of the refugees we are traveling with? It was a good question. At the time it just didn't feel right to kill one of the animals that, like all, had lost so much already. 

"What will we eat?" I asked I knew it sounded like a really stupid question to ask, but I needed to know.

"Meat?" Goyle replied, "What else would we eat? Grass?" Everyone else started to laugh... except Winter.

"No, I mean, like... would we really kill animals that had gone through so much this last day and a half?" He thought about the question.

"Well, what do you suppose we do? Ask?" He replied before going into a mocking voice, "Hey, Is it ok if we, like, eat you?" I felt like a tomato again. Embarrassed my tail hung between my legs.

"Cheer up Nia, it's just a joke." Goyle said. I stormed away, why did Goyle have to be such a brat to me every time I speak?  Because he hates me, that's why! "Nia come back! I was just kidding around!" He yelled after me. Yeah right.

*****

As I was trying to find a place to be alone I saw the bright red pelt of Sasha coming towards me. I didn't want to bother her with my problems so I turned the other way. "Nia is that you?" Sasha's soft welcoming voice called out. I was sitting in a small little clearing in the bundle of trees, I was pretty sure she couldn't see me.

"Nia I know you are in there!" Never mind, she knows.

"Yeah, I am." I sighed. Sasha walked in, her fur was duller in here, out of the sun.

"I never really got the chance to introduce myself, I'm Sasha." She said sitting down next to me. 

"That's a pretty name," I told her

"Do you have any siblings?" 

"A Half-sister. You?"

"Two, a brother and the sister." So they were her siblings, I thought to myself. "why are you over here, and not with the other wolves?"

"Stupid Goyle made a genuine question I asked seem stupid." I pouted.

"what was the question?"

"Well I asked what we were going to eat since I feel bad about the fact that we would eat someone who might mean a lot to another, and the fact that so many of these animals a ready lost so many important animals to them recently."

"Oh." was all She relied with.

In the distance, I could hear people calling our names. "Well, it looks like people want us now... Nice to talk with you!" I called as I began to run towards Winter. I heard her beautiful voice call out from behind me goodbye in return.