Gloom winced, feeling the pine needles beneath her paws. Her legs ached, and she longed to take a moment to relax. The sun had been climbing high in the sky since they had left camp. It had been three whole days now since they had started this journey, and it didn't seem like they were getting any closer to their destination.
Plus, no dog or wolf could question the urgency of this journey. Or Sprang would lessen their prey time. and their empty bellies would live off insects and mice, which they had almost gotten sick over. When Tuck ate a poisonous spider.
Gloom tried her best to ignore the pine needles that stung her paw pads. forcing her legs into a trot. as she caught up with the wolf-dog Quillan and his two hybrid pups. He had given most of his prey share to them, and so he was trotting along a little slower than usual.
Quillian acknowledged her with a quick nod of his broad head, stopping in his tracks as the small female pup slowed to a stop. Her tongue lolling out of her mouth in a desperate pant.
Gloom stopped with them. noticing the terrain around them had changed. They were running along a rocky slope. Little undergrowth nestled in the sharp face of it. Stripped, spiky bushes popping up here and there. The sun was going down now. A splash of bright, warm colors sets the red mountains ablaze in their golden light.
Gloom watched as Quillan nosed the female pup, inquiring what had made her stop. "Father dog, my pads sting." came the whimper from the pup's small, shrunken, frame. "Can we stop?" The other pup whined, ears flat against his head.
Pain struck Gloom's heart at the whining sound of the pup's pleas. They sounded so much like her pups. She could almost imagine Leaf's small frame uttering the same words as they were. She wished she could do something to help them. It broke her heart to watch them suffer like this. starving like a grown dog should.
She almost turned away as she saw the conflict glittering in Quillian's blue eyes. His tongue gently licks the female and then the male's face. "Just a little bit longer, my pups," he murmurs softly. "Then we will stop; isn't that correct, Alpha?"
Sprang and the rest of the dogs who had gone ahead had come back for them. Gloom was honestly surprised he didn't decide to leave them behind. He strode forward, his golden fur shining in the flaming sunlight. head whirling around as he smiled through his sharp teeth.
"Yes". His smile was unnerving. He was like a corpse during a silence. all bright and golden, but dark and dead inside. "Just another tiny walk." Sprang promised. Somehow Gloom didn't believe him.
And just like that, they were off again. Gloom continued ignoring her aching legs as she ran to catch up to her brothers. They didn't stop once, even as the sun went down. just carried on. Their paws dead and bellies aching for prey.
Tuck had found some water near a patch of grass, and they were lucky that Sprang let them drink from it. Gloom savored the icy liquid as it hit her lips. She relished the chill as it slid down her throat. While they had been drinking, the pack had moved again. And they had to track them, falling in line behind Daisy and August, who were practically huddling for warmth.
A realization dawned on her as she watched her packmates suffer. The only dog who seemed to be fine with the starvation and the cruel orders was Camilla.
If anything was clear that wasn't before, it was this. Whatever this journey was leading Sprang to, it was worth more than all of his packmates were.
It took until the sun rose again for Quillan to demand they stop for prey. His pups shivered under his belly, their forms shrunken from the days of starvation Sprang had led them through.
Unable to stand up to the wolf-dog due to him being bigger than Sprang himself. He obliged, and Gloom tried her best to savor the sweet taste of prey before they started on their painful journey again. She shared a vole with her brothers. Sucking on the bones to truly enjoy her last meal before they arrived.
