A Drizzle of Home

9 | A Drizzle of Resentment

The forest floor tickled my heavy paws as we walked, each step followed by a loud crunch. Decaying pine straw covered the ground with a prickly layer of brownish debris. Large and sharp stones emerged from the sides of the path, covered in green, fuzzy moss, while slender-leaved ivy scaled the trees.

I limped slowly after Cloud, having already pushed her away once before, insistent that I could walk on my own for the duration of this patrol. But my legs grew weaker with each step, aching with dull pain, and I wasn't sure how much farther I'd make it before I collapsed in exhaustion.

We were on a different trail than we'd taken coming from the river the day before. This one steered closer to the valley wall, and deep into the woods, our surroundings darkened. The earth was soft underfoot, despite the layer of crushed gravel coating the topsoil, and the dirt was dry beneath my paws even through the recent rain. Acrid sap and rotten wood filled my nose with their bitter scent, twisting my nose in a scowl. The pines grew tall from gnarled roots, and a few of them peeked out of the ground. Needled branches stood above them, reaching toward the sky to form a barrier that blocked most of the sunlight. It made for a gloomy environment to anything else sprouting from the forest floor, which were few and far between.

It was peaceful, I had to admit, even if I'd have rather been resting. Halfway through our night beneath the stars, Cloud had woken me to lead us back to our den, only to rouse again a couple hours later. The alpha suggested that I join her on patrol, the daily trek around their territory's borders. Part of her mentoring. I only wanted to stay in the darkness and close my eyes, but part of me dreaded sleeping just as much as the pain of walking.

Any time I drifted off, there was a chance I would see them: the deadly cougar with his bloody fangs. The gray she-wolf, beneath his dripping jowls, lifeless on the ground.

I was glad to do something to take my mind off the horrible nightmare. A chill crawled down my spine, but this time, it was just the breeze. The tightly-woven evergreens didn't do much to block the brisk wind, and its cold claws gripped my pelt tightly. It was just enough to keep my body from burning up with the fiery strain of my muscles.

A few of the season's sweeter scents came with it. Sharp-toothed shrubbery grew every so often between the trees, each spattered with colorful blossoms. Berries emerged from among the leaves, adding a tart twinge to the saccharine burst of pollen in the air.

Something about the spring gave my step a little extra energy. Here, viewing its beauty, I was able to turn off my racing mind and focus on something other than myself. What I'd lost. Just like life returning to the forest after winter's deadly fangs, maybe I could forge my own, sweet-scented future.

"We call this part of our territory the riverside," Cloud said, breaking the silence I'd just started to cherish. "It covers the length upriver from the cave––at least, on this side of the valley. We don't lay claim to anything on the other side of the water."

I nodded, trying to take mental notes. Most of it, I'd forget, just like everything else. I didn't see why I'd need to know anything about their home, not when I wouldn't be here for much longer.

"We're actually doing this route backward," she explained, and I paced my steps a little faster so she wouldn't have to yell across the woods. "We usually travel Winterflight along the river, where we found you." Cloud smiled, her eyes softening at the thought. "Since we were cut short yesterday, we're doing the other side of the trail, and we'll stop halfway so that you don't have to walk too far."

I suppressed a groan. We weren't even halfway done. Then I squinted. "Winterflight?"

"Yeah," she chimed. "Y'know, the direction birds fly in the winter?"