Among The Wolves

River

Wey’Don! I grunted as I tried to lift my head against gravity. My neck muscles strained to keep my noggin erect and upright. Somebody! Help!

Another grunt escaped my lips.
The pressure points all around my midriff hurt worse than a charlie horse. The rogue gripped me tightly and yet his teeth, it seemed, never broke my sensitive skin.

I did everything. Pound, punch, beat, scratch, poke and pull at his whiskers. The vile vermin never let me go. He ran with such speed everything around me was a blur.

“Help!” I finally managed to get a small yell out of my mouth.

His jaw closed tighter and I screamed in agony.

I pushed his broad snout with my hands. I wanted it to stop, the pain was so much.

“Please!”

My face was wet with tears, mud, and misery. Leaves, small branches, and tall weeds, all wet with morning dew, slapped my tender cheeks and made paper-like cuts on my exposed arms. I was waiting for the rogue to get too close to a tree and knock my head out of its wits.

“Let me go!”

Nothing, just sheer determination locked in those eyes that looked like death. He hardly permitted me a glance. He had one goal in mind and I had no idea what it was. It was not to kill me since I would be currently dead if that was his purpose. Yet, he had no qualms about injuring me and causing me excruciating torment.

One thing that I kept in the back of my mind was that we were heading southeast-ish but I did not take time to dwell on why or what was in that location. My focus: get out alive.

I drew a breath that hurt my insides. I turned my neck and spotted a fast flowing river right ahead. I tried to leverage my weight but my struggle only prompted a tighter grip by canine jowls. I moaned lowly, my eyes flitted closed for a half second as the pain deepened. My breath hitched deep in my throat and I looked again. There were rocks almost set perfectly in the center of the rushing water. Is he going to jump?

Alarm bells rang in my head. Jumping meant jostling and jostling meant more pain. No, no, please.

I tried to swallow but the straining of my neck made it difficult. I tried to reach for the top of his head, aiming for a handful of anything, fur or ears, to leverage myself before the jump.

The wild river loomed closer and I attempted again, trying to pull strength and energy from nowhere. Swinging my upper body against gravity. My fingers curled around a strap. The strap holding his back package on. Using that, I pulled myself further up and my midriff finally got some relief. It was not a good grip but it was enough.

The noise of the river could be heard. I managed to take a deep breath before I felt his muscles tensed with movement. He was putting the extra force needed for the large leap.

Another deep breath. Deafening sounds of crashing waves. Steady adrenaline.

The rogue heaved and then jumped. His hind legs pushed us off land and sailed us through the air.

I tensed, readying myself for the impact of reaching the rocks. I could see and had no doubt that we would make it. Only, something happened that I did not expect. The beast opened his jaws completely. My legs swung downwards. Outright surprise had me losing my meager grip, my fingers slipped from the strap.

I screamed as gravity yanked me into the river’s unwelcoming arms. Bitter cold, darkness and muffled sounds immediately enveloped me on all sides.

Holding a half breath, I moved my arms, trying to find the surface. Water went up my nose, burning followed. My face popped out and I gasped. Relishing the air that filled my lungs. I looked behind and saw no evidence of the wolf or the rocks he was jumping over. Was I really moving that fast?