I tiredly open my eyes and look around the tipi once more, I can hear the rasping breath of the bear outside. I look through the hole out into frosty morning air. The bear is laying on the ground asleep, so I attempt to sneak past the bear. I crouch as close the ground as I can, and I set my feet down lightly. Just as I thought I had gotten away the bear leapt to its feet and chased me back into the tipi. Once I am back in the tipi I flop down onto the fur in defeat "how did I ever think I could make it." I mumble to myself. My stomach growls, again and again but there seems to be nothing to eat inside the tipi there is also no way out. So I'm stuck am I going to die here by starving? Maybe I should give myself to the bear and I wouldn't suffer through starvation. Well I'm not giving up here I have come all this way I'm not just going to die.
By midday there is still no sign of food and I continue my pacing around the tipi. How am I going to get out? When will the beari leave? I have absolutely no idea if I will make it through this.
The sky begins to darken even though it has barely passed noon a look up through the hole in the at the top of the tipi, clouds have crowded overhead they are heavy with water and look as though they are about to burst. I hear the Bear stand up and make a startled grunt. The rain begins to fall on the tipi with a soft irregular tapping. I hear the Bear begin to move away but it doesn't move far enough for me to escape I hear the bear settle on the ground presumably under a sheltering tree. Thinking back over the last few days I realize the bear should have attacked the thin tarp wrapped around the smoke-stained poles. The Bear appears to be waiting me out not willing to put up a fight, wondering if it still has the strength to chase me I dart out of the tipi the Bear leaps up and chases me I spin around and head back to the tipi not knowing if I have the strength to outrun the Bear. As I reach the opening of the tipi the Bear is still hot on my heels as I enter the tipi. The bear seems afraid of the tipi as if he wouldn't enter the tipi even know if there was a fresh elk carcass laying inside unguarded. What is so terrifying about this tipi why won't it come inside? Does it have bad memories of this tipi?
Water begins to collect beneath my feet and I suddenly realize how thirsty I am, I haven't drank any water since I have been trapped in this tipi. That must be three days now I'm astonished at how long I have been here, not willing to wait any longer I bend my head down to the water and begin to lap the water. I feel the cold liquid slip down my throat, I drink until I feel my stomach is full. I lay down on the now soaked fur and feel my stomach revolt at the water I have just drank. I scramble to my feet in order to not spill the contents of my stomach across myself and the fur, I crane my neck towards ground and allow the very liquidy barf to spill from my mouth and spatters into the puddles at my feet. I look down at what has just left my stomach and I realize I haven't eaten anything since I arrived in this strange place, the barf at my feet consists mostly of water and another discoloured liquid that I assume to be stomach acid.
With nothing in my stomach I suddenly feel starving and very thirsty, I wander across the tipi a and drink from a non contaminated pool of water. I began to drink the water making sure yo drink less than before, after drinking my fill I begin looking for something to eat. I scan the tipi again not seeing anything edible I begin to sniff at the edge of the tipi and I am only encountered by the stench of Bear, I wrinkle my nose in disgust at the stink of the Bear who is holding me captive here. I retreat back to the fur and collapse awaiting another night.
When I awake the sky is shrouded with white clouds and the ground is sprinkled with frost, my fur is filled with ice from the soaking fur. I stand cup and shake the frozen of the tipi water from my fur, with the ice now gone I feel the warmth seep back into my skin. I move to the entrance of the tipi and peek out the doorway. The bear lay a few feet from the entrance unmoving. I take a weary step closer and the smell of the recently dead hits me. I step towards the body of the bear, my hunger consumes me and I bury my muzzle into the bear. My teeth latch onto its skin and I pull, the skin gives way and I am confronted with rich read meat. I grab chunks of meat and pull them onto the ground beside the body I devour them leaving blood stained on myself and the frost covered ground. After eating my fill I set out to. I leave the clearing set out to find, well anything really. The tall cedars surround me protecting me from the harsh wind of the forest, their branches squeak with the force of the wind. I give a silent thanks for the protection they provide me.
A smell hits my nose and it's strangely familiar not like the bear nor the many squirrels that skitter around the forest. I think and dig deep into my mind searching for anything that I might be able to connect this too. I let out a frustrated growl and continue towards.. Well something that I'm not sure of yet. As I walk I look around wearily, waiting for something to jump out of the bushes. The smell grows stronger I wish to run but curiosity dulls the urge to run. I ducks under the bushes and begin to crawl towards and opening on the other side. As my head emerges into the clearing I hear heavy footstep and then a large weight on my back, I try to struggle free but my attackers weight is too much. I lay limp under its weight, my legs straddled out beneath me. My breath comes in gasps as the air escapes my lungs, a black haze clouds my eyes my mouth opening and closing like a fish stranded on the shore. As I feel deaths grip pull me closer the weight lifts off me and light floods back into my eyes, I blink and take deep breaths that seem to be giving me no air. After several breaths I feel air moving through me.
As I feel death looming closer the weights lifts off me and I take a painful breath in, the light slowly returns to my eyes and I realize I am being confronted by another wolf. My eyes instantly drop to the ground not wanting to further anger him by making eye contact. My eyes scan across his grey and white coat, I stare at the point where the grey fades into his white underbelly. I sweep across the wavy line that reminds me of a foggy skyline on an open plain. He takes a step closer and a hop back in fear. I regain the courage to look at his face and see that his head is slightly tilted to the left in confusion. "Great, the first wolf I meet and I have already screwed up" I silently scold myself. He looks at me again and asks
"What's your name and.... What pack are you from?" he sits back on his haunches. Oh shit I don't have a name and my human name sounds stupid for a wolf, I stand up and begin pacing. "Well my name is Wolf, I know it's weird but it was given to me by a human" he sneers the last word. I look up at him wondering what that human did to him. " don't look so sorry for me, and your name is?" He asks impatiently.
"Um my name is Ember" I quickly reply, I look over at Wolf for approval and when he doesn't look weirded out I sigh with relief.
"Why are you out here by yourself?" Wolf wondered looking at the startled pup standing in front of him, her eyes widen at the question and she lowers her head in submission.
"I don't know." Ember replied. My eyes stare at the ground and I feel Wolf's eyes burning into my fur.
"Come with me"' Wolf said slowly. I look up at his face not knowing what to do, he turns around and begins to walk away. He turns his head to look back at me, I run up to him and follow him. I smell another wolf ." that's my mate Cinder" Wolf mumbles. A black wolf trots down the rocky slope in front of us. When she sees me she bares her teeth and begins to growl.
"Who's that pup" Cinder sneers.
"Her name is Ember" Wolf replies. Cinder takes an aggressive step closer and when I cower away from her she laughs and says
"Wolf why have you brought this weak pup to us?" Cinder laughs, I look up at her hatred clouds her eyes as she stares back at me.
"What have I done to anger you?" I shakily ask Cinder she turns and runs up the hill to what I presume to be the location of the den. Wolf turns and follows her and I trot behind him trying to shelter myself from the eyes of Cinder. When we reach the top I find myself standing on a wide rocky surface with a cave in the hill off to my right. Cinder emerges from the cave and runs towards me, she grabs my scruff and drags me to a damp mossy space sheltered by a small outcropping of rock.
"This is where you will stay if you wish to remain part of this pack" Cinder sneers "oh and welcome to the pack" she turns and trots back to the den. Wolf walks over to my "den" and places the carcass of a rabbit at my feet.
"I'm sorry Cinder put you here but you have to listen to her, at least for the time being" Wolf sighs.
"WOLF!" Cinder howls, wolf turns to me with a look of pity in his eye and trots up the hill to meet Cinder. After Wolf leaves I smell the scent of rain on the air, and move to the back of my "den" to take shelter. My ears pick up the pitter patter of approaching rain and my fur goes on end creating pockets of air to keep the rain out. I press my body against the stone wall, I feel the cold from the stone seep into my skin. Water pools around my as rain hits the earth around me. Water runs down the stone and seeps into my fur. I now know why Cinder put me here she wants me to give up and leave, my lips pull back in anger at this thought I will not give up I need this pack so I can survive. I lay down surrounded by water and soaked moss, sleep takes me away from the moss and rain to dream to awaken once again.
YOU ARE READING
Wilderness Pack
General FictionEmber, a wolf who just popped up the middle of a forest get adopted by a pack of two, where the alpha male, Wolf is kind and accepts her easily and his mate, Cinder treats Ember as if she were diseased meat. But she struggles through. Later finds he...
