Asrow trudged through the snow, shivering against the cold. His dense fur gave him some protection, but it did not fare well against the sharp bite of the icy winds. The young elk had gotten lost from his mother. Dawn would be breaking soon, and then he would have no chance of surviving against what lived in these woods. Asrow's mother had always warned him to be weary in the woods. "Wolves are everywhere," she had told him, "Hunters too." He had always been such a good baby elk, never straying from the elders and staying close to the herd. But, being pulled into a dare by his friends, Asrow complied. It was going well until he ventured back and they were gone. He panicked. Did they forget about him? Were they searching for them? He did not know, and the upcoming snowstorm wasn't helping tracking them either. He stopped and reflected on the situation. Shaking his head, he continued on in the wildwood.
The sun was setting. He was no closer to his herd. Asrow looked back to the fading light on the horizon, and stopped suddenly. Far away, he saw multiple blackish figures standing still against the horizon. He called out, "Who are you? Mother!" The figures disappeared just then, and Asrow felt worried. Maybe he shouldn't have called out like that. It was possible that they were another herd, and could not hear him. But as he walked along a narrow path, his thoughts darkened. They could have been hunters. Worse, even wolves. At least hunters spared young elks. Wolves did not. The path in front of Asrow became more invisible with how dark it was getting. He could just barely see. The wind blew harshly in his face, and he swore he could hear wailing in the distance.
Asrow found a tattered construction of fabric near the path he was on. It must have been some sort of human contraption, since it did not look natural. It reminded him of a small, ridged cave. The soft material strung against the logs that held it together were torn, and covered in a strange looking stains. Inside, multiple strange looking items were strung around the area. He had no choice though, and crawled within it. He sat upon a hard lump of somewhat soft nesting. Outside, it had become pitch black and Asrow could not hear a thing. He heard more, unnatural wailing in the distance. Beginning to become uncomfortable on the pile he lay, crouched to break whatever snow was caught underneath of the nesting. It did not break. He pulled the nesting over, and jumped with a start. Underneath the material was a frozen, yet horribly mangled human. He could barely make out the slashed face, but he could make out some of the body. The wailing was getting closer. Asrow dashed out of the hobble and into the dark of night.
He had no doubt what animals had done that. What creature could be so vicious in ripping apart their dinner like that? And now they were coming for him too. Asrow tried with all his might to slide against the snow, but his hooves only got stuck. The wailing was now closer, and it was definitely a call of death. They knew he was there the entire time. His ears picked up a soft padding through the forest. Panicking, Asrow launched himself out of a snow bank and into a cleared path. He saw them now. Teeth gnashing. Yellow eyes glaring. They effortlessly glided through the snow, getting closer and closer. Asrow took a sharp turn and ran down a slope into a thick spot of the woods. It was no use. They weaved in and out of the brush with ease. Asrow tried with all his might to run faster. During the chase, he saw a wide trench coming up. The others did not seem notice. He took this chance, and leapt.
Some of the wolves slipped and fell into the trench. But there were more joining the pursuit. Asrow's hooves were getting stuck in the snow. He'd never been good at running through the snow mounds. He looked back, and then side to side. They surrounded him. Up ahead, however, was a trench even bigger than the last. Without hesitation, he sprung downwards into the trench. He landed unharmed, but so did the wolves. The chase started again. Asrow bounded across the thick of blanket of snow to safety, but hit a wall. The wall of the trench hung over him like a feeling of impending doom. The wolves circled him now. Tall and gray, all emaciated. They were living husks of wolves, they were demons. Their eyes were all the same cold yellow color, and their bloodied teeth formed either snarls or evil grins. His heart raced in his chest, his breaths getting shorter and shorter. He was caught between certain death and no way out.
Asrow did not see the alpha coming. A big, muscular black wolf, shot out from his right and grabbed hold of his throat. They both tumbled to the ground. The wolf's sharp teeth punctured the tender flesh, rupturing his throat. Asrow squealed like a stuck pig. The alpha did not let him escape. He pinned Asrow to the ground, while Asrow bled out. He thrashed his legs, trying to kick the alpha, but it did not work. His legs stiffened. This was the end. The other wolves looked on at the scene, and licked their lips at the prize. After Asrow had slipped away, the alpha let go, and tore a large meaty chunk out of his leg. He then backed off, letting the other wolves shred and devour Asrow's corpse.
