Runt In The Wild

Chapter Twenty Seven

"Kate?" I lifted my head as tears continued to fall from my eyes.

"Leo!" I leaped forward with joy and covered Leo's face in licks. Leo chuckled as I licked his face. I stared down into his deep blue eyes that I had been so worried that I wouldn't be able to see again.

I heard footsteps as the healer walked forward to look at Leo's wounds. "They're not infected," he said in surprise. He looked at me with disbelief. "How?"

At first, I was worried to tell them, but then I realized that I don't have to tell them everything. "I-I got five petals of the Blue Arusia, mixed it with honey, and gave it to Leo on his last breath." I said shyly.

"Where did you find a Blue Arusia? Those are one of the most rare plants in the world." The healer looked at me curiously.

I took a deep breathe before answering. "There was one right outside our territory. I went to get it and bring it back."

The other wolves stared at me in astonishment while the healer continued to look at me with curiosity and... admiration?

"And how did you know that that mixture would save Leo?" The healer asked. I shrugged in response. I couldn't tell him about the voice in my head. They would think I'm crazy. Wait a second... am I crazy?

Luckily, he dropped it. "Well, it worked. Leo's wounds are no longer infected. It will still take him several months before his wounds fully heal though, but he is no longer in critical condition." The healer said before walking out of the room. The assistant healers as well as the extra wolves left after him until it was just me, Leo, and my friends left in the room.

Lucy took a step forward. "Kate, I'm sorry I tried to stop you earlier. I thought you were running away again. I didn't know you were trying to save Leo. I-" I quickly cut her off.

"It's okay, Lucy. You were scared." I walked up to stand beside my friend. "I will never leave again, I promise." I nuzzled on Lucy's fluffy gray fur before I bounced over to Leo. I nuzzled his head gently before I laid down beside him. "Don't ever leave me again."

Leo chuckled as he nuzzled my head back. "I won't. At least, I'll try, but I'm more worried about you," he said with a playful glint in his blue eyes.

I laughed at him. "Okay, okay," I said. My friends found spots to lay around the room as I curled up beside Leo. "I love you, Leo."

"I love you, too, Kate."

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"You can do it, come on," I encouraged Leo. It has been about three to four months of Leo being in the Healer's Cave trying to heal completely from the cougar attack. Today, I was helping him try to stand up since he was so stiff and his wounds are almost finished healing. "Come on, Leo," I said again.

Leo slipped once again, collapsing to the hard floor. Leo moaned in pain, and I walked forward to help him up. "This is ridiculous," he complained.

"Stop being a wuss and get up," I said as I nudged his shoulder. Leo sighed before he tried to pull himself to his paws again. Leo leaned against me as he tried to stand up. "Almost there," I said encouragingly. Leo finally pushed off of me and wobbled around for a minute before he stood up all on his own.

I howled happily. "You did it!" I said as I jumped up and down.

Leo smiled and licked the side of my face. "Because of you." I smiled as Leo started to walk around the room, then he trotted, and finally he started to run. Leo howled, causing me to laugh.

"I've gotta go," I said. Leo frowned. "You know I have other stuff to do," I explained. Leo still frowned as he went to sit back down on his pelt. I trotted up to him and tried to cheer him up. "Come on, don't be like that. You'll be out there in no time. Just be happy you're alive." I whispered the last part under my breathe, but unfortunately, Leo still heard me.

"I am happy that I'm alive, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be happy that all I get to do is stay in this room," he said unhappily.

I sighed. "I've gotta go. See you late." Leo didn't reply as I trotted out of the room and the Healer's Cave.

I ran towards the forest to do a little hunting. I ended up with a red squirrel, a grey rabbit, and two robins. After I dropped them off in the village, I raced off to the Hot Springs.

Lucy and the rest of my friends were already there. I somersaulted into the boiling water. I howled as I jumped into the air from the surface of the hot spring.

I laughed as I ran onto the shore with Molly right behind me. Molly leaped at me, grabbing my ear before softly tugging. I shook my head and playfully growled.

I jumped at Molly and wrestled her to the ground. I pinned her to the ground as she growled and pawed my stomach, trying to kick me off.

I chuckled before I backed off and fell backwards onto the ground. I laid on my back as I sighed and watched the pure white clouds drift across the beautiful blue sky.

"Kate?" I sat up to look at a nervous Lucy.

"What's up?" I asked her. She shifted on her paws and looked at the ground.

Suddenly, her head shot up, and she almost screamed out, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stop you when you were trying to save Leo! It's my fault he almost died! I-"

I cut her off. "Lucy, be quiet!" I snarled at her. Lucy looked at me, frightened at my tone and bared teeth. "Like I have told you for the last four months, it wasn't your fault! You didn't know, and you were just scared. I get it. But, please, stop bringing it up!"

Lucy hung her head. Almost every time I see her, she does this. It has been driving me crazy; it would drive anyone crazy if your best friend that you see almost every single day keeps on freaking out to you about a mistake she makes and won't let it go even when you tell her to forget about it, that it's okay.

I walked up and licked the side of Lucy's face. "It's okay," I whispered. "Well, I'm going to head home early. Lonnie hasn't seen me a lot lately," I told my friends before I ran out of the Hot Springs. I ran through the Golden Forest towards me and Lonnie's den.

Lately, I have been staying in the Hot Springs or in the Healer's Cave with Leo. So, I haven't really seen Lonnie. I bet she missed me, and I missed her.

I jumped up onto the ledge outside the den. I trotted inside with my tail up and softly wagging. "Lonnie!" I called.

"I'm in my room!" I trotted over to Lonnie's room. Lonnie had her pelt that she slept on in her mouth as she straightened it out. Lonnie spit out the fur and ran over to me. She wrapped her head around my neck and I did the same. "I missed you so much," she whispered sweetly.

"I missed you, too," I said as I stepped back. Lonnie was on the brink of tears, but she was finally able to keep them from flowing.

"Well, you must be tired. You better get some sleep." I nodded my head before I turned towards my room. "And I kept it neat for you, so you can go straight to sleep."

I softly chuckled. She cracks me up sometimes. "What?" She asked with a slight tilt of her head. "I just want to make sure it's good for you. You're not going to be living here much longer, I presume. Your eighteen, Kate." Lonnie's head fell, and I saw tears fall to the den floor. "I just want to be with you as long as I can for the time I have left before you find your own den."

I walked over to Lonnie and licked the side of her head. "I will always be here even if I find my own den," I promised in her ear.

Lonnie wrapped her head around my neck again. "Now, go to bed!" She yelled cheerfully as she trotted back to her room.

I shook my head as I softly giggled. "What am I going to do with her?"

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Hey, guys! I have been feeling kinda depressed lately, so I put the song above since it was one of the videos that I would watch to make me feel better. It has a bunch of different songs put together. The song was made by DJ Earworm, but the video was made by SK Productions on YouTube. Well, have fun! Ask questions and comment! :)