We left nothing, but our paw prints in the snow

chapter 6

Chapter 6:

I knew what I had to do. Or more, I knew what others wanted me to do. I knew that what they wanted me to do, was the right thing to do, but did I want it...

The right thing to do, would be to think about the other wolves. Especially the younger one, but what about me? Have any of them actually thought about it yet. Sure, every wolf wants to become an alpha. Sure, I do to, but I wasn't ready yet. I think that it's unfair to make me do something I really don't want to do. I mean, this decision would change my life for...ever. They really want me to just do that, because it would be nice of me?

Oh, sure, some wolves would do it without even thinking about it. But that's not me. I think about things. Thinking about things isn't very well thought of by wolves, but I can't help, but think.

Smoke?

I raised my head a bit to catch the sent better. Yes, sure enough, there was smoke. Smoke meant fire, and fire meant humans. I took another sniff at the air. The fire would be somewhere to the south from here. I couldn't really tell how long the fire had been lit for, but I think that it was a big one, meaning it could easily be very far away. I would have just left it at that, if it weren't for a funny felling I got in the depth of my gut. And that funny feeling in my gut, was normally accompanied by some sort of danger.

This is what I wanted even less than becoming alpha of the pack. Getting into another encounter with humans. My last one hadn't been cool, and I certainly wasn't in a hurry to repeat it.

I could go get help. I could go and investigate on my own. I could go tell some wolf about what about what I smelt. I could also just leave it alone.

Leaving it alone was out. Getting help was out. If this was dangerous, I wouldn't want to put any other wolf in danger. Just telling any wolf is out, they would probably just tell me I was mad, or they might tell me that it's nothing worth worrying about. That left me with one option. Investigating myself was the only option left.

Okay, south I go!

I ran. Oh, the strength of my haunches powering me forward. The steadiness my pads gave me, and the grip my claws provided on the icy floor of the forest. My nose taking in all the scents around me. My ears picking up all sounds. I was in full awareness, the kind I only get when running. I loved it!

I looked up at the sun. The light was coming to an end. Good. That would mean that nobody would see me when I got to the source of the fire. Nobody would no that I was there, watching them, smelling them, listening to them. It's a good thing that I wasn't deaf and couldn't smell like those poor, helpless humans that I was going to be spying on. Of course, them being poor and helpless doesn't mean that they aren't dangerous. They had those death-sticks. If they made the sticks make a noise, then I might just drop and not wake up again. I didn't want to do that. Poor, poor pack. They wouldn't have a chance then. I'm the only one who seemed to have caught the scent, and I'm the only one who can keep the pack going.

Yes. I couldn't get caught by the death-stick.

I kept running, watching the light slowly give way to the dark. Hopefully the moon wouldn't be out this dark, making the dark darker.

Before I even got to get to the source of the smoke, I was met by a rush of panicky animals. I didn't see or hear any humans. Why were they running.

Then it hit me.

The fire hadn't really much to do with humans. Okay, maybe they set it, but they weren't the reason for my gut to be giving me the danger alert.

There was a forest-fire. I ran with all the other animals. How could I have been so stupid. Instead of alerting the pack, I have to go closer to the danger, only to be sent back in a panic. Why. Now all I did was waste precious energy. Brilliant.

So, now instead of being happy that I was a wolf and could run so fast, I suddenly found myself wishing that I was a bird and had wings that could carry me away. That would be so much easier.

I growled at myself in frustration. I really was stupid sometimes. Now I probably won't be able to get back to the pack in time to warn them. Well, this way I won't have to become alpha. Although, this way I won't even have a choice.

I couldn't smell anything any more. I couldn't smell anything except smoke. This was bad new considering one of my main senses was smell. Super, now I'm half blind!

I ran on. I had to rely completely on my eyes, as I could barely here anything any more because of the racket all the animals were making.

Slowly I felt myself become weaker, as the smoke started to get to me. I couldn't breath.

I had to hang on.

My vision was getting blurry.

I had never experienced anything like this before.

I couldn't see, smell, or hear a thing.

So really it wasn't so surprising when I slammed into something soft, but solid.

I went crashing to the no longer snowy, but wet floor.

I should have gotten up and continued running.

But this was easier.

I was just going to let it happen.