We left nothing, but our paw prints in the snow

Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

There's something warm on my chest. Warm and wet. Everything smelled of home, which meant pack. There were the normal sounds of the forest; a bird, possibly calling to a mate. It is the very beginning of that season, after all; the trees whispering amongst themselves; antlers crashing against antlers; some water flowing its way through the forest; the life inside and around that stream. Those were the sounds I grew up hearing, or, very similar ones at least. This part of the forest was very different from the one I grew up in, but it was still nice to hear those sounds. But these kinds of sounds, of water, of others fighting over mates, of those finally able to get food after months of fasting. Yes, they were the sounds of spring.

That can't be right. The last time I checked, it was winter. Just after the middle of winter, not the end, or beginning of spring, even if there was still some snow on the ground, for I could still smell some iciness.

Slowly, very slowly, I peeled my eyes apart. My Mate was licking my chest, wolves from my pack were circled around me, all at different distances. Pup was right next to me, stroking me with her human paw. She had amazing paws, or better, humans had amazing front paws. They could do so much with them. Sometimes, despite myself, I wished I could have these paws. But nothing, nothing could replace my speed, my sense of sound and smell, my sharp teeth and claws, my strong legs and my white pelt, even if I hated the colour so.

“How many suns have passed?” I asked with a shake of my head and a sound so high that I doubted the human could hear it.

“Several, Mate. The lynx made good feed, though nothing is left for you. The youngsters were very hungry.”

I moved my head up and licked my mate once across the left eye and took in his lovely scent. The smell of snow has left him, but the rest, of earth and pine-needles were still there, as strong as ever.

“What season is it?” I asked. It felt like spring, but it couldn't be. I shouldn't have been out that long, and if I was, I shouldn't have been alive.

“Well, meant to be winter, but it feels like spring,” he replied. Okay, I was probably dreaming.

“Wake me up, please,” I asked.

“You are.”

I rolled over and stood up. My chest hurt, my body was cold and my muscles were shuddering. I was hungry, and if I didn't eat now, I might not have the strength to bring this litter of cubs to the world. At least not alive.

“I'll go get you a rabbit. There're loads here.”

My Mate trotted off at a leisurely pace. I wanted to growl at him to hurry up, but instead I lay back down again. I had to save my energy. The growing pups in my belly will use a lot of my strength. I mustn't waste it.

The pack played a bit around me. Some of the older females came and lay down next to me, sharing their warmth. I yipped a pathetic “Thanks,” and they moved their heads in acknowledgement.

The smell of spring truly was strong. If not for my sense of time, I would have said that it was mid spring now. But only yesterday, or so, it had been mid winter. This was really very odd. Of course, there weren't any birds, they were still all south, but some of the buds had come out in the mean time. Something about the smell in the air. It just smelt of spring, but also of another something. Something that I hadn't come across before.

Some of the others seemed to have caught the scent because several of the older wolves stopped playing and lifted their heads to get a better smell. Some excited young males started following the smell in circles. That meant it wasn't coming from anywhere in particular. I smelled more deeply. True. It was all around. You can't follow a smell that comes from everywhere.

I stumbled to my paws and followed the scent in circles too. I howled for My Mate. I heard him howl back.

“Do you smell it?” I howled.

“Yes,” he howled back.

“What do you think it is?”

“No clue. I've got your rabbit. I'll be back soon,” he howled.

The thought of food made saliva form in my mouth, and eventually, being to much for me to keep in, I started drooling.

I heard the soft paw pads on the still slightly hard ground. My Mate was coming with my rabbit. He was really closer than I had expected. He had sounded too far away to have gotten here this quickly. Then I smelled it.

No earth smell. No pine-needles. None of the pack smells. This was a strange wolf approaching.

I barked a command at the female wolf standing next to me, who passed it on. I couldn't wait for My Mate for this. The strange wolf was getting closer and closer, and as his steps got louder, so did my heart beat.

I felt a growl forming in my throat, but held it back. It would be rude. I didn't even know what the wolf wanted. I too, had been a foreign wolf once, and I had been excepted. I held onto that memory, and the memory helped me not to growl.

“Come out of the shadows,” I barked at the wolf, and he, it was definitely a he, stepped into view.

He looked strangely familiar.