MCSM One Shots (2018-2019)

Loyal Companion

This one shot includes a character from my book "The Secrets Beneath the Lies." However, you don't need to have read it, to understand and enjoy this one shot!

This one shot is in no means related to Secrets Beneath the Lies. The wolf, Rascal, was indeed rescued and raised by Jesse and Petra in Secrets Beneath the Lies, but is still a pup there.

In this one shot, Rascal is a fully-grown wolf adventuring with Petra. 
Readers of SBTL, don't let this effect your view on the book, or your theories on how it'll end. With the way SBTL ends, this isn't a possibility for Petra and Rascal's future. 
It's basically a whole different story.

Enjoy!

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Plot suggested by @_Mary_531_
___

It wasn't a great day to be outside. Fog hung heavily between the dense trees of the forest, barely any sunlight visible through the thick clouds. It was drizzling lightly, a misty type of rain that could soak you without you even realising. It was bitter cold.

Rascal stopped trotting, vigurously shaking the water out of his shaggy grey coat, droplets showering everything. He then picked up the pace again, jogging quickly to catch back up to Petra, till he was trotting by her side.

The redhead was walking slightly hunched over, her clothes and hair absolutely drenched. Her pale skin was hard with goosebumps, her lips and fingers almost slightly blue. With every step her boots sunk into the soggy ground.

A strong gust of wind blew through the trees, threatening to snatch Petra's bandanna. Both she and Rascal shivered violently as the wind calmed down, their already chilled forms now cold as ice.

Rascal looked around, his instincts starting to kick in as he looked for shelter. Instinctively he wanted to get him and his owner out of the rain and cold. They've been out there for hours and, while his thick coat was keeping him warm, he could tell that Petra was freezing. Rascal was born in a cold taiga, not far from the roofed forest where he and Petra first met. He was built for cold weather. But his owner wasn't.

Petra's breathing was becoming slightly raspy, her step slower. Her skin was paler than usually, her blue eyes dulled. Nearly a week's travelling in the foul weather was starting to get to her.

Rascal stopped, pricking his ears. It was starting to become dark, and his sensitive ears had picked up a distant zombie moan. Petra stopped as well, acknowledging her wolf's behaviour.

She looked around, trying to spot a cave. She wasn't sure if she had the physical strength left to build a dirt hut at that moment.

Rascal had caught onto his owner's idea, darting off into the trees excitedly. He knew he could easily sniff her out again, even in the rain. Rascal stopped near a small hollow against a rock face, peering inside. It was the perfect size for him, but he could see that his owner wouldn't be comfortable in there.

After checking out a few more hollows, Rascal found a considerably large cave. He didn't venture far into it, instead turning around on the spot and running back to where he and Petra had split up. He was able to catch onto her scent in no time.

Once Rascal found Petra, he immediately grabbed her by her sleeve, giving it a gentle tug before letting go. She knew this signal, and instantly started following her wolf. Rascal ran ahead of Petra, leading her to the cave he found. He had to occasionally stop and wait for her to catch up, as she wasn't at all up to her normal speed.

Petra stopped in the cave entrance, her blue eyes scanning the darkness. There was a rattling of bones in the shadows, followed by the sudden snap of a bow-string. Despite being a little off, Petra's reaction to jump out of the way of the arrow was swift.