A frigid wind was whipping through the Backwater, snaking along the creek and rattling the still naked trees. The sun was out between scattered clouds, but offered little warmth, just a bright reflection in the snow. Still, Vasco was out for his daily jog, following the stream at a steady trot, only pausing briefly now and again to drink from the icy water. But he was keeping a good speed, pleased with his performance, despite the stabbing in his lungs – which might as well be the cold air as a sign of remaining weakness.

He was taking one of his breaks, not far from the center clearing of the pack, when an especially strong gust of wind hit, rustling his fur. But that wasn’t the only thing jostled, the surrounding trees creaking loudly, even after the wind had settled. Attention drawn by the sound, Vasco turned in time to see dead trunk – previously supported by one of the still living trees – give way, sliding to the ground with an audible crack.

Bronzed ears flattened back, eyes wide as he watched the cloud of snow blow into the air and carried off on the wind. Just as he thought the show was over, a russet shadow suddenly darted from the under the fallen trunk, running straight at the wolf with surprising speed. Startled, Vasco stepped backwards until his paws were on the very edge of the water, rearing up his head. But the creature stopped a few leaps before reaching him, apparently noticing its mistake. Frozen in place, he finally recognized it as a squirrel, now staring him down with pinprick eyes, no doubt as startled by the turn of events as the wolf.

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Thoughts ”Speech”

He’d never liked squirrels much; They were noisy and temperamental little bastards, utterly useless, with too little meat on their bones to be worth the effort of hunting them. But this one was sitting right there, still as a stone, paralyzed in its fear. If he was quick enough, he might be able to jump it before it had a chance to bolt, avoiding the chase.

Attention locked on the critter, Vasco didn’t notice Sharlee’s approach. Instead he readied himself, slowly leaning back and bending his hind legs, preparing to pounce. But he was out of practice, slow and slightly off balance. As he leaped, the squirrel came back to life, evading his initial attack and heading for the trees. Vasco gritted his teeth, pushing on forwards, now that he was moving, he wasn’t gonna back out. Grey eyes trailed the russet blur as it skittered over the snow, already winning ground against his lanky legs. But then he spotted the young woman further up ahead, right in the rodent’s path. Gasping, he called out excitedly; “Get ‘im, Sharlee!”

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Thoughts ”Speech”

He might have regained a lot of his stamina, but such a sudden burst of energy still wore the pale man out quickly. His lungs screamed for air, a painful stitch in his side compelling him to stop as the rodent scampered on, out of his reach.

Luckily, Sharlee was right in the squirrel’s path and lightning fast, springing into action even as he called to her. She pounced and landed square on the critter, letting it wiggle miserably for a last moment before finishing it off.

Still gasping for breath, Vasco trotted up to his niece, grinning widely. “Good catch!” He breathed, coming to a halt in front of her and taking a moment to catch his breath. Eyes resting on the bloody bundle of fur under her paws, he smiled crookedly; “Guess the rat should’ve stayed asleep!”

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Thoughts ”Speech”