Sex: Male He had so hoped he could avoid this! Crossing the mountains were a daunting task for any wolf, and especially one who had yet to even pass his first winter. But there had been no trace of his sister in the western forests, none of the Ridge wolves having even heard of lost pup, and he wasn’t about to return home without any news. So he’d dared the trek across the lower ranges of Serpent's Pass, hoping to have more luck in the east. There was one last chance he knew of, his parents old pack which still recided down there; Oak Tree Bend… Before he could make it that far though, he needed to make it across the ridge, and with icy cold winds and intermittent flurries of snow, that was much easier said than done. The audacious boy had managed to find a somewhat sheltered route along a creek that still trickled with water, despite the cold. But his progress was slow and hard, and along with his growing hunger, had left him exhausted and weak. After several nights sleeping in hollows in the snow, he’d managed to find a small cavern to ride out the night, protected from the storm. When morning came, it took a great effort to get moving again, but he knew his only chance of survival was to get off this mountain; And soon..! At least his path seemed to have taken a definite turn downwards, installing hope in the lad that he was more than halfway there. Still-early rays of pale sun sparkled in the snow as he made his way onward, further heartened by sparse vegetation starting to appear along his route. First it was only crippled bushes, but as he reached lower elevation, short fir trees joined the mix. For the first time in his life, Gale was overjoyed to see trees and he speed up, eager to get into their cover. But, eyes focused on the green tops, he didn’t notice the sudden dip up ahead. The creek had reached a small fall, and in his hurry, the young wolf had no time to stop at the edge. Paws slipping on the icy rock, he tumbled down the slope, rolling tail-over-head several times, before reaching the frozen pond below; Slowly sliding to a halt out on the ice. Word count: 389 "Speech" Thoughts |
