For the first time, Pip's breath didn't fog out in front of her upon stepping out of the medical den in the morning. She smiled and gave a long stretch complete with her tail flagging over her back since she'd sensed no one around. Following that, she gave a quick shake and started to trot off towards the familiar falls where she had grown used to fishing without being interrupted by angry beavers who wanted a piece of her.
The yearling had grown used to the routine. Each morning was filled with "soaking her leg in cold water to help with healing" or, as Pip liked to call it, fishing. Though her left hind leg wasn't completely up to one hundred percent just yet, she felt markedly better under Veho's gentle care.
She wondered if the water would be quite as cold as it should be considering the almost warm breeze that blew through the trees. The sunny spots where light filtered through the cedar trees were warm on the fur of her back. In no time at all, the snow which still hid in the darkest parts of the forest would be melted and gone, giving way to spring flowers. Pip was looking forward to seeing the difference the season made for the forest. Back in Bella Coola, she'd always admired the forest edge and all its pretty flowering trees.
Her quiet, pleasant morning was interrupted by an awfully strange sound. It reminded her of the click her nails made across stone or the constant buzzing of cicadas without the telltale pitching and yawing of different tones. Russett ears swiveled towards the sound and spotted movement in one of the sunny spots along the forest floor. Though she'd never seen a rattlesnake in her life, preservation instincts had the young wolf taking a firm step backwards, orange eyes locked on the flicking black tongue and dark beady eyes which watched her with just as much caution.
Run, don't run? Too nervous for motion, Pip found herself locked in place while the snake stared her down.