Sex: MaleP<i>r</i>ying a rock loose with his nose, he sniffed around the damp soil, hoping to find something of interest. He found himself to be disappointed, though, as the only thing worth smelling proved to be an earth worm. He let the rock fall back into place and sniffed around the ground, searching for another interesting trail. Was coming here with Vlar the best choice? Well, given that the alternative was to stay on his own, it had to have merit. But, he had never even seen some of the wolves before and Vlar had left him alone with them. He had felt legitimate terror at the predicament, especially the first time she had left.
Pr<i>o</i>dding hunger had originally driven the yearling to leave the den, but, once out on his own, the realization of just how overwhelmed he felt with the rest of them came crashing down on his narrow shoulders. His trek away from the den had been accompanied by a nearly constant whine as he attempted to figure out what he was going to do next. Should he go back? Could he go back?
The <i>t</i>emptation to just stay out here was strong. He would be alone, without having to worry about defending himself from other wolves or about them hurting him. On the other hand, he would be alone. <i>Vlarindara.</i> He would never see her again. It was not that he loved her or begrudged Borden for having caught her eye. It was not like that at all. Raigo thought of her as his big sister. Ever since she had found him in that blizzard, they had spent virtually every hour together and he did not know what he would do if he had to live the rest of his life without seeing her again.
The s<i>c</i>intillating joy of freedom from the pack dulled significantly at that thought. Of course, this very thought had crossed his mind many times over the past several days, but each time, he had found something to distract himself and prevent himself from dwelling on it. This time, though, he sat down and stared at a tree, forcing himself to consider the problem at hand. <i>Is never seeing Vlar again a worthy price to wander around like this? I like not having all the others around all the time, but is it worth it? What if...What if I get stuck in the river again? I would have died if she hadn't of helped me as much as she did.</i> Another whine escaped his lips and he turned his head back towards where he knew the den to be. He sniffed the air, but could only smell the cedars around him, the moist dirt beneath his paws, a few small rodents off in the bushes.
An old <i>i</i>dea came into his head, one that he had considered many times since his departure from the pack's den. <u>Go back.</u> But what would they say? He felt certain that he would be in HUGE trouble for leaving like that and would no doubt be looked down upon, but he HAD to see Vlar again. So what if he was made Omega? He was not going to leave Vlar. He could not leave her.
A resol<i>v</i>e shone in his eyes that had not been there for the better part of two weeks as the yearling forced himself to his feet and turned back towards the den. <i>Well,</i> he thought, setting his ears and tail at a determined angle. <i>Here goes nothing.</i> He had put quite a fair distance between himself and the den, three day's solid travel, at the least, and so he started back at a trot, believing that he still did not quite have the stamina yet to undergo that long, ground-eating lope that was bred into his race. He just hoped that Vlarindara would not be too angry with him.
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