Chapter Text
The wolf ran through the forest. She had to take her pup somewhere safe, she just had to! Behind her she heard the howls of a wolf Pack. The wolf growled softly. That star-cursed Pack raided her Pack’s camp. Her Pack fought hard, but they were outnumbered, and so she was forced to watch as her Pack got slowly killed right in front of her eyes. Her mate and pups were some of the wolves that perished, lost to the jaws of the enemy. It still hurt to think about. Now the pup in her jaws was the only thing left to care about. Her Pack was dead, she and her pup were the only survivors of the brutal attack. If Hunter died, she didn't know what she would do. She brought her focus back to the present. The wolves pursuing her were getting closer, but she was almost there. Just a little bit farther… She dodged to the side as a pair of jaws snapped where she once was. The wolves were here. Although she was tired, the determination to protect her beloved pup gave her energy, and so she put on a burst of speed and ran on. Her legs ached, but she couldn't stop now, not when she was so close to safety. A wolf sunk it’s fangs into her tail. She growled in a slight show of pain and shook the attacker off. She could see the gorge now, if she got her pup across it she knew she would be safe. The wolf slowed to a stop as she reached the gorge’s edge. No… It was too far for her to jump across, and too far to even toss her pup across! But… The wolf brought her haunches close to her body, preparing for a jump, then, with a hard kick, she launched herself towards the other end of the gorge.
Mid-air she threw her pup as hard as she could. Her pup whimpered, but hit the ground on the other side, skidding across the ground from the force of the impact. But her mother wasn't so lucky… She was close to the edge when she started to go down. Her legs flailed around in the air, desperate for a grip on anything. She took one last look at the sky, before she plunged into the cold water. She kicked her legs desperately, trying to swim. The water caused pressure in her throat, and the lack of air caused her to panic and kick even more desperately. But she was starting to get tired, and before long she stopped struggling, no longer having the energy to even try. The last thing she heard was the muffled howls of anger and victory from those star-forsaken wolves, those evil creatures that stole her livelihood, and now her own life from her… Everything went dark as she took her last breath, although there wasn't much to breathe in this watery hell, and as she died it seemed even the stars went out.
…
The little pup was terrified. She whimpered, watching her mother fall into the gorge, pricking her ears to hear the splash of her own mother crashing through the water below.
She was shaking, both from the cold of being outside on an early spring night and the fear of the situation. Her pupils were slits of black inside of her glowing blue eyes. The pup knew there was nothing she could do but pray to the Dog Star itself that her mother would be alright. The pup gazed across the gorge, focusing her eyes against the black of night to make out the forms of the wolves howling in victory. Her lips turned up in a snarl, for those demon-creatures were spitting angry songs, howling, promising revenge, promising to kill her. She felt the warmth of rage in her chest. Those wolves were the evil beasts that took her life away. She snarled as the wolves ran away, still howling about their victory, then she walked towards the edge of the gorge, digging her claws in to avoid slipping over. She looked over the edge with caution, hoping, praying, that she would see her mother alright. But as she kept watching, nothing happened. There were no smells, no noises to signal her mother’s return. There was nothing except the rush of water. The pup growled. How could the water that just took her mother away pretend everything was alright!? The pup sat back up, opening her jaws in a soft call.
“Mom?” She cried out. At hearing no response she tried a bit louder.
“Mother!? Mom, are you there?”
Upon hearing no response still, the pup was starting to get desperate.
“Mom! Mom, come back, I need you, you can come out now, the wolves are gone. M-mom, MOM!”
The wolf pup started to break down into tears. At this point it was clear her mom wasn't coming back. She howled into the night, singing a sad, desperate song.
“MOM! MOM!” She howled pitifully.
The poor pup was too stricken with grief to care when she heard pawsteps approaching, too sad to care when she felt jaws gently clamp down on her scruff. She just sobbed as a new pack carried her away from everything she ever knew.