Into the woods [aw]

Holly · 02-01-2012, 03:26 PM

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Table by Raze <3

The early morning sun had yet to penetrate the deep caverns of the den but Holly was wide awake. It was not unusual for her to be up so early. Her nightmares kept her tossing and turning throughout the night, eventually waking her at dawn. She had yet to stir from her slumbering position, savoring the warmth and safety of being surrounded by her pack mates. The gentle inhale and exhale of the wolves around her made it sound like the cave with breathing. She smiled softly at that thought, picturing her pack in the mouth of a giant beast just waiting to be swallowed. Her eyes wandered over the bodies she could see from her position on the ground and she imagined each of them being slowly devoured by a large, black monster. With a start she lifted her head from the ground and quickly scanned the cave. Her breathing had become fast and her heart pounded fast and loud inside her chest. There was nothing but her sleeping pack mates. The monsters of her imagination remained just that.

She shook off the fear that had so suddenly gripped her and got to her paws. She needed to occupy her mind and keep it from drifting to such horrific images. She made her way past the sleeping wolves, weaving between their bodies until she reached the mouth of the cave. The soft light of early morning greeted her as she exited the den and she breathed in the fresh, cold morning air. Once she was in the open her fears completely ebbed. The landscape around her was beautiful and she paused for a moment to admire her new home. She didn't stay still for long though. Her paws were itching to move and explore this new land.

It was a short enough distance from the mouth of the den to the edge of the forest that she wouldn't start to panic at the absence of another. Or at least, that's what Holly convinced herself. She trotted through the thin layer of snow, taking in her surroundings with perked ears. The morning calls of the woodland birds brought a smile to her face and she looked up into the canopy to try and get a glimpse of them. "Where are you, birdies?" She whispered into the forest, squinting her eyes to try and catch their movements. A flash of red caught her eye and she quickly turned her head toward it, catching a peek of the cardinal as it flew further away.

She hopped after the brightly colored bird, chasing it further into the woods. She kept her eyes skyward as she followed the cardinal, occasionally tripping over roots and underbrush. Suddenly she lost sight of her query and though she searched the canopy for it, it was no where to be found. For the first time since she had spotted the bird she looked around, her ears dropping as she realized how far into the woods she had come. She turned around on the spot, trying to remember which way she had come from.

Panic started to settle in her chest and she gave a soft cry. It was this way, she thought as she turned completely around from the way she had been heading. Her logic would have made sense, if she had traveled in a straight line. As it was she came out of the forest in an unfamiliar place, completely the opposite direction of New Dawn's territory. She stood there stunned as the midday light beat against her back. Now what?

Word Count → 595

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