01-12-2010, 02:04 AM
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wc: 1,016 :3
The morning had dawned crisp and clear. The sun shone brightly, though it did nothing to warm the earth beneath it. The ground was hard, frozen by the frigid snow that blanketed it. The sky was a dull, soft gray, patches of blue visible here and there.
A solitary female wolf stood before the edge of the beach, staring across the glassy surface of the salt water. Her fur danced softly as a chilly breeze blew around her, her tail swaying to the side as it gave in to the wind.
She loved watching the sunrise over an ocean. The many different colors never ceased to amaze her, and the reflective surface of the water had a mirror effect, making it twice as beautiful.
Once the sun had risen fully from its slumber, the female yawned, her jaws opening wide, white teeth glinting in the sunlight. She bent forward, stretching her front legs in front of her luxuriously. She was feeling a bit drained; sleep had been evading her as of late. What with the patrolling she and Anya had been doing, as well as her running regiment, Andy was beginning to feel it. She considered skipping her run today, but quickly dropped the thought. Tired as she was, she would not drop her daily run. She would just have to find the energy.
Slowly, she rose to her paws, shaking each leg in turn to shake the sleepy warmth that had inhabited her body. She set off away from the beach, trotting smoothly back into the heart of the Valley territory. It was nearly time to find Anya so they could do their morning patrol.
As the loped through the trees, her belly suddenly grumbled with hunger. Knowing she would regret it later if she didn’t handle her hunger, especially in her exhausted state, the tawny female sighed, turned off her path, and lifted her nose to the wind. Best find a snack to replenish her energy. She was a bit early, anyway.
Even though she absolutely loved the winter season, the fact that prey was all the more scarce was enough to grate at her appreciation. She stood very still, one front paw raised in concentration, as she listened for anything; a bird call, a tiny movement beneath the snow, something to alert her of some prey.
A few feet off, she heard it. Almost inaudible, rustling and scratching sounds reached her pointed ears. Near the base of a tree, a small, brown creature was digging into the snow. A squirrel. It, too, was hungry, and it was searching for a hidden stash of food it had saved for just this occasion. Andy noted that it was rather scrawny, but it would do. She crept up slowly on the squirrel, careful to keep her paws quiet in the snow. Her ears were pricked forward, straining to catch every sound the small animal made. It was painstakingly slow, or so it felt to Andy.
When she was a yard away, the squirrel looked up, panicked, and started darting up the tree. The bark was rough against her paw pads, but not altogether unpleasant. It was no wonder why squirrels had such earthy colored fur. It all but disappeared against the tree bark, blending in quite well with the brown, rough wood. Andy leaped, her paws coming down on the tawny creature, pinning it between the tree trunk. She ended its life quickly with a bite to its tiny neck, and gulped the small animal down quickly, relishing in the wonderful feel of warmth and energy the food had given her body.
Feeling better, though her hunger was not completely satiated, she set off again, feeling much more awake and energized. She hoped Anya was bright eyed and bushy tailed; it was easier for Andy to wake up if those around her were, too.
A sound overhead caused Andy to pause and look up. A large bird, probably an osprey, was soaring in the sky over the trees. Vaguely, she wondered if it was the same osprey Naniko had saved. Smiling slightly, she lowered her head and was off once more, her tail waving to and fro slowly as she went.
In the distance, she caught sight of another wolf. Speeding up, she realized it was Anya. Smiling wider, she picked up a full out run, galloping smoothly to where her friend stood. She skidded to a halt next to the other female, wagging her tail in greeting.
“Good morning.” She said, tongue lolling out good naturedly. Are you ready to do some patrolling?” She raised a hind leg and scratched her ear as she stood, trying to keep her balance in the awkward stance. After a few seconds of pleasurably scratching, she lowered the leg and looked about. “Have you seen Ty yet this morning?”
She started walking slowly along the scent border, knowing her companion would walk with her. The forest around the two females smelled cold; it was a fresh, crisp scent, mingled with the deep ruddy scent of the tree trunks, and the earthy scent of the ground hidden by the snow. It was a lovely scent. It filled the tawny Tenens, and she closed her eyes briefly as she took a deep breath. It reminded her of Washington.
When she was a child, her and her brother Luke had loved playing in the snow. It had been their favorite thing to do in winter. Making snow animals they could pretend to stalk had been a particular favorite of theirs; the crumbling snow as they pounced had been very satisfying.
She shook her head, realizing she had drifted out again. She had found that more ad more things reminded her of her late family; many times, however, it made her happy to think of them. She was glad that it no longer filled her with a suffocating darkness. Se still got sad sometimes, but it wasn’t the only thing she felt anymore. She suspected it had something to do with her friends here in the Valley.
wc: 1,016 :3
The morning had dawned crisp and clear. The sun shone brightly, though it did nothing to warm the earth beneath it. The ground was hard, frozen by the frigid snow that blanketed it. The sky was a dull, soft gray, patches of blue visible here and there.
A solitary female wolf stood before the edge of the beach, staring across the glassy surface of the salt water. Her fur danced softly as a chilly breeze blew around her, her tail swaying to the side as it gave in to the wind.
She loved watching the sunrise over an ocean. The many different colors never ceased to amaze her, and the reflective surface of the water had a mirror effect, making it twice as beautiful.
Once the sun had risen fully from its slumber, the female yawned, her jaws opening wide, white teeth glinting in the sunlight. She bent forward, stretching her front legs in front of her luxuriously. She was feeling a bit drained; sleep had been evading her as of late. What with the patrolling she and Anya had been doing, as well as her running regiment, Andy was beginning to feel it. She considered skipping her run today, but quickly dropped the thought. Tired as she was, she would not drop her daily run. She would just have to find the energy.
Slowly, she rose to her paws, shaking each leg in turn to shake the sleepy warmth that had inhabited her body. She set off away from the beach, trotting smoothly back into the heart of the Valley territory. It was nearly time to find Anya so they could do their morning patrol.
As the loped through the trees, her belly suddenly grumbled with hunger. Knowing she would regret it later if she didn’t handle her hunger, especially in her exhausted state, the tawny female sighed, turned off her path, and lifted her nose to the wind. Best find a snack to replenish her energy. She was a bit early, anyway.
Even though she absolutely loved the winter season, the fact that prey was all the more scarce was enough to grate at her appreciation. She stood very still, one front paw raised in concentration, as she listened for anything; a bird call, a tiny movement beneath the snow, something to alert her of some prey.
A few feet off, she heard it. Almost inaudible, rustling and scratching sounds reached her pointed ears. Near the base of a tree, a small, brown creature was digging into the snow. A squirrel. It, too, was hungry, and it was searching for a hidden stash of food it had saved for just this occasion. Andy noted that it was rather scrawny, but it would do. She crept up slowly on the squirrel, careful to keep her paws quiet in the snow. Her ears were pricked forward, straining to catch every sound the small animal made. It was painstakingly slow, or so it felt to Andy.
When she was a yard away, the squirrel looked up, panicked, and started darting up the tree. The bark was rough against her paw pads, but not altogether unpleasant. It was no wonder why squirrels had such earthy colored fur. It all but disappeared against the tree bark, blending in quite well with the brown, rough wood. Andy leaped, her paws coming down on the tawny creature, pinning it between the tree trunk. She ended its life quickly with a bite to its tiny neck, and gulped the small animal down quickly, relishing in the wonderful feel of warmth and energy the food had given her body.
Feeling better, though her hunger was not completely satiated, she set off again, feeling much more awake and energized. She hoped Anya was bright eyed and bushy tailed; it was easier for Andy to wake up if those around her were, too.
A sound overhead caused Andy to pause and look up. A large bird, probably an osprey, was soaring in the sky over the trees. Vaguely, she wondered if it was the same osprey Naniko had saved. Smiling slightly, she lowered her head and was off once more, her tail waving to and fro slowly as she went.
In the distance, she caught sight of another wolf. Speeding up, she realized it was Anya. Smiling wider, she picked up a full out run, galloping smoothly to where her friend stood. She skidded to a halt next to the other female, wagging her tail in greeting.
“Good morning.” She said, tongue lolling out good naturedly. Are you ready to do some patrolling?” She raised a hind leg and scratched her ear as she stood, trying to keep her balance in the awkward stance. After a few seconds of pleasurably scratching, she lowered the leg and looked about. “Have you seen Ty yet this morning?”
She started walking slowly along the scent border, knowing her companion would walk with her. The forest around the two females smelled cold; it was a fresh, crisp scent, mingled with the deep ruddy scent of the tree trunks, and the earthy scent of the ground hidden by the snow. It was a lovely scent. It filled the tawny Tenens, and she closed her eyes briefly as she took a deep breath. It reminded her of Washington.
When she was a child, her and her brother Luke had loved playing in the snow. It had been their favorite thing to do in winter. Making snow animals they could pretend to stalk had been a particular favorite of theirs; the crumbling snow as they pounced had been very satisfying.
She shook her head, realizing she had drifted out again. She had found that more ad more things reminded her of her late family; many times, however, it made her happy to think of them. She was glad that it no longer filled her with a suffocating darkness. Se still got sad sometimes, but it wasn’t the only thing she felt anymore. She suspected it had something to do with her friends here in the Valley.