Recovery and a Confession

[Deleted]

Savu glanced back at his recovering friend longingly. The ash and alabaster male had his eye on this one as a potential mate and lifelong companion. It was a shame he didn't think she saw him in the same way.

[Rykett]

They were away from the freezing wind and snow as the cover of the trees began to shield them. Mysti's breathing was rapid and raspy. The food has given her energy but she would need more than just a couple meals before she would be completely healed. Her shoulder where the elk had kicked ached horribly. She began limping slightly but tried to hide the pain. Mysti's eyes were focused on her paws watching every step she took and urging herself to take one more.

[Deleted]

Savu watched the blue wolf concentrate on her paws and so he too looked at the grey paws of the wolf. But there was nothing really interesting about them. Although Savu noticed a slight limp. He dodged a root and skimmed a trunk before continuing on.

[Rykett]

Mysti noticed the root two late. Her forepaw got stuck and she came crashing to the ground. She lay there for a moment. Mysti stared up at the few snowflakes that filtered through the tree's leaves.

[Deleted]

Savu couldn't help but laugh. "Oh Mysti..." He helped her up and then leaped to lick up a shimmering flake of white.

[Rykett]

He laughed at her. Everyone ended up laughing at her. It was like some kind of disease. Whoever looked at her couldn't help laughing meanwhile every bone in her body seem to be on fire. Mysti couldn't stop the tear that trickled off her nose. She watched the drop land on the ground. Mysti kept her head down after that careful to not trip again.

[Deleted]

Savu could tell he hit a nerve and fell silent. He dug his claws into the ground. 'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!'

[Rykett]

Despite Mysti's caution, she stumbled multiple more times. Finally she fell to the ground. Mysti felt too exhausted to continue. Every part of her ached, and Mysti just wanted to curl up and sleep. But she couldn't not here. Not in the open where she was in the middle of the elements of winter.

[Deleted]

Savu remained silent till Mysti stumbled one last time. He bent down and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry." And to shield her from the storm, curled around her, and laid his muzzle over her neck.

[Rykett]

All of Mysti's worse memories seemed to flood back. During her traveling, Mysti had been able to push them away by keeping herself busy. But now in a quiet moment. They overcame her. Tears began flooding freely down her cheeks. She shook with a couple sobs. All the horror of her pack's destruction seemed so fresh. She was paralyzed with the fresh fear. She was glad to have Savu's warm coat to cry her heart out into. It felt like the only warm thing in her life. Everything was too cold, cruel, and deadly. Her exhausted combined with all the terrifying emotions Mystis felt until she cried herself to sleep.

[Deleted]

Savu licked away the salty tears and closed his eyes, keeping his friend warm, as cold seeped through on his thee side.

[Rykett]

Mysti dreamed of her pack. The warm camp was friendly and familiar. She played happily with her siblings and enjoyed time with her parents. Her best friend, Lunare, was uplifting when she messed up on hunting practices and always told jokes that made Mysti laugh. Her failings at hunting were the worst of Mysti's troubles but Lunare would always bring her out of the post-hunting sadness. Then the storm came. The clouds were blacker than the deepest shadow and lightning that cracked was bright red. The rain was blood and at the center of the hurricane was a calm spot in which a giant bear stalked. When that calm spot passed across the camp. Wolves slowly came out. Lunare was the last out but Mysti refused to come out. Lunare said it would be okay and prompted her to emerge. The bear had waited until that moment to attack. Mysti witnessed everyone perish all over again. The howls of her doomed pack rang fresh in her ears. The bear's giant black paw grasped in the darkness of Mysti's den. It clawed at her but Mysti was just out of its reach. The storm eventually passed leaving Mysti to cry over the bodies of her best friend and family. She'd left that place in search of the fabled White Wolf Valley from which her Grandmother and Grandfather had come.

[Deleted]

As the night wore on, Savu too dreamed. He remembered his three brothers, the bulky bully Atlas, the shy coward Kaiho, he growled in his sleep. He wanted to forget his brothers, his whole life even. He dreamed of how he had once beaten Kaiho into submission, but now, he couldn't dream of laying a paw on him. He had heard his brother was on this very valley with a special someone. Savu whined in his sleep, he wanted someone to share his life with him, some wolf he could start over with. Maybe Mysti was the one. That night on the border would never be forgotten:

[Rykett]

Mysti jerked awake. For a moment, she didn't know where she was. Savu lay beside her sleeping. The sunlight was dim and all around Mysti was white. Then she realized that their bodies must have created a snow cave. It was warmer than Mysti would've thought. Despite her fur being warm, Mysti felt like crying. She sobbed but no tears appeared. Nothing. The dream was two fresh. She felt like the bear was about to attack to crush the snow cave and kill her. But no such attack came.

[Deleted]

Savu continued to dream as Mysti cried. From violets to puppyhood sweethearts. He whined, cried, and growled in his sleep. (Goodnight!)