Chapter 2: Raven

           

            Not many things appealed to me. I hate my family, I hate small talk, I hate love and kindness and when wolves say things like: “Love makes the world go around!” It’s stupid. There is no peace in this world, and it seems to be functioning properly. There are few things that I… enjoy, if you will. Just a few; things like fighting, running, and snow.

            I loved the feeling of the whipping in my face and whistling past my ears as I ran; the thrill of pounding another wolf to dust; and the way the snow melted on my warm tongue and how it caressed my fur like an icy feather. It felt awesome. There really was no other word for it.

            Riley enjoyed things like flowers, and sunshine, and smiles. Stupid. She hated winter. She complained about it all the time. She complained about how her cute little paws got too cold, and how the chilly air made her fur frizzy. Only selfish, arrogant mind-controllers cared about that stuff. If you insulted the way her fur sat on her head, she tear your throat out.

            Achak was a whole other story. He was such a… I don’t even know. He’s weird. It’s like his brain is on the FREAK frequency while the rest of ours is on the NORMAL frequency. You couldn’t even understand what he’s talking about half the time.

 

 

 

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            I woke up as the sun was rising gradually over the trees. Riley was spread out across the floor of the cave against her own awareness. I leaped up and looked outside. Snow. Beautiful, white, cold, snow. I dashed outside and hurdled into a snow bank. The fluff flew out around me as I fell into it. I licked what melted onto my nose off and began running laps as Riley and Achak emerged from the den.

            Alec and Naomi talked quietly about something that I probably cared little about. I was content. I kept running and notice Riley making her way to the forest edge. She stepped slowly into the tall grass that hadn’t yet been covered by the white quilt. After a few moments she stepped further into the trees and disappeared. Curiosity got the best of me, so I stopped and started to near the trees that she vanished into. I heard her soprano voice, and the low voice of another. I knew I couldn’t get too close without them noticing me, so I stopped where I was and sat down, pretending to be observing the scenery.

            I heard a low laugh and Riley’s nervous, giggle. The chattering stopped and Riley emerged from the trees. I looked toward me and she froze. She took in a deep breath and let it out. “You scared me.” She muttered.

            I laughed and waited until she was far enough away not to notice me go through the trees.

 

 

 

Chapter 3: Adelor

           

            I looked at him for one final second before I took his life. My claws dug deep into the fur in his neck. The blood flowed through the broken skin and onto my freezing paw. It trickled through the fur on his neck, down his shoulder and chest, and formed a red puddle underneath his strained body. I pulled my claws from him and watched as the red fluid pooled around his lifeless body and melted into the snow.

           That night I slept on the outskirts of a small village. I wasn’t worried about the two-legs like most of our kind. I knew (from much experience) that they only bothered you if you bothered them. Unfortunately, my friend learned that the hard way…

            I watched the red dancers release a dark smoke into the air. I often liked to watch the two-legs dance around the red dancers. Many of them had elephant trunks pierced into their faces or ears. This night was different. This night they hung animals above the red dancers and waited until they turned brown and crispy. I could smell the smell from where I rested in the snow.

            The two-legs ate the pig and put out the red dancers with water. After they fell asleep in their dens, I crept closer to the village and ate a few scraps they left me. As I ate, I heard small footsteps and a deep breath. A little two-leg stood at the opening of his den, pointing a small paw in my direction.

             I dropped the meat in my jaw and took a small step back. Another two-leg emerged from the furry den, along with another that picked up the little one and pulled him back into the den.

            Soon, dozens more had arrived. Some had spears, some had long sticks with mini red dancers at the end. The closest to me, the tallest, held out his paw. I looked at it, then at his soft eyes. My back foot took another step back. He took three steps toward me. The other two-legs shook their heads and whispered things in worried voices.