I Moved From That Horrible Place, Putting It As Far Behind Me As I Could. The Stench Of Blood Still Lingered In My Nostrils, But It Slowly Went Away The Farther Up The Mountains I Went. I Traveled Northward This Time, Following The Scent Of Ice And Water Towards The Mountains. I Do Not Know Where I Am Going, But At Least It Is Far Away From The Blood And Bones Of The Deceased. Being There...It Began To Stir Horrible Memories I Wished To Forget. But Of Course, I Do Not Deserve Such A Luxury. My Paws Ache, I've Been Walking For So Long. I Began To Feel Hungry, And Yet I Could Detect No Sight Nor Scent Of Prey Where I Now Stand. I Pause In My Steps, Panting As I Try To Gather My Bearings. To My Left; A Shallow Cut Of The Land Where It Seemed Like Water Used To Run. To My Right, Endless Snow. Although It Was Summer, This Place Seemed To Be Changing In It's Season By Location, But It Was Here In The North Where I Felt Most At Home.

A Whine Escaped My Throat, My Body Sliding Down To The Cold Ground As My Head Found Purchase Atop My Forelegs Like A Dog Who Was Missing It's Owner. Waiting...Always Waiting. But For What? I Wish I Knew...My Life Has Been So Lonely Up Till Now, What Will I Find? Should I Continue Beyond The Mountains And Travel As Far As I Can Before I Drop? What Is There For Me Out There?
I Wish I Knew, For The Constant Fear Of The Unknown Begins To Send Me Into A Spiral Of Nightmares And Darkness. My Limbs Twitch, My Eyes Already Closed. Whining Escapes Me In Little Whispers Much Like A Child Experiencing Distress In His Dream. Someone...Anyone...

Esperanza listened to the sounds of the birds that echoed through the landscape. Her emerald eyes focused on anything that had caught her attention. With little ones on the way, she had to be especially careful to keep herself focused and calm. Ears stood erect as the sounds of the wind whistled past her lobes, causing her eardrums to vibrate and ring in annoyance as she shook her head. She did not know what was causing the painful sensation, but she could not worry about that now. A warm smile would come across her as a calf carcass lay on the floor. Varmints already tore into the flesh, but long enough strips of flesh to keep her satisfied for a while helped her tremendously as she approached the carcass.



The warm embrace of the flesh cause her mouth to water as she gulped down the meat. It was tough hunting with a swollen belly as the pounds began to increase on her as the babies were developing. The sounds of her world began to hit her lobes again, but if her lobes whistled she could not tell as she was too starved to care. When she stripped down most of the carcass, only leaving a few scraps, she approached a tree den and lied down, resting as she was trying to get home. Her pups would be due soon, and she wished to give birth in a good den that would be a good home for her young ones to play and grow in.

My Nightmares Continued, My Breath Circulating Faster As I Tried To Wake Myself Into Reality. I Could Feel The Wind Biting Into My Face, The Snow Melting Upon My Pelt, And Yet I Could Not Surface From The Darkness That Surrounded Me. My Teeth Bared At The Monsters That Were No Where To Be Seen, At Least...Not To Those Who Might Be Watching Me. I Could Never Escape The Nightmares That Threatened To Take My Life, The Ones That Threatened To Be The End Of Me. Was There No End To These Terrifying Rituals? Not Even I Know The Answer To That Question.

And It Was Then As I Writhed In Agony And Despair, A Scent Kissed My Nose And With Much Struggle, I Managed To Break Free Of The Grip I Was In. My Head Jolted Up, My Angled Eyes Glanced About As I Stared Wide Eyed Upon The Horizon. Was That My Imagination Playing Tricks On Me Again? Or Was It Real This Time? Slowly, I Struggled Onto Shaky Legs, Hoping I Wouldn't Fall For Fear Of Looking Like A Fool To Unseen Eyes. My Short Black And Brown Pelt Rippled As I Took A Step Forward, I Did Not Bother To Shake Off The Snow That Coated Me. Slowly, I Moved About, Scenting The Air For Blood Or Other Signs Of Hostility And I Found None. Swallowing Back The Fear And Hesitation That Settled Within The Confines Of My Stomach, I Traced A Route Into Some Nearby Trees.

It Was There, I Found Something I Never Expected. For Within The Trees And Through The Shield Of Snow, A Woman Much Like My Kind Lied Before Me. She Seemed To Have Found Solace Within A Den, The Scent Of Pregnancy All Around Her. Not Only That, But She Smelled Strange...Maybe She Belonged To A Pack? "I Should Be Wary..." I Would Murmur To Myself. With A Hammering Heart, I Approached Only To Stop A Few Yards From Her. Expectant Mothers Were Usually Extremely Protective Of Their Unborn Brood. My Head Was Lowered In A Slight Show Of Submission, If I Had A Tail It Would Do The Same As Well. Staring At The Black Woman, I Decided To Speak. "H-Hello...My Name Is Camille, Can You Tell Me Where I Am? The Name Of This Land, I Mean?"