Enough running

How long had she been running? Tears still stung her eyes, washing over her face as she ran. Her hind ankle burned painfully, her injury worsened through intense movement - she didn't know if it would heal if she kept using it like this, but fear had consumed her fragile soul. She'd been running since escaping the midnight-colored brute, with eyes the color of blood. Why did this always happen to her? Was she truly so foolish? So naive? When would she ever learn? Yet, she was making her situation only worse, getting further and further from her homelands, alone. Nobody knew where she was, and only the scent she left behind was that of her season - if she was missed by her packmates, they might follow her, but more likely she would be followed by a greedy male. Just like before.

Then her body hit the water. Silver eyes had spied a mass of land in the distance. That's where she would go. Sea water sprayed over her face, stinging her already wet eyes and making her nose wrinkle up in disgust as it bathed her tongue. With the impact of solid ground no longer paining her leg, she felt renewed energy, and made her way through the water with powerful strokes. She had no idea how much time had passed, but at last she felt her worn paws strike the opposite shore. She'd made it. As she got to her paws and dragged herself out of the water, she took in a deep breath, suddenly feeling her exhaustion. Bright Moon limped to the treeline before collapsing onto her side, panting heavily. Her eyes sought out the environment. So unfamiliar. Where am I? she wondered fretfully, I shouldn't have come so far.

Painfully, she propped herself up on her elbow. She didn't know how long she would stay here, but tired as she was, she knew she wouldn't be going anytime soon. As she caught her breath, she began to realize that the scent of another wolf resided here. Was that even possible? Did somebody actually live here? She forced herself to her paws, lifting her nose to the air. There was a lone male here. Bright sighed to herself. She had nothing left to resist the notion. She dearly wished she was back home in Fiori, and that the spring season had passed. Sighing once more, she decided she would move into the woods for now, but knowing she wouldn't be leaving until she'd recovered and was strong enough to return home.