Forever Young

The sun had just about began to rise as the leaves shook from their holdings from a light breeze and eventually floated to the ground like feathers plucked from a bird. Not a sound was heard except for the breeze occasionally whispering through the trees and a small snoring sound from under a fallen log. While the river in the distance added to the ambiance, the snoring certainly broke it annoyingly. Under the fallen tree, a small camouflaged body rested soundly. It was a small wolf pup no older than two months. Her small paws were sore and stiff from all the walking she had been doing for ages to get here just to sleep. She almost couldn't remember why she traveled alone now, but in her rebellious mind she was better off for it. It wasn't as if she wasn't happy with her old home. Geneva simply didn't like the rules and control it had in her education. Especially since she was a foster pup anyhow.

Thoughts traveled backwards to her siblings and foster parents back home many miles away. Though there were bad times there were also good times too. She enjoyed the play times and laughs she had with her siblings. While they were few and far between each moment was greatly appreciated. Most of her so called training consisted of constant beatings to control her behavior. It was meant to make her an emotionless machine for whatever they needed. While the pack was good natured with those that were fully trained and dominated, during battles and great sieges they were to be feared. They saw something in Geneva so they were that much more strict in her training. Never would they guessed that she would run and if they found her they would most certainly kill her. It was her prerogative to never go back even if her life depended on it.

During her run she had seen some scary places and some more pleasant ones. The more pleasant ones were always too close to her old home and she couldn't stay long. Worry and fear began to set in the further away from home she went. At first, she was tempted to go back and take a very strict punishment and be sore for the next month. However, as she thought of her punishment it only gave her more reason not to go back in the first place. Eventually, she wound up simply wandering to wherever her feet took her and didn't stop until she collapsed. That was how she found herself in the fallen log.

As the sun continued to rise and the air began to warm up, Geneva slowly started to wake. Geneva could tell she had over did it with the walking when her stiff muscles screamed at her more while she stretched. Her body ached and throbbed as she lied there in the soft dirt next to a small patch of ferns. The river was in the distance quite a ways away and just the very sound of it made her thirsty. As she licked her dry lips, she let out another yawn. Even with her tired feet Geneva knew she had to find something close by to drink regardless of her paws being bruised or not. As she stood up, she winced as she took a few steps forward as each paw throbbed its screaming fury. At least it wasn't raining. Though if it were by now she would be holding her mouth open to collect water.

As she left her protected log home, Geneva tried to forget the pain in her feet and body. It had been a while since she saw another wolf and she wondered if she would ever see one again. She had smelled them coming through here, but it was so faint it was hard to tell how recent it was. As she walked her mind traveled backwards in time again. Her memories triggered anxiety of all sorts and occasional tear sheds and whimpers from time to time. She had never known a life outside of such strict regimes where puppies could be themselves and play all day to practice life skills they would need for later. Instead she only knew of routine, schedules, fighting until you couldn't anymore and simply giving your all to the very last. For once in her life, she just wanted to have fun and take things at her own pace. Now that she was here Geneva felt that her outlook wouldn't be so bad.

Deciding that it was all in the past as her puppy brain was tired, Geneva began to look at her surroundings again with interest and taking in the new growth from what seemed to be damage from a wildfire. While there were tall charred and twisted forms of what used to be trees, new saplings and ferns were growing wildly and the landscape was a sea of green. Geneva smiled at this as it was a pleasant sight compared to her old desert like home. Plus it wasn't as hot here. Perhaps maybe there was more life than just plants too.

WC: 851