Forest Fires

She had kept the old man's corpse into the den he had once occupied and Pari was huddled at the mouth of the den. Her eyes scanned the horizon frantically, a whine pulling from her lips, everything about the woman spoke to her unease. Pari had considered maybe leaving the island several times over the past week, but she was incapable of really making that choice, paralyzed by her lack of orders.

The woman hadn't eaten in some time either, she hadn't had the will to feed herself since the old man passed and her usually slight frame was veering dangerously towards unhealthy. Not that she cared much, Pari's sense of self worth had always been underdeveloped, tied directly to how well she had served her masters. And now? Well if she didn't have a master didn't that mean she was actually totally worthless?

So many things she didn't know how to deal with had bombarded her mercilessly, should she move him? Should she try and leave the island? Should she try and find a new master? How could she make these decisions when she had spent her whole life letting others think for her?

Another, louder whine pulled from her throat and she rested her head on her paws.

"Speak only when spoken too",  Think only of the pack