Alone Together

Cold. It was all he could feel, all he could think about as he tried to press himself into the warmth of his brothers and sisters. Inside the den, there were noises of sleep and dreams, but Tythe found it hard to wander off into slumber. He didn't know why. Maybe he'd never know.

After a few more unsuccessful attempts, the boy sniffled and uncurled from the sleeping bodies. He wanted to whisper out to mom, to dad, even, but neither of them were in sight. His ears fell and he took a few wobbly, uncertain steps until he was peeking out from the den.

Tythe wasn't one to go out by himself, but he didn't want to wake up his siblings. And besides, he wasn't alone. There was another pup, out a ways down near a wintry tree, his coat a stunning mix of hues. Tythe blinked, curious now, and sniffed the air. "Stranger..." he whispered to himself, remembering what his mother had taught him about strangers. You couldn't trust them. You couldn't trust anyone.

But this was a pup? Surely he was safe. Besides, Tythe was bored and he wanted to play. Swallowing, he slowly started towards the other pup, his bashful nature keeping him behind bushes and trees until he was close enough. There, he would crouch behind a tree, peeking out and watching the other boy.