I don't care

Kichi’s world had turned upside down a second time.  A bitter part of him wondered why Lurid had even bothered saving him when his parents died.  Lurid and Al were gone.  Al was alive as far as Kichi knew, but the grey and white wolf couldn’t find him and the young wolf had looked!

The long winter seemed to fit with the icy cold in the Kichi's heart.  Perhaps those who got too close to him were cursed to die?  Death certainly seemed to be the young man’s companion.  Kichi was a year old now but had felt more the proud adult when only half-grown.  Long ago he had learned the best way to avoid fear was through hate.  Kichi hated and rejected the world.  Everything that breathed was hated, everything of beauty was a mockery to his bleeding heart.

The only one still with him now was the pet he’d picked up when still small.  The Chinese water deer was fully dependent on him at this moment.  The creature had a hard time in areas of deep snow and Kichi had decided to leave the harsh colder north and moved south looking for a spot that would be easier for Torch to graze.  Eventually, they had taken up temporary residence in the soulless forest.  The thicker foliage up top helped stop the majority of the snow, making it all the way to the forest floor. Kichi had preferred a more open landscape than this forest gave but as the world gave him little interest he might as well let Torch have his way.  Something was bound to kill the little deer also eventually.  Nothing with him got to live too long.

Kichi had grown leaner over the spring.  His heart wasn’t in the spirit of the hunt and with only half interest the young wolf lost more prey than he caught.  Did it matter?  The grey wolf with his white markings lay on the dank ground.  He’d taken a bit of time to clean the ground around him, a small circle where no sticks or sharp roots would stick out.  There was no other life in sight but he could hear the sound of rodents in the underbrush and a few birds were having a discussion in the trees.