time takes us all

With each and every passing day, Widow was gaining more and more confidence to leave the den alone and move about the pack lands exploring and getting to know the paths to and from the den and other common places around the pack. She did her best to avoid the other wolves though, especially her siblings. She didn't want anyone tagging along and seeing what she was up to. Though, the prying eyes of an adult were favorable either. They would just tell on her to her mother, as it was their duty. Her siblings she could at least bully into keeping her secrets, but if she had it her way then no one would follow her and she'd get to enjoy a peaceful outing.

She loved the little river that cut through the pack, a stark contrast from the towering volcano. She wasn't even sure what a volcano was exactly, but it's super dry looking surface was definitely the opposite of water. The river was pretty though and with the spring starting to take over, the world was coming back to life. She was excited for that, for it meant the plants would start growing! She couldn't wait to see what would come of the grasses near the river; certainly they'd be full of flowers!

Although winter was over, spring was far from being in it's prime. The last clutches of winter still clung to the air, though most other evidence was gone. She didn't know a world with light in it, so the looming darkness was normal for her. She didn't think there was anything strange about this day, actually. In fact, she felt pretty good and how often was that? Even her trotting pace felt light and airy, especially since the barrel of a girl was anything but. Perhaps it was her good mood, and the fact that she had been left alone was a big plus.

She hadn't spent much time looking at her reflection over the edge of the river, watching as the water rippled the growing gold markings on her face, when she heard a strange sound to her left. It caught her attention quickly and silver eyes spotted a strange, brown weasel looking animal. She tilted her head, peering at it between the tall grass the grew between them. She wondered if the fisher had noticed her yet, but assumed such a small animal would run at the sight of a wolf, even if it was a pup... a very big pup.

The fisher paused and looked around, looking just past her without seeing her somehow. She noticed that out of it's opposite eye, she could see crystals growing, just like mom. She sparked an idea then, wondering if she could borrow this little animal for some testing. She had thrown some crystals and mushrooms at the rocks before, but what about the crystals growing out of a real live animal? Certainly she could find something out by testing on it, too!

The fisher looked away and went back to whatever it was doing at the water's edge. Was it looking at itself in the reflection, too, seeing how strange it looked with crystals coming from it's face? Widow couldn't imagine what it would be like, but like she told Viscera, she wasn't worried about contracting anything. Not from the infected wolves, anyway. She really didn't think much about it, but deducted that a fisher couldn't get her sick if mom couldn't. Made enough sense to her, anyway.

Widow scooted herself over to hide behind the taller grass better and watched the fisher carefully. She'd never hunted before on her own, and anything that she had managed to catch were just rabbits or mice. A fisher was larger than a rabbit, and faster too. Not to mention that it also has teeth and claws at the ready. She was confident though, as she supposed the only remotely good thing about her size was her strength, even if she didn't want to admit it.

Quickly the large girl launched out from grasses and lunged towards the small fisher. Her teeth grabbed the animals rear leg as it tried to flee, her teeth scraping the tender flesh and causing the animal to wail. It managed to slip free, however but Widow wasn't going to let it get away. It scrambled to the water but Widow was faster, grabbing it firmly by it's tail and yanking it backwards. She put a massive paw on the back of it's neck to pin it down while she studied the crystals coming from its eye. She hadn't even noticed that the fisher went from struggling, to barely moving, to not at all. The cries of the animal got faint too, but she was too focused on trying to study the crystals that she didn't even see the life leaving the small body beneath her paw as she effectively suffocated it. It wasn't until moments later when she went to carefully move the animal that she found its body limp. Well, her test subject wouldn't be alive, but at least it had the same affliction as mom.

857

"Speech!"

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