what lies in the "great beyond"

Curious as curious could be, the young pup found herself wandering away from her family's reunion. The multitude of scents and sights had dragged her away with a snuffling nose and turning ears. How could anyone stay in one spot for so long was beyond her! Bramble was bursting at the seams with energy as she wound her way through the garden paths. Sniffing at all the different plants, stopped to touch the different textures of leaves, she hadn't realized how far she had gotten until a wrought iron gate came into her view toward the right.

Stopping in her tracks, she looked toward the gate. From beyond, she could see the browned grasses of the plains that had accepted the changing seasons. Approaching the gate that currently felt locked when she pushed on it, the pup sat down heavily on her haunches. Letting her paws shift her weight back and forth as she contemplated trying to squeeze herself through the iron posts, she continued to look out into the beyond. So far, her parents had told them not to wander from the castle without anyone accompanying them. And when she looked around, unfortunately, no one yet had come to her rescue.

With a furrowed brow, she let out a huff of frustration. She wanted to know what was out there!

Bramble Carpathius