What Doesn’t Kill You

Cold wind from the northeast battered her fur and stung her wet nose. Winter had its icy talons wrapped tightly around the Valta territory. The snow-covered terrain did little to hide the earthen-colored female who trudged through it all alone. Varushka ignored the numbness in her cold black paw pads as she stubbornly trekked on. Having decided that morning to take up a bit of patrolling along some of the further reaches of Valta’s territory it wasn’t long before the young female had wandered all the way to the rapids. She stood at the edge of one of the fast flowing rivers, peering across to what she assumed was even more of the massive territory.

Being a part of the pack for such a short time, Varu still felt the newness of this place as she ventured on. She would eventually get to know every bush, tree, rock, and gully but for now they were still strangers. But they weren’t the only ones, Varushka still slept in a den with a stranger. She found it hard to talk to him, when he spoke his eyes seemed to say something different. Those golden eyes of his, would she ever feel at home in them like she hoped to feel in these lands? Varushka looked up at the pale afternoon sky, clouded and overcast much like how she felt inside. Sometimes at night, she’d lie awake and stare at the silver moon. The way it lit up the inside of the den lined with soft bear furs, and Khranbari curled up in his own little pile. His monochromatic fur seemed to blend right in on those nights, and she’d watch the rise and fall of his sides as he slumbered. Every once in a while he would wince in his sleep, or whimper ever so quietly. She could tell something bothered him, and he did mention he had somewhat of a traumatic puphood. So she wondered if he sometimes had nightmares of his past haunting him even after all this time. She guessed even the strongest of stones eventually begin to crack and erode. What she could do to help him though, she wasn’t sure.

A loud scratching sound broke her train of thought, she could just barely hear it over the sound of the rushing water. The earthen female sniffed the air, ears swiveling to locate its possible origins. ”It couldn’t be a bear, they’re hibernating right now. Maybe a packmate then, or worse, an intruder?” her mind felt like it was racing and she shook her head in hopes to clear it. The only scent she could make out over the water vapor coming off the rapids was woody nutty forrest smell, and somewhat faded Valta markers. Then she heard it again. It was definitely a scratching sound and maybe a bit of ripping, almost certainly on the crumbly bark of an old dead tree trunk. What would be doing such a thing right now? There was still a possibility of another wolf but one other option seemed to be a little bit more enticing to her, an Elk or other prey animal eating bark for sustenance in the harsh grass-lacking winter. Regardless, Varushka knew it was her job to investigate as part of her contribution to the pack. Yet, she was unsure of how well she could handle such a task on her own, she at least knew the way back and was pretty quick on her paws. Hopefully she would see it before it noticed her, that way she could sneak off and find backup if it was too much to handle alone.

She need not cross the treacherous waters just yet, after a moment more of listening she decided to wander up stream on the same side of the rivers she was currently on. It would make the most sense that if she could hear it from where she was, that it was unlikely to be across the tangle of flowing water from her. The medium sized female padded quietly along the raised bank, the rapid water rushing endlessly on along side her. She hadn’t heard it again but still continued onward to make sure it was nothing dangerous at least.

"Speech"