this misery will suffice

One season older, and with it brought ample confidence for the petite she-wolf. She was courageous in her travels, eager to explore new places, and to fill her noggin with as much knowledge as possible. Rarely ever was she seen without her companion, Sinclair, who was a firm presence in her life. Today, however, it appeared she was alone, coming up over a rise, and then descending the grassy knoll, towards the sandy dunes ahead.

She would have preferred to have company, of course, but she wanted to surprise her very best friend with finally being able to catch something on her own. That meant that she would have to practice. And if she was going to surprise anyone, she couldn't be seen hunting! All morning, she had tried to catch mice on her own, and after a couple of rather successful attempts, she was feeling confident enough to move onto something bigger. Maybe now she would be able to hunt a rat, or even a rabbit! She wasn't sure where to find them exactly - the field she spent most her time in was usually full of mice and not much else - but she knew that with a bit of searching, something new would turn up.

She thought that perhaps the somewhat dusty and grassy terrain of what was unknowingly dubbed the "Travelers' Pitfall" looked rather opportunistic. That thought was swiftly laid to rest when all of a sudden, her paw slid out from her, and she found herself sliding the rest of the way down, down, down a slippery slope that ended in a sandy base. Startled, she tried to regain her footing, but found that she succeeded to do little more than pull herself deeper.

A sense of panic began to well within her as she started to scramble, whining softly, in an attempt to free herself from the precarious situation, lest she become trapped in the quicksand at the bottom.