Shadow

As the moon settled above the peaceful lake, a distant howl echoes through the forest and another howl is echoed back. A flash of grey darts through the forest, the moonlight shines down on the small male wolf, his paws beat against the hard ground below as he ran. His heart racing, ears back and almost out of breath. Shadow didn't want to look back, hearing the howls of the other wolves, he didn't want them to catch up with him. Now he felt stupid for trying to sneak on their territory, Shadow couldn't help it though he was so hungry and hadn't eaten in a few days. He was hopeful he'd be able to steal some food but sadly he failed. He felt as if he had been running for hours, he decided to slow down a little as the howl of the other wolves seemed to have stopped. As he began to slow down his legs started to shake, he didn't realize how tired he was, it took him a few breaths and he flopped to the ground. The growling of his stomach grew louder and louder. Shadow softly whimpers, not sure on what to do. He took a deep breath before slowly standing again, he slowly made his way forward. Shadow found himself in deep thought, he honestly wished he was still with his pack but sadly they were separated by the massive brush fire that happened a few months back. He could still remember it as if it had only happened yesterday. He was out on a hunting patrol with a few other pack mates, he remembered coming to the shallow river before seeing the black smoke emerge from the pine trees. At first he was unsure of what it was because he had never seen fire before but then smelling the horrid smoke and seeing the other animals fleeing it gave him instinct to run. Shadow tried to stay with the hunters he left with that early afternoon but in the panic of the fire they went in a different direction. Shadow ended up being cutting off from the others as a burning tree fell in front of him. It was pretty terrifying and he must have travelled for miles before stopping. Luckily for him and the forest it began to rain which killed the fire but Shadow couldn't find his way back home. He wasn't sure if his pack were looking for him or even if they were still alive.

Shadow has been out here for a good few months now, he managed to survive, eating whatever he could find and moving from cave to cave. He has been doing well for himself but as of recent he has been struggling, without a pack it was hard to bring down big prey and catching rabbits was harder. The rabbits were good source of food but they were very quick and sneaky. It wouldn't stop Shadow though, he was a fighter and he would keep on going no matter what. He was hopeful he may find his pack again one day but being alone wasn't all bad, for one he had no alphas bossing him around and he was free to do what he wanted. Yes, it was hard to hunt since he was alone but still, at least he was still alive. Shadow soon came to another empty Cave, it had a nice view of the river below and it definitely felt peaceful. He decided to stay here for the night, but with the feeling of hunger he felt the need to hunt. He couldn't go sleep on an empty stomach, he made his way down toward the river and found some fish trying to swim against the strong current. He then had an idea, wagging his tail and looking around he saw a few large rocks. He carefully pushed them into the water which blocked the fishes path, it was now a waiting game for them to try and jump over the rocks. It didn't take long before the fish started to jump from the water, Shadow was quick to snap his jaws and surprisingly catched one. He made his way over to the grassy bank before eating his meal, fish wasn't a big filling meal but it would do for him. He would probably catch a few more, bring them to his new found den and eat them. He needed his energy, Shadow was on a mission to find his original home and hopefully his pack. This life was good but he missed his family, the lonely times were good for awhile but he missed the warmth he would get when cuddling his pack mates at night or actually going out and hunting with the hunting team. He felt as if he was going crazy not being able to talk to anyone. Shadow sighed softly, he made his way back onto the rocks and tried to catch a few more fish. They were pretty quick but Shadow stayed determined, he caught another one and decided to head back to the den he had found.

He layed down by the entrance watching the moonlight as it shined brightly, the night sky was clear and peaceful. He smiled to himself, now feeling relaxed and started to eat the other fish he had caught. Shadow started to wonder what his pack were up too, he was worried they might have left. He couldn't imagine there would be much left of their home as the fire did spread pretty quickly. He wanted to know what caused the fire, a few days before it happened he had heard that strange new creatures were exploring the forest. He had never seen them but apparently others had, it was clear that they weren't to be trusted or were unsafe to get close too. Shadow didn't take much notice or interest in the matter, the alphas seemed on edge though and were thinking of moving the pack. Shadow was certain that the pack would no longer be at their original home now, not with the fact if the fire and if the new creatures were still around then they would have definitely moved. Shadow shakes the thoughts from his head, he honestly worried to much but he was uncertain of what he would do if he couldn't find them. He couldn't go looking for a new pack, some wolves likely wouldn't accept him, if he knew one thing it was to not enter another packs territory. He had learned that lesson today the hard way. He would understand why a lot of wolves would be untrusty towards him though. If Shadow was an alpha he probably wouldn't trust most wolves, they had a different story then him and he wouldn't know if he could trust them. A lot of wolves were territorial and often they would try to over throw the original alphas. Shadow had witnessed that a few times with his alphas, they stood strong though and Shadow always protected his alphas. Shadow may be a little weak now but he was actually very fierce, he wouldn't back down from a fight unless told so by his alphas. He would stand for what is right, he was a very bold character and easygoing. Shadow smiled at the thought of his pack, they honestly did act as if a large family unit, working together to make sure they all survived. Their motto was "No body gets left behind." Funny enough, now Shadow was alone but he didn't blame his pack for that. He knew they wouldn't be able to control that fire even if they wanted too. Shadow was doing fine, and he was looking forward to being able to tell them of what he has been through. Shadow yawns softly, now feeling tired and ready to gain some energy back. Today was rough, well the whole past few months had been rough for him but tomorrow was a new day and with a new day brought new possibilities. Shadow flicks his ears forward, curling his tail around himself and getting confused. A soft breeze brushed through his grey fur and the forest had fallen silent. A few grasshoppers chirped in the grass, fireflies light up the open field and Shadow smiled at the beautiful sight in front of him. He lays his head on his paws, he couldn't help but watched as the fireflies danced across the field and it made him almost want to dance with them. Shadow took a deep breath, enjoying the peace and quiet. He hoped tomorrow would be slightly better, he was ready for whatever the day would throw at him and nothing was going to stop him from reaching home. If Shadow was one thing for sure it was loyal to his pack, even if it took him a few more months he would keep on going because to him family was everything. Shadow smiled softly to himself "No matter what" he whispers to himself before drifting to sleep.