Our trek through the woods was painful and plodding, like watching a seedling sprout from the ground. We followed a narrow path winding through the trees, each taunting me with their swaying boughs of evergreen. Strong, standing tall and proud. Unchanging.

Why did things have to change?

But even pines fell eventually, some by the snare of brittle age, while others lost their life before they could live it––shattered in an instant by a single bolt of burning light. My time had come to fall. A mere sapling, I was already broken and rotting along the ground, struck by blinding disaster and torn from my roots.

Each fallen tree paved the way for another; it was a fresh start for a new seed. I hoped this trip would prove that true. All the effort and energy I'd spent so far, I only wanted it to be worthy of a new beginning.

It was hardly just a short walk for a wolf hobbling along on three paws. We were traveling towards the sun's resting grounds, farther into the forest and away from the river. Cloud and Pine used their shoulders to keep me aloft as we walked, until finally, we reached their home. At least, the foot of it.

The trees thinned as we approached a rocky outcrop, and the grass abruptly met stone. An incline rose dauntingly before us, the rugged hillside too steep for any wolf to climb. Thankfully, another trail paved the way: a jagged pathway that cut back on itself sharply and scaled the wall with a series of turns and ledges.

Shrubbery lined the ground around it, peeking out from the darkened soil. Curved thorns formed on the edges of each branch, a sharp reminder that a tumble down the hillside wouldn't be pleasant. Though the distance alone probably wasn't enough to kill me, being impaled by boulders or dry, pointy trees was an even more painful alternative.

Cloud must've noticed the desperation on my muzzle. "We can take a break if you need to."

My legs felt like moss, frail and squishy. Even through the numbness, pain crept up them like a stinging ivy and wrapped around each leg tightly. It didn't pair well with heavy, panting breaths and the newest aches rousing in my sides. They objected to it all, pressing sharp fangs into my flesh as I stretched my bruised and weakened muscles. I definitely needed a break, but we were almost there. I just had to hold on a little while longer.

Filling my lungs with a determined inhale, I shook my head at her question. The faster this was over with, the faster I could rest.

Cloud nodded, and she trudged onward with me in tow. Spruce ran ahead without a word, leaving only floating dust for us to follow. Much slower. Our places shifted as the ground sloped upward, and Pine edged backward. She pressed her shoulder against my rump to keep me from rolling down the hill, while Cloud had double the work in her place at my shoulder, using her head and body to prop me up and help me stay balanced from only one side.

The ascent was uneventful, and eventually we made it to the top. The incline sharply ceased as we left the rocky path, leading to a wide, flat clearing that was nearly level with the needled canopy of pines behind us. Unlike the view from beneath their shaded branches, you could glance up and see each tree's pointed top. On the other side, the sight of stone surrounded me, and a steep mountainside stretched into the hazy light on either side of the plateau.

It formed a vast sort of valley, while this mass of land stretched from a lower wall. The summit wasn't visible from our place on the lowly foothills, but it towered high above us, standing among the clouds. Meanwhile, at its base, a round hollow was formed deep in the rocky surface. Across the clearing where it met the sloping earth, a cave sat within the mountain itself. Jagged, arching stone framed the looming doorway, as wide and tall as several wolves nose-to-tail.

Drawing my eyes back to the center of the clearing, I gazed across the sunlit terrain. The short grass rippled in the cool spring breeze, and the daylight warmed the few places where smooth stone emerged from the earth. There were no wolves anywhere, except for in the middle of it all, where a boulder bigger than the rest rose a few hare's height from the ground. On top of it sat a single wolf, similar to the pups in her midnight color. Their mother. The alpha.

Spruce already stood near the dark-furred wolf. Her pelt was a mix of light and shadow, a pale undercoat peeking through the darkness in wisps of billowing smoke. She lay on her back––that is, until the pup yipped to his mother and she rolled over with a curious glint in her green eyes.

"There he is now," the pup droned, "Cloud's new boyfriend." His muzzle twisted, and he held a mocking thorn on his tongue. "I told her not to bring him here."

With a yawn, the dark wolf pushed up on her paws, revealing a tall and slender frame that looked down at us from her perch. Her snow-capped muzzle was framed by silvered whiskers, and her coal-colored features were unfazed as she cast her eyes over her pack and their newcomer.

Cloud was still glaring at Spruce and his teasing remark when the alpha cleared her throat, then tore her gaze away to look up with a meager smile.

"Well, Cloud," the she-wolf said. "If Spruce has it wrong, who is this?"

Meeting my eyes with a sideways glance, Cloud visibly swallowed the uneasiness in the back of her throat. Her anxiety was reflected tenfold to me, the birds in my belly taking flight as the alpha's eyes shifted to me.

I slipped out a curt huff, an irritated nod to Cloud. Straightening my shoulders and standing just a little taller, I was determined not to let my cowardice show in front of their leader. This was something I needed to do myself, anyway. I dipped my muzzle before I began, a show of respect and submission, and kept my eyes trained on the ground. My nostrils flared and I took a deep breath.

"I woke up in your territory this morning." I spoke each word in a steady rhythm as I exhaled, just like I'd rehearsed on the way here. "I have no memories of my past," I explained, "including how I got here, or why." My tail clung tightly to the inside of my legs, and even as I trained my sight on a single pebble at my paw, I could feel her judging gaze digging its claws into my hide. "Cloud here, she found me and showed me mercy. She said that I might..." My voice flickered out, realizing the absurdity of my request. Why had I trusted Cloud? Why did I believe I could ever––

"Look at me, wolf."

Her callous tone made me jump. I hesitantly lifted my nose to face her, gazing at the rings of sage in her softened eyes. There was no judgment, no glare, only sunlight glinting in the darkened centers, like the first sliver of light in a new moon. A slight squint burrowed in the muscles around them, and they searched my face for something I wasn't quite sure of.

"What's your name?"

Again, I was startled by her words, too busy trying to figure out what kind of wolf lurked behind the calm voice and the curiosity in her muzzle. The lack of emotion in her tone wasn't enough to ground my own feelings of anxiety. "I–I don't remember that either," I stuttered, my gut twisting at the first of many questions I couldn't answer.

A hum emerged from her throat. "I see." Still, the she-wolf held my sight. Not once did her gaze travel, to take in the view of my broken body with scrutiny or bewilderment. It was blank. "And you wish to join our pack?"

Instead of vomiting more words, or perhaps the hare I'd just eaten, I snapped my muzzle shut. I couldn't help but let my eyes fall from her face. I was sure the shame in mine burned brightly, that she could see the hopelessness in my expression, splattered like the left over crimson on my maw. I nodded.

From my peripherals, I saw her return the gesture with a small tilt of her snout. "I don't care about what brought you here," she said promptly. "Only that you're here now."

Nervousness clawed at my lungs, and a moment of silence ensued.

Cloud and Pine stood with tight-lipped and unsure muzzles, still hovering at my sides. I didn't need them while not in motion, but the company was reassuring. At least with them, I felt less exposed. Still, a prickle of worry ran through my fur. Maybe Spruce had already told her of our disagreement, and she was thinking of the best way to kill me. Her pup would take great pride in pouring my blood over their territory, warning other lone and weary wolves of the cruel pack that held these woods.

Then my sight traveled to my foreleg, the bloodied end hanging limply at my chest. It was obvious I could do nothing in return for their pack. I was a useless beggar asking for protection and mercy, and I could see through their alpha's show of indifference. She was furious inside at my ludicrous demands––at Cloud for bringing me here and filling my head with delusions.

I couldn't believe that I'd let my judgment be so weak. I should've just had her help me crawl my way past the border of their territory and leave me alone. Maybe I'd have starved to death, but at least it would be an end of my own doing, and not at the claws of another wolf.

"A few days." Her voice cut through my thoughts. "He can stay a few days."

I opened my eyes, not realizing I had shut them. The dark wolf hopped down from her rock, and she stood in front of me. Her eyes held something softer than the former apathy.

"As you can tell, we're a small pack. It won't be easy taking in another mouth to feed that can't do anything in return."

The ice melted from her tone like frost on a flower. The color grew warmer, the scent sweeter. It felt almost kind. "You can stay here for a few days, but I can't promise any longer, or put the needs of a stranger over my pack." She let her tail fall, no longer talking as my superior. She met my lowered head with her own, merely another wolf. "I hope you understand."

I kept my jaw from falling agape. I really didn't understand. I couldn't fathom why she was letting me stay at all. Their pack was so small. I hadn't realized that their alpha was the only other wolf. Cloud hadn't told me.

"Thank you," I uttered without hesitation. It was a deal worth taking, whether or not it was all I was led to hope for.

"Wait!" Cloud's voice rose from beside me. "He can help, Mist. He's shown us today that he isn't too far off from walking on his own." There was a pitch to her tone that was almost pleading. I wanted to turn my muzzle and nip her nose. She couldn't find her tongue at the beginning, and now she'd only make things worse.

"He can help me with patrols," she continued, "and he'll be able to hunt eventually––"

"That's enough, Cloud." The wolf's tense words cut her off, but they didn't seem upset.

My ears perked at the way they spoke. There was hardly a tremble of reverence in Cloud's tone. There was no one-sided exchange of formalities. She'd even used the alpha's name.

Still, a curl of disappointment struck Cloud's face. She closed her muzzle and nodded.

"It really wasn't right of you to lead this poor wolf on, without even speaking to me first." Again, the alpha stayed calm, didn't growl in a show of dominance and never raised her voice in anger. Yet, Cloud respected it all the same.

A snicker came from beside their leader, Spruce muttering something along the lines of, "I told you so." Mist turned sharply to face him with a stern glare. He, too, sealed his jowls.

"I'm sure you're exhausted," Mist said, once she'd returned her focus to me. "Cloud will lead you to a den, and she'll be responsible for filling you in on the way we do things for the duration of your stay." The wolf gestured with her snout to the cave behind her. "You'll share a den so he won't be alone."

I watched Cloud's muzzle droop as the order was spoken. It ebbed my own tide of hope just a little, but I quickly brushed it away with a tilt of my muzzle, facing the cave instead of her disappointment.

Shelter. Rest. A place away from the bitter chill and rain. My muscles finally loosened their tense and clawing grip. Even if Cloud didn't share the sentiment, I was relieved to have some sort of guidance and companionship while I was here. 

There was enough groping in the dark to do already.