A few days passed and no-one followed me.

My ears perked at the birds chirping overhead, making me lift my muzzle to watch them bicker over some red berries. I huffed but felt too lazy to chase after them, especially in the heat of this afternoon.

Soon enough the sun would settle down and cast shadows over the forest and then I'd be able to move further up this hillside. The rocky sloped ahead loomed over my head and held a promise of cool air and a clear view.

The forest down here however, promised fresh deer, easy accessible dens and small lakes to swim in. My tail wagged slightly at the memory of yesterday, when I had found the rather deep lake and had spent most of the day just frolicking in the water.

Panting slightly, I stood up and made my way back to the lake. No use in panting myself to death if I could cool down in the fresh water of the lake. My nose picked up the scent and instantly my paws started speeding up until with a few leaping strides, I was throat deep in the water.

Heaven.... Sweet, cooling, refreshing heaven.

The forest resounded with splashing and a few excited yips as I tried to pounce on the pesky fish down below. They were taunting me! Daring me to try and catch them, tugging at my fur, only to slip away into the depths, I swear they did it on purpose!

Finally I've had enough and trudged to the edge, not caring for the sliding of cool scales against my fur. Stupid fish can stay in the lake... didn't want to catch it anyways... A slight huff in my mind made me growl, knowing that it was laughing with me.

"Stop your sulking... there's always another day to try and catch fish."

I wasn't sulking...

Another huffed chuckle made me curl my lip before I shook myself out, hearing the water splash against the grass and leaves. My ears perked at the slight pattering of a mouse nearby as it scurried for cover. I had cooled down enough to start traveling ahead, though I'd sure gonna miss that lake...

Surely I'll find another place to swim soon.

With that set in mind, I quickly dashed off into the forest, keeping my senses on high alert. Even after knowing my previous owner had no way of finding me, I was still on edge.

Not enough to constantly look over my shoulder but it was close. I did stop at times to sniff the air, pausing to make sure nothing was following me. The only thing that seemed to be following me was a bold jay, looking down at me before it ruffled its feathers and flew off.

By the time the sun was sinking and the moon was a vague promise of sleep, barely peeking over the edge of the world, I was exhausted. And starving. Even with being used to not getting fed for weeks or even months, I was desperate for some food.

The last I ate was a few slivers of cut beef a few weeks ago. Somewhere in the master's twisted reasoning, he thought that I'd heel when he starved me on a regular base. Like a hawk that would only fly back because it knew it master provided food.

As if. He could starve me for years, or feed me every day, I would've found a way to escape sooner rather than later. But that was in the past, now I needed to find some food, and soon.

Lowering my muzzle, I sniffed at the earth, trying to detect something edible. There were several scents mixed with the dirt... rabbit, mice...some birds... I followed the one that smelled relatively fresh, hoping to find its owner soon.

It took a while but as I wandered through the forest, I could smell the deer up ahead. It was a small herd, mostly bucks but there was a scent on them that seemed off. Taking a deep inhale as I sniffed at the hoof prints, one pair stood out.

Three deep hoof prints and one barely imprinted... The scent on that last print seemed a lot warmer, sweeter almost. As if I could scent the bone through the flesh. And above all, the scent of the animal was cloaked with the bitter smell of pain.

Must be some kind of illness.

I was lucky to have found the herd, especially one with a sick animal. If these were all healthy animals, I'd doubt I'd be able to catch one, let alone keep up. Now, I had a chance.

My shoulders dipped as my whole posture tensed, head lowering below my shoulders. The deer were drinking, taking deep gulps of the fresh water as I slowly crept closer, trying to find the one who had the bittersweet scent.

A jerky movement caught my eye, locking onto a small buck that limped every other step, hopping on his left hoof to avoid pressure on the right. But still, even with this disability, instinct told me that all the deer needed was a swift kick to bring me a world of pain.

Or possible death.

I shook out my fur and eyed my prey warily. It was a big meal but the bigger the prey, the harsher the risks. If I'd hunt a rabbit, all it would manage to do beside squealing and clawing at my fur, would be a kick that hardly hurt or a painful but shallow bite before I'd snap its neck.

But a deer... it could break bones with a well-aimed kick and if they were any bigger with large antlers, I'd risk getting gored. Still, prey was prey.

Already I could feel my stomach clench, saliva pooling in my mouth before I swallowed heavily. I'd have a fresh kill to feast on soon enough.

My haunches priced up and I was just about ready to vault forwards and chase the deer, when they suddenly spooked and ran off. A loud yowl followed by a pained cry of the buck made me perk up, feeling my heart race in my throat.

Pushing through the bushes, my eyes landed on the large mountain lion busy throttling the deer as it kicked violently. The feline eyed me venomously, curling its nose in a warning as I stayed put.

Instinctively my paws took a few steps back, ears pinned to the back. "No way am I getting any closer than this..." My eyes darted to the sides before making a quick escape, leaving the cat to feast on its prey.

Rather the deer than me...

The presence of the big cat worried me. If I'd have a pack, there was a chance we'd chase it away from the prey simply by outnumbering it. But a one on one fight would easily end in my death and I wasn't planning on dying any time soon.

"If only I was bigger and had more muscles, I could've tried to scare it off..." But no, not even then. Wolves might be the apex predators compared to cougars, if only they were accompanied by their packs. A lone wolf was easy prey for this cat; all it would take was one bite to the back of the skull with those sharp canines.

The loud yowl behind me was enough to dash away, making the inner wolf in me snort and chortle in amusement. "You were saying?" It seemed to convey its obvious mirth and I scowled, grumbling in annoyance as my stomach decided to grumble along with me.

It was enough for me to run through the forest until I found the trail leading to a rabbit's den and managed to claw the inhabitant out. A swift bite ended its life painlessly as I carried the critter away from the cat.

It's not much but... better than nothing.

Barely a few minutes passed before I was hidden in the cradle of a few large boulders, allowing me to enjoy my meal in relative peace. By the time I was full and splayed out on my side with a bulging stomach, there was barely anything left from my prey.

Licking the blood off my paws, I whined and flinched when my throat throbbed painfully. I did have to dig the animal out and now I was caked in dirt, grime and blood. My throat was still very sensitive , sore and itchy too.

But every time I tried to scratch at it, it seemed as if my claws caught onto matted fur, yanking painfully at the wound and deterring me from trying to scratch it again. All I could do for some relief was to soak into a puddle of water. But since I moved away from the lake, that wasn't an option now.

It burns....

A plaintive whimper slipped from my muzzle as I tried to scratch at my throat, paw hesitating a few times mid-air before I tried anyways. The first few scratches helped against the itching but then I yelped in pain as my claws grazed over the wound.

I sniffed at my paw and snorted, shaking my head to clear it from the fowl scent that clung to my nostrils. What was that scent? I had smelled it on the deer too...was I growing sick?

Deciding to leave my throat alone, I pushed myself back out and gently shook my fur out, getting most of the grime off. It would have to do until I found another place to bathe. But still, my throat kept throbbing dully, as if reminding me of the wound left behind by my last master.

Not trusting humans, ever again.

The inner voice agreed with a silent snarl, making my hackles rise slightly before I started loping towards the North. I paused, scenting the air and dropping low as I smelled wolves.

Several wolves.

I quickly dropped down, ear pricked for any sound, not wanting to get too close but still... I wanted to know if they'd be friendly... Maybe... I could join a pack? My paws were silent as I crept through the woods, avoiding the loose rocks and dried leaves.

With instincts screaming loudly, I dropped myself on the floor and slowly crept ahead. It's a good thing that I wasn't able to wash myself in any stream since the mud was doing a good job of hiding my scent.

Slowly climbing on the hill, I stood on the edge, peering down at the forest in an attempt to spot the wolves. There was a small flick of grey between the leaves, a tail disappearing before several wolves stopped in the clearing up ahead.

They were massive!

My head tilted slightly, curious as I spotted a few smaller forms darting between their legs, yipping softly.

Pups.

I wanted to yip and dart forwards, throwing myself on the floor to play with these little fuzz balls. One of the pups was seemingly guarded by the large wolf standing over it, flashing its teeth at anyone getting too close.

Unconsciously, I had already taken a few steps down the hill, eager to interact with my own species and hopefully find a family, but I stumbled to a halt. Fear and shock coursed through my body as I watched these massive wolves turn to humans, one by one.

Staggering back, I couldn't wrap my mind around what just happened. Wolves don't change to humans! We fled from humans! Right?!

When one of the humans snarled and shifted back before running of in the woods, I froze when I heard the loud yelps of a wolf and the heavy snarls accompanied. They're attacking other wolves?! I could even hear the distant whimpering of a young pup while the rest of the pack charged after the big male.

Without a second guess, I turned and ran, my tail tucked firmly against my stomach. I had no idea where I was going in these lands, nor did I care. Anywhere was better than here!