THEWICKED

THE WICKED...

Your paws blister over the repetitive branches and each new stick just barely slices open the thick padding of your feet. As you huff and puff over a days worth of walking, you grow more and more dehydrated. Lifting your snout to the wind… the same breeze carries all but nothing. You smell tree bark, dirt, earth, all that require water to be sustained yet you grow increasingly aggravated for not locating its source. As you continue to peddle on by; lost and exhausted, a new breeze carries a familiar aroma… Your maw stiffens as your nostrils grow large with air, letting it travel all behind your skull; filling your stomach with relief. Although conscious, your paws begin to increase pace as if they're not yours. No longer shuffling through the endless brush and woods… you raise speed and trot; following this new smell. Your exhales become rushed while your inhales become dramatic and thick. The sun peers through more leaves than before letting light show the uneven terrain you've spent all day walking. You take a glimpse at this strange place you've found yourself at, analyzing the surroundings and noticing the dense tree lines and godlike mountains.
But you push on, and, almost too stunned at beauty of Mother Nature that you merely don't detect that you've grown closer to that familiar scent…water. Your feet began to feel more alien as you almost run for joy when the smell of fresh water hits your pallet. But, upon growing closer, the tree lines disappear… your eyes behold to you miles and miles of empty land, encompassed by stretches of beautiful gray waters. A smile, or an expression of pure relief almost crosses your face before being startled by another presence. A wolf… how did you not smell it?… How did you not grow weary of another pack whilst lost? All struck your mind as you stood there in an assertive manner. " Drop your guard. " you hear loudly spoken to you. You almost want to bare fangs but your lips are stuck to your jaws due to lack of moisture. " I said drop it. " you hear said once more but in a softer tone, still assertive. You reach eyes, their features blur as they face the opposite way of the sun, shrouding them in shadows. " I do not patrol, but my scouts had warned me of a lone wolf. Not wanting trouble I came out to see what this was about, and it's rather proving redundant. My scouts have you surrounded, we will escort you to the inner territory. " Nauseously you've made it to the dens, " I'm Larkspur, Alpha of The Wicked, you've been found treading on territory that does not belong to you. I do not have time to deal with nonsense, I shall have Aster retrieve and assess you and you shall leave. Any problems and I have no issues disposing of you, myself." Larkspurs hackles gently raised before walking off. Aster eventually had evaluated you and gave you some water and small prey. Small talk is achieved and warnings are heard but once you're able to regain full consciousness you begin your hike back. Not minutes into your journey home, you peer backwards on the camp and lock eyes with distant white orbs…this isn't long before you break gaze and continue on, thankful you were not killed by a pack of territorial wolves but rather saved by luck and dehydration.