Artist
You take the advice of the healer, watching more closely where you put your feet. You realize you are padding downhill at this point. The lush meadow you left closing around you, massive pine trees with moss-covered rocks dotted across the dimly lit area slow your progress further. Though you find the ground to be easier to walk on with your aching paw. Your pawsteps hardly making a sound with pine needles softening your steps.
The sound of yips and small barks drift from a little ways off. Curious you creep forward, in a circle of trees there are several pups running about, chasing each other and playing tag. They dart back and forth, leaping behind a rather large male who seems to be half dozing in the sunlight.
You suddenly feel his gentle gaze shoot to you, the fur on his spine lifts and you hear a guttural snarl. The pups instinctively dart behind the male, and you hear paws scrap as they dart into a small cave hidden behind the hulking pup sitter.
You lower yourself and tuck your tail. Slowly you back up, the sound of paw steps behind you makes you whirl. A dark-coated female is standing there, the fur on her spine lifted and her eyes narrowed. A gruff voice pipes up behind you, an ever-present snarl in his voice. "Leave. Now." You duck past the female blocking your path and trot briskly away.
