Early morning hit one day, we all slowly slipped out of sleep's claws. The first thing we noticed was mothers disappearance. Her hollow empty and the sounds of our stomachs rumbling. Caribou had started to chew on Shrew's ear, perhaps thinking he could eat Shrew.
Our sisters sat off to the side repeating one of mother's stories.
“And the wolf star shines on us all!” Shrew chimed in.
Whilst they played I got closer and closer to the do not pass line
. One paw stepped over the line, two paws stepped over the line, three paws and I could smell the world around.
Smells all so new to me. Shrew shivers at the dare I take as I inch farther over the line.
“Do not pass!”
I crouch and freeze at the new voice I hear
. I sniff and freeze, this smell is not mother.
I sniff, wag, freeze.
I’ve smelt him on mother’s fur before, he is kin.
I creep out to him “Do not pass!” Shrew has hidden away already but I can’t keep the wag out my tail. It swished up and around the den entrance raining dirt down.
“Hush!”
I push my nose to the ground. I do not mean to bow. His voice pulls me down.
“Listen,” he says, not so harshly.
My ear perk listening to the wind brings sounds. Crack, pop, whoosh, then howl, Hooooooowl! My fur stands on end and my tail races. Everything in me screams to howl back but the pupwatcher sees,
“Hush,” He says, “Hush!”
I sit on my wag and wait listening to the sounds of the wind. Pupwatcher waits too, he paces slowly as a gray shadow creeps out from the trees. I listen more as the heartbeatting thud becomes louder. Like paws running closer and closer still. I smell them now, it’s mother and kin. EVeryone now crowds me giving yips of glee, hunger, fear. Then there, mother breaks out over the ridge with the pack. Running with pride. Mother! She is silver-gray with black ear tips and tail, black tail tip too. Her kin press against her shoulders bowing in glee whilst singing her name.
“Come,” She says.
I am all wag.
“Outside?” I want to be sure.
“Come,” She says, “Come out.”
I dive out but Caribou shoulders me to the side. Growl steps on my hind leg. I roll her off and we race out the den kicking up dirt into Sierra and Shrew’s face. I yip in glee bouncing up and down in freedom. This outside has no walls to hit against, no roof to knock against, and more room than I will ever need! Our kin nose us all from head to tail. I breathe in each one of their smells, black furred Sparrow, the hunter, and pupwatcher howl, who walks with a limp. I cannot contain the wag in my tail. It zips back and forth crashing threw the wind. I taste the earth of my home taking in everything about it. Then I notice father, standing above all. He has a gray face, black ears, and tall, tall, tall. I should share scents but he stands silent and tall. Caribou beats me to it racing to father. He has a strong pace but the closer he gets to father the more he slows crouching down. Father gives him two sniffs then a low growl and nudges him away. Caribou turns towards us snarling with anger a growl in his throat warning us he will be the one to share scents with father, not us. Shrew cry’s a bit. Sierra has a flicker of hope in her eyes that dies down, but growl takes the opportunity and wrestles Caribou to the ground, winning after two losses. I sneak past them making my way to father, tail high, chin held up. But the closer I get my tail drops like stone, my head lowering at the ground. Up close I notice his gold chest and silver shoulders, red runs down his chin.
“Son,” He growls to me, “Mine.”
I sit on my wag, but it does not stop. I take in his smell longer and longer till it holds a place in my memory beside mother. I know I will do anything for him. I jump and spin, hoping he will like it. I yip and wag.
“Father! Mine!”
I cannot stop smelling the red that drips down his chin. It makes me angry again like the smell of mothers milk. But this smell is richer and more alluring. I jump up, nosing his chin and licking his mouth. He leans down towards me, his mouth open. A red, runny lump falls from his mouth. It steams, it has a smell so great. I nose it and rub all over it. I look at the others to see them doing the same. I watch them start to eat the lumps that mother and Sparrow give them. Before I know it I lick and lick at the red lump. Nibble nibble, then chomp, gobble gobble, gulp. Mmmm! I eat and eat till I am dizzy from full. I get more dizzy and dizzy till I lie down in father’s shadow. Father nudges me to his feet once he lies down. Sleep curls around me as father starts a story,
“Elk,” He says, “Life of the pack.”
Winter 
Day 
Blizzard
