Distance | M | Pup | M: Moth (mentioned in dream)
He was running.
He wasn't running from anything, nor was he running after anything. He... just loved the strange feeling of it. Maybe, if he decided not to be a fighter, he could be a hunter. He was fast enough for that, too, but the thrill of fighting enticed him more.
He brushed away his thoughts as he pranced through the forest. There was nothing to be afraid of here. No predators could catch him if he ran fast enough, and there weren't going to be any blizzards in a warm season like this. Not even his parents could chase him down - who else could?
Okay, well, maybe someone as fast as Moth could, but that didn't matter.
He kept running, partly aware of the scent of all of the other juveniles that were accompanying him. He'd have to thank them later. Tonight's adventure was thrilling to him, and he was more than grateful that they'd taken the time to persuade him not to be afraid - that as long as he ran fast and didn't stop, nothing could put him in danger.
He'd be fine, he told himself as he kept running. The wind rustling against his pelt and whistling in his ears reassured him, and the familiar feeling of firm but gentle dirt beneath his paws only pushed him forwards. He didn't seem to be out of breath at all, and exhaustion didn't mean anything to him - it never had to begin with.
Then, he noticed that the smell of the other juveniles who'd brought him on the rebellious adventure were... fading away. He halted, sniffing the air, but their scents disappeared into the cool breeze. He couldn't locate them.
Drat. Whatever. As long as he ran fast enough, nothing could put him in danger -
There was the smell of something sharp and metallic.
He startled. What was that smell? It seemed to be drifting from a... a clearing? No - there was another sound.
He perked his ears. There was a trickling sound - distant, but it was there alright. He wandered towards it instinctively, although his nose screamed for him to turn back as the metallic smell increased drastically.
The river opened up to him, silky water carving through the forest in the embrace of the moonlight. Suddenly thirsty, he eagerly leaned forward and took a huge gulp of water, but... something tasted off.
Then he turned around and saw - he saw - he saw......
Distance woke up with a start.
The dream always ended there. It always ended there, no matter what he tried to do to make it progress. There was just that empty section in his mind, a void yet to be filled by the dream. He was curious, and he wanted to know what the dream was hiding from him, but... he was scared. What secret was he keeping from himself?
Distance blinked away the exhaustion from his eyes, and instantly the sunlight blinded him. Sunlight. How strange. The warmth of spring seemed to remind him of the reassuring wind in the dream, something he wished to feel again, yet he was also afraid of it.
Distance yawned and paced out into the clearing. Nevermind the dream. His throat was screaming with thirst, and he decided to fulfill its wishes. Instead of drinking from the nearest river bend, which was closest to the nursery, Distance chose to drink by the waterfall. Even he had no idea why. It was instinctive, almost... but he wondered if it had to do with the river in the dream. That strange taste in the water. He didn't want to know what it was.
Forget the dream, he told himself. You'll figure out what happened sooner or later.