Turn back the clock

A week and some days had passed since Velox's quite unexpected "arrival" at Northstar Vale. Most of her company was spent with Dawa, who had (somewhat mechanically) explained where she was, who led here, and the main philosophies behind this pack. Because she was mostly limited to the confines of her den, Velox had taken to learning all she could about the pack, and finding herself more and more interested in their beliefs—as if she had much else to do.

Her leg pained her very much still, inhibiting travel, but her cuts and bruises had healed up mostly and might be gone completely in another week or so. If she'd had internal bleeding, she had coughed up what little blockage there was and her body's natural effort had done the rest of the healing (or perhaps it had been the bitter herbs that Dawa fed her daily.) Either way, her main concern now was the lack of weight she could apply to her hind leg.

But true to her strong, resilient spirit, Velox would not let her injury defeat her, or keep her cooped up in a den for the rest of her time here. She had expressed to Dawa her willingness to stay, but had also told her that she was on a journey, and would probably resume it as soon as she was able—the blind leader had expressed no differentiating opinion on the matter and basically bid her to do as she would. Despite her strange lack of emotion about anything, Velox couldn't say that she didn't enjoy the female's informative company, and the nights that she would spend with her were warm and welcoming despite the silence.

For the past few days she had limped just outside the den for fresh air, glad to be scenting a nearby spring on the winding tendrils of air that breezed past. Usually Dawa was there, and sometimes Zombie, and even Xi'nuata at times, but today Velox woke up alone, and took it upon herself to venture outside alone. She hobbled out, still favoring her hind leg from the ground; and on that cool morning she found a sunny patch of earth to lie on her side and bask, several yards from her den.