This was what she'd been searching for. The budding green promised to carpet the area one day soon, and she'd appreciate that. But for now, she could see the bottom layer of the plateau quite clearly. Rabbit trails and burrow entrances littered the landscape, sometimes widening into gaping caverns at the bases of small, scrubby conifers. As soon as she stepped foot onto the plateau, she was nose-to-the-ground, ears swivelling, Jawbone clutched tightly between her teeth. He caught on some of the brambles around her, but Doe was always quick to untangle him and go on her way.
And suddenly, she was upon it. A dark, narrow opening in the earth - just big enough for Doe to wiggle through. Inside, it took mere seconds for her eyes to adjust, and what she saw - though it was not much - pleased her. Cobbly rock walls, a roof of packed dirt and living roots, and a scent that spoke of rabbits, rabbits, rabbits - but no wolf. She would change that, though.
Doe laid Jawbone carefully on the floor and began to rub herself along the ground and walls, marking the place as her own. Sharp rocks dug into her sides and loosed matted clumps of her unkempt coat, but she carried on. It had to be done.
Finally, when the den stank of her, she gave Jawbone a perfuntory lick - Stay safe, my love - and ventured out alone. Giving chase to the rabbits amounted in nothing more than a cut paw, and she stalked rather sulkily toward the interesting whoosh and crash that she could hear over the cliff. When she reached the edge, she could only stare at the vast, endless expanse of the sea. She sat back on her haunches and breathed in the damp, salty mist that stirred up below her, eyes glazed over as she took it all in.
After a time, she became aware of a cool whisper - and undertone to the ocean's sounds that she hadn't noticed before. "Hail!" she cried, leaping to her feet. "Hail, creature. Greater than me. I can serve you..."
She crept toward the edge of the cliff, mind swirling and tilting, still breathing in salt, listen to me, come in to the water, legs trembling, eyes watering, you will never be alone, she laid down and cried.
And suddenly, she was upon it. A dark, narrow opening in the earth - just big enough for Doe to wiggle through. Inside, it took mere seconds for her eyes to adjust, and what she saw - though it was not much - pleased her. Cobbly rock walls, a roof of packed dirt and living roots, and a scent that spoke of rabbits, rabbits, rabbits - but no wolf. She would change that, though.
Doe laid Jawbone carefully on the floor and began to rub herself along the ground and walls, marking the place as her own. Sharp rocks dug into her sides and loosed matted clumps of her unkempt coat, but she carried on. It had to be done.
Finally, when the den stank of her, she gave Jawbone a perfuntory lick - Stay safe, my love - and ventured out alone. Giving chase to the rabbits amounted in nothing more than a cut paw, and she stalked rather sulkily toward the interesting whoosh and crash that she could hear over the cliff. When she reached the edge, she could only stare at the vast, endless expanse of the sea. She sat back on her haunches and breathed in the damp, salty mist that stirred up below her, eyes glazed over as she took it all in.
After a time, she became aware of a cool whisper - and undertone to the ocean's sounds that she hadn't noticed before. "Hail!" she cried, leaping to her feet. "Hail, creature. Greater than me. I can serve you..."
She crept toward the edge of the cliff, mind swirling and tilting, still breathing in salt, listen to me, come in to the water, legs trembling, eyes watering, you will never be alone, she laid down and cried.
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Salt - by Doe - June 20, 2016, 10:33 AM