Blacktail Deer Plateau my spirit spurns control

There was one good thing about the cold weather - Birk was able to breathe again. The inflammation in his upper airways became less unbearable and the icky stuff in his nose had cleared away and he did not have to sneeze every ten minutes anymore. The cough however had remained,therefore now and then during running he would have to stop and spend some time wheezing and retching.

Other than that - he was doing fine. Though he had escaped his former home in order to seek an easier life in milder climate, part of him had always longed for the Ice fields and now that the weather was getting worse with every passing day, he felt an unusual sense of joy. As if the nature itself was challenging him and with many generations of tough survivors behind him, he wanted to prove that he was not afraid and that he would make it through. 

"Woohoo!" Birk howled jovially, when the lightening struck for the first time. He had no idea, what he had seen now or, whether it was dangerous, therefore... "Bring it on!" he yipped at the sky and as if answering his call, there was yet another strike and with that came a "snow-slap" in the young man's face. "Okey, okey... got it..." he said, wiping his face and leaving the clearing and entering the forest nearby. It turned out that he was not the only loner here seeking shelter. Few meters away there was a sturdy white wolf standing. After checking that the forest would be big enough for both of them, Birk sat down and studied the stranger from distance, trying to solve the mystery of whether that guy was in any way related to him or not.