Duck Lake child is slowly taken

Zombie drank deep, having learned long ago that a belly full of water would ease the pains of hunger, at least for a time. While she no longer felt hunger as acutely as she once used to, the habits that the girl had practiced in her life thus far would likely last long after she had no more use for them. Now, if they did nothing to improve her survival, the routine of them provided the yearling comfort in a world that had none for her. And so, though she was not particularly thirsty, Zombie drank until her sides ached for a different reason altogether.

She only noticed the other when she lifted her head, panting slightly to catch her breath. Instinctively, the yearling bristled as a low, warning growl escaped her throat. The stranger seemed well-fed and healthy—a good indicator of a pack wolf. Zombie was not unused to this potential danger. Back off, I mean no harm, was the message laced within the starving girl's stance. She took a step backward, ready to run; she was in no state for confrontation, and knew it.