Journey

Tuwa is north of Otatso Wetlands, heading towards distant mountains • Discovery thread 1

Tuwawi slipped out of Swiftcurrent the morning following Ferdie's return of Leaf and Magpie. It was a good time for scouting. The others would be tending to their wounds, and the children were under Njal's capable wings. No others would dare venture from the creek's lowlands during this precarious shift. Their alpha, Fox, had been dethroned and soon, Bazi would hold a meeting.

The ember wolf ran hard before the sun had peaked in the summer sky, and had covered good ground before the air grew too hot to keep a rigorous pace. But even Tuwawi, who was a skilled traveler, felt the effects of motherhood. She had grown soft and where she once had lean muscle, she now had curvy padding. Her chest heaved as she sucked in air, side cramping in the afternoon sun. A babbling brook caught her attention, and she moved towards it to quench her thirst.

The cool water eased her aches, and the she-wolf looked to the distance. The mountains were closer, but she still had a long way to go.