Spotted Eagle Mountain To the outside, the dead leaves laid on the lawn

Her eyes flew open and her head popped up from where it had been pressed to the cold ground of the cave. The flesh on her cheek stayed smashed against the bone where it had started to protrude some. Pain shot through every muscle. She realized then that she had only been dreaming. She must have finally passed out but even then, she had found no relief. Her mind terrorized her while she slept and her body picked up the torch while she was awake. Her head fell back down to the ground with thud. She had no idea how long she had been lying there; long enough that she had sores in many of the places that bone met the hard stone of the floor. She hadn't been able to hold anything down for a while, and eventually crawled into this cave when she felt too weak to move any longer. She hadn't been able to pick herself up since. Everything hurt. Her throat was on fire and her mouth was sand. Her stomach felt like a burning stone against the walls of her abdomen. Every muscle in her body screamed for fluid and nourishment but the sickness wouldn't allow it. 

She started to heave, her stomach tensing up to dispel contents that were not there. The pain was enough to make her pass out again. The edges of her vision grew blurry just as the heaving finally subsided. She drew in a slow, ragged breath and pushed it back out. She barely had strength to breath but somehow continued to pull air in and force it back out. The breaths were slow and faint, but they were still there. She couldn't die here alone—she refused to let Stag think she abandoned him. And who would look for Monarch, Mesa, and Ego if she were gone? Those thoughts were what kept her clinging to edge of life. The thought of seeing her children again made her muddle on through every painful heave of her stomach instead of just giving in and finally finding relief. 

A cool breeze drifted in from outside and ruffled her fur against her gaunt frame; it was a feeling she once enjoyed but now it felt like knives dragging across her too sensitive skin. How would she find her way out this? She couldn't fight or run. All she could rely on now was her will to stay alive.