Hunger has become a faithful companion, never leaving one’s side save for when callused tongues graced the finer meats of silken organs and drenched flesh. Yet even then, a wanderer was not without its companionship for long, as it reared almost instantly in the early hours of the morn or at worst; the deepest spells of night.
The irritable gnashing of acid against barren flesh, the quake and curl of muscle waning in strength was neigh unbearable. It was bitter, this friend, calling attention to itself any and all times it deemed fit til one’s constitutions were tested… then overwhelmed by the unfortunate reality by which it was faced with. The lupine breed was not meant to wander alone, unless it wished only for hunger and discomfort.
She knew this, clearly, but had begun her excursion from the dwindling ranks of her prior home regardless. No muzzle had turned to stop her progress, no kind word uttered in the hopes she would remain. Though their lips would not part, their eyes spoke the truth; how glad they were to be rid of the looming thing. Quiet and cold as the distant mountains of which they rested upon. Of which she was no longer a part of.
Perhaps if she had had a meal before departing, she would not have felt as hollow as she did now. Nor would her thoughts have taken root so deeply on the recent past. It was the fault of her companion… her hunger, this she knew. Though she could not muster a means to escape its presence. At least not yet.
In silence she traveled from jagged mountain to lush plateau, leaving no mark save for the impression of her paws upon the earth. Her presence was to be discrete. Little more than a figment upon the boundless expanse. Even as she trod through plains as they gave way to onyx spires, she was meant to be no more than a ghost amidst their humbling graces. Or perhaps a wraith when the occasional morsel skittered by… |