Swiftcurrent Creek Here come the meat sweats

Everything was covered in white. Relonikiv didn't know that the snow hid the ground, or that it would melt and green grass would spring up in its place. He could not know that the bare limbs of the trees overhead would one day soon be resplendent with foliage and that the air wouldn't always pinch with cold. He took everything at face value. He was so young that he lived only in the present; past and future were concepts beyond him, as was change.

All the same, something did change in this wintry scene. A black shape appeared, growing larger as it came closer. The pup's blue eyes fixed upon it, wonderingly tracking its movements. In his excitement, he held his breath. When it took on the features of a she-wolf, his curious expression turned into a beaming smile and he let out a quiet whoosh of air. His tail began to wag, sweeping at the dirty snow by the den's mouth, and he bounced onto the balls of his feet to greet the stranger.

"Oogh! Oogh!" was today's greeting of choice. The youngster tried to leap up to lick at his guest's chin, then he rolled onto his bottom and ducked his head, instinctively showing submission. If she required it, he would have no qualms rolling on his back and showing his belly. In Relonikiv's mind, everyone was above him and he was happy with his place in the world.