No more than a day or two had passed since the little red wolf had encountered the chimera of a wolf, and no more than a day or two had passed since she had been able to sleep. The hurt look on the other wolf's face continually resurfaced in her mind, and though she still did not feel apologetic, she felt--well, ill at ease. So, on a particularly hopeless night, the little wolf set out once more for forbidden lands and finally decided to navigate a prominent landmark she had only seen from afar. Mount Apikuni was razed. The fire of a past year had left the ground nothing more than ashes. Still, life faithfully sprung up here and there, and it was with delight that the little wolf spied sprouts and even saplings. Her brother would have been proud to see his namesake, poking defiantly through all surroundings. Antagonism never had deterred them--though the fellow was typically unaware. She only sometimes thought less of him for it. Gazing up at the moon that was quickly becoming a sun, the little wolf calculated her traveling time and quickened her pace to match. Her hope was to both find and to escape past and present troubles. |