Forget Your High Society

@Alastor

Back and forth. He felt like he was doing a hell of a lot of it. One side of the mountains towards the other. He was certainly getting in a shit ton more exercise as a lone wolf than he had back when he'd been a part of his birth pack. Actually, he was starting to realize just how lazy he'd gotten there. Comfortable. Too comfortable. Now that he was doing laps across mountains, he could feel himself leaning out. He felt stronger than he had within the luxuries of what once was. Now he was a little more confident and sure of his own abilities. 

It helped that he'd caught a squirrel earlier. It was a small meal, but enough to tide him over for a while. It was also sweet, sweet vengeance against a couple of squirrel's who'd decided to make a sport over bombarding him with acorns earlier in the week. One squirrel down. One less tree rat to chatter and make mischief from the skies. He considered it a small victory and would leave it at that. 

He'd scented pack earlier and skirted it, taking a wide path around the edge of the territory as he wandered. His paws lead him through the valley into a less than amicable area. The ground softened beneath his paws. He steps became slower as he tested the earth with each stride. Soft, but stable. Lifting his head above the tall grasses, he noticed a smattering of watered pools here and there. Were the reeds tall enough to lift well above the water or was it an illusion of land? He wasn't sure. 

Caution made him slow at first, but after a while he felt like he was starting to get the hang of it. His stride became a little more confident as he navigated through the marshy maze. One step. Then another. A leap over this puddle into a soft bank. He approached a gap between land and water and measured the next jump. He could make this one easy. 

He gathered a bit of strength in his hind quarters and leapt for the next patch of reeds. The ground was softer here and he sank into the mud, landing well up to his chest in the water. Cursing he tried to pull himself free, but the mud was sucking him down and holding him in place. A growl escaped him as he pulled one foot and then another, fighting for each inch until finally he pulled himself onto more solid ground. 

Exhausted, he settled in the reeds for a bit and tried to catch his breath.