I wasn’t sure where to go now. I’ve lost purpose. Now, I was only a pup lost in the woods, alone.
I’m still too young. I‘m not strong enough to face this. Not on my own.
It was just darkness in my head. I couldn’t find the strength to think anything. I just stared blankly at the snow covering the ground. My throat was dry and sore from all the howling I’ve done.
A puppy like me will die in this weather. I can’t hunt by myself.
A fire lit up in my chest. Suddenly, I was livid with rage. Blood began to rise to my head. I could hear my heartbeat through my ears. With bloodshot eyes and raised fur, I attacked the tree with as much force as I could muster.
It was your fault! The tree was what put a stop to my dreams. It was what told me that I was lost and alone, and I blamed it for everything.
I was wheezing hard. In the end, the tree had deep marks where my teeth had punctured it. I had a bleeding claw and a splintered muzzle. I didn’t care. It felt good to take it out on anything.
I hobbled away blindly, going nowhere in particular. It didn’t matter anyway.
After a few minutes, I found myself in a wide field in the middle of the forest. A lake lay in the middle, frozen solid by the cold weather. The sky was even grayer than before now, with large, dark clouds massing overhead blotting out the sunlight. It did nothing to lift my mood. The ground was thickly snowed; even more so than the forest, where the trees offered a little shade. Here, there weren’t any trees. I stepped onto the snow and realized it was deeper than I thought it was. I shivered and cursed as I sank legs-deep in the cold stuff. The chill penetrated my fur and pricked at my paw pads. I was moving at an incredibly slow pace, the snow an obstacle I had to push through.
Sudden sparking pain shocked me. Bits of snow were hitting my pelt hard. I looked up and got shocked to realize that a blizzard had just started. From the way the cloud above looked like, it looked like it was going to be a hard one. As if things couldn't get any worse. I tried to move my legs faster. They wouldn’t go any faster. Fear and worry began to fill my head.
My paws were now painfully numb; the blizzard pierced my pelt, and I winced with pain. I wouldn't last much longer in this condition. What I needed was shelter, and I was fraught to find it.
The blizzard began to pick up speed, blowing more snow into my face. The landscape was lost in the distracting white that ravaged my eyes. My lungs were on fire. My heart started beating hard with alarm as soon as I realized that I couldn't feel my paws anymore. I started to panic.
"Help!" I barked out, hoping someone would hear. I broke into a swift gallop, desperation lending strength to my paws. The snow blocked out any scent that would have been here. Frostbite! I was getting scared. The cold was beginning to make my head spin.
I kept moving as fast as I could, knowing that if I stopped, I'd die from the cold. I had to keep this up to warm myself. With what little warmth is left in this body of mine.
I gazed across the blinding white. A faint trace of something was wading in the snow alongside me. I growled in exasperation. The last thing I needed in this blizzard is something that wants to eat me.
It started drawing closer, and I started to get confused. A dog? What would any sane dog be doing out in this weather? Even from its outline, I could tell this dog was muscular and furry.
"Pup, follow me!" he called in a deep, commanding voice.
I didn't have a choice. Even if I was scared, all I thought of at that moment was that I needed to get out of this cursed blizzard.
I pushed hard, trying to get as close to him as possible. Finally, we found ourselves pelt to pelt and slowly made our way out of the deep snow and onto clear ground under pine forest.
I flopped down, exhausted and cold. Pushing through the snow had sapped the last of my strength from my limbs. I felt like I could just sleep forever. Then he nudged me onto my legs. “Quick, pup. It’ll just get colder out here. We have to get you to our place.”
My eyes flew open to see a large, furry dog with reddish-brown fur. He looked winded, but he looked at me coolly, as if it was nothing much for him. His hazel eyes stared at me quizzically, as if demanding an explanation.
He turned away and walked, and I trailed behind him. The blizzard was less intense under the shade of the unfamiliar trees. The path we walked looked well-worn. He must walk here often. I kept glancing around, and it seemed like the trees would never end.
Finally, the blizzard stopped, giving way to a burst of fresh sunlight. I welcomed the warmth as it melted the snow and ice on me. The dog was picking up the pace and I trotted behind him. The scent of other dogs filled my nostrils, and I grew more confused. Where is he taking me?
The trees opened into a clearing. The ground was reddish and sandy, wet by melted snow; without a single stalk of grass on it. A cold shiver ran through my spine at the sight. It wasn’t natural at all. He paused and sniffed around. After a while, he started forward again.
A little walk forward and we found ourselves facing a cliff face, with an opening gaping in front of us. From here, it smelled of warm fur, kind of like my den. We entered.
It opened into a large hollow, with a sandy floor and high walls. Light seeped from above from a hole in the ceiling. Despite being so secluded and closed, it was sufficiently airy. The opening and the ceiling gap was enough to ventilate the hollow.
Other dogs were staring at us. Some were lying on dips in the sand while some paced around. I dipped my head, feeling shy at the sudden attention.
“Who is this?” a yellow-coated dog asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression. The rest had the same expression, and I was sure they were wondering the same thing.
“I found this pup chest deep in snow. He would have died of the cold if I hadn’t pulled him out,” my companion explained casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“Dig him a bed, Jewel,” he ordered a lithe spotted dog, “He’s cold, and I think his leg might be dislocated. Fix him up, please.”
She stepped forward into the light and I got to look at her features better. She was lanky, with a short, white pelt spotted with black. Her step was light, and it barely made a mark in the sand. “Follow me,” she prompted.
I followed her to a vacant spot at the back of the hollow. There she dug me a dip. “There,” she stepped back, and fixed me with an accommodating gaze, “you can sleep here.”
She looked back at my injured leg. It still hurt, and it looked a little out of place. “Yep. Definitely dislocated.” She shook her head disapprovingly.
“Lie down here.”
I did what she told me, lying on my side with my leg facing her. “Now close your eyes. This might hurt, but we need to do this.
I started trembling. She nudged my head down with her snout. “Close your eyes. It’ll just take a second.”
Her presence reassured me, and I closed my eyes tight. I felt pressure on my leg, then a sudden push down. My jaws opened in a silent howl, and white flashed through my vision.
“There,” she barked contentedly, and her warmth left. I opened my eyes to see her standing in front of me, eyes glinting in happiness. “You’ll be able to walk as soon as you’re ready.”
I shook my head violently, and I sneezed. She huffed in amusement, and turned back. I settled down on the dip. The sand was warm, and I quickly fell asleep.
I woke, and I realized that I was sleeping belly up the whole time. And there was someone really close to my face. I shifted quickly, feeling embarrassed. The dog woofed in laughter, tongue lolling.
“Hey there!” he greeted me, eyes glinting mischievously, “Had a nice rest?”
“How long have you been there?” I refused to look him in the eyes.
He woofed again and sat next to me. From his features and attitude, I could tell that he was at least my age. The most striking thing about him was that he was larger than me in every way. He had a larger head, body, and tail. His paws were at least twice as big as mine. He had drooping ears and his fur was black, thick and glossy, obviously well cared for.
“Let’s just say a while.” He tilted his head innocently.
He looked back at me seriously with an ice blue gaze, cutting through my head. “You’re lucky Elidor has a sharp eye. If it had been anyone else, we wouldn’t have spotted you.”
“Elidor?” I remembered the red dog who escorted me here. So that was his name. “Why?”
“In case you haven’t noticed,” he rolled his eyes and snorted in exasperation, “you’re all white except for your nose and eyes.”
I looked at myself, and realized he was right. My pelt was as white as the snow I waded in yesterday.
“What do I look like?” I queried earnestly.
“You’ve never looked at yourself in a puddle before?” He seemed truly surprised.
“Yeah,” I admitted, “every time I try, the puddle’s frozen over.”
Collin looked disbelieving for a while, but when he saw I was serious, he studied me closely.
“Hard to explain,” he said finally, licking his chops, “you’re white, with a black nose, and black eyes.”
“Wow,” I blurted out, “that’s rather boring. No markings?”
He shook his head. I sighed.
“What’s your name? Mine’s Collin.” He asked, wagging his tail.
“Pana.” I said simply.