A/N: I wrote this years ago, but must have forgotten to upload it. Its a sequel to 'Freeborn', told from the perspective of another littermate. I was originally going to split this up into chapters on FF, but the chapters would be so short...so I never bothered. So here is the whole thing!
Breathe
Prologue~
Some moons after Younger Friend went to sleep, I realized they were never going to wake up. Younger Friend was asleep forever. Was it my fault? Did I do something that made them sad?
No. Mother said Younger Friend was sick and would never wake up.
It made me sad at the time.
But now I am feeling better. Not as sad anymore. I am learning how to hunt, how to kill. How to survive.
A luxury that Younger Friend did not have.
But I cannot find my Bigger Friends. I feel scared. I feel unprotected.
I am alone. The forest wind whispers through my fur, promising me freedom. Protection. But was it lying?
Chapter 1
The air is thick with silence.
Something is not right - the forest is never this quiet. As I pad softly into the open – away from the protection of the dense underbrush – I feel uneasy.
I am scared. My Bigger Friends are gone and I cannot find my way back to them.
A wicked rumble inturrupts my thoughts. I am hungry.
But I could not hunt for myself. I need my Bigger Friends.
A sound. A soft scurrying sound. Mother said it was the sound of Small Prey.
I am going to try to catch this Small Prey.
As I crunch myself for the pounce, the Small Prey hears me and bolts into its hole.
I am too tired to chase after it.
So tired. So sleepy.
I groggily wobble my way towards the dense forest, yet again, and collapse into a deep slumber.
Chapter 2
Awake. I'm awake. But where am I?
I feel nothing. Not the wind in my fur nor the heat of the sun.
My eyes open weakly. My eyes are instantly assaulted by the light. The blinding light.
They snap shut and I am left in darkness.
Chapter 3
Awake. I'm awake again. But where am I? Am I where I was before?
I open my eyes slightly. No light attacks me. I am safe.
They open fully now. I try to get up. I struggle and flail. But I cannot get up.
Panic grips me; throws me into a desperate attempt to live. But then I quiet. I hear something to my left.
My eyes lazily roll over to the left looking for the source of the sound. I see nothing.
I relax. But only for a moment.
I try to get up again. I succeed. But my legs are shaking with the effort.
I'm tired. But I must move from this place. Mother said the Enemies will get me when I am weak.
My gut wrenches with every step. Is that hunger? But it hurts.
I try to howl for my Family. I need help from my Bigger Friends.
But all that comes out is a pitiful moan. I collapse from the effort onto my side. I breathe heavily.
I hear the sound again. To the right. But nothing is there.
Chapter 4
But I hear something. A howl. A cry. It sounds familiar.
I snort in frustration; I am too tired to respond.
The world starts to spin. My stomach churns in pain. Hunger?
No. Hunger doesn't hurt this bad.
I struggle to get up. Legs flailing wildly. But to no avail. My body protested violently in exhaustion and I collapsed in a frustrated heap.
My ears perk. I hear it again. This time it is closer. Fear gripped my chest; suffocating me. Froze me.
There! Again! Run! Escape!
As if surged by an unknown force, my legs found strength. My claws dug into the soft soil and I rose. My tongue lolled out of my mouth from the effort.
I swayed. I was so tired. So weak. So sleepy.
Could it be danger? But the sound is familiar. I tense; the fear once again squeezing me.
All at once I am assaulted by bodies. They whine and lick me in excitement. They are happy. I relax.
My Bigger Friends have found me!
I am pushed over by the bodies rubbing against me; hitting the grass with a teeth shattering thump. But I couldn't be happier! My heart soars over the clouds and races through the forest.
I would be okay. I would survive!
Mother bounds towards me. She is happy. And I am happy she is happy. Her tail wags rapidly as she nuzzles me in affection. I nuzzle back.
I am home.