The morning was perfect. The sun, just rising on the east horizon, sent gold rays shimmering through the air; and bouncing off the new layer of powdery snow. The air smelled crisp, with just a hint of new snow. I rolled over lazily, stretching my paws up to meet the lightening sky. I blinked, and stood up. Next to me I could feel my mate starting to stir also. I decided to go and check on the cubs, so I turned around and padded into the den.

"Is everything ok down here," I said, and laughed as my cubs bounded over to me.

"Mommy, mommy," they yelled. I couldn't help but laugh as they tripped over each other in their race to see who could get to me the first. I looked around the den, and everything seemed to be in order, except…

"Did you little one's eat all of that bird I brought home yesterday?" I can't say that wasn't surprised. There were only three little cubs, and that bird that I had hunted down for them was pretty large, for a cub anyway. But when I looked in the corner, all I could see was some gnawed bones and bloodstained snow.

"Mommy, we're really hungry," the cubs whined. I could tell that they were starting to grow up, and that caused a twinge of pride in my heart. My little cubs, it seemed like it was just yesterday when they couldn't even stand in the snow. But now they were growing at an alarming pace, and it just made me love them all the more.

I loved hearing them say mommy. I could never get enough of it. They were my first litter, and I loved them dearly. I could just tell that they loved me, no matter what. I don't know what they would have done without me. I still had to teach them how to hunt, swim, and take care of themselves. But it wasn't the day. I had to go and get them more food so that they could still grow bigger. I just didn't have time to teach them how to do things today.

"Alright, I'm going to go find something for you to eat, but it might take a while. Do you think you guys could hold out until then?" They all agreed, so I left the den, and started off towards my mate. "I'm going to find something for the cubs to eat, they're still hungry. Watch them, and don't let anything happen," I said with a growl. The last time I left the cubs in his care, one disappeared, never to return. He was the runt of the litter, so he wasn't strong enough to survive until I could get to him. It still hurt to think about it, but I still had three other cubs to care for, so I couldn't dwell in the past.

As I walked in a direction, I thought a bit about the cubs. I loved the way that they looked up to me, and how they loved me. If anything ever happened to them, I don't know what I would do. I already had to lose one cub, but loosing my whole litter would be too much.

Just then I caught a whiff of something, moose I though, so I couldn't give anymore thought to the subject of my cubs, and I went into hunting mode.

I was an expert hunter, the best in my whole family. I was better than all of my brothers, and even better than my dad. They used to say that I had a way of… tracking my prey; following them into the most impossible conditions, but still never loosing their scent. It really comes in handy when, on occasions like this, I am in somewhat of a hurry.

As I followed the scent, I saw the tracks of the animal. I was right, it was a moose, and by the looks of it, it had a limp in its leg. All the better,I thought. I rounded a hill of snow, and I saw it. It was a large bull, with a small limp in its left leg. Its back was to me, so I quietly snuck closer. I was about three feet away, ready to attack when the bull suddenly swung its head around, hitting me in the shoulder with its antler.

I let out a roar of pain, scaring the moose away. I was in too much pain to chase after it. I couldn't put any weight on my right paw. I fell to the ground, whimpering in pain. I lay there for a few minutes, with nothing but the pain running through my head. Then thoughts of my cubs raced through my mind. I was determined; I had to get back to them. I tried to stand up and put some weight on my paw, but it just wasn't working out. So, I curled my paw up towards my chest, and started out, hobbling on only three legs.

I had to stop frequently, sitting or lying down due to all the pain. When the sun started to retreat towards the western horizon, I started to realize how late it was getting. As I was lying down, my thoughts traveled once again to my cubs. I was all they had, just me and my mate. I had to get back to them, or what would happen to them?

Just then I heard this odd sound behind me. It sounded kind of like a humming, but I heard the soft crunch of the powdery snow. Just as soon as I heard it, it stopped. I was just about to turn around, when something wrapped around my neck. They were cold, even colder than the snow around me! I was about to roar in protest when they jerked upwards, and I knew no more.

I was floating under dark water, but I didn't feel anything. I tried to move but I couldn't. I didn't understand what had happened. But then I saw it. It was a little white fluff. It came closer, and I realized that it was my lost pup! I wondered how this could be! But then I realized it, I realized I was dead! Oh no… this can't be I thought. What about my other cubs, what would happen to them. I felt terrible, and I just curled up with my cub, and floated off into the oblivion.