p style="text-align: center;"strongspan style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"A NEW BEGINING/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" align="center"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Sitting by Boar River I looked over at the others. They are so exhausted and weak. Food had been scarce on our journey. I especially felt sorry for Shaylee and her pup Kamota. Kamota is seven months old, so he is old enough to understand the harsh ways of our world, but he is still so young to handle it on his own./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Suddenly a familiar smell fills my nose. I look to my right across the river. My eyes fixing on a large black berry bush. The aroma was over whelming. "Spirit what is it?" Talen asked. Talen is a large black male. Hes very soft hearted, but aggressive too. "Catch the wind. What do you smell?" He sniffs the air and realizes... its wild boar. "Maybe the pack won't go hungry after all" he says. I smile and look on. "We have to find a way to cross. Our new home is beyond this river anyway."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" At mid day I awoke everyone and we began heading up river in an effort to find a crossing. After about five miles I began to hear a rumble. "Wow! Grumby is that your stomach?" I look back to see Talen tormenting Grumby about food. Grumby is a young male with a redish brown colored coat. He is slightly over weight and enjoys a nice fresh kill better than anything else. Not in the least bit shy he is a fearless wolf and a perfect guard. "Talen!" I scold him. " C'mon guys its a water fall! We can cross at the top," I yell./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Continuing on our way we reach the bottom of the falls. The water rolls and roars like thunder. As evetyone else stops for a well deserved rest I trot over to where the water is breaking against the rocks. Sitting there, the cool mist created by the collision of water and stone cools my face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;"*Talen takes notice of me and my beauty* /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" "Spirit?", he asks. "Oh yes, what is it Talen?" "Your fur... its... well I can see so many light colors in it."" Oh... ya. Its different, I know. Its an opal color. I'm not sure why it changes like this. It always has an opal tone to it, but no one every notices it unless I'm out in the rain." "Well... its beautiful"... he says with a smug smile. Happy, but unsure of how to feel or respond I stand up quickly and announce it is time to cross the river./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Grumby runs ahead of us all since he is eager to simply play in the calm pool of water that lays just to the other side of the river. I run ahead of him and cut him off with a scold. "Grumby! NO! Grumby, you can't just run ahead of us. Its not safe." "You can't tell me what to do SPIRIT! You aren't our leader, so back off!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Everyone stops and stares at him. "Grumby, I... your right. I'm not YOUR leader... but I AM leading this pack, so if you plan on eating with us I suggest you do as I tell you." With that his attitude becomes less defensive. "Spirit, I've got this", Talen says as he starts to cross. I signal Grumby to follow. Katoma next then Shaylee and me tailing. "Mom, I'm awful hungry" Katoma mumbles. "I know my dear, we will find food soon." My heart sinks as I think of the poor hungry pup. I've gone from omega to alpha over night and couldn't even remember to feed my pack. Its just been all the stress I suppose, but its no excuse, I've have four other lives to think about from now on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" We cross with no complications. Grumby, after asking for my permission, gos with Katoma to play in the calm pool of water he had so eagerly been waiting for. Shaylee lays with me and Talen to discuss our pack's future. "Well, what do you guys think?" I ask. Shaylee looks at me with a gently stare and says, "Spirit, you have my loyalties. I will follow you where ever you may take us. You are a good wolf and have been a great leader thus far". My heart stops and thuds in my chest. "Thank you", I reply openly. Talen? I look at him. "The same for me Spirit... but... where are we going?" I raise an eye brow and begin to think. I hadn't actually thought about "where" we were headed. None of our kind had ever passed the river before. "Talen, I... we are going home. To our new home, where ever that may be. We'll continue Southeast past The Land of the Boars. I hear there are high mountains there where few have gone. Maybe we can find unclaimed lands to call our own." "I'd like that" he says with a smile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" "I'm hungry Mooooom!" Katoma complains to his mother. "Ok my Dear, I know" Shaylee responds. She stands up and heads off a little ways. Pups are not use to going without food for so long. We adults can go about two weeks without food. "Grumby I'm sure would like to eat too," I say out loud. "Talen, we should eat and then rest here until morning."He nods before trotting off to see what he can find. "Grumby! You stay here with Katoma" I command. "Maybe the two of you can practice hunting beetles or dragon flys." "Ok," they both reply. Not that Grumby would need to start at that level. He could surely at least capture a small bird or mammal. Atleast for now it will entertain Katoma. Staring up at the top of the water fall I quickly tred over looking for a way up. From such a scale I can get a better view of the lands around us./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Once atop the cliff I'm well about twenty five feet above my pack. "Its so beautiful," I think to myself as I find myself again lost in the wonders of this world. Peering over to my left I sigh in the direction of our native pack lands. My mind begins to pour out old memories... memories of our old pack... and how I came to be part of it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" I remember when I first awoke in the forest all alone. Warm and disorientated, I stood up only to realize I was about two feet shorter. Everything around me was hypersensitive. Smells, noises, movements, all caught my attention. Dropping my head, in hopes of smothering the dullness it felt, I saw two white furry feet. Alarmed, I jumped back and stumbled to the ground near a skinny black walnut tree. I hugged the tree and viciously worked my way up its trunk. Only after I managed to stand on two legs was I able to give myself a full look over. Fur everywhere! White glossy fur! I was a wolf! I couldn't believe it. My eyes swelled with tears. "How? Why? What?... What happened!?" No one and nothing was there to answer me. I sat there for hours allowing my mind to race in every effort to straighten things out. "Am I dreaming? Yes, that must be it! I'm just dreaming... I will wake up soon. " But soon never came.../span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" "SPIRIT! Where are you?!" My memories dissipate and the present rushes back at me. Looking down over the cliffs of the water fall and see my pack tracking my scent. Shaylee calls to me again. " I'm up here!", I howl to them. In front of them lays some sort of animal I can't quite see due to Grumby standing in the way. Shaylee must have been successful. Feeling a little guilty for day dreaming instead of hunting I howl for them to start without me. Normally as their proclaimed leader I would have first rations, but for my lack in the matter, I decide to let them go first. Seeing the sun begin to race me down the cliffs I head down to meet the pack for supper, but not before looking back once more. "Oh... to be human again.. Or... No, this is who I am now. This is who I've always been."/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" align="center" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" align="center"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Sitting by Boar River I looked over at the others. They are so exhausted and weak. Food had been scarce on our journey. I especially felt sorry for Shaylee and her pup Kamota. Kamota is seven months old, so he is old enough to understand the harsh ways of our world, but he is still so young to handle it on his own./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Suddenly a familiar smell fills my nose. I look to my right across the river. My eyes fixing on a large black berry bush. The aroma was over whelming. "Spirit what is it?" Talen asked. Talen is a large black male. Hes very soft hearted, but aggressive too. "Catch the wind. What do you smell?" He sniffs the air and realizes... its wild boar. "Maybe the pack won't go hungry after all" he says. I smile and look on. "We have to find a way to cross. Our new home is beyond this river anyway."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" At mid day I awoke everyone and we began heading up river in an effort to find a crossing. After about five miles I began to hear a rumble. "Wow! Grumby is that your stomach?" I look back to see Talen tormenting Grumby about food. Grumby is a young male with a redish brown colored coat. He is slightly over weight and enjoys a nice fresh kill better than anything else. Not in the least bit shy he is a fearless wolf and a perfect guard. "Talen!" I scold him. " C'mon guys its a water fall! We can cross at the top," I yell./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Continuing on our way we reach the bottom of the falls. The water rolls and roars like thunder. As evetyone else stops for a well deserved rest I trot over to where the water is breaking against the rocks. Sitting there, the cool mist created by the collision of water and stone cools my face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;"*Talen takes notice of me and my beauty* /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" "Spirit?", he asks. "Oh yes, what is it Talen?" "Your fur... its... well I can see so many light colors in it."" Oh... ya. Its different, I know. Its an opal color. I'm not sure why it changes like this. It always has an opal tone to it, but no one every notices it unless I'm out in the rain." "Well... its beautiful"... he says with a smug smile. Happy, but unsure of how to feel or respond I stand up quickly and announce it is time to cross the river./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Grumby runs ahead of us all since he is eager to simply play in the calm pool of water that lays just to the other side of the river. I run ahead of him and cut him off with a scold. "Grumby! NO! Grumby, you can't just run ahead of us. Its not safe." "You can't tell me what to do SPIRIT! You aren't our leader, so back off!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Everyone stops and stares at him. "Grumby, I... your right. I'm not YOUR leader... but I AM leading this pack, so if you plan on eating with us I suggest you do as I tell you." With that his attitude becomes less defensive. "Spirit, I've got this", Talen says as he starts to cross. I signal Grumby to follow. Katoma next then Shaylee and me tailing. "Mom, I'm awful hungry" Katoma mumbles. "I know my dear, we will find food soon." My heart sinks as I think of the poor hungry pup. I've gone from omega to alpha over night and couldn't even remember to feed my pack. Its just been all the stress I suppose, but its no excuse, I've have four other lives to think about from now on./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" We cross with no complications. Grumby, after asking for my permission, gos with Katoma to play in the calm pool of water he had so eagerly been waiting for. Shaylee lays with me and Talen to discuss our pack's future. "Well, what do you guys think?" I ask. Shaylee looks at me with a gently stare and says, "Spirit, you have my loyalties. I will follow you where ever you may take us. You are a good wolf and have been a great leader thus far". My heart stops and thuds in my chest. "Thank you", I reply openly. Talen? I look at him. "The same for me Spirit... but... where are we going?" I raise an eye brow and begin to think. I hadn't actually thought about "where" we were headed. None of our kind had ever passed the river before. "Talen, I... we are going home. To our new home, where ever that may be. We'll continue Southeast past The Land of the Boars. I hear there are high mountains there where few have gone. Maybe we can find unclaimed lands to call our own." "I'd like that" he says with a smile./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" "I'm hungry Mooooom!" Katoma complains to his mother. "Ok my Dear, I know" Shaylee responds. She stands up and heads off a little ways. Pups are not use to going without food for so long. We adults can go about two weeks without food. "Grumby I'm sure would like to eat too," I say out loud. "Talen, we should eat and then rest here until morning."He nods before trotting off to see what he can find. "Grumby! You stay here with Katoma" I command. "Maybe the two of you can practice hunting beetles or dragon flys." "Ok," they both reply. Not that Grumby would need to start at that level. He could surely at least capture a small bird or mammal. Atleast for now it will entertain Katoma. Staring up at the top of the water fall I quickly tred over looking for a way up. From such a scale I can get a better view of the lands around us./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" Once atop the cliff I'm well about twenty five feet above my pack. "Its so beautiful," I think to myself as I find myself again lost in the wonders of this world. Peering over to my left I sigh in the direction of our native pack lands. My mind begins to pour out old memories... memories of our old pack... and how I came to be part of it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN;" I remember when I first awoke in the forest all alone. Warm and disorientated, I stood up only to realize I was about two feet shorter. Everything around me was hypersensitive. Smells, noises, movements, all caught my attention. Dropping my head, in hopes of smothering the dullness it felt, I saw two white furry feet. Alarmed, I jumped back and stumbled to the ground near a skinny black walnut tree. I hugged the tree and viciously worked my way up its trunk. Only after I managed to stand on two legs was I able to give myself a full look over. Fur everywhere! White glossy fur! I was a wolf! I couldn't believe it. My eyes swelled with tears. "How? Why? What?... What happened!?" No one and nothing was there to answer me. I sat there for hours allowing my mind to race in every effort to straighten things out. "Am I dreaming? Yes, that must be it! I'm just dreaming... I will wake up soon. " But soon never came.../span/p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;" "SPIRIT! Where are you?!" My memories dissipate and the present rushes back at me. Looking down over the cliffs of the water fall and see my pack tracking my scent. Shaylee calls to me again. " I'm up here!", I howl to them. In front of them lays some sort of animal I can't quite see due to Grumby standing in the way. Shaylee must have been successful. Feeling a little guilty for day dreaming instead of hunting I howl for them to start without me. Normally as their proclaimed leader I would have first rations, but for my lack in the matter, I decide to let them go first. Seeing the sun begin to race me down the cliffs I head down to meet the pack for supper, but not before looking back once more. "Oh... to be human again.. Or... No, this is who I am now. This is who I've always been."/p
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