Alpine

Chapter Two

Alpine woke up, her body pulsing with a searing pain. Her eyes opened in a panic, and she looked around. 

Where am I? 

She bolted upright, her eyes widening in the darkness. She was surrounded by dull gray stone. Only the scuffle of unseen creatures and the howl of wind could be heard in the eerie silence. Her ears quivered fearfully as they slowly lowered against her head. 

Her soft, pup fur was dirty and matted with dried blood. She attempted to stand up, but her back leg couldn't hold her weight and she instantly collapsed back down onto the rough stone, emitting  a little yip of pain.

She stared at her left hind leg, and noticed a massive clump of dark red staining her fur. She whimpered as the metallic odor burned her nostrils. Looking up at the sky far above, she felt completely hopeless.

"Momma!" She shrieked. She repeated herself again and again, beginning bawl. But there was no answer. She finally gave up and looked around the slate colored area. There were a few clumps of dying grass and one shriveled up bush somewhat near her.

She focused on it for a moment, then remembered what her mother had said.

 "Leaves can be used to patch up wounds."  She'd taught them. 

She dragged herself over to the bush and proceeded to hunt down and grab a few green leaves. She gently placed them on her leg, then attempted to secure them. She tested their strength, and they easily shifted and exposed the wound.

She tried again, tearing a strong piece of grass and wrapping it around her haunch. She tried again and it seemed to work well enough.

Alpine returned her gaze to the dark sky. The eagle was long gone, and the sky seemed years away. She whimpered, wishing she were back with her family and the rest of the pack. Her eyes burned, and her body urged her to sleep. She gave in and curled up in a small patch of dry grass.

The next morning she looked up in confusion. She remembered where she was and all the pain came flooding back. She could see more now that the sky was bright again. She looked around again.

She saw huge piles of stone that seemed to serve as a way to get in and out. She suddenly realized what this must be. Her mother had told her and her siblings of a huge slash in the ground, called Mystic Ravine. Her mother had said it was quite a ways from their territory. 

I'm in Mystic Ravine!

She stood up, shaking slightly. Alpine slowly tried walk over to the huge pile of many-sized rocks. After what felt like hours of painful limping, she was able to set one paw on the bottom rock. She hauled herself up to tiny stone. She did this once more before she fell back down, skidding across the ravine floor. She groaned and stood back up. She wasn't strong enough yet.

Her stomach growled and her mouth felt like sand. She scanned the area, and saw a small puddle. She hobbled over and crouched down, lapping up the water. It tasted like mud, but she didn't care. It was water and she was parched.

Completely concentrated on the water, she barely noticed a soft growl behind her. It came again, louder now, and she spun around and stared, wide eyed, at the beast before her.

A mottled tan and gray creature, that looked similar to the auburn wolf-like creature she'd seen before, stepped closer to her. A layer of foam bubbled on its lips. Alpine slowly stepped backwards, her breath caught in her throat.

The creature took a long step closer, eyeing her injuries with what seemed like a sneer. She shrunk back, but her rump hit a large stone. She couldn't run, her leg was too weak. It would catch her anyways. A snarl gurgled on its tongue and it stepped even closer. She whimpered pitifully, and it snapped at her.

A sudden, huge screech echoed throughout the ravine. The canine growled and whirled around. Alpine glanced up and saw a massive eagle. It wasn't the same one that had pursued her, and it didn't seem to want anything to do with her. The creature looked at her again, then up.

It's narrow eyes widened a bit as it saw the eagle, but it blinked and growled at it. The eagle ignored it's growls and screeched again. In a flash it dove down as fast as lighting. It came down in a split second. Alpine forcefully shut her eyes, petrified.

She heard a distorted yelp and opened her amber eye. To her surprise, the massive eagle had gripped its talons into the creature and was carrying it off. 

She opened both eyes watched as the mottled beast flailed in the air, blood trickling from where the talons impaled it. A large drop of blood splashed into a small puddle a little ways away from her, overtaking it's once clear, sky tinted surface.

Alpine cautiously scurried away, ignoring the creature's fading snarls and yelps. She settled down on a thin blanket of moss under the sunset-filled sky. Her back leg ached. She stared at the massive pile of stones once again.

The next few days flew by. She ate small lizards that couldn't escape her weak pounces. Her leg began to heal, and her stings had long since disappeared. She lapped up puddle water and sheltered under unsteady overhangs.

Alpine once again stepped over to a puddle, her mouth dry. She looked at her reflection in the water. She stared at herself, confused at her different, much older appearance. 

I must be nearly five months old.

Pushing away her surprise, she lapped up some water and padded over to her makeshift den. The monotonous behavior had become routine.

As the full moon rose, something appeared. Alpine looked in wonder as a huge glow of radiant light came from farther down the ravine. She trotted over, curious.

She halted and stared in awe. What she had once thought were only rocks were truly crystals. The full moon made them glow, lighting up the ravine. She stepped closer. It's glow shifted from soft blue to a gentle purple.

She sat beside the glowing crystals, watching their radiance until she became exhausted. She headed back to her little crevice and slept, curling up in the dead grass and leaves she used to sleep on.

Alpine woke up to growling. She peeked her head out and saw two wolves circling each other, a dead rabbit lay near them. One had a patchy black pelt and a dark brown undercoat, and the other was gray with orange streaks. Her stomach growled, she hadn't eaten well in days. One wolf leapt on the other and they fought on the stoney ground.

Alpine slowly crept out of her den and snuck closer, shielding herself behind a large rock. The wolves were busy battling each other. She crept dangerously close to them, taking shelter behind every rock to stay out of view.

She reached out and pounced on the dead rabbit, seizing it in her jaws. She only now noticed how much bigger the wolves were than her, full grown and experienced. She whirled around and tore off. She heard angry growls and the patter of paws behind her. She pushed herself to hurry.

The wolves were right on her tail, driven by unbearable hunger. Alpine spotted an enormous boulder up ahead. She was quickly getting closer the massive stone. She squinted her eyes and flung herself upwards, scrabbling frantically to hold on and pull herself to safety.

The angry barks and snarls of her attackers were still behind her, far too close. She whined as she began to slip. She struggled, her muscles straining, desperately needing to pull herself to the top of the huge stone.

Finally, with one huge attempt, she hauled herself up. She stared down at the two wolves. They were snarling at her and jumping at the rock. Alpine looked at the carcass, then again at the hungry wolves. She ripped off the rabbit's plump hind legs and threw them to the wolves.

They snatched the meat and raced off. She watched them go, then leapt down from the rock and carried the rest of the rabbit carcass to her den. She ate it quickly, then looked out of the cave, at the massive pile of rocks she could use to escape. But this time, there was purpose in her gaze.

She needed to get out. But, in order to do that, she needed a plan.