Part of the pack

I yawned and opened my eyes. Dusk. I watched the sun melt into the vibrant sky and slowly into darkness. Mother had already gone out hunting, so I put my head in my paws and whined.
I don't remember the pack clearly, or why we left.
But now we're on our own, mother's a lone wolf.
I was just about to drift off to sleep when I heard a shot which ricocheted through the forest alerting me to my senses: hunters. I had been warned about them but never did I think we'd come across them. I sprang up, panic and the overpowering instinct to run pulsed through me, out I galloped barely thinking of any logic other than get to mother, now. Landscape rushed past my eyes and I halted to a stop. I had seen something that made me howl like never before. She was dead.

There she lay, her body still warm, but lifeless. I sat down beside her knowing I should run but instead I let out a howl low and mournful. Mother was gone, now what? I had no one to turn to, everyone was an enemy. I believe I stayed there for hours pawing the soil of the cruel earth, it might have only been a few minutes, I was completely oblivious to time. Then, after however long I had been there, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew I was in the back of a moving van. I whined and felt the van shake to a sudden halt. The rusty back door was lifted open and I saw two men talking in hushed voices. I could only catch bits of the conversation but it was something to do with whether to kill me or keep me alive. I rather preferred the second option. I growled at them trying to sound menacing when really I was only a cub. Nevertheless, I decided I didn't want to hang around, just incase they picked the first option. I made a run for it and darted out of the mangey van and made a jolt for freedom into a busy market. I heard shouts and heavy footsteps behind me but that wasn't enough to dent my courage. It was do or die.

I looked around surveying the area for any close get aways, a small flap in part of a red brick house. I squeezed headfirst inside hearing confused cries outside. I lost them. But little time did I have to catch my breath as there stood before me, a strange creature, smaller than me, with pointed ears and a fluffy snake like tail. Whatever it was, something buried deep inside my instincts told me this wasn't a friend.
A blood-curdling hiss emerged from the ginger furball and it clawed its way towards me. I ran out of the kitchen and into the hallway where a door began to open, I took a step back. Not sure where to go. "Here Rover, I'm home!" A soft voice called but when she saw me she stood quite still for a moment, her mouth open as though she wanted to say something but not sure what. In the end she didn't say anything and edged over into the kitchen scooping up the angry, orange furball -why would anyone want to go near that thing?- she shut her eyes and opened them again as if checking I was real. She lowered the furball and knelt down facing me, inviting me to come to her. Something about how scared she was made me feel braver and I put a cautious paw forwards, then another and another until I was close to her. "I'm Yana," she whispered "and you are?" Yana said it as though she hadn't expected an answer and I cocked my head because I didn't know the answer. She smiled and just like that I got my name, "How about Silva? It means forest in Latin," I liked that so I wagged my tail a little. I noticed the furball slink sourly up the stairs. "Don't mind the cat, he doesn't like canines." So that's what it was I thought, a cat, strange being.

She gave me some food and I soon came to trust her. Yana often talked to Rover -the demonic cat- and me and asked questions to which she would receive no answers. I stayed the night in her wardrobe, keeping a cautious eye on Rover who slept on the end of Yana's bed. She kept on looking after me for 3 happy months -Rover and I learnt to avoid each other - by which time I was big and nearly full grown. One day once Yana got back from work, she said to me, "Your old enough to go home now, to the forest, where you belong." She seemed sad as she said it and I was sad too but I did want to go home deep down. That night -I had long since grown too big for the wardrobe - I knew I'd never see either of them again once I left and that made my heart ache but I knew that was the right thing to do.

Yana snuck me out the house early in the morning when no one had woken up. We ran to the forest knowing the consequences if we were found. In the forest it felt strange. I had only been four months old when I had last been there, yet I remembered. Yana gave me one last pat before walking away. Trees surrounded me and I felt unsure. I was no stranger to the forest yet I felt like one. Then a loud scream pierced through the woodland and one thought flashed into my mind -Yana. I ran faster than ever before, my paws pounding on the mossy surface and I saw her. A large mountain lion edged closer, growling, ready to attack, "Silva!" She cried and I threw myself at him digging my razor sharp teeth into him. The mountain lion yowled and swiped at me, I winced as his claws dug into my flesh and his jaws clamped onto my neck. And for a second I thought it was over, but only a second.

A chorus of howls echoed around and I saw a pack of wolves bounding forwards -my pack- they growled at him and he had no choice but to run. The pack greeted me as though I was never away. Yana ran towards me and examined my wounds "Silva, you saved me." I wanted to reply, 'its the least I can do' but of course I couldn't so I just nudged her affectionately. Yana stroked me and I knew it was time to part. I had found my pack and knew I was where I belonged.

THE END