It was the sound of the birds that awakened the body curled on top of a soft bed of moss and grass. The sun slowly peaked over the horizon and its rays drew in gentle light into the enclosed space. All was peaceful. The person, a young male, stretchched his unused bones before yawning a bit. He sat up and smelled the more ning air.  It was fresh and sent a delightful shiver down the boys spine. He got up and out of the den to use the bathroom. After doing his business, he crouched down and shifted. The tug and shifting on his bones was painless and before anyone knew it, he was on four paws. He could smell the air ten times better this way and now could pick up the sent of a few deers around.

 

Hunting was easy for the wolf. He was quick to spot a prey and analyze a strategy to attacking it. His claws shred away the skin and his teeth sunk into the flesh. He didn't like much blood on him as it was a hassle to clean out of his fur so he kept the skin shredding simple. Once he was done he would drink by the river bank and then roam the wild forest. 

 

Sometimes, the wolf would go to his favorite spot on the mountains. Where the flowers bloomed and the birds sang. Their voices echoing leisurely as bounced from tree to tree. The overlook scooped out a big section of the forest giving a picture perfect view. In the distance, beyond the forest, the wolf boy could see small brown squares. He always wondered what they were and what they are doing there. Sometimes smoke would come out of them in the cold season and other times they were just there. Solid and unmoving.

 

Before his pack had been attacked and destroyed, he had asked his parents about them.

 

"Don't even go beyond the forest." His father would say. "You have everything you need right here. The forest is your home. Your shelter and protection. You need nothing more then what's here." 

 

Those words still stuck to him but curiosity was hard not to follow when you could see the brown squares every day. Today though he would not go up the mountain to the cliff side. Instead, since it was blooming season, he would scope out any berries. He put his nose down to the ground and began sniffing out the fruity aroma of berries.

 

Maybe it was because he was so caught up on the sent of berries or maybe it was because he never smelled anything like it before but he soon bumped into something hard, knocking him right to the ground. Groaning, the wolf looked up to see a brown wall.  What was this. ? It smelled like a dead oak mixed with other substances. The smell terrified him. Did someone harm a tree to make this ? Who would do such a thing ? Nature was a friend that everyone should respect. 

 

Frowning, the wolf sniffed all around the oak wall to realize it was connected to other oak walls. Four of them stood tightly bound like a shelter of some sort. He even found a opening in one. Cautious of going in, the wolf sniffed around for any danger before he took a step forward.

 

"They're moving in, in a few days. Best to clear out today."

 

The wolf froze at the voice. The feeling of danger set in and he quickly scurried face away from the dead oak shelter. As he made it back to his den, he couldn't help but wonder what those voices were. And whose home was he trespassing.

 

.

 

A few days later, it was a cool spring day. The wind blowing every now and then made the wolf boy wag his tail happily as he ran though the forest. He was chasing his lunch. A large male hare that was quick on its feet. He almost caught it too until it jumped out of the forest and into the unknown territory. The wolf stopped and the rabbit did the same when it noticed its predator frozen. The wolf boy was at lost here. He didn't want to go back to the nature hating place but his lunch was trying to escape. He sure wouldn't find a hare like this for a while so he should be grateful and eat it now.