Little Wolf, Big Ordeal CH. 4
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Day number three arrived, and it took a stone-cold northern wind along. The moment the little wolf opened his eyes, all he wanted to do was get warm, so he got moving. He noticed that his steps weren't as confident and energetic as before, and both his ears as well as his head hung low, as if he were on the hunt once more. Of course he should go hunt to get some yummy in his tummy, but he could barely pick up his own scent; his nose was numbed from the cold. He tried to climb over a fallen log, but kept sliding down. After two tries, he simply went the other way. The little wolf was in no mood to take on a challenge anymore.
So the little wolf continued, wandering through the forest, searching for easy prey and getting more and more lost. Every step he took sapped away more of his strength. He felt like sleeping, even though the sun had barely reached its apex. Images of his parents and his brothers and sisters clouded his mind like a thick fog. He tried to concentrate to chase them away, but the little wolf could not stop wondering what they would think if they saw him like this.
Just when he thought he would simply flop down on the snow, a scent strong enough even he could notice it wafted towards him. It wasn't a pleasant smell, but it did contain some hint of a meaty aroma. His stomach gave out an irritated growl as he started following it.
He came upon a marshy clearing, where the stench of the bog mingled with the stench of a carcass lying in a bed of half-frozen mud. It had probably been there for a long time, because the little wolf had difficulty identifying which animal lay before him. He wrinkled his nose. Two eagles were sitting on it, tearing off scraps of meat as if food was going out of fashion. If the little wolf weren't fast, there would be nothing left of the carcass. Then again, he wasn't sure he even wanted to eat such nasty meat.
But he had no choice. The little wolf barked and closed in on his "prey." With a screech, the eagles fluttered away and landed on a tree somewhere near. Seeing the meat up close, the little wolf's stomach churned. Insects had also claimed their share. A black cloud of flies hovered above and white maggots squirmed around in the carcass's fleshy parts. The little wolf had to take a moment to brace himself. Then he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, pushed his head through the flies and took a bite.
It tasted even worse than it looked! The little wolf wanted to swallow it instantly, but the scrap was too big. He chewed and chewed, spreading out more of the rotten taste over his tongue. At last he swallowed. The taste lingered. He let out a nasty burp, trying to hold the meat in. He succeeded at that, but only barely.
_Enough!_thought the little wolf. It was definitely not a good idea to eat this. Turning away from the carcass, he sloshed through the bog towards the treeline again. Alas, he made it but halfway. His head was spinning. His stomach was a wild ocean. With a splash, the little wolf fell down into the bog.