~Into The Woods~

Lyn woke up, she had fallen asleep when her mother had told her story of becoming the Kings of the domains and Grandfather. Lyn had always wanted to know about the WideWorld. She loved knowledge, and she was thirsty for it. So when she missed a chance to learn something, it was not let go of easily. She wanted more of the WideWorld and the adventures of her grandfather. And why weren't the wolves kings anymore? Hugo had cut Mother off during her story about Grandfather, and Lyn was very interested, more so than normal.

Where did he go?

Is he still alive?

What was his name?

What did he look like?

When she asked her mother it was ignored. As were all their questions about outside the Hollow, she told them to go play and then staring sadly at them. Mother was weird, Lyn loved her weird mother, however annoying it was to be ignored. It was early morning, and the first weak rays of sun peeked into the Borrow illuminating her orange fur. She rolled over so the sun warmed her back. She lay there thinking about Grandfather. Perhaps if I found him he could answer my questions. But how would she get out? She lay and listened to the birds as they flew around as they pleased. If I was a bird I would go and find Grandfather. She loved her Burrow and her mother and father, but oh how she would love to see and know all about the WideWorld, and she never would if she stayed in the Hollow. She kept listening, more birds, snoring, quiet paw steps and then a lapping of water followed. That must be Father! she thought and got to her paws. I am pretty hungry, hope he brought back a crayfish or something! but when she was at the entrance of the Burrow she sniffed the air. Only the scent of dew, her father, and all the birds that peered into the Hollow lingered in the early spring air, so he’s going hunting, wow! I'd love to hunt, she thought wistfully. Maybe I should go out and see how Father does it! Then I can catch prey and Mother will have to let me out into the WideWorld! Her muzzle stretched into a wide smile as she dreamed about this glorious thought. And I’ll take Hugo as well. I'd never hear the end of it if I went without him. She woke her brother, who was sleeping with his rump in the air. She almost woke Mother with her giggles, and they quietly tiptoed out of the den. Father was still lapping at the pond and then lifted his head to the early morning sky above. His red orange pelt glowing as the sun peeked out from behind a cloud. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and sighed comfortably, and slowly moved towards the break in the brush lining the Hollow. Lyn felt a large bubble of excitement swell inside her chest. This is it! We're going into the WideWorld! Lyn and Hugo followed their father as quietly as a young kit could when they took their first steps into the WideWorld. But as it just rained, the soil was soft and squishy, which helped muffle their clumsy paw steps. Father seemed to have a path he was following. It looked well trodden and used. There were ferns and other strange plants lining the edges and in some places there would be small stony cliff faces covered in dripping moss just waiting to be climbed. But of course if they tried, Father would surely find them. Lyn was stopping every so often to look at a strangely shaped rock or fungus, and then would ask Hugo in a hushed voice what he thought it was or if he knew anything about it. Of course she was disappointed. Once she had found an odd caterpillar crawling over a leaf. It was orange and fuzzy. Both its head and its rump were orange and Lyn wasn’t sure what was what. Lyn had just spotted a peculiar looking mushroom on the other side of the path Father was following, and angled her ears at it to show Hugo where she was going. Hugo nodded and crouched down, telling Lyn to do the same. She crept across the path, careful not to disturb any plants so her father wouldn't find her. Halfway in between her father's trail, a small oak tree grew out of a pile of rocks. Lyn went to check it out, but more excited about the tree, she didn’t pay attention to where she was stepping.

Snap!

She had stepped on a fallen branch. Father looked over his shoulder, ears pricked and sniffed the air for the scent of whatever had made the noise. Lyn’s scent, disguised by the smell of fungi and tree sap, wasn’t easy to pick up. Plus the wind was blowing Father’s scent towards her and not away. More cautiously now he moved on across the path. Lyn and Hugo looked around one more time at the leaves and bushes, none of which they had ever seen before following him onwards. A squirrel was rooting around the roots of a beech tree, and robins tweeted in the treetops. I hope we can see some real hunting soon, she thought eagerly. Now the sun was high in the sky and thin rays reached the forest floor, turning the dark leaves a bright yellow green color. After following Father for almost twenty more minutes, the fox kits began to get tired. After some searching they found a nice moss covered dip in the ground, shaded by tall arching ferns and a couple of tall towering and twisting oaks, their limbs spread out shading the ground around them. They curled up and were fast asleep.