Midnight Howls

What Surges Within

*chapter four*

[unedited]

-

I awoke the next morning alone, Phoebe nowhere in sight. I got up, stretched, and began sniffing for Phoebe's scent. I searched the whole cave but there were no fresh scent trails. She still hadn't returned. Worry coursed through me, I would die without her here, to teach me, to protect me. I couldn't protect myself, I could barely howl. Phoebe could fight for herself, but I knew her not returning by now was a bad sign.

I didn't know what had happened, but I wasn't going to wait to find out. I had to disobey her, I had to find her. I walked outside, getting ready to find her. It had been hours, so her scent trail would be faint, almost undetectable. It didn't help that everything was coated in a fresh blanket of snow. No wonder she hadn't wanted me to go hunting with her. I decided what I would do, I would find her. I couldn't risk getting lost again so I would rub my fur on every tree, making it easy to track my scent when I had to return.

I had left the cave a few hours ago, backtracking multiple times. Her scent was so faint, whenever the wind blew, it would throw me off track, misleading me in the wrong direction. I wanted to give up when an unmistakable scent hit my nose. It was Phoebe's, and it was strong. Maybe not fresh, but strong, from early this morning. I started to run, the scent getting stronger every step until a sour scent hit my nose. I looked down to notice the snow had changed colour. It was melted, and a dark reddish brown colour. I bent down to sniff it. It was sour, rusty, and metallic. It was the scent of blood, no. It was blood.

I started to run, pushing every single boundary until my muscles screamed, and my breathing got so fast and ragged that little black dots started to dance around, clouding my vision. I was furious, Phoebe was hurt, and I had to find her. My body begged me to stop, and I did after I ran half a kilometre. The scent of her blood was overbearing, and my heart pounded heavily in my chest. I looked ahead, the blood was everywhere, as if she has dragged her bleeding body through the trees. I walked slowly, scanning everywhere until I spotted her only a few meters away. I ran to her.

Phoebe lied on her side, her fur matted down from the slick, dark red blood that covered her. The blood was everywhere. Her blood was everywhere. I sunk down in the snow beside her.

"Phoebe?" I whispered.

"Artemis?" Phoebe mumbled.

"Yes. Phoebe, it's me, Artemis. Are you okay? What do I need to do?" I asked.

"Cave." She whispered, barely audible.

"Don't worry, I'll get you home," I whispered. I scanned her body, looking for the injury that was leaking blood. It was near her ribcage, and little spots covering her whole body. She must've been in a fight, been overpowered. The pack from the other day, they might've come back for revenge. It was my fault she was hurt. I had to get her home and get her there fast. I bit her scruff and began to pull, but she was too heavy. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get her there on time. I looked down at her when she breathed she would flinch from the pain. "I'm sorry, but I have to do this," I whispered to her. She opened one eye to look at me, then shut it.

I looked around, it was already dark out, some other predator would smell her blood and come looking for a free meal. I wouldn't be able to protect myself, let alone protect Phoebe. I spotted a rock and I climbed up it. There was a slim chance that what I was about to do would actually work, it would most likely get us both killed, or nothing would happen at all. I sat atop of the rock, staring at the moon. I was scared, more scared than I had ever been. All I had was Phoebe and her life was slipping away, fast. I knew what I had to do, and I was praying that the goddess Artemis, Phoebe named me after, would give me power.