wolf

She had found only a few berries that she knew not to be poisonous, but it seemed to take ages just to gather a couple of handfuls, and after consuming them she only felt hungrier.

She began glancing around warily, as though someone were following her a little too closely. But surely there was no one... right? Night was rapidly approaching and she didn't like the idea of navigating her way back in the dark, so she hastily decided to head to the cave despite her hunger.

She followed the landmarks she had observed on the way out- a particularly tall tree, a jagged rock, a decaying log. She was relieved to see the cave on the horizon, proving she hadn't entirely lost her way. When she arrived to the mouth of the cave, she felt suddenly alert- something was different. She couldn't place it exactly- a smell, perhaps, or a shift in the air. She squinted into the cave, trying to make out what could explain her unease. It was probably nothing. She took a step closer, and glanced down to place her footing on the uneven ground. When she looked up, she froze. Her heart pummelled in her chest as her brain registered that the two sharp, yellow eyes she stared into belonged to a wolf.

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RUN, she told herself, RUN! Yet her feet didn't move. And, curiously, neither did the wolf. It was staring at her intently, but it was neither growling nor approaching her. The wolf's eyes were almost... inquisitive. Could it be...? She swallowed; her mouth felt as dry as the desert air. Still frozen in place, her mind racing, she finally found her voice.

"Are... are you my guide?"

The wolf kept its eyes locked on her for an excruiciating moment longer before closing its eyes briefly and bowing its head into a single, nearly imperceptable nod.