The Lone Wolf

Howling could be heard as far as the horizon on a winter full moon night. The wolf pack just feasted on a full-grown bull and were howling with all their energy.

But since they didn't have a weather forecasting system, they were not aware about the snowstorm that was about to hit them. There wasn't a happy ending to the party.

Samuel got separated from the pack while they were trying to find a safe place to spend the night. He got hit by a falling branch and blacked out as he was staggering around.

He woke up and tried to remember why he was in this strange place, and it hit him hard on the face. He had to find his pack! He can't do much out here all alone, wolves depend on each other. He got up quickly and ran around without knowing where to go or what to do. He realized there no use of draining his energy like this, he needed to find a place to stay, food to eat and someone to help him.

The whole place was covered with snow and it was freezing. He just walked in one direction hoping to find something. The weather slowly got warmer as the sun started to rise. Well, Sam was in luck, for he spotted a horse. That means there must be food nearby unless the horse was lost too. Whatever be the case, he was excited to find another animal. So he ran to the horse.

"Woah, what's the hurry?", the horse asked as Samuel panted. "Nothing, only that I'm separated from my pack, I'm lost and I'm starving. Also, I need a friend. You know anyone good around here?", Samuel replied.

"Anyone good? Hmm, let me see... I'm pretty the much the best person I know, so..."

"Oh, get on with it, just tell me what to do."

"First of all, I'm Jack. I'm a horse."

"Yes, I can see you're a horse, I'm Samuel and I need to find my pack and get some food, if I didn't make it clear before!"

"You also said you needed a friend."

" Okay, fine, you're my friend. We're best friends. Can you please help me now?

"Alrighty Sammy, let's see what we can do about ya."

"Don't... Call... Me... That..." *growl*

"Hey, calm down! I'm the one helping you here"

Jack shows Sam a lake to drink from and leads him to a den to sleep in at night. He then brings him to a forest with deer in it, for eating. "I don't know why you won't eat plants like me; plants are healthy and tasty!" says Jack. "So are deer." replies Sam.

"Well, sure, but plants are more healt-"

"End of discussion"

Sam runs around the forest looking at everything.

"What, never seen a forest before?" Jack teases. "I have you fool. How do you think I'm gonna hunt these deer? Deer are really fast." Sam says.

"How did you do it before?"

"With my pack's help. I was their alpha."

"I'm your pack now, aren't I?"

"Oh, you're a genius Jack!"

"I know."

"Shut up."

Sam continues to explore this new forest and plans a strategy.

"Right after sunset, I will tear your skin slightly, just enough to make you bleed. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. You will go to the middle of the forest while I hide in the trees. Stomp your feet, whinny and lie on the ground as if hurt. The deer will gather to look at the situation and every one of them will be looking at you. Right then, I'll catch one of them. If all goes well, and it most probably will, I will have a good night's sleep." Sam instructed Jack.

"As you say Sammy, but just don't eat it in front of me, and don't eat me." Jack said.

"Don't call me Sammy."

"I expected a thank you."

Sam barks at a sleeping Jack,"Get up, sleepyhead! Remember the plan? We need to get to work!" "What? Oh yeah, work. What work?" replies a half-asleep Jack. Samuel tears a bit of Jack's skin near the hind legs. "What was that for?" Jack shouts. "Shut up, you'll alert the deer!"

Everything went as planned and Sam gets his deer.

"Tomorrow first thing in the morning, we look for my pack."

"Wait, why am I helping you? What's in it for me?"

"I will not eat you."

"I'm getting blackmailed by a wolf. Just great."

They called it a day since the day was already over anyway, and went to sleep.

They did start to look for Sam's pack in the morning, but they didn't have to go too far. They saw a wolf from his pack while they were walking.

It was Jennie.

"What happened? Why are you alone? Where's the pack?" asked Sam.

"They were taken by the storm," Jennie says, disappointing Sam.

"Oh."

"I'm sorry, I tried t-"

"There's no need, I don't blame you."

They howl for a while as Sam digests it all. The loss of a pack is like the loss of a part of yourself. At least Jennie made it though.

They go back to the place Jack showed Sam and decide to live there, it was the only choice they had. They didn't live exactly happily ever after, but you could say that. Jack was eaten by a lion and Jennie was killed by a herd of deer, so it was just Sam for a long time.

THE END.