It was cold.

Why was it so cold...?

Where were his littermates? Where was Mother? He let out a whimper, opening his eyes. He wasn't in the den... where was he? He stumbled up onto trembling paws as he let out another whine, louder this time. With shaky steps, he made his way out of the brush, searching desperately for anything familiar. He was hungry and cold and scared. Why was he alone??? He let out a panicked yip as he picked up his pace, wandering aimlessly through the woods. 

He tired himself quickly, finally slowing to a stop at the edge of a stand of alders. He sat there, confused and alone, crying out for his mother. Every noise of the forest felt louder now, scarier. Every shadow felt like a looming threat. How was he meant to survive without his mother? To begin with, he was smaller and weaker than his littermates. And now he was alone. As the cold seeped back into his skin, he took a deep breath. He felt... exhausted. He shouldn't have run around so much... What if Mother came looking for him? How was she meant to find him now? And what if something wanted to eat him? He was far too tired to get away. Certainly, if any hungry creature came across him, he would become their next meal. He needed to hide... His mother would come for him. She had to.

He tottered over to some strong-smelling, broad-leaved plants. They grew quite thickly together, and he nestled himself beneath their foliage. Hopefully, this would be enough to hide him from predators for the night. Though he found the pungent aroma quite unpleasant, this was his best bet if he wanted to remain hidden. He curled up tightly, resting his tail over his face as he tried to regain warmth. Exhausted from the stress and panic of the evening, he fell into an uneasy rest. He could only hope that he would be able to find his mother soon. 

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The woods always felt peaceful at this time of day. Perhaps he was getting on in years, but Mr. McKay always did enjoy a good walk at twilight. He wouldn't let his aching joints stop him from soaking in the tranquility of the evening. Besides, he had promised Mrs. Presley that he would find her some wild garlic when he had been over for dinner a few nights ago. That girl had always been too kind to him since his wife had passed. He really did appreciate her goodness, but she always refused to let him pay her back. She 'was just being a good neighbor,' or 'it would have gone to waste anyway.' She always had a friendly excuse and a smile on her face when he tried to express his gratitude. 

So when she had mentioned that she was running low on a few wild herbs, he had been more than happy to offer to help. Fortunately, he knew of a good patch of ramsons by an alder thicket, and it wasn't too far out of his way. He hummed as he strolled through the twilit woods. The cold light of dusk filtered through the leaves overhead, the last threads of daylight just barely lingering in the air. He would have to make this quick. He finally came upon the alder grove, satisfied to see a healthy cluster of the wild garlic waiting for him.

He knelt down gently, setting his basket down next to him as he began to harvest some of the plants. Mrs. Presley would surely make good use of these. That girl was quite the cook, but she really did have her hands full, being a widow at her age, and having to take care of her homestead and children all on her own. It really was such a shame that her husband died so soon... Luckily, daemon attacks had been getting far less frequent these days. And, she had neighbors like him to help whenever she needed. Just as he was pulling away a few leaves, his thoughts were interrupted by a small sound coming from below.

*Grrr...*

Mr. McKay blinked, startled by the tiniest of growls coming from beneath the ramsons. He pushed aside one of the plants, only to see the tiniest, fuzziest little thing glaring up at him. It was... a pup, of some kind. It couldn't have been more than a few weeks old. The poor thing was shaking, yet it still puffed up its fur and bared its tiny teeth at him in an attempt to scare him away.

"Oh dear, what are you doing here, little pup?" He spoke gently, reaching for it slowly. It backed away from him, trembling and growling louder. He couldn't help but smile at its show of ferocity. "Yes, yes, very scary. I won't hurt you, alright?" He said softly, halting his movements. "Where's your mother...?" He murmured. This didn't look like a nest of any kind... there were no signs of any life other than this tiny pup. "Poor thing... you must be freezing..." He spoke gently. He couldn't help but pity the poor creature. It was probably abandoned... it did look quite weak. Perhaps it was a runt. He pulled his hand back, and the pup started, growling louder. Fear twinkled in its eyes as he retrieved something from his pocket. 

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Hush, hush now... it's just a little treat... you must be hungry, hm...?" He slowly moved his hand back toward the creature, offering it a small piece of cheese. Its nose twitched softly, and it looked at the cheese warily. 

Mr. McKay smiled. "Go on, then, little thing." He said softly. "I won't hurt you." Though the little creature was still bristling, its eyes betrayed its hunger. It was close to being convinced. With a small chuckle, he gently placed the cheese down. "How about now, hm?"

The pup's eyes darted between him and the cheese for a couple of moments, before it hesitantly crept forward. It finally snatched the cheese up, licking and gumming at it a couple of times before spitting it out. It tried again a few more times, and Mr. McKay sighed softly as he watched. As he suspected, the thing was probably still of nursing age. It really only had a few teeth in... This little pup surely wouldn't be able to survive on its own. 

Slowly, he reached his hand back to it, stroking the little kit's back. It froze, puffing up and growling again. He chuckled warmly, but he didn't stop. "Darling thing... you're freezing." He said softly, running his fingers gently over its fuzzy coat. The small thing began to relax, though it still eyed him warily. Slowly, it turned its attention back to the cheese, sniffing at it once more. 

Mr. McKay chuckled softly. "Little thing..." He spoke gently, careful not to spook the poor creature as he continued to stroke its fur. With a sigh, he pulled back his hand. He really should be heading back to the village soon... It would be too dark to see in a bit. "...do you want to come back with me?" He said softly, knowing full well that the little cub wouldn't understand his words. He reached his hand back out toward the pup, which stiffened again, though it did not growl this time. He couldn't help but feel protective over this little creature. It surely would not survive without its mother... and it was too young to be harmful, really. He could easily take care of it... it had been a number of years since he had last raised a puppy, and he did miss the companionship. He began to pet its soft back once more. "Hm? What do you think, pup?" he said gently, smiling kindly at the little creature.

Its tiny eyes twinkled up at him, growing more curious than wary. It made some little sounds in response to being pet, and Mr. Mckay felt a little tug at his heart. In that instant, his mind was made. He gently scooped up the creature, which made a small noise in protest, wriggling in his grip. He chuckled warmly, crooning softly to the little beast. "Hush, hush now... it's alright... I won't hurt you. you are safe with me." He murmured, holding the creature close to his chest. He picked up his basket, with its meager harvest of wild garlic, and tucked its handle into the crook of his elbow. He stood up, holding the little beast firmly to himself, tucking the edge of his jacket over the poor thing to try and warm it some. It wriggled, growling and nipping at his fingers in an attempt to escape his grasp. Though it did not have many teeth, the ones it did have were sharp, and Mr. Mckay winced as he tried to ignore the way its teeth pinched at his skin.

He began heading back to his cottage, whispering gently to the little pup the whole way. Eventually, it settled down, clearly appreciating the warmth he managed to lend it. It was just a baby, after all, and it eventually fell asleep against him. The little creature was far too precious for its own good. He was very glad to have found it. It probably would have died out here, all alone in the woods like this, if he hadn't found it. He rubbed softly behind its ears as it snoozed away in his arms.

Besides... it had been rather quiet in his home, now that his wife was gone. Perhaps this was just what he needed. Plus, his grandson, Anthony, would be coming to stay with him in a few months. He would probably appreciate having a pup like this for a playmate. Mr. Mckay remembered his own days as a youngster fondly, romping through the woods with a dog at his heels, not a care in the world. And... yes, this little thing wasn't quite a dog, but... it was certainly something similar, a fox or a wolf... and raised from such a young age, it would likely be tame as a beast could be. Really... where was the harm in showing a bit of kindness to such an unfortunate little creature? He continued on his way, his mind firmly set. He would raise this little beast up knowing nothing but love and happiness. That way, neither of them would have to be alone again.