Cave’s Shadow

Cave's Shadow has been lost in the desert for months. He was traveling with his friends but after… the incident… he has not been able to find them. Are they even alive? Great. Now he's lost his cave, his pack, his family… now even his friends. What was he doing? His stomach growled, reminding him that he had not found food or water in a while. He knew that all he was now was skin and bones. What was that? He had been staring at the ground, just walking forward, but what was that? Something moved in the corner of his eye. He looked up… a wolf. What luck! But his gratitude quickly plummeted as he remembered all the other illusions he had seen. Oasis, prey, predators (although most of them were real), and now a wolf. He was about to continue when the wolf came running towards him and, before he knew it, pinned him to the ground. He looked up at the brown wolf and tried to wiggle free, but he knew he had no strength to escape. "Listen, I don't mean any harm. I'm dying of starvation and thirst. I can not fight you, let alone kill you." He said, closing his eyes as if expecting the wolf to kill him at that very moment. "I can see that now." The brown wolf said, stepping back and letting him go. He stood up, warily staring at the wolf. Why did their voice sound so weird? But then again, he had not been with any wolves for months. "Who are you?" He attempted a conversation, though expecting no reply. "My name is Zara. Yours?" The wolf said. Oh.
"I-I am Cave's Shadow."
"Oh, another weird name. From one of the Far Packs, I presume."
"Another weird name? Who else have you met?!" Was it his friends or family, he'd settle for anyone in his pack, really.
"Mountain's Summit."
He did not recognize that name. "Huh. How do you know them?"
"I am from a pack in the forest beyond the prairie right there." Zara gestured to the grasses just behind her. How had he been so blind?! Right there!
"Oh! That's… nice."
"Would you like to come? We can offer you food and water. We have a great supply."
"That would be great!" Zara turned around and he quickly followed. They eventually made it to their den. Well… den with other dens? "Mostly just for organization" he remembered Zara stating. Zara led him to the hole where they kept their prey and nodded to the furry, hairy, and feathery bodies. He immediately started eating a bird. He felt a weird feeling as he ate. He could not tell what it was. He did not care. Zara was his world now.

As he closed his eyes for the last time, he felt his spirit lift. When he found himself in a world unknown… he was himself. He thought his own thoughts… and he could speak! Oh, how he longed to speak for the longest time! What happened to him? Was he dead? He didn't care if he was dead. He was himself. He could moved his own body, feel the strange grass touch his fur for the first time in years! He could found the other wolves in his pack who had died. He spoke to him, able to use his own words. The best thing was, these wolves who had died, knew the him that had been lost for so long. He could finally be free… Free…. Freeee…. He loved how that word felt on his tongue. Free…

The best word.