Avrailum

My very being was founded on the resilience of my older brother. My brother started caring for me since I was a young pup ever since our pack had succumbed to a deadly illness. My brother took me away before the illness spread to him and I. He did his best in trying to raise me and for being an adolescent, most would consider that he did exceptionally well. However things changed during one fateful encounter...

The night covered us in a blanket of warm air as the crickets singed, the frogs croaked and the fireflies danced. Underneath the shelter of a large tree, my brother slept soundly as his body curled around me. My legs itching to move as I watched the fireflies float around in the night sky. My brother said that fireflies carried the thoughts of wolves that have passed away and if you watch them long enough they can temporarily heal a grieving heart. I carefully moved away from my brother and out onto the open field where the fireflies were dancing. I watched them as they gracefully moved about, their glow brightening and darkening rhythmically. Soon, I quickly found myself surrounded by fireflies and tears began to well up as I looked up at them and the stars. The fireflies' gentle glow bounce off my coat as I enjoy their company and think back to happier days.

As I admired them I caught a silhouette from the corner of my eye. I look directly at the figure that stood from across the field. Then the figure made its way towards me and I froze as it approached , not knowing exactly what to do. As it got closer its identity became clear, a malnourished coyote. My brother said never to befriend one and that I haven't grown into my paws enough just yet to deal with them.

However this one seems different. He wobbles and trips over his own paws, his movements are erratic and unpredictable. Almost like he has no control of his body. I raised my hackles to make myself look bigger and I let out my fiercest growl. "Go away, you aren't so tough!" I snarled. The coyote lunged forward with teeth bared but I was able to dodge it with ease. Now with his back facing me. His left ear started furiously flicking back and forth repeatedly. I curl my lips and lunge for his heels but he stumbles forward, then back as his haunches collapse to the ground and he swings his jaws back towards me. Giving a chilling snap of his jaws. I quickly back up and pull my ears back with worry and concern. Soon fear starts pricking and prodding at my fur, whispering in my ear to run. I then realized that my tail was now tucked between my legs and a cold icy feeling shoots through my veins. I start to back away as the coyote gives me a cold, empty stare, ears pricked and foam starting to show from the crevices of his lips. Suddenly I tripped over a rock. I scrambled to get up as the coyote made another attempt to lunge with jaws wide open.

I close my eyes tightly and flatten my ears firmly against my head as I braced for a bite. Then out of nowhere I hear a fierce snarl followed by a sharp yelp. I opened my eyes to see my brother over me with the coyote firmly in his jaws. Teeth glistening in the moonlight and blood drizzling the ground as I listen to the sound of teeth ripping into flesh. The coyote starts to squirm in his grasp and manages to latch onto his shoulder. My brother let out a yelp through clenched teeth before giving the coyote a fatal, crushing bite. I watched as whatever was left of the coyote slipped away and his grip on my brother's shoulder started to loosen.

He drops the now lifeless coyote and turns to look at me with worry in his eyes and blood dripping out from his mouth and shoulder. He doesn't utter a word, but instead puts his paw around me as I buried my face into his fur as the fireflies continue to dance around us like nothing had happened. 

Then several days later....I found myself staring up at the glistening white teeth from the wolf that was once my brother but now just a mere shell of him.