1. Starting Out...
A lone wolf stands at the edge of a forest, a cool breeze wafting through the trees, blowing orange and yellow leaves to the ground. It is dusk, and darkness is near on this mid-autumn day. The wolfs head hangs low, as he ventures into the forest alone. Unsure of what lies before him, and unsure of just how he ended up here in the first place. Still wishing he was back with his family, but knowing that is impossible now. The terrain is new and unfamiliar. This is the first time he has been away from familiar ground. His family had always patrolled their territory, and those forests and foot hills were familiar to him. But out here, he is unsure what is around the next corner. Roady ventured on, going over the last days events in his memory. As darkness falls, he realizes that he has to put that behind him and pay attention. He is hungry and needs to find some food. But he also needs to pay attention. He had heard rumors of another wolf pack in the area. Sniffing for scents or food, Roady continues on along a worn path. The freshly fallen leaves crunching below his paws. A sweet smell arouses Roadys attention. Following his nose, he finds a grape vine. He begins to excitedly harvest grapes with his teeth, pulling at the grape vines, and breaking clusters of grapes free, as he savors the sweet juices of the fruit. Unaware of just how much noise he is making, he continues to pillage the wild grape vine until he hears some movement from nearby. Freezing in place, grapes hanging from his jaw, Roady quietly looks around. The darkness and shadows play tricks on him from every direction. Hearing nothing he drops the grapes and turns around, away from the grape vine, to face the sound he had heard. Sniffing the air for animal scents is not working too well, as his nose is overwhelmed with the smell and taste of sweet grapes. He knows he heard something, but can't see anything. He begins to prowl around the area, circling out from the grape vine. He hears a twig snap behind him. Growling, he swings around, but again sees nothing. He scratches his head, then proceeds to investigate towards where he had heard the sound. He begins to smell an unfamiliar scent. The scent, bitter-sweet smelling, gets stronger the closer he gets to an old dead log. Roady sniffs at the log, but finds it only smells like damp rotting wood. Confused he looks around. A shadow moves in the corner of his eye, and Roady growls and decides to pounce into the unknown darkness. Landing in the midst of a thorn bush, he yelps, as the shadow quickly scurries off. He spends the next several minutes picking thorns from his body, as the bitter-sweet smell fades away, leaving him with the smell of rotting wood on one side, and the sweet smell of grapes from the grape vine.