The River Chapter Two

Chapter two1

The pattering of the rain on the top of the cave awoke me before Mika could. I saw her sitting at the cave’s mouth looking so small against the downpour. I padded up and sat next to her.2

“Hi Mika!” I yipped.3

“Oh hey Roco didn’t know you where awake” 4

“I am surprised you didn’t wake me” 5

“The rain always makes me sleepy” she yawned. “Where’s mom?” 6

“Still sleeping” I told her glancing towards the back of the cave. “Mika?”7

“Yea?”8

“Do you ever wonder why we don’t live in a pack?” I asked her thinking of the howling I had heard yesterday. She shrugged.9

“Not really, I guess mom didn’t really like living in one” 10

“Yea I guess that’s it” I murmured but I couldn’t push out the image of mom’s sad eyes when I asked her why we didn’t live in a pack. We sat in silence for a moment listening to the pounding rain. 11

“Want to go play?” Mika asked breaking the silence. 12

“Sure!” I yipped leaping to my paws. Cautiously I glanced back at mom and saw her sleeping quietly her sides rising and falling. 13

“Come on” Mika whispered and I followed her out of the cave. My paw's pattered against the slick wet stone pathway yet I managed to keep my balance. “So what do you want to do?” I asked her as soon as my paws landed on solid ground. She shrugged. 14

“I don’t know, it can’t be a loud game that’s for sure” Well all of our games were basically loud so that left us with nothing to do. 15

“Hey look at that!” Mika yipped motioning with her nose to a large animal that was feeding just across the river. We bounded closer to get a better look. 16

“I think it’s an Elk” I whispered “see the antler-branches coming out of its head?” 17

“Yea!” She breathed then gave a start. 18

“What is it?” I asked her. 19

“A fish just made a leap out of the river” She said. I padded closer to the river and peered into its swirling depths. A small silver fish leapt straight out of the water under my nose, I gave a yip of surprise and leaped back. 20

“I guess everything is leaping around this early in the morning!” Mika said “including you Roco!” 21

“Hey!” I protested “you would have been surprised to!” 22

“I am never surprised!” She growled playfully. 23

“How about now?!” I yipped leaping at her. She jumped to the side and I skidded across the mud. 24

“Maybe we shouldn’t be playing so close to the river” She said nervously glancing at how close we where standing to the fast waters. 25

“Oh stop acting like mom!” I yipped launching myself at her. 26

“Roco no!” Mom’s howl broke through my yip of excitement. Mika leapt to the side and I landed where she had been standing. For a second I didn’t know what the problem was until I felt the unsecure ground near the river give way and I plunged into the rivers freezing water…..27