This story is part of the Wanderer series.
Night fell. The forest became pitch black. Under a small clearing, Rin and Nozomi were nestled into their sleeping bags. Laying on their bellies, facing the campfire, they both silently stared at the waving flames, deep in thought.
Nozomi, chin rested on top of her crossed forearms, eventually readjusted herself, tucking her chin behind her arms.
“Why do people hurt other people?”
Only the crackling flames responded to her. Rin stayed silent, head propped above the ground with an arm, cheek pressed into her palm.
Eventually, a deep, gruff voice answered Nozomi from the darkness.
“Why do humans care about upholding high morals?”
Both girls flinched. The voice came from in front of them. Raising their heads, they glanced around the clearing. It did not take long for them to hone in on a source. A pair of glowing moons at the edge of the darkness. Adjusting their eyes, a large wolf beast appeared around the glowing moons. Gray pelted, it was resting its head on top of its paws, similar to the girls a moment ago.
Upon seeing the wolf, their eyes widened. Both girls abruptly drew back out of their sleeping sacks, sitting up onto their rears.
“Uu-waahhh!” Rin squealed in a rising pitch.
“Wahhh!”
Nozomi flung her arms around Rin and squeezed her tight, keeping her eyes locked on the wolf. The wolf did not move, simply following the girls with its eyes.
Rin reached a hand up to grip Nozomi’s arm, but otherwise stayed frozen after her initial scream, unsure what to do. She was not sure if the wolf beast was the source of the voice, but she knew it was a potential danger. Nozomi’s reaction, on the other hand, was more immediate.
“A talking dog!”
There was a short and succinct rumble deep under the wolf’s throat. Like a growl, but more dismissive than aggressive. A scoff, as the wolf closed its eyes and slightly turned its head away.
“I am not a dog,” it retorted with a hint of irritability.
writing in progress