It was nice under the trees. Dark and cool with plenty of wiggle room.

The wolf himself was a pale smudge between the trunks of the forest, his gait long and floating, devouring the ground in easy gulps. The shadows whispered wet promises of summer and black mud pooled by the bases of the pines. Hallr flirted with the idea of lying down as he trotted. He liked the idea of burrowing under the pine needles with the worms and the pill bugs. He decided he liked the idea so much that he slid to a graceful halt, his hindquarters brushing the needles.

A cold chill emanated from the soil beneath the orange covering, enticing Hallr to flop onto his side. Despite the hot sun burning above, the thick boughs of the pines blocked its heavy rays. Hallr groaned with pleasure as he rubbed his cheek through the mud and proceeded to turn onto his back and squirm, limbs flailing with a distinct lack of dignity. His roll finished, the wolf got to his paws and shook, heavy clods of dirt flying from his pelt. The mud left a thick streak along one side of his face and uneven patches decorated his back.

Resuming his jog, Hallr peered curiously through the seemingly unending woods, his tongue lolling from his jaws and trailing sticky ropes of saliva. “Where, oh where, could we be?” He asked aloud, chuckling. The days were a colorful blur, almost always including a playdate. Hallr grinned to himself; he really did love to play. Though now this wood seemed despairingly empty, with only Hallr’s own mind as company, and that just wouldn’t do.

“Where ARRREEE youuu?” Hallr sang to the woods, asking after no one, yet with eyes wide and expectant. His white fur stuck up in clumps where the mud had left its mark and his golden eyes had a peculiar gleam in them. A particularly large pine tree soon came into view, and the boy decided this to be the best place to stop for a moments rest. He sat between the protruding roots and gazed straight ahead through the forest, a slight smile remaining ever fixed on his muzzle.