As Kariba lifted her nose to the wind, a familiar scent hit her. The smell of a fellow wolf. Without a thought, she tore off after the scent, not hearing the small voice in her head telling her it might not be such a great idea.
When she got to where the source of the scent was, confusion riddled her face. There was a shimmering lake, and a giant boulder. Yet, the scent was as strong as if she were standing right next to a wolf. Quizzically, her gaze swept around the tiny clearing. As her eyes reached the boulder, she cocked her head. The boulder moved. Just slightly, enough that a hurried eye wouldn't see it. Yet ever so gently, the boulder shifted up and down, almost as if it was breathing...
Cautiously, Kariba inched towards the giant mass. As she looked closer, she could see what looked like fur on the boulder, moving with the breeze. Carefully, she sniffed. The fragrance of a male wolf wafted towards her. Ignoring the warning signs flashing in her head, she jumped onto her hind legs, letting her forepaws rest on what looked like the wolf's shoulder. Peering down, she saw a wolven face. As her gaze traveled down, she saw his paws, and the bracelet that circled it. Apparently, this wolf was in the same boat the rest of them were in. The main difference, of course, was this wolf could be mistaken for a boulder.
Suddenly, he twitched. Startled, Kariba jumped off his shoulder as he rolled over and lumbered to his feet. Bewildered, he stared at her. Frightened, she stared back. Apparently, he decided she wasn't a threat, because he sat back on his haunches, his eyes turning from confused to friendly.
"What's your name?" Kariba questioned, encouraged by the friendly light in his eye. Anxious, he whimpered, though in a whimper unlike most wolves. Cocking her head to the side, she glanced at the bracelet on his paw.
"Uhm, maybe your bracelet says?" She asked, gradually getting closer. Happily, he offered his paw to her, allowing her to read the few letters inscribed on the amulet. "Tank," she mumbled. Excited, he leaned forward, giving her cheek a quick lick before sitting back down, still without a word. Surprised, Kariba stared before muttering, "Uhm, I kind of ran off on the other wolves I was with, so maybe we should just stick around here and they'll find me. Er, us now."
Tank nodded, but all Kariba could do was stare. The wolf really was huge.