Stay together for a while
You don't talk, but he follows you as you continue your journey through the forest. You don't know where you're going, and you don't think he knows why he's following you, but it's better than walking alone. You have an agreement, not needed to be spoken with words. He sleeps with you in whatever shelter you find, always close, but not too close. You share what you find to eat; toads, mice, rats. He's never far away, but never close either. You're just glad to have company. In dark, cold nights, he lays closer to the fire. You on one side, him on the other. Neither of you talk, but it works.
Some nights, when thunder is crackling and the rain is loud, he sings. You pretend not to hear, while actually listening very closely. His voice is deep, practiced, controlled. His song is wordless, but it has so much emotion behind it you find yourself crying silently every time you hear it. It's the same song, the same wordless song, every night. It's dark, melancholic, broken. Lonely, you realise one night. He's been lonely too. You wonder how long he's been out here by himself, how many days he's wandered aimlessly around. You sit closer by him, enjoying the presence of a human near you. It's nice.
You're shocked when the first snow falls. You realise you have to either find somewhere to stay, permanently, or travel quickly to avoid the snow storms ahead. The weather grows colder, rain turns into sleet and the nights turn freezing. You lay close to each other now, not quite touching, but close enough to take advantage of each other’s heat. You find yourself having another wordless agreement, one must keep awake to keep the fire alive. Every night you switch.
The snow grows thicker every day, and you see that he's worried. You are too. It's getting harder to find food. You have to find nests of animals in hibernation, or smash the ice on the lakes to catch fish. You're both starving and exhausted, but you need to keep going. There's nothing else to do.
Written by AnxiousRomeo on 15 October 2017