Wassi scratched at the ground a bit before sniffing the dirt he had kicked up. A pink tongue poked out to taste it and he snorted in disapproval. No, there hadn't been any water int his river bed for a long, long time. All he could pick up was earth and the footprints of many hopeful creatures wandering down the empty bed, looking for a tiny stream trickling through the cracked dirt somewhere. He figured they were about as successful as he was.
He climbed up the bank and set out a call back to the sentry. He had to do this every five to ten minutes to let her know where he was. He could no longer see her, but if she didn't hear him then a whole search party would be sent out after him and he would be punished for trying to escape. That was the last thing he wanted right now, even though freedom was just a long run away.
No. The last battle that his pack had faced had left him with a very painful hind leg. He could no longer out run and out distance even a pup. Walking was excruciating, but he never let on to anyone. Weakness meant he was of no use, and that would be certain death at the hands of the queen. If you couldn't pull your weight, why would they bother to feed you?
He pressed on, looking for any signs of water or life. This area of the rouge lands had been pretty deserted for a while now thanks to the dry season, but they were on a hunting mission anyway to see if there was prey to be had or objects to be collected. He had been set to the task of assisting the scouts so they could save their energy to relay anything they found back to the pack. Waasi didn't think dust counted as something worth writing home about, though.
He finally stopped to give his leg a bit of a rest. It really was starting to bother him. They'd be out here since dawn, after all. At least it wasn't too hot of a day.
Tanakako
