Inevitable

Cold, white, and blue, filled my world, freezing my breath and turning it into miniature clouds. Crisp, drifted snow crunched beneath my feet, and an indifferent sun shone down, reflecting off the winter blanket blinding me. Still, I trudged on.
At the edge of my vision, a lone wolf slunk into the trees. Hunger griped the mangy creature, shrinking it’s flanks. He’d reappear behind me, and pounce, extinguishing his remaining fuel. Only one would continue, victorious, the other, sinking into a warm, uninterrupted sleep.
A north wind arose and lifted my fur, exposing my tender pink skin. I leapt forward, landing beside a leafless willow. I took a moment to gnaw on the frozen bark, refueling my dwindling strength.
Refreshed, I moved on. An uprooted tree lay across my trail. Its heavy trunk felled smaller trees, creating a refuge. I hopped beneath the branches and needle-free bows, waiting, wondering if the sun would rise again.
The wolf approached, his sides heaving, saliva dripping from his open mouth. He sniffed the ground around my sanctuary, pawed at the snow, but the trees kept me safe. Exhausted, he crumpled to the frozen ground. Darkness drove the light away and I closed my eyes. I’d sleep a little and continue on when a new sun arose.
The seasons changed and a bright spring sun caressed the frozen land. Beside a pile of rotting trees, a lone gray wolf hid his nose beneath his flank and slept the eternal sleep. Under the rotting trees, huddled a snow-white jackrabbit, its eyes closed, its trembling nose stilled.
A thin, brown grizzly stretched his massive body, yawned, then, sluggishly, climbed from his lair beneath an uprooted tree. He glanced around in search of food.