Bob shook snow from his purple-striped fur and stepped onto the icy ridge. His tail hung low. The pack disappeared behind the pines.
Bob wandered alone through the snowy valley. His striped paws left faint prints in the powder. A bird called from a frozen branch above him.
He thought nobody was looking for him. He kept walking, his striped paws crunching through the cold.
Bob crouched near a snowdrift and heard a rustle. His ears perked up. A familiar orange tail flicked behind a pine tree.
His father stepped out from behind the tree. 'I found you,' he said softly. Bob's tail gave one quick wag.
Bob's father nudged his shoulder with his nose. Bob wagged twice. The pack's howl rose from the ridge above.
Snow crunched under their paws as they followed the ridge path back. Bob stayed close beside his father.
Purple stripes flashed in the warm firelight as the pack gathered around. Bob's tail wagged fast.