THE UNBOUNDED

In this chapter, a pup takes his first steps—not just with his legs, but into the vast, aching landscape of life.

A mother appears in a form he never expected, and the call of instinct echoes across generations.

The family gathers... and so do the wolves.

—Kamran217

 The First Mother

In the twilight of early dawn, the old dog rose.

He gently pulled The Unbounded from beneath his son's neck and set off—not toward the forest, but toward the plains.

He walked... without pause, until he reached a meadow at the far end of the plain—the place where the doe lived.

The old dog saw the doe playing with her fawn. He approached and laid The Unbounded gently on the ground.

The doe noticed the pup—a small body, clearly hungry. So she lay down beside him and gently licked him. Then, with a warm glance, she gestured toward her own child.

The fawn saw him too—spotted, just like himself and his mother—and the sight made him happy.

The mother doe drew The Unbounded into her embrace.

He drank too—eagerly, joyfully—the milk of the loveliest mother in the plain.

And that day became the beginning of his new life—

a pup with a dead mother, left in the snow, a tiny body freezing in the loneliness of cold.

But perhaps he hadn't been so alone.

Someone had heard his silent cry and taken him up in their teeth...

carried him into a forest that may have been dark—

but found him a place in the arms of the sun.

That night, until dawn, he was never alone.

And now, in the lush green meadow, under the light of the sun,

he was trying to rise—trying to walk.

The fawn circled him constantly, cheering him on.

The old dog and the mother doe watched them in silence.

Perhaps, behind their eyes, an old memory stirred—

a time when they, too, had taken their very first steps.

From the lower end of the plain, two young dogs were approaching.

The girl—driven by a fierce desire to win—burst into a run.

Or maybe, she just truly loved to run.

Her older brother and sister joined them.

The girl stood beside The Unbounded and saw her father and the mother doe encouraging him to rise.

Sun trotted over to the fawn and playfully nudged him.

The girl, however, sat down gently and slipped her paw beneath her little brother's belly.

She lifted him slightly, helping his legs straighten—guiding him to feel what it meant to stand.

With her head tilted, her tail trembling, and her curious eyes fixed on him, she watched to see what would happen.

They were in that quiet moment when, suddenly, hundreds of birds rose in the distance.

The fawn had his gaze turned skyward, eyes wide, watching the birds in flight.

His mother, meanwhile, was quietly licking and nibbling a purple lily.

But the old dog stared ahead—

and Sun, like his father, fixed his gaze in the same direction.

Slowly, the wind carried bad news to the doe—

the howls of wolves, tangled in the breeze.

The mother doe swiftly tried to take her child in her teeth—

but it was no use.

He was too big to carry, and too small to flee.

But the old dog kept staring.

His fangs had slipped out.

He was ready to go—but he hesitated.

The war was calling him.

The glory of the fight. The run. The rip.

"Go! Why are you still standing? Charge! Tear! Kill the wolves!"

He took a step forward.

His breath was loud—hot.

The fire of vengeance was rising within him.

Other animals were scattering in all directions.

Even the elephants—with all their majesty—were fleeing into the forest.

But the old dog kept moving forward...

At last, the wolves arrived.

They stood atop the hill, gazing down at their opponent—and their prey.

The old dog, steady and slow, was making his way toward the battleground...

when he heard the growls and relentless barking of his daughter.

He looked—

she was circling around The Unbounded and the fawn.

The older son had joined her.

Old dog—why are you hesitating?

What are you afraid of?

You're stronger than both of them.

Release those paws you're digging so deep into the soil!

Your son is with you.

Show him how to fight.

He's already running.

Why are you standing still?

Your daughter—what a storm she's unleashed!

Barking, charging, leading the pack—

and her brother is right behind her.

Even the tiny pup has risen.

Run, you old mutt.

Don't let the fire of your vengeance go cold.

**The old dog began to run.**

Why couldn't the girl find milk for The Unbounded?

She ran for hours.

She begged, barked, even fought.

And yet, all she found was rejection.

But the old dog—he didn't beg.

He didn't shout.

He just walked.

And the first mother welcomed them.

Why?

Thank you for reading.

If this question lingers in you, feel free to share your thoughts.

And if you're just joining, start the journey here: [The Unbounded – Part 1]

—Kamran217