The creature stood towering over the little kitten, featureless in the light of the moon. The kitten shuddered, crouched down in the beast's shadow, staring wide-eyed up at the monster before them.
"M-Mama?" The kitten called out, their voice barely more than a whisper. But there was no Mama here, not now. She has fled the moment she saw the beast, dropping Chough into the snow before disappearing into the forest. Chough was on their own that night.
They couldn't see the thing's eyes. Its body blotted out the light of the moon, a motionless figure casting shadows that stretched far across the ground. The night was silent, the tense atmosphere broken only by the whistling of the wind cutting across the mountainside. Chough felt the fur on their spine ripple as a bone chilling howl reached their ears, drowning out the noise of the wind. Chough had heard that sound before, but never from that close. Their mother had told them stories of the colorless ghost that wandered the mountain, stalking the living silently through the night, undetectable among the snow. The ghost's song was the only warning sign before it attacked, an unnearthly sound that filled anyone who heard it with both pure terror, and a strange sense of awe. The howl seemed to come from all directions at once, reverberating off the stone sides of the mountain. They could almost feel the ghostly song, the tone seeming to vibrate within their very bones. Chough couldn't decide whether they wanted to turn and run, or move towards the source of the call. All of their instincts told them to bolt, get away as fast as they could. Maybe if they were fast enough, they could find Mama again. But something, something beneath their instincts, pulled them forward and towards the ghostly figure. The little kitten crouched there, frozen in their fear and indecision, staring up at the ghost before them.
It turned out that Chough didn't have to act, as the spirit stepped towards them. It's paw didn't seem to leave footprints in the snow as it moved forward, further cutting off the moon's light. The haunting song had tapered, soft echos as the only remaining remnants. Chough let out a soft whimper as the ghost grew closer. They squeezed their eyes shut, preparing themselves for the inevitable end once the phantom snapped it's jaws shut over their body.
The thing's nose was suprising solid, for being a ghost. It pressed into Chough's neck, taking small snuffling breaths in and out, ruffling their fur with each huff. Chough cautiously peeked open one eye, squeaking in suprise at the warm golden gaze that met their own. The creature drew back for a moment, as if taking the look of Chough in. After a moment the muzzle got close again, but this time a smooth, warm tongue began to rasp over the kitten's face. It felt nice, kind of comforting, almost like when Mama was cleaning them after a meal. Chough found themselves leaning into it, resting their head against the ghost's forelegs. No, not ghost. They weren't quite sure what it was, but this creature was most definitely not a ghost. It was too warm, too alive, to be a ghost. Despite their fear, Chough began to softly purr. The creature's fur was dry and warm, protecting them from the biting wind.
The wolf, satisfied with its cleaning job, reached down and scooped Chough up by the scruff. The kitten's fear suddenly came back in a flash, the comfortable warmth disappearing. They struggled a bit at first, swinging windly through the air as they batted their paws, but the wolf didn't react. She turned and began to trot down the side of the mountain, carrying Chough along with her. Chough's body bounced a bit as she moved, but not uncomfortably so. The wolf stopped close to the mountain base and began nudging her way along the cliffside, before slipping through a crevasse inbetween two large stones.
She gently placed Chough on the ground, within a small divit carved into the stone. It took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the darkness, and they quickly began to look around. The hole was lined with leaves and moss, forming a suprisingly comfortable nest where they rested their paws. Small peeping noises reached Chough's ears, and they turned their head towards the noise. To their suprise, another ghost... no another wolf, lay next to them. It was pale in color and absolutely tiny, eyes still squeezed shut and little paws churning against the moss. The bigger wolf made her way back over to the nest, carefully laying down to avoid squishing either baby. The pup's cries immediately quieted as it nestled against its mother, curling up and almost disappearing within her fur. The wolf turned its sights to Chough, her calm golden gaze oddly comforting. After a short second of hesitation, Chough took an uncertain step forward. After the wolf didn't move, they took another step. And then another. And another.
Chough collapsed against the wolf, suddenly exhausted. A sense of peace washed over them and the wolf began to groom them again, her tongue gently smoothing back the fur on their head. They nestled in closer, yawning widely. The wolf smelled a bit odd, not like their own mother, but still nice. Like wind and moss. Not like a ghost at all. The pup next to them squeaked in his rest, turning his head and resting his nose against Chough's cheek. Chough's eyes slid shut as they slowly kneaded their paws into the wolf's fur, feeling warm and safe for the first time that night.