Excerpt: The Last Paradise

The moonlight cast an eerie glow over the forgotten valley. The land seemed almost still except for the soft rustling of leaves as the winter air passed over the very tops of the forest. Near the top of one of the trees was a rather fat looking tawny owl; huddled up with his feathers puffed out trying to maintain warmth as the wind swirled around him. Two large and yellow beady eyes glared down onto the forest floor, scanning for any sign of movement. Silence seemed to settle upon the dark forest, but after what seemed an eternity the owl’s wings stretched open, his haunting gaze ever more serious on the forest floor. Something small was darting across the ground, disappearing into undergrowth only to scamper out from the other side. Within seconds the owl was airborne and glided effortlessly; weaving through the trees as his primal instincts took him into hunting mode. The owl was no more than seconds away from making a final swoop to catch his prey, when from a stretch of undergrowth a blurred figure sprang out and obscured the owl from his meal. Within the space of a second, canine fangs had snapped around the critter. Owner to those fangs was a young adolescent grey wolf, whom had taken upon the name of Morocco. With an annoyed hoot the owl veered around to fly back to his resting branch.