Serach's heart dropped and his stomach lurched as Aponi rushed him, crying out that he couldn't go. But even as she pressed herself against his chest and he kissed the top of her head, they both knew he would. But every step he took deeper into the smoke and closer towards the oncoming flames broke him. His heart was with Aponi, Mabel, Corsair, and Kisina, but it was also with Ayla and Azra, and he wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he had abandoned his missing two children to the flames without even trying to track them down.

But finding them was going to be impossibly difficult. The smoke was growing thicker with every second, and although the flames themselves were still miles away, the forest was growing hotter. His eyes were stinging and he could barely go more than a few steps without coughing and choking on the smoke. His nose and his eyes were virtually useless, so he was relying solely on his familiarity with the territory to guide his paws. He was headed towards the creek that ran through their territory, planning to follow it south as far as he could. "AZRA!! AYLA!!" He yelled between coughs, alternating with howls to try and get their attention.

Serach had reached the creek and had just begun to turn south when he heard Ayla's familiar voice. The feeling of elation was fleeting however - she was still too far away for him to get to her. "Go to the heights," he howled back, urging her to hurry and be safe. He wanted to go to her, so they could go to safety together, but he still hadn't found Azra and he couldn't abandon his youngest son.

The minutes raced by, and Serach was growing increasingly frantic. He was starting to trip over himself, and his voice was starting to grow hoarse, and even fail him completely. The smoke was virtually impenetrable at this point and it was becoming increasingly harder for him to breathe. Bent over, sides heaving as he panted and gasped for air, he felt crushed by the immense decision of what to do next. His gut-wrenched and he was filled with shame as he made the call to turn back. But his own instincts and his own fear had reached their limit.

The minutes back to the pack den felt both faster and slower than the ones that had taken him away. His lungs were screaming, and it felt like his eyes were going to be shut forever. Struggling every step of the way, he did eventually make it back to the den. Prying his eyes open for just a moment, he verified that his family had made it out safely. A blur of white caught his attention, and he was hit with a second wave of a relief when he realized that it was his son. "Azra!" Perhaps his son had been hiding, or maybe he had run to the safest place he knew. Serach didn't know and didn't care. "Follow me, okay. We're going to mum," he called, going to Azra's side. Nudging his son's ears, he urged him forward - away from the Bend and out of the burning forest.

SERACH & APONI DONATA

 

It was the kiss on the top of her head that broke Aponi’s spirits. It was such a simple gesture that they had exchanged countless times and yet it somehow felt so final. She couldn’t tell whether it was the smoke or this moment that was choking her now, threatening to crush her into the ground and destroy her. Then he was gone swallowed in the smoke and the rest of the Donata’s were on the move and the mother didn’t have the luxury to process everything.

Taking up the rear to make sure nobody was left behind her blue eyes streamed as they made their way to safety. Nudging forward anyone who started to fall back she faltered only when the howls were exchanged between Ayla and Serach. Still no sounds from Azra but her heart lifted slightly, maybe they were all going to get out of here after all.

loving you is fire & then it’s rain.