Perhaps he should have turned back at the fen earlier; at least there, the trees grew in such a way he could still see the sky. The beautiful, vast open sky, just as it had been back home. Deep in the woods here, the shadowed branches sliced through the twilight sky above, streaks of black blocking out the moon glow and stars from above. A shudder crept along his back, reddish hackles rising slightly, as Sunny thought about what this place would look like in the summer when everything is alive and whole.

And the smell. Everything smelled so… wet, even in the middle of the frigid wintery month. Musty, almost. He had always hated places like this; the stench always clung to his fur long after he’d left. Not to mention, the fog that settled on the forest floor made it incredibly hard to see where he was going, if he’s already been here or not. The mist itself seemed eerie, alight with what moon glow made it to the floor, almost as if it was mocking the light above.

Glancing around, Sunny quickly located a fallen log, propped up against some rocks, it looked like. Up and out of the fog would be better than nothing; unbidden, he scampered over and immediately went up the incline, not bothering to test how stable it had been. It wobbled underneath him, threatening to roll, but that was all it had been. A threat. The rocks had been more than stable, and provided a decent vantage point.

He had been too busy peering between the trees to notice the light show unfolding above. Not until the colors reached the fog below, lighting it up in ways almost impossible. The blonde wolf gasped, startled by the change, nearly tumbling back and off the rocks, before looking up to the sky to see a familiar sight, one from home. Instantly, he had been mesmerized, and cast aside his doubts and worries in favor of bathing in the familiar.

I’m Done Putting Out The Fires You Start

It had been almost a month since her brother’s disappearance, but Marrah had not given up hope yet. He was definitely out there, maybe he got lost or something, and the thought of him all alone was enough to push her to break the rules. Not a standard practice for her, but this was a good enough reason to make an exception night after night.

Tonight she had headed in a new direction, south. She had never been this way before and Marrah was quickly beginning to think that it had been a mistake to do it now. Mist hung thick across the forest floor, taller than she was, and the only telling tale that the pup was even around was the way it swirled around her form. Panic was welling in her chest as the child began to realize that she was in danger of becoming lost in this ghostly forest when suddenly it lit up. But it didn’t light up with the sun, instead it danced with green, blue, and purple. Orange eyes widened dramatically, it was beautiful! But, also, frightening somehow, like she had wandered somewhere she definitely should not have been.

Pawing at the mist and watching it swirl with her movement, she flinched at the sound of a gasp nearby. Looking in that direction, Marrah couldn’t see who or what had made the sound so she called hopefully, ”Aweho? Is that you?” Could she have found him in these weird magic woods?

When The Cranberry Vodkas Hit A Little Too Hard

The lights danced and flourished, whisps that turned and faded before brightening once more. The motions held his attention, head shifting to follow trails as they moved. Entirely enraptured by the light show, the mist swirling around the newcomer below barely registered to the young man, looking to be nothing more than a breeze pushing the fog around from the corner of his eyes.

Until the mist spoke to him.

The small voice startled him, making him jump from his spot onto his paws, scared out of his wits. Yellow eyes darted around, looking to spot whatever had spoken. It had to have been a wolf… Unless? Were these woods haunted? Did spirits wander the mists at night, looking for the living? The thought chilled his veins to ice; he wondered what a ghost would want with him. She spoke of a name Sunny hadn't heard before, had she misjudged who he was? Cautiously, with shaking legs and fluffed fur, the blonde crept closer to the edge of the boulder, ears cupped back as he peered over the side. The mists' movement revealed the stranger to him, at least partially. After a moment, he realized with a start that this was no apparition, but a pup.

Exasperated, he let out a sigh, the frigid feel that had gripped him melting away. "No, I'm not Aweho," Sunny spoke gently despite his annoyance at having been so startled; it wasn't her fault he mistook her for some sort of ghost. His brows knitted together as he sat upon the rocky outcropping. He didn't want to jump down and scare her; what was a pup doing so far away? If there was an adult nearby, how could they let her wander so far? Ears twitched, and the exasperation melted into concern as he picked up no other noises nearby.

"What're y'doing out here, kid? Where's your family? It's dangerous to be wandering around like that…" The statement came from a place of genuine concern; whatever irritation he held dispersed almost immediately. And having had younger siblings, babying tones had always made them angry, so it was likely better to avoid that as well.

I’m Done Putting Out The Fires You Start

The girl waited with baited breath to see if the voice that gasped really was her missing brother. How amazing would that be? If she could bring Aweho home and then everything would be good and back to normal, and everyone would be where they were supposed to be, and Mom would be so pleased. Dark tail wagged behind her hopefully, but it drooped instantly when she saw a blonde face peaking over the boulder, that definitely was not her brother. The voice that came with it confirmed what she already knew, it was not Aweho.

Eyebrows knit together over orange eyes, and her rump plunked itself down firmly onto the ground beneath her, causing the mist to swirl again. Marrah had yet to meet anyone who had meant her any harm, and had no reason to think this stranger would be the first. Looking at him she asked, ”So who are you then?” Her head tilted to the side, it was weird that this stranger was asking her all of these questions, why did he want to know?

Maybe it was the fact that she was sheltered and didn’t know much, but from what she could see she was actually bigger than this stranger, why was he alone? She retorted, ”I’m looking for Aweho, why are you out here all alone?’ Her tone was innocent even if the words themselves may not have been the most polite, it was clear that she was curious and not accusatory. He was smaller than her, didn’t that make life even more dangerous? He might be older….but that would not help if a bobcat came around, or a big storm like the tornado that had swept the packlands in her childhood.

When The Cranberry Vodkas Hit A Little Too Hard

Peering through the mist was difficult as it was without colors and lights bouncing through it, reflecting the auroras above. Gold eyes squinted, there was undoubtedly a wolf shape in there, but now he wasn't so sure she was as small as he initially thought at first glance. Sunny almost felt bad as it seemed her attitude shifted; it was clear she was looking for someone important. He hoped whoever this Aweho was, she found them, and soon. It could be a dangerous and cruel world out there if one wasn't careful.

As she took a seat, Sunny remained where he was planted, peering down from the rocky outcropping. Not that he was afraid of the stranger, and while she didn't seem the skittish type, he didn't want to scare her off and risk her running further into the woods and getting lost. Then again, maybe she knew her way around, and he was just assuming.

The first question was easy enough to answer; if nothing else, he knew his name. The second one, however, caught him off guard. Why was he alone? What would be the easiest way to answer that? Because he chose to be, not risking being a danger to others because of his association with the strange upright creatures? She didn't need to know that. Sunny realized he had remained silent for a moment, and cleared his throat before speaking.

"My name's Sunny. 'Nd I'm out here alone 'cus I choose to be," he spoke in a friendly tone, tagging a shrug onto the tail end of his statement. It was the easiest answer, and not entirely a lie. "What's your name? 'N who's Aweho?"

I’m Done Putting Out The Fires You Start

This stranger was so intriguing. Maybe it was because she did not meet very many strangers, but everything he was saying so far was so interesting. He stayed put where he was up on the rocky outcrop and so Marrah stayed where she was sat amongst the mist on the wooded floor. Dark head tilted to the opposite side now as she considered his words, how odd. Chewing on her cheek as she mulled them over, she finally responded, ”Why would you choose to be alone? Wolves are supposed to be with their packs.” She had never met a loner before, truthfully Marrah did not even know they existed.

Smiling the pup got to her paws, eager to show off a polite bow - her mother would be proud of her manners. With a quick dip of her muzzle to her paws she answered, ”Marrah Maceio-Tainn from Fool’s Gold Chasm” Because she was from a pack, like all wolves were supposed to be, obviously. Her mood sombered at the mention of her brother and Marrah quickly settled back into a seated position, her tail tucking around her paws protectively.

Sniffing and trying to not show emotion in her voice she replied, ”Aweho is my brother, he got lost… at least I think. I haven’t seen him recently” Of course he had to be lost, there was no way he would just choose to leave home and not come back, right? Right?

When The Cranberry Vodkas Hit A Little Too Hard