Dead Empress Backwater Rainy Nights

(OOC: @Kalysta Sibling thread)

Water drummed on the earth outside. In the humid warmth of a summer night, Atlas found himself tossing and turning on the tangled limbs of his sisters. He could hear things chirping outside. They called to his ears, and the smell of dusty earth and rain tickled his nose from the entrance to the den.

The wolves of Dead Empress Backwater seemed to be experiencing some great tragedy, one which his young mind did not understand just yet. All Atlas knew was that his parents were not happy and only a few members of the pack were allowed near them now. The sadness felt stifling to Atlas.

The air outside the den was much warmer but right now the cool interior felt overwhelming, cramped. His paws itched to go outside. Atlas picked himself out and stumbled away from the pile he had once made with his sisters. He crawled out the short tunnel to the open space around the den. Droplets of rain fell down on his face. He shook the cold water from his head, but it was unavoidable as he came out fully into the open. Soon the drops began to hang heavy on his fur. Atlas did not mind. He took a deep breath of the summer evening and looked out at the dark trees. He curled his tail around himself as he sat just outside the den's entrance.

(This post was last modified: Jun 24, 2024, 01:03 AM by Atlas.)

Kalysta was content to rest in the warm den while the world outside did whatever it was doing, but her brother seemed determined to upset her peace. She grumbled quietly at him, but all it served to do was get her shoved as he made his way toward the gap that she now knew led to the outside. Like Atlas Kal knew something was wrong, but she didn't truly have a concept for wrong other than different and in a way she didn't think she liked very much.

So Kal disentangled herself from their sister and crawled after him, nose scrunching as she stepped into the wider space. It was instantly colder and wet fell into her fur. She shivered and shook herself, but the wet seemed to be coming from above, and she squeaked in protest at it. It was so much warmer inside; why had Atlas come out here? It was hardly brighter to her than it had been in the den, and she swung her head about looking for Atlas, nose working to sniff him out.

Atlas looked back when he heard someone else emerge from the den behind him. His sister had followed him. She seemed unhappy with the cool rain. At her searching, he reached his nose out to offer guidance toward him. He hoped he had not woken anyone in his clambering about but of course the blind girl would sense him better than the others, be more sensitive to the sounds and movements around her. He felt guilty for disturbing her rest.

"Here," he called quietly to her.

Part of him wished to be alone but another part did not mind the presence of Kalysta. He found her the most tolerable addition to his space of their family. He made room beside himself to let her sit and join him. He wondered if she wanted to go out too, if she felt that itch in her paws.