Post by Pavane on Aug 14, 2010 2:11:30 GMT -5
Sweeping Steppe - Early Autumn (RL day 7), with a full moon.
The night is cool, the chill of autumn beginning to take over from the heat of summer and wet, the rain a constant drizzle that soaks into the fur and makes it feel much colder than it is. Niyt is curled up beneath the dubious shelter of a bush, trying to sleep. It's better than nothing - a bit of shelter from the worst of the elements, and some extra heat from the body of the fox she's met while lost - but it's still far from pleasant.
Dawn, when it comes, is little change, the sun's rays barely managing to pierce the veil of clouds. The world is wan and dim, shrouded in shadow and mists. The rain continues, pattering down onto the leaves. Small droplets pool together to make larger ones, until one of the drops becomes too large for the leaf to hold and falls down, landing right on Niyt's muzzle with a splash.
Only half-asleep in the first place, having water splashing down at her is enough to wake Niyt up fully. She whines softly, shaking her head to try to dry off a bit. It doesn't really help, though... she's soaked through, and the drizzle continues, wetting her down further. That droplet's shaken away, but a few dozen more come by in the interim. She sighs, and pulls herself to her feet, looking around the grey, dim world. It's been so lonely, here. One fox - no matter how nice Melia is - can't really substitute for an entire wolfpack. She has been a good friend, though. Niyt should do something nice for her, too - maybe try to catch some breakfast. That seems like a good plan so she gives herself another shake and then heads out, sniffing the moisture-laden air to see if she can find something to chase.
Any creature with a burrow to hide in and the tiniest drop of sense is doing so; it's not a day to be out in, unless one has no alternative - or a compelling reason to keep on through the drizzle and fog. There are no rabbits out, today, and the little mice are deep in their holes, nibbling the grain they've saved up for just such a rainy day.
Niyt has no place to hide from the rain - at least if she keeps moving, the chill can't soak as deeply into her bones. She pads along, trying in vain to catch a scent from air that is full of rain, washing away all the other smells. All she can scent is rainwater and damp wolf, and the raindrops keep splashing into her nose when she lifts it. She sighs, coming to a stop and just standing there as the rain sluices through her fur. Maybe she should turn back, to the scant shelter she spent the night in while she still can. Being lost once is bad enough, but to be entirely alone and friendless again... better cold and wet, in a world of gray, than bright sunshine all by herself.
A faint sound reaches through the mist, a howl with a mournful tone that matches the weather. The voice rises and falls, the notes of a sad song. They call out through the drizzle, round, pure notes coming through the air like the water falling downwards. A song of seeking, a searcher's song - and the tones of it are familiar, the cadence of the voice one Niyt has heard for as long as she can remember. Her mother.
Is that really - ? Can it be? It has to be! Niyt breaks into a run in the direction of the voice, replying in abrupt half-howls as her feet pound the slickened ground. She can't howl right while she's running - but she doesn't want to stop, flying forward as fast as her little paws can carry her towards mom, towards rescue - towards home. Alaqua is here, even if she can't see her yet through the fog. Her mother has found the lost puppy, and everything will be better.
The night is cool, the chill of autumn beginning to take over from the heat of summer and wet, the rain a constant drizzle that soaks into the fur and makes it feel much colder than it is. Niyt is curled up beneath the dubious shelter of a bush, trying to sleep. It's better than nothing - a bit of shelter from the worst of the elements, and some extra heat from the body of the fox she's met while lost - but it's still far from pleasant.
Dawn, when it comes, is little change, the sun's rays barely managing to pierce the veil of clouds. The world is wan and dim, shrouded in shadow and mists. The rain continues, pattering down onto the leaves. Small droplets pool together to make larger ones, until one of the drops becomes too large for the leaf to hold and falls down, landing right on Niyt's muzzle with a splash.
Only half-asleep in the first place, having water splashing down at her is enough to wake Niyt up fully. She whines softly, shaking her head to try to dry off a bit. It doesn't really help, though... she's soaked through, and the drizzle continues, wetting her down further. That droplet's shaken away, but a few dozen more come by in the interim. She sighs, and pulls herself to her feet, looking around the grey, dim world. It's been so lonely, here. One fox - no matter how nice Melia is - can't really substitute for an entire wolfpack. She has been a good friend, though. Niyt should do something nice for her, too - maybe try to catch some breakfast. That seems like a good plan so she gives herself another shake and then heads out, sniffing the moisture-laden air to see if she can find something to chase.
Any creature with a burrow to hide in and the tiniest drop of sense is doing so; it's not a day to be out in, unless one has no alternative - or a compelling reason to keep on through the drizzle and fog. There are no rabbits out, today, and the little mice are deep in their holes, nibbling the grain they've saved up for just such a rainy day.
Niyt has no place to hide from the rain - at least if she keeps moving, the chill can't soak as deeply into her bones. She pads along, trying in vain to catch a scent from air that is full of rain, washing away all the other smells. All she can scent is rainwater and damp wolf, and the raindrops keep splashing into her nose when she lifts it. She sighs, coming to a stop and just standing there as the rain sluices through her fur. Maybe she should turn back, to the scant shelter she spent the night in while she still can. Being lost once is bad enough, but to be entirely alone and friendless again... better cold and wet, in a world of gray, than bright sunshine all by herself.
A faint sound reaches through the mist, a howl with a mournful tone that matches the weather. The voice rises and falls, the notes of a sad song. They call out through the drizzle, round, pure notes coming through the air like the water falling downwards. A song of seeking, a searcher's song - and the tones of it are familiar, the cadence of the voice one Niyt has heard for as long as she can remember. Her mother.
Is that really - ? Can it be? It has to be! Niyt breaks into a run in the direction of the voice, replying in abrupt half-howls as her feet pound the slickened ground. She can't howl right while she's running - but she doesn't want to stop, flying forward as fast as her little paws can carry her towards mom, towards rescue - towards home. Alaqua is here, even if she can't see her yet through the fog. Her mother has found the lost puppy, and everything will be better.