Sabina walked through the ravine that seemed to reach for the sky never stopping even though it would never grasp the stars above. She remembered the day she walked in the middle of these stone walls. It was a month after she had accepted Wanvar as a part of her family.
Oh Wanvar. If only you were here. Sabina didn't know what spurred that young wolf in saving her and though she had hated Wanvar for doing so at the time, now she couldn't help but feel a life debt settle upon her shoulders.
Sabina remembered that day so very clearly, she could remember the jaws of the rogue crushing her throat finally allowing her to die. Fate must have had other thoughts mused Sabina as she walked away from the ravine into the forest.
For that's when she appeared. Sabina remembered seeing that grey and white coat against the snow, with her own blood splattered before those white paws. Sabina remembered wondering why that pup still hung around, was it to watch her be mauled by this rogue?
The world almost went black when suddenly the teeth of those jaws released leaving her gasping for breath. Who stopped it? Who stopped this rogue from killing her?
Sabina's eyes cleared of the white fuzz that had begun to appear as she began to die from lack of air, and there stood the small little gray wolf over the dead rogue.
Seeing Sabina looking at her the wolf came closer "You okay?!"
Sabina glared, so it was this wolf who stopped it. How irritating. Sabina stood stiffly making her joints protest as she began to limp away.
"Hey! You should at least thank me!" Shouted the wolf.
Sabina stopped and looked over her shoulder "I didn't ask you to save me."
"Well it looked like you needed a little help." Said the wolf who walked over to Sabina's side forcing her to look into the little wolf's eyes.
Those blue eyes. They looked liked his.
Sabina bit her tongue before continuing to limp "I didn't think so."
"You were in the jaws of a rogue! What do you mean you didn't think so? Do you not want to live?" protested the little wolf as she walked after Sabina.
Sabina didn't stop limping away "Who said I did?"
There was a long stretch of silence when suddenly the little wolf stood in front of Sabina "Well I'm Wanvar"
Sabina walked around Wanvar "I didn't ask"
Wanvar sighed before appearing before Sabina again "Well what's your name?"
Sabina sighed "It doesn't matter what my name is."
Wanvar seemed to not read the room very well as she asked "How about Sabina?"
"I don't care." Was the only reply as Sabina walked around Wanvar to continue on her trail home, and slowly they stepped out of the forest to a clearing with rolling hills.
"Woah!" gasped Wanvar
"What? Never seen grass?" Said Sabina as she made it slowly down the hill into the yellow grass below.
"I have. But never in the middle of winter!" The little wolf quickly followed Sabina out of the forest only to stop short after passing Sabina to reach the grass first "The ground is warm."
"Yes. You're currently standing on a volcano." Said Sabina as she continued to pass the little wolf deeper into the field.
"Oh a vol- Wait a VOLCANO?!" Shouted Wanvar as she watched Sabina limping away.
"Don't shout. Unless you want to attract every rogue on the mountain." Sabina's mellow tone made Wanvar snap back to the fact Sabina was far into the field.
"Wait! Wait for me!" shouted Wanvar as she raced after Sabina who hadn't slowed or quickened her pace since she had gotten up.
Sabina suddenly turned back to look at Wanvar who came skidding to a stop "Why are you following me?"
"Ummm well-" Wanvar looked at the grass around her feet "I uh-"
"Well it doesn't matter kid. Go back to your clan or wherever you belong and quit following me." Growled Sabina as she cleared the tall sheet grass to reveal another clearing.
This clearing Wanvar noticed was filled with short yellow grass that was interestingly soft to Wanvar's pads, she hopped upon it before suddenly noticing Sabina wasn't waiting for her but instead headed for a singular hill where a large cave had been dug out of its side.
"Wait is this where you live?" Asked Wanvar as she caught up to Sabina.
"No this is my vacation spot." Said Sabina sarcastically as she entered the cave leaving Wanvar outside without an invitation.
"I was just asking" mumbled Wanvar as she too tried to enter the cave.
Sabina entered into the cave but upon hearing Wanvar following whipped around as the cave widened enough coming face to face with the young wolf "What are you doing?"
Wanvar stopped only two steps into the cave "Following you?"
Savina growled "Kid I already told you to get lost."
"but I have no-where-" started Wanvar but Sabina interjected "Bullshit."
Wanvar's ears fell flat against her head "What?"
"I have never seen a rogue as well fed as you. So don't pull that bullshit of you have no where to go." Sabina growled and Wanvar took a step back."Isn't that right?" growled Sabina.
Wanvar lowered her head and Sabina smiled "Now run back to that clan and leave me the hell alone."
"But I can't go back!" Wanvar shouted
Sabina turned back into the cave "Yeah you can. Just take a step out of my hole, and you're already a step closer."
"I made a mistake! A terrible one and I can't go back!" Sabina stopped in the cave tunnel making Wanvar's hope fill up her heart until it turned sour.
"That's your problem not mine." Sabina said before descending deeper into the cave leaving Wanvar standing outside the cave.
Sabina woke up hours later sore and hardly able to move, however she pushed through the pain to stand. As she stretched she could feel as her body popped in protest to her stretch, then suddenly the dark tunnel lit up causing her to look up quickly expecting to hear clatter of swords on shields as they surrounded her hole with the torches. Then came the crashing of thunder and she sighed in relief as she smiled.
Here she was panicking that they might have found her, when hours before she had been begging for death. She wasn't sure if it was instinctual or if it was just a habit she had gotten over the years but it was starting to get on her nerves. She sniffed the cave air as the breeze blew the smell of wet grass and rain to her nose, she slowly walked through the tunnel to the cave entrance to see Wanvar gone.
Good riddance she thought as she listened to the rain fall when suddenly the world lit up again as lightning arced across the sky, and that's when a patch of white caught her eye. She sighed. Under a small bush next to the tall sheet grass laid Wanvar soaked and Sabina assumed shivering judging from the rate of the wind And rainfall.
Stupid. She thought as she slowly crossed the wet grass until she stood over Wanvar who was shivering as the wind blew across her soaked fur.
"I thought I told you to go home." Sabina said as she glared down at Wanvar.
Wanvar quickly looked up at Sabina "Sabina!"
Sabina sighed "It's not Sabina."
"Then what is your name?" Asked Wanvar only to shiver as the wind blew across her soaked back.
"I'll let you stay until the rain stops." Wanvar jumped to her feet only to slip and fall on her face.
Sabina sighed as she turned back in the direction of the cave only to have Wanvar race past her making Sabina stop in mid step as she watched the young wolf decend into the hole. Will I regret this?
The rain didn't stop that night or for a few days after and at first Sabina resented the hell out of the weather for falling, but after a few days she began to resent the weather turning better. Eventually Sabina got the courage to say what she felt in her heart. Well kind of.
"Are you going back to your clan?" Sabina asked as she sat before the cave entrance as Wanvar was about to head off towards the tall sheet grass.
"No. I can't go back." Wanvar's ears drooped but she quickly shook her head before smiling again "But that's okay. I think the goddess has a plan for me, and I am sure if I walk out into the world I'll end up where I belong."
"So you're just going to head out in a random direction?" Asked Sabina in disbelief. Was this kid ignorant or just plain stupid?
"Well with the help of the Moon Godde-"
"That's bullshit. Never place faith in something you can't see, Kid . Especially to that Goddess" Growled Sabina
Wanvar covered her muzzle with her paw as she gasped "Sabina! Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?!"
"She can strike away, it won't change my resolve." Said Sabina as she glowered at the sky almost hoping a random black cloud would appear to strike her dead. But not seeing a cloud she looked back at Wanvar.
"See? Not dead yet."
Wanvar smiled at Sabina "Sabina, you have a sense of humor I have never heard before."
Sabina made an attempt at a smile but stopped when she saw Wanvar staring intently at her face with joy, Sabina shifted as she said "Erm… So about you leaving in a random direction; how about you stay with me until you find that plan of yours."
Wanvar smiled in disbelief "Are you asking me to stay?"
"No. I'm just saying that goddess might actually strike me down if I let you leave." Said Sabina as she looked off to the side as she suddenly realized the rock next to the cave had an interesting faded color of gray.
"I thought you didn't care whether the goddess struck you or not?" Said Wanvar as she tried to look Sabina in the eye.
Sabina seeing the young wolf was trying to catch her eye said quickly "Fine then, if you want to go out there randomly to find this 'plan' go for it."
Sabina quickly whirled and entered back into the cave feeling the heat rushing to her cheeks. How embarrassing! She covered her muzzle with her paws trying to hide from her own embarrassment when she heard steps in the tunnel, she quickly sat up.
"I thought you were leaving?" Sabina asked as she looked at the dirt wall intently as Wanvar entered into the cave.
"Well I wouldn't want you to get hit by that lightning now would I?" Said Wanvar who laid down not to far away from where Sabina sat.
"Well if you insist." Said Sabina as she laid down too facing away from Wanvar to hide the joy she felt in her heart that she wasn't alone again. At least for a little while.
Sabina couldn't help but feel sadness grip her heart. It had been a year since her little friend had died and though she mourned her passing, Sabina couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness. Wanvar was finally with that stupid goddess she loved so much.
Sabina hadn't realized it but she had arrived at the hot spring and smiled as she watched the steam rise off the water below her. The hot springs were within a a hole like formation Sabina assumed had been a volcano mouth at one time but had gone dormant hundreds of years ago, allowing the rain water to build up into a large pool of water.
To reach the pools however one would have to follow a trail that slowly descended to the pool, and if one were to follow this easily they would reach it within a few moments. Which was rather odd because if a person tried to just dive for the pool they would meet multiple obstacles including random cliff edges or snake pits where the snakes slept for the winter. So most people too the path.
Sabina reached the pool and slowly stepped into the pool changing in midstep allowing her white silver hair to fall upon her back before flowing into the water as she sank deeper into the hot water.
"Aah" she groaned with pleasure as the warm water heated her aches and pains away. It sucks getting old.
She grabbed a patch of moss growing on the side of the pool and began washing the weeks of filth that had accumulated on her skin through her fur. She smiled as she dunked her head into the water before coming up again letting the water soak through her thick silver white hair, it was so refreshing.
She opened her eyes one moment before closing them only to quickly rub them open again, as she looked to the shadows of a tree not far from the pool. It was still far enough from the pool to not catch detail but enough for her to know a presence was there. She slowly sunk into the water and waded silently closer to the tree grabbing a chunk of moss as she went, only to stop short as she recognized the figure of the shadow.
It was Sakara. She almost tossed the moss at the stupid kid for snooping on a girl bathing when she saw he had his back to her. She went to stand but lost her footing and fell into the water, she sunk deeper in the water in embarrassment only to see as he turned his head his eyes were closed too.
Sabina smiled to herself as she waded away to the side of the pool still clutching the moss, she changed back to her wolf form quietly and grabbed a hold of the moss with her teeth as she snuck over to the tree where he sat with his eyes closed. She tossed the moss at him and hit him in the head.
Sakara quickly opened his eyes as he stood "Hey!"
His eyes went wide as he realized the owner of the moss was Sabina who smiled "Spying are we?"
"No! It's not like that!" Sakara shouted making Sabina laugh as she picked up the moss with her teeth and tossed it back to the pool.
"Yeah I believe you." She said as she emphasized the word "believe".
"Sabina! Really!" Protested the young wolf as Sabina laughed but nudged his shoulder with her head "You're fine I'm just teasing you"
He tucked his nose to his shoulder in embarrassment and Sabina smiled "Thank you"
"Yeah." He said bashfully only to stop and think "Wait for what?"
"Looking out for me?" She scoffed as she teasingly asked "What else should I thank you for? Spying on me?"
His eyes went wide again and Sabina was sure if he was standing on two legs he would have looked like color of a tomato.
"But I wasn't-" He said trying to justify his appearance at her bath but she shook her head chuckling "I'm joking"
"Oh…" He said even more embarrassed and Sabina shook her head as she walked in the direction of the Clan making the young wolf follow her.
They walked in silence until they reached Sabina's cave where she smiled at him "See you in the morning Sakara."
He smiled stupidly "See you in the morning."
Sabina walked into her cave noting that Sakara hadn't moved after she entered, he must still be embarrassed she rationalized it as she settled once more on the cold floor.
I hope you meet your mate Sakara, because whoever that may be would be blessed. She smiled as her thoughts began to fade but as she began to fall asleep a tear rolled from her eye
I know because you are just like him.
Sakara stood outside the cave for a long moment before quickly racing back to his own den only to stop at the entrance and glance back. He shook his head and entered into the den to find it just how he had left it with his siblings in a pile surrounded by the others attending the ceremony.
He quietly laid down beside his siblings willing himself to sleep but every time he closed his eyes he could see her. He could see her breaching through the water with her silver white hair flowing around her shoulders and those angular facial features complementing those green eyes that glowed with pleasure as the heat softened the aches and pains that always racked her body.
She was beautiful and Sakara wished he could tell her so but he knew it would only prove the fact he did look, and though it had been because he didn't hear her in the water. It didn't change the truth, he looked.
He slapped his forehead with his paw and Omaris opened his eyes "Why are you hitting yourself?"
"Go to sleep" growled Sakara as he rolled over to hide his blushing face that no one could see through the fur.
"What a nut case" mumbled Omaris as he rolled over ignoring his brother's self abuse.
"Am I a nut case?" Sakara wondered as he closed his eyes when suddenly he opened them again why do I feel like everything that happened tonight was deja vu?
Then he sat up saying loudly "My dream!"
Several growls and groans erupted as Omaris sat up too "Shut up! If you're going to abuse yourself that's fine but don't take it out on us!"
Abby nodded half coherently "Yeah"
"Sorry!" Sakara whispered as he laid down again and slowly all the others settled down too.
"How could I have dreamed that?" asked Sakara as he laid upon his paws, but no magical answer appeared and he like the others was consumed by sleep.