Oracle

Oracle was tired she had hardly had a full nights sleep since the black dame had arrived in their little corner of the world throwing it into chaos with just a few words. They had packed up and left before the pack had even arrived she knew it was for their safety but she had still felt a twinge of sadness leaving the only home she had ever known and knowing that if mum or da did come back there would be little to tell them where the group had gone it would be as if they had vanished into thin air. She had lagged behind the day before pulling sticks and branches onto the path trying desperately to leave some mark of there passing. Still she knew it was no good other animals would use the path the markers would be distorted and then eventually the snow would cover it all. Even the thought that her sister was still out there did not bring her much hope, there was a world between them and she wondered how they could ever meet again. Feeling hopeless she had spoken little to the others and had curled up away from them digging a small hole in the ever-present snow that seemed to coat this place and settling in for another restless nights sleep. She had woken at the darkest point of the night stifling a cry, dreams now days tended to bring horror images of what might have happened to her family of what did happen to her. Angry at the perceived weakness she climbed to her feet and fled the camp she didn't go far just far enough way that she could no longer hear there breathing there she stopped sitting heavily she looked up at the sky, dark clouds streaked across it almost completely obscuring the moon, ?Da, Mum I don?t know what to do, I don?t want to leave home to leave you but I dont want to lose Galah either,? she confided to the dark spectres, ? I just I wish you where here,? her head fell slightly ?i don?t know what to do,? there was no answer from the silent cloud but as she stood a bit of white drifted down settling on her nose. Surprise almost knocked her back as she looked around shocked it fell all around her, snow, but weird snow it was warm and dry and it was the middle of spring. Something was definitely wrong here she stood in the falling ? stuff trying to figure out what she should do next, was this some sort of sign?

should probably add just in case that its ash

Galahad . . . Galahad was less than thrilled about the fact they had to move, and seeing how down Oracle was, well that just hurt the brute even further. He had lagged behind as well, though just out of sight as the female left the path in desperation. He felt so horrible for her, for not being able to find words of comfort for her... or for himself. Neither had spoken much... not even to each other. He had hardly slept just as his sister hadn't. He was so unsettled that sleeping just... it didn't quite work out. He would rise for hours at a time, patrolling this new place and checking on Oracle. This was all the young male had been doing since the move, and it was draining him. But still he kept up his routine, even if his green orbs were a bit duller and demanded a proper sleep. He would be making his usual rounds, circling to find Oracle. Something, he felt, wasn't quite right. His stomach was churning with worry, and he knew he needed to talk to her. A soft whine would escape from Galah as he looked around the camp a second time. Oracle wasn't there. Worry gnawed at him even greater now and he would go back to her makeshift den, sniff out her scent, and then go off along her trail. If anything happened to her... he would be at such a total, undescribeable loss. Just when Oracle came into view he noticed something wrong. There was stuff falling from the sky... grayish-white stuff. The brute would come to a stop. Was it snow? But... it was spring. Even if there was snow on the ground here now it didn't seem likely that it would add more, would it? Then the first bit of the stuff fell on him. It was warm... very warm. The brute frowned deeply. This stuff, whatever it was, wasn't snow. He wasn't sure if it was dangerous or not however, and, if it was, where exactly were they supposed to go to escape it? "Hey, Oracle." The bicolored brute would walk beside her, gently giving her shoulder a nudge. For now he had decided to ignore the falling stuff. "I know we're both upset about leaving the cove but... I really miss talking to you as much as we used to." In a way he felt alone... even if his sister was here. They didn't share a den anymore either. He would let out a low whine. "If you need to talk about anything that is on your mind please don't hesitate, Oracle..." He would lower his ears. 'I don't want to end up losing you too.' "Speech."

Oracle jumped slightly looking round she caught Galah's eye ?hey, yourself? she responded returning the nudge she tried to pull on a smile but she was to tired to make it convincing. She knew she had been avoiding Galahad not on purpose she had been avoiding everyone, part way between mourning and plotting but that meant she had not noticed till now just how tired her brother himself looked, his eyes where dull and even his coat wasn't as neat as it usually was she stayed quiet as he spoke his words hit her like hammers beating into her heart, how could she have been so selfish she thought I was going through all this but so is he, ?I'm sorry galah I'm so sorry,? she lent against him a little resting her head under his chin, she wanted this, to be with him but she was worried about how he would react when she told him she was leaving ?I just there is so much going on, I didn't want to worry you but I guess I stuffed that up a bit,?

she sat there just leaning into him as her brain fought against her judgement she had to explain her plan that would clear it up, the dreams, a small shiver ran through her body the dreams could wait until the sun was up at least, ?galah,? she muttered ?you know I love you right,? she paused waiting for and answer before gently pulling away from him and climbing to her feet. She was nervous ?Galahad I wouldn't do anything to try and hurt you, you know that right?? she paused uncertain how to continue, she took a deep breath and dove in starting to pace as she did, ?i dont think mum and da are coming back, even if they do, I dont think they will find us, and ode's out there all alone she might think where all gone and if miss midnight wont take me to find her then I thought maybe I can go myself. And I don?t want to leave you,? she said tears where filling her eyes and she stopped her pacing brushing them away angrily ?I just I want to be a family again,and I know it is a long way and I don?t really know where I?m going but I have to go, to try to get her, I have to, she?s family,? it had poured from her and now she felt worn she sat again her body tense as she watched him for some reaction she didn't want him to be angry, ?I?m sorry I didn't tell you I just ...? what had she thought that he would stop her?get angry at her for thinking of such a stupid idea, or was she really scarred that he would insist on coming with her? ? I was scarred,? she didn't want to leave him but she knew it would be dangerous to travel she might sneak under the radar but together they would be more obvious she just wanted her family safe,her head dropped looking at the trodden snow at her paws.

the not snow was still falling and slowly it began to form a thin layer over the underlying snow and on the backs of the two wolves gently oracle pressed a paw print into the stuff it didn't crush like snow but shifted beneath her pad, her eyes where itchy but whether from this stuff or the tears that she had shed she couldn't tell what was it?

The smile Oracle tried to manage, well, it didn't fool him. Tired or not, Galahad had spent the majority of his wakeful hours of his life with her. He knew her almost as well as he knew himself, or at least, so he hoped. But their distance from each other lately had put so much strain on the brute. He was terribly worried about Oracle, so terribly worried. Was she eating enough? Hell she wasn't sleeping enough. Of course he wasn't either though. He would shake his head, managing a small, weak smile. "It's alright, I understand, Oracle. But, well, we can't carry on like this." For a moment she would lean against him, both sitting in silence, and then the question would come. One that would catch him off guard, and, well, confuse him. Galahad would blink, looking at her with questioning eyes. "Of course I do." Once she got the answer she would move away. He would lower his ears, her next words starting to sting. What... what was she saying? What was she getting at? The brute would give a soft whine, watching as Oracle began pacing. She would speak, and start crying, and as much as he wanted to move towards her to brush away those tears he felt frozen, heart aching. What was she trying to get at? She would mention Odette... continuing to explain. As much as he wanted to be a family again, to have the three of them together, the thought of Oracle going alone was out of the question. She had been scared to tell him... but had she disappeared without doing so he would have been crushed. "Oracle..." His head and heart were swimming with mixed emotions. He knew asking her not to go at all was out of the question... and he would go with her too. Even if she didn't want him to. But they were in no condition to go anywhere right now, and she had to understand that. "Oracle, I love you dearly, but there is no way at all I'm letting you leave right now. If you have to go, find, but I'm going with you, and its not going to be until we're well recovered from the states were are in, have a good meal in, and are in fit traveling condition." His tone was completely serious, a trait he had developed as he aged. He wasn't going to risk losing her with her going alone... though he had an idea why she wanted to. "I'll follow at a bit of a distance, but I'll still be close enough so if you run into any trouble you can call for me right away." It was starting to get harder to breath... and the weird stuff that was falling from the sky was settling on them. His eyes were starting to hurt too, and Galahad was getting the feeling that whatever it was it wasn't good. "Lets go to my den... well, our den. You've been sleeping alone but I made sure it was big enough for both of us. I don't know what this stuff is, but its not snow, and I'm getting the feeling we shouldn't be out in it... Its starting to hurt to breath... and I think its making my eyes hurt too." He would rise, looking to Oracle in hopes that she would follow, before heading to the den. They could continue talking once they were inside. "Speech"