Diamond in the Rough

It was nearly the end of autumn, but this was a fiery season that did not go down without a fight. Unfortunately for Solveiga, that meant finding yourself surrounded by blistering desert sands on one of the hottest days of the season. Her coat was not thick, and she was small, so she knew it could be worse. But the sun still seemed to glare at her from its throne in the sky, and today she glared right back. Solveiga was a quiet girl, gentle in nature, but even she had her limits. Her paws were aching from the hot sand and she needed a drink.

As she walked, her mind was idle, which was never a good thing. It meant thinking of her brother. Where was he? Would she ever see him again? She imagined him somewhere, with the wife and family he always dreamed of having. All to himself. His little sister was never in the picture, apparently. The small female gave a huff and kicked at some sand, but she perked her ears suddenly as she saw it trickle downward into what she had thought was an empty valley between sand dunes. Instead she saw trees at the bottom, scattered around a small pool that glittered in the sun.

"Thank goodness," she whispered to herself as she quickly trotted down toward the water, looking all about for strangers, just in case. But the coast was clear, so she let herself approach the edge, the cool ground near the water bringing relief to her tired feet as she dipped her head down to drink. It had been a long year without him. But she was surviving. It was time she moved on and found a life of her own.