Before The Morning
07-02-2013, 05:21 PM
| Erani |
|
The wind lashed and buffeted at her fur, rain laying it flat to her skin, the under fluff that was her insulation long since drenched. In her jaws, she held herbs that would help Cairo stay strong, though in her heart, she knew he was fading. She shook it away as another dazzling flash of lightning lit the sky and the field she was crossing. She picked up her pace, eager to be inside her dearest friend?s dry, warm den, and enjoy a conversation. The children were asleep, Nova with them. She gave herself an ineffectual shake, trying to clear some of the water from her coat. Ah the joys of Spring. While beautiful, it still held downfalls. Heavy rain, for one thing. She had coached her children in staying in the den, and had also dug a path up to the area above the ravine, should the area flood too high for the den to stay dry. Gabriel?s constant absence worried her to no end. She was losing her son. Her baby. Erani lowered her eyes to the dark path under her paws, as the sky lit again with electricity. A powerful boom coincided with a brilliant flash, and she dropped to her belly in the mud. A bolt of lightning had slammed it?s fist into the earth not a hundred feet away. She shot to her paws. She couldn?t say what caused it, but she suddenly felt dread squeezing her heart. ?No?? She ran. She hardly registered the muddy earth that flew beneath her paws. She had to get to Cairo?s den. She had to get there before? Erani skidded to a halt, the herbs falling from her jaws as she saw him fall. He uttered four words, and then his eyes closed. She gave a broken whine, and charged. The world had narrowed down to just that wolf. She reached him at the same time as another. She started to make the checks, but then something eased. She instead curled on his other side, pressing against him, securely protecting him between herself and that other body. Nose turned in to press into faded chocolate fur, inhaling his scent, while grief sang through her heart. After a moment, her head rose, and her voice intertwined with the voices of the rain and thunder. A sweet dirge of love, grief, and farewell. She sang for his life, which she only knew so little about, and for the wonderful years of his reign, for his happiness with Guinevere, and his children. After a while, the song finished to a soothing end, and her face returned to his fur. And she let the tears flow. He was gone. But not. He was in her heart. In Valhalla?s hearts. And there he would stay. |