waiting for this moment to be free

Night was beginning to fall and Rhyme had yet to return to Abaven. His icy paws carried him over the unfamiliar territory as he scouted the lands of the east. Normally he could be found within Abaven’s borders but with the lack of rain he had taken to trying to find sources of water. The rapids still flowed, though he wouldn’t have called them rapids anymore. He hoped the fall season would come sooner rather than later and bring them relief from the hot and the dry.

The setting sun threw colors of orange, red, and pink over the darkening sky. Rhyme crossed his toes in hopes the red sky meant rain in their future. His tall slate form came to a halt on the white sand beach as his blue and lavender eyes peered up at the sky. The clouds were sparse, but held enough moisture to reflect the amazing colors of the sun back down to earth. Rhyme sighed heavily as he tried not to let his mind dwell on all of the problems swimming in his head.

Seeing Tana had been one of the most difficult encounters he had experienced in quite a while. He tried to force her tiny form from his mind and tried to cling to his disappointment in her. The truth was, he missed her. The pups missed her. He tried to focus on them, Eulogy, or Samara but the time alone had been most helpful. He brought his marked haunches beneath him to sit and watch the rest of the sunset and contemplate his future.