I'll Keep You Safe

Initially. Zee didn't put up a fight as Io urged her out of the water. The water was only able deep, but still. Suddenly, the tan woman ballked and began to panic again. She slid out of the crevice in the wall and fought to flee again. "Hey," Iolaire said softly at first, but Zee, in her panic, couldn't and wouldn't hear. "HEY!" The dark woman snapped, bringing her paws up to either side of Zee's face. She fought for eye contact. "I need you to focus and I need you to listen to me." She directed Zee's gaze upward. " The tree is holding the wall up. The roots are holding the tree in place. There's no chance of it collapsing further." She patted the alcove with one paw. "I won't have you or my nieces and nephews catching a chill. This is important, Zee."

Thunder cracked and lightning illuminated the hole. Io could see that the back of the alcove that she'd dug was dry. That was good. She stayed close to the frantic woman, though Zee was almost in her lap already. "We can't get out on our own. The sides are too steep and too slick. We have to wait out the storm. Despite what you think, this place is safe and storms like these don't last long." How could she distract her sister from her panic?

"I used to be deathly afraid of storm just like you. Ever since I was a pup, they had always meant danger." She offered a reassuring smile as she spoke. "Then, one night, a storm like this one saved my life. I had been beaten raped. It began to storm and, in the chaos, I escaped. I was being hunted. They were going to kill me. The rain ate my paw prints and the storm swallowed my scent. The shadows swallowed me up until I was well away and safe." Io pressed close to Zee. Partly to comfort her sister and partly to comfort herself. "I realized that thunder was just noise. It can't hurt you. Rain is just water. And lightning is just light. It can't hurt you unless you're out in the open." Io nuzzled into Zees cheek. "We're going to be okay. On my life, I'll keep all of you safe." She swore it.