They Have Hunger In Their Eyes

The coyotes advance on the terrified pup and, at first, Caladia attempts to make herself look big and scary. However, hunger is a powerful force and their empty bellies are too painful to be ignored. Realization slams into the girl and she shrinks back against the tree as she understands that they will not stop. Suddenly, a dark cloud appears, streaking across the ground to slam into the skinny creature closest to her. Surprise has the pup blinking rapidly to make sure she isn’t dreaming. From where the black ball stands, red appears to paint the ground and she watches Dusk attack the coyote, too afraid to move or make any sound.

Her cousin releases the coyote she attacked, moving back toward her and asks if Callie is okay and, a moment, the girl manages to squeak out, “Ye.. yeah.” Dusk then instructs her to run and find her father, Artorias. A part of the pup bulks at the very idea and she wants to argue against leaving Dusk alone with the coyotes. However, she knows that, in this fight, she is and the best thing she can do is find help. So, sucking in a trembling breath, the hodgepodge colored pup nods and uncertainly says, “Okay.” With that, Dusk draws the coyotes attentions and, without another word, the smaller girl slips away through the tall undergrowth.

Caladia runs for all she is worth, her short legs stretching as far as they can go as she races away from the danger in search of Artorias. Just as she breaks out of the grove and hits the grassy plains, the girl spies the large form of Dusk’s dad charging into the berry grove. Relief floods her body as Callie immediately turns around and she races just as quickly back to where Dusk fights. Since her legs are shorter, the pup arrives late to the fight and finds the huge dire wolf is already laying waste to the hungry pack. Callie does not watch the slaughter and instead scans the area for Dusk.

Finding her dark form, she quickly runs to her cousin and buries her face into the dark coat. Tears fall into the inky fur as she presses her smaller body into her older cousin, seeking reassure that her running away had not killed Dusk. The sounds of death continue from behind her but she keeps her face buried in the dark cloud’s coat, grounding herself from the terror of only minutes before. Silence falls in the grove and Callie finally pulls herself from her cousin’s coat and turns her red, puffy eyes up to Artorias.

He asks if they are hurt and she shakes her head in the negative, sniffling while trying to shrink backward as guilt wells in her chest. Would he be angry that she had abandoned Dusk to the coyotes? Sure, she had been told to run but she didn’t have to leave. Doubt knocks around in the pup’s head as she lowers her gaze and presses a little further into her cousin. Whatever happens, Caladia knows she deserves to be grounded.


"Caladia Carpathius"