Ground Zero

Any time that her father took her out to spend time with her alone, Dusk was over the moon with happiness. She liked her siblings well enough, but the girl soaked up the individual attention like a sponge. The dark child absolutely adored her father. The man was akin to a god in her young eyes. Eyes that were so much like his own. Artorias would forever be the child's first true love. Not to say that she didn't love her mother. Dusk adored Briar. There was just something within Artorias' soul that called to Dusks soul, as cheesy as that sounds.

There was pep in her step as the pair made their way towards the giant, dark mountain in the distance. One couldn't deny that this outing was making the child happy as she kept pace with her giant father. Dusk hummed little songs, hopped after birds and bugs and every once in a while stalked and leaped on her father's tail. And questions- Gods did she ask a lot of questions. Why were bugs so small if there were so many of them? Who decided that birds should get to fly when wolves couldn't? What made grass green and trees tall? Why didn't fish have fur? Endless, endless questions.

Though Dusk was happy to be out, she could feel the tension emanating from her father with each step that they took towards the mountain. By the time they arrived at the base of the volcano, the girl had stopped her prancing and was very focused. She focused even more so when her father told her to stay close to him. Dusk nodded, her brow etched in concern. She followed along beside him though, her gaze taking in the black rocks and the ashy earth. It was almost like snow in some places, if snow left you dirty instead of clean. Dusk noted that the ash made her obsidian paws grey and she was sorely tempted to roll in it so that she could pretend to be her grandmother, whom she'd been told was grey. With the tension in the air though, she stopped herself from doing so. Maybe on the way out.

"Dusk"