The Summer Bonfire Festival (Year 20)

Sakana’s words fill her ears as she reaches out to touch a piece of wood. The dry earthy smell is interesting and overwhelming. “Fire is the hot stuff that hurts when I touch it?” She asks for confirmation, face tilting upward toward where she heard his voice, but her pale eyes never really reaching his gaze. Allowing him to push guide her away from the unlit bonfire, Pythia is content to mingle near Sakana when Lyra comes up to them.

The lick to her cheek brings a torn expression to Pythia. Half pleased to be near her sibling, but also disgruntled by the sudden touching she couldn’t see. “Of course, ” Pythia replies, tone curt and matter of fact as usual. Placing her rump on the ground, Pythia continues to use her nose to sniff out her surroundings. There were so many wolf scents that it was near impossible to pick out who was who.

Just as she’s about to ask Sakana to start describing things to her, she hears the scurry of Lyra moving away. Voices around her become hushed and once the rippling snarl from her brother, Tarnish, lights the air, she feels her own paws no longer on the ground. Scruffed by Sakana and carried back toward the safety of Modesty and Jael, Pythia doesn’t resist. “Sakana, mothers, what is going on? ” Pythia inquires as she is placed back upon the ground out of harm’s way.

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