there was an echo, far and faint

Atreyu followed Ellara through the wild garden, taking a mental note of some of the herbs and beneficial plants that resided in this place. The sun still made its rare peek through the clouds, but there was a storm brewing not far off. At first it was only a light drizzle, enough to create a double rainbow in the sky. The mirroring prisms caught Bigs' eye and he let out a yip to get Atreyu's attention, 'There are two!' Looking up, the spotted dire wolf squinted her eyes against the glistening sun and smiled. Tears sprung up in her eyes as she took shelter beneath the broken arched roof. "They made it, Bigs! That has to be them telling us they made it!" Maybe it was a true sign from her now-deceased family that they had crossed into the Summerlands after all. Looking to Ellara as the other female spoke, Atreyu had a big smile planted on her face, relieved joy flowing down her cheeks. Sniffling happily, Atreyu waved her tail in apology.

Tiliting her head, Atreyu couldn't lose the smile on her face, but she did reach out a paw to gently touch the other on her shoulder. "I am so sorry, I didn't hear a word you said. That double rainbow is a sign in my culture, a great big one too." Letting out a laugh that could only be described as mixed between grief, relief, and joy, Atreyu smiled up at the sky. She didn't mind that the rain had suddenly become harder, as if the happiest of tears fell from the heavens themselves. "You know, suddenly, staying warm and dry seems very boring. Would you like to play in the rain with me? The actual storm seems far off and we're already dirty." She couldn't contain her joy, not this time. Thunder rolled then, almost as if it urged Ellara to celebrate this momentous occasion with Atreyu. Bigs, in all of his naked, mohawked glory, ran out into the sunny storm. He had also lost his family in the siege of Judila, and his own sign had been given in the form of a rare blue butterfly moving through the rain.