Backdated a few hours in the past.
The true silence was heavy on her eardrums. All evening it had been quiet, the world holding its breath, and she with it. She was afraid, but dare not share her feelings. Something was coming, its impending wrath a heavy pressure behind her eyelids. It hurt her head, and so in the stillness of a waiting wood, she slept.
It was no wonder that, hours later, she woke to the screaming of wind. She was no longer afraid. A storm had descended, a heavy and total blackness that swallowed up the blue sky. Whether her family was awake or not, she couldn't tell. Her heart thudded a steady beat as she rose carefully, picking her way to the mouth of the den to peer into the inky darkness outside its mouth.
Here, the wind howled like the call of a wolf. Like the screeching of an eagle. And the leaves and branches writhed on the trees, ripped at by the cutting winds, flattened as though great wings beat them down. Now she knew to be afraid, but at the same time she wanted to be in the middle of it. Rain beat down steadily, and she wanted to feel it in her fur. She wanted to have the wind raise her up. Surely, if only she was out there, she could learn to fly.
The incoming storm had made Floki nervous, but eventually he fell into a fitful sleep. His nose, ears, and paws twitched restlessly as he dreamed of thunder and lightning and torrential rain. When the wind truly began to howl outside the den, he jerked awake, blue eyes snapping open immediately and quickly adjusting to the darkness.
Silhouetted against the murky atmosphere was Ragna, poised at the mouth of the den. A shiver raced down Floki's spine, and he wasn't sure if it was caused by the plunging temperature or by fear. Worried for his sister's safety, he took to his feet and followed her, coming to a halt at her shoulder. Silently, he took in the storm, watching as wind and rain whipped leaves and branches into a frenzy and stirred up the sandy earth.
Floki's ears flattened against his head and he nudged Ragna with his muzzle, wishing that she would return to the back of the den and curl up with him.
Invigorated and humbled, Ragna wasn't sure whether she wanted to curl up and hide or run out into the storm. The wind whipped even into the den, carrying water with it, and that made her indecision worse. The fact that their mother was gone, along with Levi and Charon, didn't help either. She whined in frustration, upset that she couldn't make up her mind. What if she waited so long that the storm ended before she could get out there!
Floki appeared beside her, and that seemed to help. She would ask him to come with her. He could make her brave. "Floki!" she said. The noise outside was so much that she wanted to raise her voice, but she was scared of waking up the others. Kaylan and Jorunn might ruin her fun, after all. But Floki, she thought, she could convince. "Floki, let's go outside. Come with me. I want to see it."
Floki's ears pricked as his sister initially addressed him, but they quickly folded back against his head. She wanted him to go out there -- out there! Normally, he would have been quick to accept her offer, but there was something ominous about this rainstorm that struck fear into his young heart. Maybe the torrential downpour reminded him of the waves that had carried Jorunn away; or maybe he was just a scaredy-cat.
But despite his worry, Floki was a people pleaser. He wanted to make Ragna happy, and if she wanted him to go out into the rain with him, then he would do it. "Okay," he agreed reluctantly, pressing himself closer to her. Had their mother, Charon, or Levi been present, he likely would've refused; but he had to admit, even though his stomach was twisted into nervous knots, there was something exhilarating about the whole situation. He smiled timidly as they stepped out into the drizzle, feeling it patter against his shoulders with more force than usual.
When her brother agreed to come with her, Ragna nodded, now determined. He would make her brave, because she had to be. For him. He pressed close to her side, a strong and comforting presence. They stepped outside in tandem, buffeted by wind and rain. It hammered into her face, then her shoulders, then her back. Within moments she was soaked to the bone. The wind whipped up at her, and she nearly stumbled with its force. Luckily, Floki was there, and she only bumped against him instead of falling over.
Then she laughed, a sound that surprised even her. This was the most danger she had ever been in, with the sky falling down around them, but she knew that she wouldn't get hurt. Quickly, she cast a look over her shoulder at the den's mouth, making sure none of her more responsible family members were there, then she bounded out into the forest. She knew better than to go too far and only went to find shelter beneath a nearby tree. The water fell heavily even here, now in fat drops that rolled off of the leaves and onto her head. With each one that fell on her forehead, she blinked.
Floki was nervous, but having Ragna right next to him was comforting. The pups pressed against each other, both silent and in awe of what was happening around them. Between peals of thunder Floki suddenly heard a giggle; startled, he looked to his sister. In the next instant, she had moved away from him, leaving his side feeling cold where her warmth had been only seconds before.
She raced away from him and he yelped, kicking his heels into motion before he could give it a second thought. He knew that he couldn't let her venture out there alone, even if he would have preferred to grab her by the scruff and drag her back inside. Mud splashed up to his elbows as he followed her with the gangly gait of a youngster. Thankfully, Ragna soon ducked beneath the protective branches of a tree and Floki skidded to a halt alongside her, his eyes wide and his heart hammering in his chest -- but with an exhilarated smile on his face.
Only once the storm increased in intensity did the pups retreat back to the safety of the den -- and it was shortly after their return that Charon arrived and whisked them away to find shelter.