The Bench Grew Cold

Night had fallen, and the oily creature occupied the familiar rut in the earth that had cradled his body every night since then. Within the shadows of the shared den, he finally found himself at ease enough to let sleep take him away. It was difficult trusting his packmates to do the duty Raheerah only considered himself fit to perform, especially after the sun retreated behind the horizon, and dangers were more likely to creep in under the cover of darkness. The past few nights had been more difficult, and he had come to the den later than usual, though running himself ragged caused the male to sleep soundly until the very first crimson beams of dawn illuminated the Vale. He had been unaware of the trips his companion took in the heart of the night, and if he had been, Raheerah was hardly awake enough to do anything about it.

Until this night. Nothing particularly important had happened during this day. They had patrolled the borders as usual, fed from their caches and held practice spars in the evenings before retiring to the den. Perhaps the only difference was that, this day, Raheerah had been feeling far more rested, and the stress imbued by the Creek wolves' intrusion finally ebbed away enough of his paranoia to occupy other necessities. He found himself within the shared den and unable to immediately fall asleep - his mind wandered, but gradually, darkness overtook his thoughts and he fell away to the unconscious.

He was not asleep long enough for dreams. Rather, his slumber had approached far later than usual, rendering him sensitive to the movements of his companion. When she rose and slid out of the den, the beast emerged from his light sleep and stretched his legs, only to feel that the warm body that usually accompanied him was not there. The single eye inlaid in his crooked skull slowly peeled open. It turned his fiery stare to the entrance, where, thankfully, her body still lingered within his sight. Still thoroughly groggy, Raheerah remained on his side, his head still comfortably nestled on the den floor as he stared out at Xi'nuata. "Myyy deenn haas groowwn coollld." The dragon's deep voice crept from the silence, making known his desire for her to return.