Phoenix Maplewood dancing to the beat of a midnight raga

@Indra

his dreams had been vivid last night, bright of color and suffused with hope. loved ones all around, their pelts of all conceivable shades, their eyes glowing many different hues. and above it all, a song, lilting and plaintive--and they danced. oh, how they did dance!

aditya awoke, stretching languorously, and rose to his feet, shaking the sleep from his pelt. the air was sweet but crisp, and belied the arrival of a late shower of snow. frowning slightly at the prospect, adi stalked toward the southern border of the maplewood, hoping to mark a corner he hadn't quite gotten to the other day.

for once, he was in an excellent mood. not to say aditya had been moping around, these past moons, but it had been a tough winter, and his usually chipper outlook on life had been buried under the stresses and responsibilities of being part of a family for the first time. but now things were starting to look up, spring was around the corner, and his dreams had shifted from nightmares back to fantasies.

the burly agouti male lifted his leg with a contented sigh, marking a patch of bush at the edge of the forest. he looked to the east, where the rise of the moraine shielded the plains from view. perhaps tomorrow he'd pay catori a visit, bring her some food and talk with her about the impending litter.

today, though, he was satisfied with pacing along the border, alone with his thoughts, humming to the melody of a dream.