A Drizzle of Home

14 | A Drizzle of Peace

When I made it to the outlook, Cloud had already settled on the ledge. I filled my chest with a deep breath, and kept my eyes on the twinkling horizon. I sat down beside her, and couldn't help but watch her glowing form in my peripherals. Gone was the hesitance she'd shown throughout the day, only pure awe for the beauty of the sky. There was real joy.

After a moment of silence, both of us merely staring at the stars, she lowered her gaze. She turned her nose to face me, looking into my eyes.

"I'm glad you decided to stay... Drizzle." She smiled as she said my name, then repeated it a couple more times, letting it roll off her tongue. "I like it," she chimed. "Is there any reason you chose it?"

I breathed a laugh, hesitant to share the strange memory and the pieces of my past, not until I knew more. If I'd ever know more. With a shrug, I answered, "It just felt right."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think it fits you perfectly. A little bad weather to start your journey, right? Just a drizzle." Her gaze drifted, looking down at the trees ahead. "Hopefully, you can find a little sunlight here."

I grinned at her creative spin on it. But the bliss didn't last long, and Cloud's expression grew solemn.

"There's also something I wanted to talk to you about." Her voice fell flat, and a sadness clouded her eyes, just like––"Back at the creek..."

"It's okay." I stopped her. The pressure had only led to a lingering awkwardness this morning. I didn't want her to tell me anything she wasn't ready to. I didn't want to lose her trust. "You don't have to explain yourself, not to me."

She slowly exhaled. "Thank you, but I do. You're part of the pack now, you deserve to know."

I nodded, and her muzzle sank even lower.

Her chest rose and fell with a few more calming breaths. "Winter was hard on us," she said with a sniffle. "Our pack was small already, but the cold made it even smaller."

My ears swiveled. She was speaking of the winter, just like Pine. How many more had the winter killed?

"Some left, just because things were hard. There was no loyalty. And with each wolf that abandoned the pack, it was even harder for the rest of us." Her voice growled with frustration, but an even deeper twinge of grief rose in her tone.

"My brother..." Cloud swallowed, her eyes glistening with tears. "He grew weak over the winter because he was too stubborn to care about himself over the rest of us." Her voice cracked with a sudden anger, then it halted with a whimper. "He was so worried about taking care of me and the pups––but he only ended up leaving a huge hole in our pack."

Her brother? In that moment, it made sense. Spruce lost the male figure in his life. It wasn't his littermate, it was his role model. An older sibling he strived to imitate. One that was willing to give his life for the ones he cared about. Blood or not, they were family.

My sister's warm embrace filled my mind. I didn't know the wolf from my past, but I knew the pain of thinking I'd lost her. And if she was still alive, I wasn't sure how to feel. She could be out there, and I would never see her again.

A sob interrupted my thoughts, and Cloud finally let the tears flow. My stomach swirled and warmth flooded my face. I wanted to tell her that I understood how she felt, what she was going through. But I didn't know what to do, or how she would react. I couldn't overstep my bounds.

With my tongue between my teeth and a breath caught in my throat, I pushed away my fear of the height below us. I reached toward Cloud with my nose, my ears flattened beneath her chin, and I let my fur brush against hers with a nuzzle of affection. I lifted her nose back to the horizon, like she had before. She didn't draw away.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, not sure what else to say. There were no words that could fix it anyway. Maybe just being here would help.

She reciprocated with a nuzzle of her own, pressing her cheek into mine. Her warmth seeped through my fur, and my heart began a thudding chase. My jowls were shut tightly, and my muscles were frozen in place. Cloud's head came to rest in the fur around my neck, her weight leaning against me.

Her scent filled my nose. The tart twinge of pine lingered on her fur, along with a faint whiff of contentment. Joy was always the sweetest smell, more so than all the wildflowers in the spring.

It was strange having a wolf so close to me, not like any of the time I spent curled at my mother's side. I could feel Cloud's pulse, each subtle breath that filled her lungs. This was different from the miles we'd spent walking at each other's sides. It burned in my chest with a strange sensation.

She closed her eyes and a shiver trembled through her pelt, a wave of peace that calmed her sniffling cries. I was glad I could offer something in return for her kindness, for making it possible for me to be here. Even if it were just an ear to listen.

"You remind me of him, Drizzle." It came out hardly louder than a whisper.

I let the side of my muzzle relax against her soft, white fur. She was like an elegant, snow-colored dove with her feathers puffed out, slick and shiny. Or maybe a star, one that still lived among us on the earth. With a pelt of light instead of fur, and gentle, glowing eyes, even as they lay unseen.

Her breathing grew louder as she drifted off. I knew she was asleep when the snoring started, a tiny grumble that was fitting for her short, rounded nose.

I smiled to myself, and a spark lit in my belly. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, but I'd have time to find out. This was my home now, whether or not I was ready for it.

Just like the start of this friendship.