Painted Flowers

Chapter 10 - In the Mist

More and more days came and went, merging into one another to the point that Layali had lost count. The rainy season had made itself right at home, and a light, chilly drizzle left a shrouding mist that overtook every inch of Ash territory. Her shoulder still ached, though it had improved tremendously with Feoria's help. At first, the healer had outright refused to mend it, but with a less-than-gentle push from Queen Xenia, Layali was permitted to limp her way into the medicine cave every morning, sitting in tense silence as her wound was cleaned and her bandages were replaced.

It was no longer appropriate for Layali to sleep all day, nor was it very fun. She was so bored, but the pain had forced her to stay put for as long as possible--until this day, when she had mustered enough strength to leave the camp alongside Zahra and Zain. The twins were offering her a tour of the territory that morning, which was an opportunity for Layali to stretch her legs and stimulate her mind, so she no longer had to spend her time sitting and staring at the same cliff walls. But why did it have to start raining the moment she was up and about?

Panting heavily, Layali shook her damp fur and peered up at the rising terrain. Zahra and Zain were standing atop a hill, and she would have to climb quite a distance through wet grass to see what they were looking at from up there. With a huff, she did just that, limping once in a while but for the most part able to put weight on all four paws.

Approaching her "friends," she pulled herself up the last few strides and wheezed out: "You could've waited...huh...at least a...little bit."

Zahra looked back at her, eyes wide. "Ah, sorry! Forgot your shoulder isn't quite healed yet. You said you needed the exercise, though, right?"

Layali gave her a scowl, and squinted down at the valley below. A herd of zebras was beside the newly replenished watering hole, nibbling at the dewy grass and shaking their manes as they were soaked. They let out shrill noises as they trotted around carelessly, and Layali envied their energy. She was glad that for once the yearlings weren't assigned to a hunt, because the addition of her presence would just make her a dead weight. The herd had nothing to worry about that day. On the very edge of the savanna, the volcano stood tall, yet to the Ash dogs this was a completely ordinary sight.

"How do you guys stand to look at the same view all the time?" Layali complained. "You really never leave this valley? How bleak. Why do you want to live under that nasty-looking volcano?" She gestured to Mount Muambe.

Her escorts simply stared at her as she went on. "I mean, no offense, but your valley looks like any other valley."

Zahra glared at her for a few moments before turning away. "We make do."

Layali was surprised to see her so defensive over her weird home. Initially, Layali was under the impression that the siblings disliked their pack. They were always ordered around by Kwasi and their foster mother, they were picked on for being "foreigners", and they weren't exactly the most popular of the yearlings. Zahra was nice enough, so Layali didn't think she deserved this treatment or anything.

Zain, though, was just...difficult to read. Sure, he had practically saved her life when he had guided her to his camp for treatment, but since then he had been avoiding her, with the secret of who she really was surely hanging over his head--and, since he didn't talk, he had no choice but to keep it. Layali took his lead and never really interacted with him at all. He just kind of creeped her out.

A couple of the zebras continued shaking themselves in their futile attempts to stay dry. Zahra copied them, scattering water droplets and descending the slope in the opposite direction of the herd. Her brother glanced at Layali briefly before heading after her.