Lost: The Forgotten

Chapter One

"Wait up, Kasai!" Arashi barked as his sister bounded across the tundra, sending sprays of cold snow behind her.

"You can't catch me!" Kasai teased, widening his stride. "I'm gonna win!"

"No, no, no!" Arashi argued, pummeling at the ground with her paws as he sprinted.

Gah!

Arashi rocketed backwards, paws over tail. The flustered dog shook the snow off his fur and blinked, looking up.

"Arashi! What have I told you about running when others are around?" Mizu scolded.

"Sorry, mother. We were just playing," he flicked his tail at Kasai, who had already beaten him to the pine tree.

"Well, you need to play more quietly. Your father needs to rest," Mizu motioned towards the sleeping gray figure that was barely visible from inside their den.

"We will, we will," Arashi's paws itched to run again, and he gave his mother a flick of his bushy tail.

"And don't go out onto the lake! The ice is too thin!" Mizu called as her pup dashed away. Arashi rolled his eyes, knowing that his mother was just being overprotective.

"Beat you!" Kasai said triumphantly, grinning.

"Well, I know where we can race to next," Arashi narrowed his eyes. "That tall spruce across the lake."

"Ooooo, yes!" Kasai yipped. She crouched beside Arashi, her eyes glowing with determination.

"G0!" Arashi barked suddenly, and pushed off of the snow, leaping along the edge of the ravine.

He growled as Kasai darted in front of him.

"Ha! I'm always faster!"

Arashi shook his head and pushed himself farther. Pulling ahead, he laughed, victorious, and leaped onto the lake ice.

"Not today, Kas-" He let out a screech as the ice caved in below him. A terrified yelp was drowned by the water as Kasai tumbled in after him.

Arashi kicked his back legs vigorously, struggling to get to his sister's sinking body. It's so... cold...

He shivered, his vision dimming as the freezing water pounded in his ears. Choking on water, he tried to scream his sister's name.

But he lost control.

Arashi... A faint, eerie cry whistled through his mind. Arashi... I'm here... Unable to move, he tried to respond.

Who are you?

The cries suddenly got more frantic, and he snapped awake. "Arashi! It's me, wake up!"

Big blue-gray eyes stared down at him. The blurry outline of his father was bent over him.

"What the-" His sentence was muffled as he was covered in licks.

Kasai, beside him, was rolling away from Mizu. "Ew," she grunted.

Mizu glanced at Arashi, pulling him and Kasai closer. Arashi flinched as he felt his mother's breath on his ear.

"So much work..." Mizu muttered as her warm fur huddled around them.

"Kasai. Arashi."

Arashi snuffed, rolling over. "What?" He grumped.

Mizu nudged his shoulder. "Let's go into the pine woods. Hopefully we will find a deer to eat, it's about time you started filling up. This winter will only get colder, and we won't have as much prey..." She shuddered as the biting wind started up.