Arch of the Lost Ruin

Sleep Lost

“The fitter, remember? It was yesterday when we played fetch with it!” I exclaimed, going behind a bush where I reserved it for next uses. After clasping my mouth around one of its strings, I dragged it out, sliding it toward my father’s paws, “This thing you got.”

Rynoarc lowered a brow and heightened the other, then slowly tilted his head. This was weird. I had never seen my father act this way, and it was creeping me out, worse scaring me out.

Evalyn seemed to be in puzzlement as well, but broke the silence, “Elixa, this is no time for your gimmicks. Please follow Tessalyn to your training for today.” She said, in monotone.

“But━”

“Let’s go already, Elixa.” Raevyn rolled her eyes, headbutting me.

My mouth was slightly open, trying to sort out what had happened. Rynoarc and I

were playing with the fitter just yesterday! It was no dream, I know it was no dream!

“Goooo!” Raevyn elongated her words, and was headbutting me again, forcing me to move.

“I’m going!” I snapped back, studying the ground as it scrolled toward me.

After a moment of walking, Tessalyn sat her usual place for training, a little grove with a pool forming in the middle, originated from a waterfall up on a hill. It was the place of perfect tranquility, explained Tessalyn, when we trained her for the first time. The waterfall’s soft rush over the rocks and the pool’s gentle ripples running across the surface of the water. I loved the place also, it was so calm, so quiet. It was a miracle we even found this place.

“All right, girls, we will start on a new concept today, that is: seeing in different point of views.” Tessalyn started, her soft lavender eyes dividing its attention evenly over Raevyn and I, “Sometimes people are misunderstood. Scratch that: people are always misunderstood. A lot of the things they do are unbeknownst to you, and you jump into the conclusion that they are weird, or crazy, or insane. That is the cruel action I call judgement. You can only judge after you have learned their true nature, their background, and their motives. That is when you’ll truly understand their reasons of behavior. For instance, a lone wolf is stealing food from a nearby pack. What do you think of him?”

As usual, my short-tempered trait takes over, “A thief! You shouldn’t steal! The pack rightfully earned that prey, and here he is stealing it!”

Tessalyn chuckled, “One would think that. What about you, Raevyn?”

Raevyn paused a little, before she replied in a slow voice, “The wolf… he might have a family of his own… maybe the mother had deceased and now he has to raise the pups on his own.”

“Excellent, Raevyn.” Tessalyn smiled merrily, “The lone wolf might also have to be feeding his sick mother or father, or he could be raising his pups, as you said, Raevyn.” She turned to me, “Now how do you think of it?”

“Well, when you say it that way…” I pouted, looking at the ground.

“You have to… be that person, whoever they may be, to understand their behavior. What might be a possible solution to this problem, Raevyn?” Tessalyn looked to my sister again.

“The lone wolf could join as part of the pack. Besides, the pack could gain an extra member to help them with winter hunting or caretaking.” Raevyn shrugged, answering the question with such an ease.

“Brilliant.” Tessalyn nodded, “So now you see, judging is not always the best way to look at something. Now to concern you on another scenario. You both know the difference between a ferret and a weasel, am I correct?”

Raevyn and I nodded; we knew what the difference was. When we were younger, Delphyra and Mynona had spar session, supervised by Rynoarc of course, and whoever lost got to eat the weasel and whoever won gets the ferret, which was almost three times bigger. Delphyra won, of course.

“What if a weasel is living with a family of ferrets? What would you think of them?”

I took this into consideration. Something three times bigger than the family is living in the camp. I giggled lightly, “It would be fun, wouldn’t it? To have something three times bigger than you? No more competition for us!”

Tessalyn laughed, clearly amused by my response, and Raevyn joined along, giggling, “Yes, if you put it that way, Elixa.”

I was beginning to think on a deeper level, by 0.01%.

I tried to use my new technique with Rynoarc. If I was in his paws… I would remember the fitter! He had been excited when he found it for some reason that was unapprehended to me. He said we were going to try again… Rynoarc never breaks a promise… Never once! Nor did he ever forget any of his words! Rynoarc was a gentleman… A true gentleman.

After a few more scenarios of demonstration by Tessalyn on the lesson of being in someone else’s paws, we were dismissed. It was late sunhigh, and we were getting hungry. I wanted a big and strong buck to eat. Whole.

“Delphyra is certainly increasing on her abilities.” Rynoarc chuckled, as he sat down on one side of the buck that was killed for us to eat, “Tackled this buck down all by herself.”

“Baba, you don’t have to exaggerate.” Delphyra rolled her eyes, but I could see her smile.

“I helped her, baba.” Mynona added, tearing through the buck’s neck, blood tainting her muzzle.

Evalyn smiled, “I hope you didn’t scare the herd away before you made the move.”

Rynoarc laughed at my mother’s comment, “Oh, yeah, we did. Mynona over there stepped on a stick!”

“Oh snap!” I spoke, and immediately following were bellows of laughter.

“No, baba, I accidentally wagged my tail… The buck heard me and ran away.” Mynona corrected my father.

“Really? Well, whatever the incident, we got it anyway.” He shrugged, clasping his muzzle over the buck’s spine, crushing its flesh through his powerful jaws.

After ten or fifteen chomps of the buck’s stomach, I was full. Raevyn had finished ahead of me, as she always had. Raevyn didn’t like to eat huge portions of a meal either, which just utterly confused me in every way possible.

I collapsed on the ground, my belly exposed to the pinkish salmon of the sundown sky. I started to trace the clouds in the sky, moving like huge fluffy snails. It was normal for everyone to forget, right? I sighed, drawing my paw back to its regular position, then grunted as I attempted to sit up again. There were just too many thoughts going through my brain. I needed some sleep, and fast.

Morning. Or midnight? I couldn’t tell. I was awoken by the sound of a screech, and that sent chills down my spine immediately. I instantly jerk up, ready for a battle of some sort, but it wasn’t that. Delphyra and Mynona were already up and running. Raevyn carefully nudged me up and followed me outside as we tried to examine the camp.

“Rynoarc!” My mother shrieked, in a mix of rage and confusion, whichever it was I couldn’t tell.