NO LIGHT. ✹ E.W.

vii.

Light gleams of sunlight pour through the murky windows of the office. It's morning, not that you planned on sleeping that long, and you can hear the light drizzling of rain on the windows. At your feet Sully has shifted considerably closer to you than he was when you fell asleep; paws curled over your ankles in a protective manner. After you'd pulled the arrow out and patched it up best you could the dog had mellowed out into an overgrown puppy with your calm demeanor and, of course, shared jerky. He would be good to have around right now, especially seeing as it was just you until you could track down Ellie and Dina.

At the sudden change in your position, Sully's eyes pulled open to stare at you in annoyance. Almost as if he were saying 'really, now?' in a mocking voice. You scratched behind his ears, it was the only set place you knew he wouldn't bite you for touching, and push off to your feet. Sully watches with his head cocked to the side in confusion of your actions; it's only when you shoulder your rifle that his ears perk up.

You need to start observing the area, figuring out where you should go. There's got to be some way you can locate them; maybe you could find Tommy, at the very least. The matter of Sully remains unknown, you still don't know how he'll react to being with you and if he sees any of his old owners; but, you need the extra guard. "You comin' with me boy?"

The shepherd gets to his feet, limping at first, until he's at your side. He looks up to you as if he were saying 'let's do this.' You're thankful that at the very least you have some company, even if it is just a dog.

You'd always wanted another dog since your childhood dog passed away, your precious companion died protecting you from an infected on patrol. It wasn't something you took too lightly at the time; it weighed on you for months, always making you hesitant to have another dog when offered. But Sully seemed capable of handling himself, and those honey brown eyes were staring up at you with confidence.

"I don't really know where to start looking." You tell him, ignoring the fact that he won't respond. Your hands are stuffed into the pockets of your jacket, ready to grab your pistol if need be. It takes an extra minute to descend the stairs with Sully's limp, you waiting patiently for him at the bottom of the stairs until the furry companion catches up. "I guess we'll figure it out later, huh, Sully?"

Your eyes flicker down to him, immediately noticing the way his snout sniffs at the air in focus; not even a moment later, he growls. You're quick to look around the area, hunting the disturbance that caused his growl. Three men, all dressed in brown, ankle length coats with bows circling the area.

You duck in front of the windows, ushering Sully to follow you. "Down, down." These don't seem like people he knows, at least you assume he wouldn't growl at his previous owners. In the middle of the trio is a stocky man, over his shoulder is a large mallet.