Red Fur

Chapter 15

After a few moments, Raion balanced his weight and pushed back, pulling away with a sniffle. He used a paw to wipe away the last of his years which had dampened his fur, and I sat down, waiting patiently for him to regain his composure.
Though I didn't like that he was upset and it hurt me to see him in such a state, I was glad to be the one he could share his weaknesses with. It felt as though the two of us had grown so much closer in these short moments.
After a second, Raion finally looked up into my eyes, a hidden light in his expression that told me that a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
I smiled at him reassuringly, hoping to lift his spirit.
His voice was quiet and gentle as he spoke. "... Auryn... Thank you..."
I beamed gently at him. "No problem... I'm happy that I could be there for you like you've always been for me; pretend or not."
He smiled back at me. But it started to wilt, both of us remembering the conflict at hand.
"Raion..." I started quietly, "... What do we do...?"
He stared down at the dirt solemnly. "... I don't know..." He raised a determined gaze to meet mine. "But we have to do something."

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

Before we'd realize it, the two of us were dashing in a straight line, running along the edge of the water, past the trees, towards the dreadful place we'd come from.
"We have to stop her from causing anymore trouble!"
"Right!"
We flew past the trees, running so fast you could only catch a glimpse of us as we blew through, soon far from the water where we started.
We have to stop Tyra from taking over or hurting anyone else! He had Raion's family... We had to rescue them! No matter what it takes!
But little did we know just what we were stepping into...