Shadewylf

20.1 - Vendett

Toivo ducked under the weight of the moonbeams, unwilling to meet the moon's gaze. Luna wasn't looking down on him with approval tonight. Her glow was bright with disappointment.

Shaking his fur out, he sunk his fangs deeper into the neck of the hare he carried. Though he wasn't hungry, he knew he needed to keep Lexi's strength up as they travelled deeper into the cold.

At least, that was the reasoning he told himself. In reality, he'd risen restless and tired of failing to sleep, in need to unleash his frustrations. The prey had been his safest option. Sinking his fangs into an unsuspecting animal should have provided some sort of relief. Yet the blood that wrapped his tongue in a bitter metallic taste provided nothing but a reminder of the new power that thrummed inside him.

With every step he took, the events would play again. The sounds of the hunters. The fear of discovery. The will, so strong and deep, for them to go away, to not find them, to allow Lexi to be safe from their claws. The sensation that followed - as if dark tendrils were reaching out, revelling in their freedom as they inflicted the terror they longed for.

Now, those tendrils were balled up inside again, and a part of him ached to release them once more. It was stifling to hold this power inside. It wasn't made to be cooped up.

He shook his head, trying to dislodge the thoughts. He was sure he remembered Lexi commenting on a similar sensation about her lightning, back when she was first gifted her Thunder Pelt. Over time, she'd grown used to it, and had gotten quite good at keeping the power inside.

But this darkness felt far more brutal than simple electricity.

As he approached the hole, Toivo scanned his surroundings, ears alert and nose tentatively sniffing the air. Though he was fairly sure the hunters wouldn't return, he wasn't taking any chances. Thankfully, their portion of the woods remained solitary, and he deemed it safe to set the hare down and nudge aside their leafy protection.

Moonlight streaked through the widened gap, revealing glittering gold beneath. Lexi was still deep in sleep, her chest rising and falling steadily, her breathing deep and content. No dark dreams disturbed her rest. She didn't find herself trapped in night's cloak the moment she shut her eyes.

Sighing, Toivo pulled the leaves across again, obscuring her from view. He'd wait until dawn before he woke her. It was more important that she held on to that peaceful sleep.

He sat down beside the hole, gazing out at the forest. Something comfortable settled over him, like a warm blanket, filled with familiar scents. The nightly forest truly was beautiful. Only scuffles in the undergrowth and the occasional hoot of some nearby bird of night disturbed the silvery peace.

Tilting his head back, he stared at the stars. There was Clerassi, the snake - easy to spot due to its weaving line of compacted specs. It represented resilience, he remembered Lexi telling him once, made up of Starrnyx heroes that had been highly resilient in their lifetimes. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the sky, trying to remember where she had pointed out the others - they always seemed like a disorganised jumble to him, until she jabbed her claw at the shapes and suddenly they were crystal-clear.

For a long time he remained there. A new sense of calm slowed his heart - he hadn't realised how fast it had been racing until its beats became more steady. His love for the night had gone nowhere. After a while of searching, he finally made out the formation of a single fork shape - Nethropiade's antlers. Lexi's favourite constellation. The stag representing strength: something neither of them had possessed and yet wished for all the same.

Eventually, the stars began to fade, slipping back into the darkness to escape the orange light that displaced them. As the sun poked its piercing eye above the horizon, a pale amber smudge bringing soft heat along with it, he finally stretched out his stiff limbs and rose to his paws.