x
x
Una moved away from the brilliant shining Skyglass of the city and into the wilderness with as much worry as a butterfly skipping from one leaf to another. The days had proven longer and longer with the details of work stealing her from her dogs for so long that she was increasingly made to drop them off with Fai Parimba for care during the day lest she come back to a destroyed apartment.
In her ignorance she had soon found Nalj swollen with pups. At first, not understanding what horrible medical ailment the dog was suffering from she had carried her to Fai weeping and wailing, visions of Sizzles stiff body making her own stiffen and twitch. Laughing amicably and patting her on the back Fai had explained her predicament.
Staring down at the dogs she now allowed to roam off leash she shook her head. They were an odd couple indeed, the large much older form of Schism bounding at the heels of the once much faster Nalj made Una laugh aloud. Among the tall Brome grass Nalj was a moving swath of green followed by the heavy slow plod a large wide black back and head split with a sharp slice of white.
Fai moved through the heavy underbrush behind her as they climbed the well kept planks of the pathway toward Rainbow Falls. Fai had invited her along on a rarely shared day off with her own two Mountain dogs, Emma and Evai. Much younger than Schism and female they were much smaller than the extremely large and lumbering male and darted between the two with enormous delight. They had found on their last little trek outside the city, followed by one of the Male Mountain dogs that with Nalj so heavy with pups Schism was far to mean to risk near another male and since then a variety of female dogs had accompanied the common six; Fai, Una, Schism, Nalj, Emma and Evai into the hills.
The two humanoids were laden with a backpack each to carry the spoils of the trip. Una often used their trips as chances to collect various plants in her efforts to make the ink she used so commonly in both her job and daily writing. Thus far only a few common plants had yielded any intriguing colours. Meanwhile along Fai's back extended the long bending shape of a fishing reel.
The two moved out in silence through a deep gouge between two mountainous gully's. While Una focused the path before her she was almost bowled over by the broiling play of the four dogs as they bumbled up and down the path easily. Laughing behind her Fai steadied her arm with her own and they continued.
Una appreciated the silent comradery Fai provided. Spending so much of her time talking during her job the wet silence that hung between them was as steady as the swell of the waves that pounded as steadily and ceaselessly as her heartbeat.
Rounding a bend, as swollen as Naljs stomach, the left bank of the trail opened its trees upon a meandering stream. As still as a pond green leaves drifted down from disturbed trees and floated, like small boats, betraying the very faint current that traveled downstream. Large rocks lay submerged in its depths and moss crawled up from the shallow depth along their bottoms.
Una sighed relaxing into the sight even as rough deep bark of Schism split the scene. Glancing away from the scene regrettably Una spotted Nalj resting proudly atop an embankment too steep and heavily surrounded by the thorny prickles of roses for any of the three Mountain dogs to dare attempt. Her own coat was so thin and wiry she had slid through its dangerous nettles as easily as water slid between the tight fusion of rocks at her back.
Struggling not to laugh and distract the dogs from their predicament Una tapped Fai gently on the shoulder until she had turned to see and broke the scene with her own giggles. Emma turned first, quickly followed by the other two their matching pelts in a long row as each emitted its own unique bark and dashed toward them.
Reaching down Fai rubbed the pleased head of Emma who craned further into her hand for a chance of more affection while Evai and Schism play wrestled among some Brome grass forgetting about the triumphant Nalj.
"It wont be much longer now..." Fai commented as the dog came to rest at Una's side, her stomach swinging beneath her.
"You'll have to keep an eye, Schism -"
"is big and it might cause complications." Una finished, playfully rolling her eyes, "I know. I know. You've told me a thousand times." She finished, greeted by Fai's tongue.
"But it's even more dangerous than that. Dynakuva Painted Desert Dogs can have between 9 and 17 puppies at their size...they are made to produce a lot of offspring. If she has that many of puppies his size...she could die." Una let her carry on worrying and fretting. She had been told the risks many times and she had wished she had known better and gotten one or both of them fixed. But what was, was and there was little she could do about it now beyond keeping Fai around as much as possible for when Nalj gave birth.
"I've thought of some names." Una commented, trying to distract her worried friend.
"Oh?" She replied, easily distracted by the news.
"I'm going to name them all after types of coral."
"But they're dogs. Not fish." Her friend teased as they continued along the wide length of planks that kept their feed dry from the bog that began to stretch out and away from them.
Nalj brushed against her side as they walked. Though Schism was the most adoring of the two and the only one she dared bring to work when Fai was simply too busy to care for both, as he was the only one who would stay quiet all day, Nalj and Una had grown much closer with her developing pregnancy. In the last few days Schism had been chased onto the floor by the pestering female who would wiggle herself into Una's unconscious arms.
Her large ears had always wiggled, absorbing every tiny trickle of sound that graced the streets but since the pregnancy she had grown more and more anxious often forcing Una to stay awake all night at her side gently soothing and petting her as she howled that peculiar warbling call at the moon and disturbing her no longer cordial neighbors.x
x
x
Summer 90th 514 AV
19th Bell
19th Bell
Una moved away from the brilliant shining Skyglass of the city and into the wilderness with as much worry as a butterfly skipping from one leaf to another. The days had proven longer and longer with the details of work stealing her from her dogs for so long that she was increasingly made to drop them off with Fai Parimba for care during the day lest she come back to a destroyed apartment.
In her ignorance she had soon found Nalj swollen with pups. At first, not understanding what horrible medical ailment the dog was suffering from she had carried her to Fai weeping and wailing, visions of Sizzles stiff body making her own stiffen and twitch. Laughing amicably and patting her on the back Fai had explained her predicament.
Staring down at the dogs she now allowed to roam off leash she shook her head. They were an odd couple indeed, the large much older form of Schism bounding at the heels of the once much faster Nalj made Una laugh aloud. Among the tall Brome grass Nalj was a moving swath of green followed by the heavy slow plod a large wide black back and head split with a sharp slice of white.
Fai moved through the heavy underbrush behind her as they climbed the well kept planks of the pathway toward Rainbow Falls. Fai had invited her along on a rarely shared day off with her own two Mountain dogs, Emma and Evai. Much younger than Schism and female they were much smaller than the extremely large and lumbering male and darted between the two with enormous delight. They had found on their last little trek outside the city, followed by one of the Male Mountain dogs that with Nalj so heavy with pups Schism was far to mean to risk near another male and since then a variety of female dogs had accompanied the common six; Fai, Una, Schism, Nalj, Emma and Evai into the hills.
The two humanoids were laden with a backpack each to carry the spoils of the trip. Una often used their trips as chances to collect various plants in her efforts to make the ink she used so commonly in both her job and daily writing. Thus far only a few common plants had yielded any intriguing colours. Meanwhile along Fai's back extended the long bending shape of a fishing reel.
The two moved out in silence through a deep gouge between two mountainous gully's. While Una focused the path before her she was almost bowled over by the broiling play of the four dogs as they bumbled up and down the path easily. Laughing behind her Fai steadied her arm with her own and they continued.
Una appreciated the silent comradery Fai provided. Spending so much of her time talking during her job the wet silence that hung between them was as steady as the swell of the waves that pounded as steadily and ceaselessly as her heartbeat.
Rounding a bend, as swollen as Naljs stomach, the left bank of the trail opened its trees upon a meandering stream. As still as a pond green leaves drifted down from disturbed trees and floated, like small boats, betraying the very faint current that traveled downstream. Large rocks lay submerged in its depths and moss crawled up from the shallow depth along their bottoms.
Una sighed relaxing into the sight even as rough deep bark of Schism split the scene. Glancing away from the scene regrettably Una spotted Nalj resting proudly atop an embankment too steep and heavily surrounded by the thorny prickles of roses for any of the three Mountain dogs to dare attempt. Her own coat was so thin and wiry she had slid through its dangerous nettles as easily as water slid between the tight fusion of rocks at her back.
Struggling not to laugh and distract the dogs from their predicament Una tapped Fai gently on the shoulder until she had turned to see and broke the scene with her own giggles. Emma turned first, quickly followed by the other two their matching pelts in a long row as each emitted its own unique bark and dashed toward them.
Reaching down Fai rubbed the pleased head of Emma who craned further into her hand for a chance of more affection while Evai and Schism play wrestled among some Brome grass forgetting about the triumphant Nalj.
"It wont be much longer now..." Fai commented as the dog came to rest at Una's side, her stomach swinging beneath her.
"You'll have to keep an eye, Schism -"
"is big and it might cause complications." Una finished, playfully rolling her eyes, "I know. I know. You've told me a thousand times." She finished, greeted by Fai's tongue.
"But it's even more dangerous than that. Dynakuva Painted Desert Dogs can have between 9 and 17 puppies at their size...they are made to produce a lot of offspring. If she has that many of puppies his size...she could die." Una let her carry on worrying and fretting. She had been told the risks many times and she had wished she had known better and gotten one or both of them fixed. But what was, was and there was little she could do about it now beyond keeping Fai around as much as possible for when Nalj gave birth.
"I've thought of some names." Una commented, trying to distract her worried friend.
"Oh?" She replied, easily distracted by the news.
"I'm going to name them all after types of coral."
"But they're dogs. Not fish." Her friend teased as they continued along the wide length of planks that kept their feed dry from the bog that began to stretch out and away from them.
Nalj brushed against her side as they walked. Though Schism was the most adoring of the two and the only one she dared bring to work when Fai was simply too busy to care for both, as he was the only one who would stay quiet all day, Nalj and Una had grown much closer with her developing pregnancy. In the last few days Schism had been chased onto the floor by the pestering female who would wiggle herself into Una's unconscious arms.
Her large ears had always wiggled, absorbing every tiny trickle of sound that graced the streets but since the pregnancy she had grown more and more anxious often forcing Una to stay awake all night at her side gently soothing and petting her as she howled that peculiar warbling call at the moon and disturbing her no longer cordial neighbors.
x
