what smells like wet dog? - [brave]

Wicked's day had started pretty laid back. He'd woken this morning to a pale sun in the sky, it's usual bright beautiful colors hadn't been present today. He had tasted the pregnancy of the air, heavy with humidity as a forewarning to the storm that would surely be rolling in by the afternoon. He had planned his day accordingly, heading out into the old forest to find himself a meal for the day. While it took him a little while because he wasn't the best hunter, eventually the mutt had caught himself a healthy little rabbit. He ate it quickly as the wind played with his fur, tickling the back of his neck. Once he'd finished his meal, the mutt began his trek toward Rattler's Cavern. The mutt had learned about the caves by talking to others native to the area so he knew where to go, however he hadn't been there yet. The name was intimidating, but with the wind picking up he figured it was the better option between the snakes or the storm.

The husky must have walked for an hour or more, his feet hungering for a break from the hard ground beneath his toes. He pressed on, though, as the cry finally began it's slow weep: a thick mist falling to meet to ground. By the time Wicked's eyes finally caught site of the gaping mouth waiting to devour him, the mist of water had turned to steady rain, thunder threatening a worse storm to come. He ran the final stretch the the cave, shaking his fur until it was damp and not wet. While the cave was cold, it had been warmer than having the cold rain pierce his thick coat and bleed across his skin.

Wicked had never been much a fan of dark, small spaces, however from the stories he'd heard of this place it was a bit deceiving. He'd heard stories of the incredible beauty, having holes in the ceiling where you could look up and see the stars or, in the daytime, look around and see the wonderful formations the rocks made. He was quite intrigued to see what it would look like when the sun was out tomorrow, however the exploration of the cave would have to wait another day, as the rain made it nearly impossible to see very far into the cave. Or, at least, to see well.

The husky's maw let out a yawn, his body aching for a nap as he glanced around the cavern he'd entered. He'd hear each and every one was different from the last, however this being his first, it was quite an impressive cave to him. The ground was rough and uneven, you'd need to have your bearings about you at all times within this. The ground slanting downward to the back where an opening to the sky also opened above it. The rain, now pounding against the rocks above him, was beginning to create a large pool within the cavern, but it certainly had enough room to indulge the rain in it's little mission. The puddle had grown large even now, the edges reaching past the hole in the ceiling so Wicked could grab a drink without an assault on his face as he did so. He very much planned to indulge his thirst, however the mutt felt a bit more comfortable waiting until the rain would die down a bit before he did that.

Wick carefully made his way to the side of the cave where he could rest his back against a wall for a nap. He stretched out, another yawn spreading his maw once more, as he quickly fell asleep to the sound of the storm raging outside.


He must have been asleep for a while, because as the husky's blue eyes slowly saw the world once more, the rain had gone and the sounds of the storm were only echoes of his memories. The mutt shifted his weight so he no longer laid on his side, lifting his head to glance around. It seemed as though he hadn't had any visitors throughout the duration of his nap, but there were always those little crevasses you couldn't see into without being nearly on top of them. The sun was back to it's former pale color, still not quite as happy as it could be, but it now partially lit up the caverns so you could see further into it. Wicked could see, past the little lake that had been created by the rain, another opening to a different piece of the world. Wicked decided that was where he wanted to go, so he stretched as he got up and made his way carefully down to the pool of water.

As he reached the pool, Wicked first lowered his mouth to the water, lapping up enough water to fill his belly and satisfy the itch of thirst in the back of his throat. Having been satisfied with that, Wicked's attention shifted to how he was going to get across the water. He had wanted to walk around it, however the water now reached across to the entire span of the cave, leaving only one way to get across. Wicked waded in and, as the floor fell away from his feet, he swam across, keeping his nose above the water. He quickly and quietly reached the other side, getting out of the water and shaking it from his fur vigorously. The floor was smoother and more flat than it was on the side Wicked had come in on, definitely making this the more favorable spot. Perhaps it would have been worth it to have done this earlier, but the male shrugged it off as he couldn't change it now. He glanced around, his eyes quickly settling on another sleeping body.

"Hey," he said, attempting to wake the sleeping camper, "If it was your goal to wait out the storm then you've accomplished that."

Tags // ｌｙｓｉｎ
Words // 995 words
Notes // I'm super excited for this <3