Night was the realm of his brother, and so it was rare that the sun child would wake at this hour and step out the front door in pursuit. He couldn’t understand why anyone would like this darkness; he was a creature of light and life, colors and sounds bright and loud. He liked to look at the moon sometimes, and reclining in the grass by starlight was just as beautiful a moment, but he didn’t make a habit out of it. After all, as gorgeous as the lunar orb was, it was only a fickle thing, waxing and waning and casting eerie light on the world. The sun was a constant, and as brazen as the prince was, he liked having something constant to fall back on.
His dark nose to the ground, four paws padding a steady rhythm on the night-cool grass, Skoll followed his quieter sibling. He’d woken by chance and realized that his brother had snuck out of the house, which piqued his curiosity. He was far enough behind that he couldn’t see the dark wolfdog, however, and so all he could do was trot along, nose down, his coat almost bright white contrasted with the subtle, dark hues around him.
Eventually, the grass grew taller, rustling as he pushed through it. His ears swiveled constantly at the chorus of crickets around him, but he was as unafraid as ever, even in this shadowy place. He wasn’t sure he even recognized where he was by such a different light; it was strange how the night transformed things. He mulled over this for a while before his head jolted up; something dark was moving beyond.
He caught a glimpse of his brother’s slender form balanced on a rock, and Skoll entertained the thought of creeping up on him and scaring him. It passed quickly—not for a sudden burst of maturity, but because of the fact that Hati would be able to see him coming a mile away. Wagging his tail in good-natured defeat, he padded up to the stone, not bothering to muffle his footfalls.
“Hi, Hati,” the pale prince greeted warmly, his voice distorted by a yawn. “What’re you doing out here so late?” He sat down beside the rock, seeing there was no room for him—although it went against his nature as a dominant canine to be below the other. He managed to push the purely instinctual sensation in favor of being pleasant company, for now at least.
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