Pandora shivered as she stared up at the swirls of snow in the air. Her thick arctic fur was just enough to keep her warm on the blusterous day. She was sad because lately everyone seemed to be sad. The young pup couldn’t help but to feel responsible for that. Often she tried to cheer everyone up but it hadn’t been working lately. With her mommy hurt she didn’t feel like playing either. She whined softly as a burst of wind knocked her slightly off balance forcing her paw from its place in the deep snow. She lowered herself into a ball. She didn’t want to go home, no one was smiling and her Mahn had growled at her for trying to play with her. She wished someone would just smile for her. She could feel herself drifting off to sleep but every time she was nearly out wind would pierce her fur. Then she would continue to watch the swirls in the air, watching the snow dance and sparkle in the orange sunlight of the ending day. Her fur started to dust with snow more and more as the minutes passed, she was barely noticeable. She was just a mere lump in the snow that rose and fell with her soft breaths that smoked out through an opening.
Her ear twitched at his approach and she turned her eyes away from him even though they had been shut as the snow grew thicker. His warm cause her to shiver lightly. His tugging at her ear was usually a welcomed action but a soft whimper escaped her. She didn’t know what to say or do all she wanted to do was lay there and wait for her family to cheer up. She couldn’t bear seeing them so saddened. Then he nudged her and his request was to difficult for her to refuse. She rose up and shook the layered snow from her fluffy coat and followed her brother. What did he have in mind? Her tail was docked low her ears flattened as her muzzle narrowly dragged against snow. She realized they hadn’t been heading home and couldn’t keep her silence any longer. Where are we going? She asked curiosity tugging at her just slightly. She picked up her pace just a bit to keep closer to her dearest brother. She knew the area well but hadn’t really ventured much unless her sisters or brother had taken her. There were swirls of wind still cutting into her so she moved closer. Her side against his as her foot tangled every other step with his. What was he up to? She wondered as her dual toned eyes shifted over his face.
Happiness flowed through him like a summer breeze as she surrendered to his request. His sense of duty and loyalty to keep her safe fulfilled as she clambered to her feet. He led her like a shepherd did his flock of sheep, judging which paths were safe and which ones treacherous. He navigated the two of them through the deep, well deep to them, swells of snow until they reached the broken wooden doorway of one such house. Her question was small and almost frail and he pushed closer despite the complete lack of distance between them,
"We're going inside so you don't get cold." With that abrupt sentence he led the way inside the old abandoned house. The smell of mustiness and mold and damp was most apparent with an undertone of animal stink that had long ago faded into only a hint of it left. There had been nothing fresh in here apart from birds for months it seemed. A good spot then to help warm up his sister and coax her to talk about what ailed her so badly.
