Watching the Storm

At the top of one of the taller grassy hills on one of the hilliest areas of the plains, a lone wolf sat. He was sandy-brown, with shades of dark chocolate, and his eyes were on the skies. Above, a strange storm seemed to be brewing. At the edge of vision, clouds darkened into clusters of shadow; they moved, yet they didn’t move. Fomoir, as the wolf was named, believed that clouds followed a natural order, that the winds or the breath of gods or the whims of pixies or something moved the things across the skies. For reasons unknown, these dark clouds on the horizon were breaking that rule… He tried to spot birds, see whether their flights were affected, made erratic, but he was seeing far too few to tell. Was there a rainstorm there, waiting to fall? Were the powers of this strange land withholding the water in the skies? 
To any observer, it was certain the wolf had his mind on the skies and the strange storm, and even if watched for an extended period of time his attention didn’t break. Clearly, for whatever reason, he was ruminating on this bizarre state of the skies.

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Her eyes narrowed to the darkness that held away. It had been looming there for some time, and she expected yesterday for a shower to come forth.. The air held heavy, switching between a coldness of a breeze, then the humidity of a rain — but not even the static in the air formed thunder. A storm that was kept at bay, taunting them.. It was, strange, thought Uriel. She wasn't much of a scientist, but surely others noticed the oddity that was the storm. 

When she looked around, there was a wolf as well that was staring within the distance of this anomaly, "strange, isn't it?" she commented, wishing a bit to poke his own thoughts on the matter.

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“Certainly out of the ordinary.” Fomoir muttered in reply, without looking. After a moment, he did turn his head, surprised to see that the voice had come from a real living thing, and not from… whatever he imagined was speaking. 
”Oh.” he said, with very little eloquence. He half-wondered if this she-wolf had come from the very skies he had been observing; he had been so focused on his sky-watch that he hadn’t noticed her approach at all. She was a golden thing, he observed, with shades of yellow from a rich dark shade to brighter, creamy yellows, with white in various places such as her chest or neck. There was more to the eye in her fur than in Fomoir’s, who was all dull earth-tones and unremarkable colorations.
 
”Fomoir.” he said, offering his name before turning his nose and eyes back to the sky. ”I’ve been watching this all play out since I first noticed it was happening. Maybe… I don’t know, half a day? Trying to… figure it out. The dark ones that aren't moving when they should, and the way it all... looks.”
 
He looked to her with his head slightly tilted in her direction. ”Have you seen anything like it before?”

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Renegade was doing a little scouting as the more he knew on what and where, he could then start to do judgement calls on where to go next and which parts of the plains are safe and others no go zones. He had a plan but it would take time, effort, and energy to put it in motion and to see it through to the goal. But like Daydream said there was wolves, coyotes, and maybe an odd puma out here, so he would have to remain on high alert or risk being ambushed and maybe even taken by a rear blindside attack. Oh and he would never forgive himself if anything happen to Strawberry or Bayar as it was because he decided to drop his guard. 

 The plains was almost paradise as there seem to be a lot more water here than in the drier southwest US that he called home. Everything was lining up nice to start his herd or maybe restart would be more accurate. He then decided to light graze and walk forward then do a little nibbling and repeat. He didn't have a final destination, but was making sure the path was clear and safe for the two mares. The three of them was in this for the long haul. That was when he notice the sky was changing, great it look like he was going to get wet but for how long, only nature could tell. But the large painted stallion was not looking forward to this as it would take time to dry out and start to get warmth back into his body. he then notice a few wolves together, all he did was focus on them and snort loudly to make them hear that he was not happy that they was close to him. He then spoke.

" All I got to say is if I see any aggression or fangs towards me I'll shove them down your throat with my hoof."

 Oh that is going to make them want to be his friends but he also was not going to show any weakness and so a possible easy mark if they was hunting. He then continue to lightly graze with an ear cocked towards the two. He was now wondering if he was about to fall into an ambush or not, but he also wasn't looking for any trouble or fights if he could help it.
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She smiled lightly and dipped her head in a greeting, "I am Uriel." Faintly there was the smell of pack upon this figure, it smelled similar to a red nymph she had met some days ago and wondered if they happened to be part of the same group. It wouldn't be surprising, for the numbers she seen were rather small, and if any pack were around — surely most would flock toward it. Yet personally still didn't feel throwing herself into one, especially if she hadn't made an connections with.. Didn't simply want to join one, alone.. But maybe with this weather approaching, it might be best to find a qualified shelter like packs do. A worrisome looked focused back onto the clouds ahead.

"I remember sometimes a storm lags when it's fearsome and large, but.. This one seems standstill. Like it's not moving." It's what Uriel first thought it could be. Preparation for something bigger, and was patiently waiting for the thunder and torrent of rain to come — and yet it never did. Only when she got a proper look, did she noticed that it wasn't moving.. Frozen in time. Was it really trying to form something bigger, more massive then anything they knew? But what she knew of storms as well, was the same as the stranger. 

Her thoughts were displaced when a horse nearby huffed angrily. She was a bit startled, especially when the stallion was the one to come to where they were after they arrived, "perhaps we should move," Uriel said, "horses in the plains tend to be aggressive over their herd and land." As he was already aggressive.. The golden wolf didn't want to be on the end of his hooves.

"Maybe somewhere higher to take a look?" she suggested. 

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”Uriel… Uriel...” the male repeated, locking the name into his mind as he gazed at her. He was thoughtful as she shared her knowledge. ”Lagging storms… I don’t know why, but I get a very ugly feeling about that word, ‘lag’.” he shook the odd thoughts away, and agreed with Uriel’s assessment of the motion of the clouds. ”A standstill. Well said. I see no wind that pushes them into place, though surely there are winds up there… If only you or I had wings.” 
He had more to say, before a massive painted horse came upon them. Fomoir kept his hackles down as the equine spoke his words of warning. Uriel wisely suggested they move, and Fomoir strongly considered it, but… The horse hadn’t demanded that they leave, and hadn’t charged… Instead, the horse had told them that any threats would be responded to with violence. The horse had used words. Perhaps the wolves should use their own words?
 
”I’m here in peace, hoofed one.” Fomoir said, trying to keep his voice calm in the face of a towering beast of muscle and bone and hoof. It was taller than the reindeer he had hunted in the north, and certainly more powerfully-built than most of the elk he had ever chased down. ”And I… I’m sure we, both would prefer to keep our throats free of our own teeth.”
 
Thankfully, there was a mutual problem, wasn’t there? Strange skies, frightening clouds… All the beasts of these land were probably on edge. But perhaps this mutual problem would lead to a chance for peace here…
 
”Uriel, here...” the wolf nodded to the female with him. She was just telling me that the clouds seemed to be at a standstill. Neither of us… I’m Fomoir, by the way… Neither of us have seen the sky do this before. Have you?” He asked the horse carefully, politely.

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Well wolves can always go into small places like hollowed out logs and even below ground dens to get out of the weather. Horses not so much, sure they could go into wooded areas or even depressions and cliff edges so as to be able to shield from winds and snow. When the male said that he was here on peaceful terms and said his name was Fomior. The large chestnut painted horse lifted his head and slightly dipped it in recognition before speaking softer.

" Nice to meet you Fomior, and my name is Renegade and I was making sure the two of you knew that I was not some sickly weaken horse but a healthy and strong one."

 Renegade then went back to his grazing when he felt the first couple of drops hit his back, and yes they was cold, he just hope that his undercoat would remain mostly dry as if it also got wet, he would be shivering to try and stay warm. Then the male wolf said that the female which went by the name of Uriel said that the clouds didn't seem to be moving or catching any winds. Renegade pointed his head straight up looking at the low laying clouds before refocusing on the female wolf and speaking.

" That might be a problem later on as the ground could become water logged and also a sucking mess for heavy animals like myself. But also no matter how much we may want to, we just can't wish them to either dissipate or move on without wind or a breeze."

 Reny had a few run in's on the hard rains that would swell up on the rainy wet springs, and the best bet was to find either a hill or knoll and so allow the water to run off into the lower laying ground as so avoid the mud and water from soaking down to the skin. He slowly looked around and seen a slight rise off in the distance. He pointed his nose at it and said.

" That rise there will be drier and so less problematic than this lower ground as the water will be forced to run down here. But I want to know why the wind just up and stopped as there always seem to be either gust or breezes since I woke up in this place about a week ago."

 He then stood and watch if the wolves would take his knowledge or he would have to just go there and let the mutts fend for themselves. He also was looking for at least a few trees as it would keep at least some of the rain off him. But if there was a thunderstorm he would bolt right back towards Strawberry and Bayar, as he didn't need them to flee and so having to track them, which would be problematic as the rain would tamper and then wash away their scent.
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"I agree, its.. Unnerving." She responded to the other wolf, with a slight sigh on the matter. She was going to respond more, but turned focus to Renegade. 

She was growing uncomfortable with the horse, as they were quite different then @Bayar. Firstly with an aggression, a display of dominance — but any sane wolf knows not to mess with a horse regardless, for their back-kick was something to be feared and cause the death of many. Especially as there was only two of them within the area.. His mood changed quickly when being directed in a calmer state by the wolf beside her, but she remained in a quiet, and uneasy tension. 

She saw a few droplets fall upon him, and yet.. They weren't the same clouds. She looked at the dull gray ones above their heads, low-hanging and just the smallest tint of gray — a clear sign it wasn't a downpour but most likely a few droplets to fall upon them. Even though this cloud moved forth, the darkness that crept within the background seemed to not follow through. Her head would look up, and turn back to the distance ahead.

Uriel listened to his explanation, though it wasn't about the looming terror in the distance, but more seemed an annoyance what could it bring. She only nodded, knowing the effect it could bring, and most likely the annoyance it was for horses in general. A gaze drifted to his hooves — only imagining the trouble it was nagivating through the mud and water.. Could horses swim?

But in the end he too, seemed confused by the weather. Between fauna, all were mutually lost on this looming presence.

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Success! Rather than kick or charge or stomp, the horse responded in kind to words. Fomoir was glad it turned out that way, he wasn’t ready to meet his final end at the top of a lonesome hill, crushed into paste by a furious beast. 

He considered Renegade’s words, imagining the water-soaked ground, the flash-floods that might surge over the expanses of the plains, the havoc this would wreak on plants and animals alike. Even the burrowing creatures might start to have trouble if the rains were unending.
 
Fomoir could only nod at Uriel’s appraisal, that it was unnerving...
 
”Something caused this, surely. It is a change, and all change has a cause, yes? A lightning strike that ignites the wildfire? Some great hand that holds the clouds in place?

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Renegade was now looking at the sky and the longer he did the less everything about it made sense to him.  As long as the fangs remain behind their lips Renegade would remain with the wolves and lend what little help he could provide. The plains was a very unforgiving place when it came to any severe weather as there was few places that could provide protectuion and cover from it, and this place was no different than his birth and original home that he use to live in. He looked at the two wolves and then started to trot towards the slight rise, hillock in the distance. He needed to be up and so have a better angle on what was coming. 

 He started to study the clouds but more importantly he was looking at the edge of them and so trying to pick out the tell tail long finger like projections, that being funnel clouds. If he seen any he would warn the two wolves to just book it flat out as a twister, tornado, funnel cloud, water spout, and what ever else they was called would be fast and more destructive than almost anything else to grace the flat expanses of earth that was the plains. He decided to look over his shoulder and then shout.

" If you see any of these clouds bend down and touch the earth,  flat out run, run as fast as you can and away from it. Because if you do not there is a very good chance you'll never be seen again if it catches you. Also after seeing these clouds I can not shake the feelings that the two leggers are involved with this, or what are known as humans. They use a lot of unnatural things to chase down and to catch my kind and most make a lot of unnatural and loud sounds. So have any of you seen these kind of clouds as I certainly have not in all of my years."

 Renegade was coming up totally blank on any answers to what was going on and he also was hoping being on this incline he could start to feel the wind but just like being at the lower level there was none. Something was wrong here and he just hope that he could either feel, hear, or see it and react fast enough to get away from it if it did show up.
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"A tornado," she spoke up, "already two have landed within the plains, since I have arrived." She commented when he spoke about clouds touching the land. Though Uriel has never seen so personally, she had noticed in the distance one slowly growing larger as it was brought down. Enough where she was able to run away in safety, but never close enough to truly know what was happening. But what the stallion spoke was easily of one, for the terror they brought was not to be forgotten.

Tearing away trees and all that was near, too close and one would be sucked up — thrown to the void and fallen to the land itself.. One was lucky to survive such, but she never met an animal who lived to tell the tale. Much less see one survive. At the very least them touching in the plains had gathered less trees to fling about, and easier to see. Yet likewise, it was hard to hide away from it.

"Though I don't think it's the same.. The clouds seem high, and very dark. There is static in the air that feels more of a thunderstorm." She said with a ponder, eyes focus on the brimming darkness far away from them.

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The horse’s warning of the touch-down clouds, named by Uriel as a ‘tornado’, made Fomoir shudder with trepidation. The shudder transformed into a shiver as the light rains showed no signs of diminishing, and in fact seemed to be coming in greater and more frequent sheets. The male wolf blinked against the droplets, realizing that the water was starting to soak through his fur. 
”I think I’ll range out, head up to the Mountains, see what I can see. If I learn anything of note, I can sniff you two out and share what I’ve found. If you like.”
 
The wolf stood, a little wobbly, given how long he’d been sitting. ”A pleasure to have met you both, genuinely. I think our shared perspectives shed some light on dark skies, and it’s comforting to know that others are as concerned as I am. I hope we cross paths again, in drier times.”
 
With a respectful bow, Fomoir trotted off the hill in the opposite direction of the horse, so as not to invade the equine’s personal space. He made a mental note of both Uriel and Renegade, finding them both fascinating, and wishing he had met them under less troubling circumstances.

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