[ P ] Wanderlust

Anthe

It was unlike Anthe to wander so far from home - but having been cooped up at home for so long, she had awoken with a wanderlust unlike any she'd experienced before. It wasn't hard to find the waterfall, though she had never been to it before, by simply following the vibrations in the ground. It was strange, the way it made her head feel full of cotton - at least more than usual - and her body feel as though it were buzzing. She had never felt smaller in her life than she did looking up at the massive torrent of water. Her doe-like eyes were set wide in fascination as the mist of it settled gently over her white-swathed back.

"Willow... Willow are you seeing this?!" she cried, whirling to search for her sister excitedly. Her tail wagged slowly behind her as she let her eyes drift closed, the muffled sound and heightened vibrations ushering her into a state of heightened calm. After a few moments, brilliant ruby once more revealed itself as she looked back to hold her sister's gaze. "Have you ever seen anything so magnificent before?"

I

t would take little convincing to coax Willow away from the Fritz family’s humble home, especially if the convincing came from her sister. Willow had always had an interest in adventuring, which had nearly led to trouble a few times in her younger days. Her desire to roam had only increased with the passage of time and the disaster of the drought.

The closer the pair traveled toward their intended destination, the more the sound of water crashing over boulders filled her ears, and the smell of wet rock and moss greeted her senses. The mist created by the water’s tumbling caused Willow’s fur to grow extra fluffy, and when she tried to shake the moisture from her tri-color fur, it only seemed to make her pelt stand up on end, giving the girl a comical appearance.

Her sister’s crimson sights sought her own hazel orbs, and Willow smiled wide with her usual enthusiasm – and maybe even a little bit more, because she was there with Anthe. She had been exploring on her own for too long now, and there had been a keen absence felt during her sibling’s sickness that seemed to have lingered on like the drought. Luca seemed as if he no longer cared for the family. But at least Anthe was all better.

"Have you ever seen anything so magnificent before?" Willow yipped excitedly in response as she danced closer to her sister to see the view better. ”Wow! Did you know that the rock here is actually very, very old – ancient, really – and that the water has been carving it away for many thousands of years?”

It was amazing, really, to contemplate just how old the earth was beneath their paws -- even older then their mothers!
She grinned, rather proud of her random knowledge. ”I learned that in a class! Pretty great, isn’t it?”



@Anthe

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

(Sorry for the long wait!!!)

Anthe

The sight of her sister behind her, fur unruly from the mist surrounding them, Anthe couldn't help but to laugh at the sight. She had truly missed her sister during her illness, and was more thankful for her return of energy and health in the moment than she had been at any point so far. To think there had been a worry she would be robbed of this chance at a normal, happy, healthy life of adventure alongside her sibling... it was almost enough to spark tears in her ruby eyes. Willow began prattling off facts about the rocks and Anthe had to fight the urge to tear her gaze away from her sisters lips and immediately examine the stones.

When Willow was done explaining about the ancient nature of the rocks, and the way they had been carved, Anthe finally focused on the stones with a newfound sense of wonder. Her gaze was set wide, her ears fully forward to catch as much of the sounds around her as possible, and she practically buzzed with excitement about the world around her. It was so much better to experience these things outside of stories and tomes... She begrudgingly tore her gaze away from the rocks to turn back towards her sibling with a waving tail. "I can't believe a place like this really exists... Thanks for coming all the way here with me. I've really missed you, Willow... Imagine all the other adventures we'll get to have now that I'm better!"

T

he rush of tumbling water could not drown out the boisterous voices of the young she-wolves. Anthe expressed her gratitude that her sister had been up for the day’s activities, and Willow cast her an incredulous look. ”Well, of course I would go on adventures with you, any day of the week, no matter what!”

She smiled, though it was bittersweet – Anthe had been unwell so long, and had missed out on lots of exploring. ”You’re my sister. You’re my only sister, and I missed this. I missed you! It just wasn’t the same, doing fun stuff on my own.”

She admitted more, eyes averting to the ancient rocks at he base of the falls. ”It wasn’t much fun at all. I’m just glad you’re better, Anthe.” Her heart leapt within her chest when she thought of how things could have turned out differently for Anthe, if she had not fought the illness. If she had succumbed to it… But Willow didn’t want to think about that, not now that she was all better! ”You just have to stay better, okay?”



@Anthe

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck