Veralidaine Sarrasri had been hunting nearly all afternoon without much luck; most animals were safe and warm in their burrows. All the day had brought her was the few wild hares that had dared venture from their holes. She was about ready to gather up the day's bounty and head back when her sharp hearing sensed the sound of soft steps crunching the snow behind her. She had another arrow on the bowstring in a swift, practiced movement even before she had finished twirling to face the newcomer. A quick glance down and a familiar presence in her mind reassured her in an instant, and she lowered the arrow.
"What're you doing out here in the cold?"
The mistress is calling for you, replied the big dog before her, cocking an ear. There's a storm brewing, she says, and you'd better get back home or you'll catch cold.
Daine smiled wryly. "Who says I haven't caught one already, what with the snow and all?"
I haven't noticed it, the dog shrugged. The twelve-year-old sighed, glancing enviously at his thick white coat as she picked up the game from her hunt.
The dog's ears perked at the scent. What's that you've got? He sniffed the air once, twice, as his back legs tensed. Daine snatched the hares away just in time; the dog's jaws snapped on empty air.
"Oh, no you don't! D'you really think you could pull that one again?" she scolded. Mammoth, known for his considerable appetite, was always trying to get himself an extra meal.
He looked down sheepishly, twitching his tail. Oh, uh, no, no, course not. I was only playing! Anyway, we should get back before the clouds catch up. He flashed a sly smile of pointy white teeth and trotted on ahead of the girl.
"Sure, you was." Daine grinned back, following the boss dog down the icy forest trail. When the two were no longer underneath the dense canopy of the forest, the girl looked to the sky and saw dark clouds rolling into the valley. Another winter storm. She sighed, hoping that it would be only a mild rain this time. The ground was just beginning to thaw from the last snowfall, and the ponies were becoming restless from being penned up in the barn all day.
The two neared the back door just as the first few drops of rain began to fall. She opened the door, letting Mammoth in as well as a cold gust of wind.
"It's freezing out there, Daine!" a woman's voice exclaimed from the kitchen. "Come and warm up before you get yourself sick."
Daine hurried into the kitchen where a fire blazed in the hearth, setting her bundles down on the small table. Her mother smiled warmly at her as she stirred a cracked mixing bowl in the crook of her arm, its contents bubbling. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun, a few blonde strands escaping into her face. Daine's grandfather sat by the fire, cooking the night's dinner over its flames.
"Stay near the fire," Sarra instructed her daughter, motioning toward an old chair next to the hearth.
The girl sat and Mammoth laid beside her as the heat began to slowly warm them both.
"New recipe, Ma?" she asked dryly, nodding at the odd concoction her mother held.
The woman shook her head, blue eyes serious. "No, Sweet, it's a cough syrup."
"What're you doing out here in the cold?"
The mistress is calling for you, replied the big dog before her, cocking an ear. There's a storm brewing, she says, and you'd better get back home or you'll catch cold.
Daine smiled wryly. "Who says I haven't caught one already, what with the snow and all?"
I haven't noticed it, the dog shrugged. The twelve-year-old sighed, glancing enviously at his thick white coat as she picked up the game from her hunt.
The dog's ears perked at the scent. What's that you've got? He sniffed the air once, twice, as his back legs tensed. Daine snatched the hares away just in time; the dog's jaws snapped on empty air.
"Oh, no you don't! D'you really think you could pull that one again?" she scolded. Mammoth, known for his considerable appetite, was always trying to get himself an extra meal.
He looked down sheepishly, twitching his tail. Oh, uh, no, no, course not. I was only playing! Anyway, we should get back before the clouds catch up. He flashed a sly smile of pointy white teeth and trotted on ahead of the girl.
"Sure, you was." Daine grinned back, following the boss dog down the icy forest trail. When the two were no longer underneath the dense canopy of the forest, the girl looked to the sky and saw dark clouds rolling into the valley. Another winter storm. She sighed, hoping that it would be only a mild rain this time. The ground was just beginning to thaw from the last snowfall, and the ponies were becoming restless from being penned up in the barn all day.
The two neared the back door just as the first few drops of rain began to fall. She opened the door, letting Mammoth in as well as a cold gust of wind.
"It's freezing out there, Daine!" a woman's voice exclaimed from the kitchen. "Come and warm up before you get yourself sick."
Daine hurried into the kitchen where a fire blazed in the hearth, setting her bundles down on the small table. Her mother smiled warmly at her as she stirred a cracked mixing bowl in the crook of her arm, its contents bubbling. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun, a few blonde strands escaping into her face. Daine's grandfather sat by the fire, cooking the night's dinner over its flames.
"Stay near the fire," Sarra instructed her daughter, motioning toward an old chair next to the hearth.
The girl sat and Mammoth laid beside her as the heat began to slowly warm them both.
"New recipe, Ma?" she asked dryly, nodding at the odd concoction her mother held.
The woman shook her head, blue eyes serious. "No, Sweet, it's a cough syrup."