Banner slowed her step with Cobra, coming to a quick stop. Her tail waved gently back and forth, the darker fur a contrast to the rest of the pup’s body. She sunk back on her haunches to match her acquaintance. Her yellow eyes grew wide as Cobra shared her own story, and the tale of the land they stood on. What on earth was this place Ban had come to? “Fire raining from the sky…” Banner whispered in wonder. It was like something from the scary bedtime stories her mother used to tell her to keep her and her brothers from wandering off. Black nose twitching, Banner listened to the rest of Cobra’s saga. The little she wolf lifted a back paw to scratch behind her ear. “Sure!” She agreed innocently. “My one brother used to say you could do anything with sharp teeth and sharp eyes.” Banner gave her toothy grin. “He was born first and always insisted we listen to his advice as the oldest.” And so they had. Though that advice had led to plenty of misadventures. Banner decided she didn’t need to mention that. The breeze picked up again and the pale wolf scented the air. It was heavy with the promise of rain. Banner’s mind drifted elsewhere. “What did you mean by fire coming from the sky?” She questioned. It sounded like a huge event. Cobra had even said wolves died. Yet Banner’s young brain couldn’t conjure an image to fit the words. b a nn e r as we walked I heard the laughter in the leaves mars 2013