xenatu – zero - glorall
The world was such a wonderful place for Xenatu. After all, she had been surrounded by two very adoring parents and a fun sibling since birth. It made for a perfect sort of life and Xenatu had not once cried since birth. There was no need to cry or whine when everything was given so freely. Her belly never wanted for food, her mind never desired more stimulation. Still, she was the calm to Silverwind’s vibrancy, always cocking her head to the side to listen closely to what her parents said. Their word was gospel.
She had been napping when Israfel and Silverwind had set off to Glorall, although the distance wasn’t that terribly far, but the moment she had heard a high yip of excitement (most likely her brother, she surmised), she had jolted awake with wide eyes. “Momma, where are they going?” Alarm colored her dulcet tones. Samia stretched calmly across from the girl, smiling happily and giving her daughter a wash of her tongue for a few moments. “To visit Glorall, our home.” As perplexing an idea as this was to little Xenatu, for her home was here with them, she abruptly leapt to her dainty paws with a beseeching grin. “Can we go, please?”
And naturally, Samia agreed. It was striking, the older female thought as she walked sedately in the path of Israfel (secretly excited to surprise him despite hardly ever leaving his side), the way Silverwind took after Israfel and how their daughter so perfectly imaged Samia’s mother. Jolting at times, the kind of jolt that squeezed her heart with memories of a mother she would never see again or that her children would never know.
In the distance, as they combed through the flooded areas of Glorall, she could hear Silverwind’s questions and Israfel began his story. Samia grins, lowering her head down so that she blocks Xenatu’s steps. “Do you want to surprise them?” It is whispered, though Samia giggles quietly as Xena begins to wag her tail so swiftly her hind end almost gives out. “OH, yes, yes mama, yes!” The idea is absolutely thrilling to the girl and she crouches down, tail still sweeping across the ground.
Samia crouches too and the pair begin to stalk along the ground, up a mound, pausing to peer over as Thor and Triton start talking. The pups were still very young and Samia hadn’t taken them far enough yet to seek out her brother, so she feels happiness at the sound of her brother’s voice and that of her nephew. Happy that the family will finally get to reunite once more. Perhaps she has been a bit overwrought with worry for the children’s safety but she remembers the losses of life, that of her sister Ankh and the rest of her missing family.
“Let’s go,” Samia whispers, her voice a bit too loud to be hidden, but quiet enough that the boys would no doubt understand her meaning. Xena grins again before suddenly cresting the mound with a bark of surprise, fur on end, racing towards her father. Her energy sputters out as she abruptly sees Thor and Triton, her run of play turning into something quicker as she darts beneath Israfel, little head peeking beneath his belly fur out at the pair with wide icy blue eyes.
Samia had begun trotting after her daughter with a tinkling laugh, boldly trotting up to Thor and thrusting her head into his neck in an affectionate nuzzle. “Brother, I have missed you,” she murmurs before doing the same to Triton, stepping over her smaller son in the process so that he was wedged under her much the same as Samia with Israfel. “Triton, you could never not make an impression,” she chuffs, happy even as she leans down between her paws and licks Silverwind on his snout.
Then it is Israfel’s turn, stepping off her son to bury her snout into Issy’s neck as if they had been separated for days (when it was only really half an hour at the longest!). “Xenatu wanted to come along.” Her sweet words are punctuated by the lowering of her head to peer under her mate at their daughter, eyes drifting between the girl, her son, and family.
“Hi,” Xena squeaks softly to the dark boys, tail wagging on the other side of Israfel where they couldn’t see.