Of course, the one day that he had decided to go out on an adventure of his own, it had to rain. Salem was curled up between the roots of a big oak tree, watching the downpour from behind his tail. His fur was wet and he felt sticky with all the leaves and bits of grass that clung to his pelt-- grimacing, he wished he was home safe in his warm den. It was much easier to just stay there, after all it was protected from anything that might be out to hunt him or hurt him. The world was a big and scary place, with large, looming creatures, their sharp teeth and gleaming eyes hungry for a pup like him. Salem shuddered, scrambling back further into the roots, watching the rain as it eventually slowed.

Tentatively, he stuck his nose out, and then he uncurled himself and turned in the direction of home. What an ill-fated adventure he'd taken himself on! He began to wind up the mountain trails, his long legs aiding him in the climb. Home wasn't terribly far from here, at least. His mother and siblings would hopefully be there, safe and warm, and he began to daydream about the comfortable feelings he was only minutes away from experiencing. Something, however, brought him out of his drifting thoughts-- a big, wet raindrop fell right on top of his nose, and as if on cue, the rain seemed to start coming down even harder than before.

There was little he could do except stand there and get soaked. His eyes narrowed against the rain, and he began to trudge up the mountains, slower and more carefully than he had previously. Salem's head was turned down to avoid the rain stinging his eyes and face, and so he very nearly ran into the girl following the same mountain paths as he was. He stopped, suddenly, his tail raising in surprise. The boy tilted his head, wondering why someone else would be out in such a terrible storm. "Sorry. Didn't mean to run into you." Salem said, a bit louder so she could hear him over the rain.

"There's some rocks up ahead we can wait under, okay? Just follow me." His tones were a bit gruff, even annoyed, but not with her. This rain was just evil. Salem began to walk slowly but steadily towards the rocky outcroppings where they could take shelter. As much as he wasn't terribly fond of socializing, he didn't want her to be stuck out in the rain either.
Salem
some speak of the future