Disaster Welcomes a Wanderer

Sybie felt a wet nose on her face. She opened her eyes and quickly sat up. Too quickly, she felt her head swimming with tiredness.

"What is it?"

Sybie sat absorbing this, and then said, "What do I do? Should I climb the tree? I’ll do that and you can take a quick look around. Just be careful."

Jolie turned and looked back at her. She trotted away as Sybie climbed up a tree opposite of Cherrie.

The darkness enveloped her as she left the circle of light from the fire. Jolie sauntered silently, her nose all the while sniffing. She looked to the left and right as she made her way closer to the smell. Whatever it was that was attracting her did not at all seem sinister, but what was she to know? She had not lived in the forest since puppyhood and could not make out every smell in the forest, but this was strange. It was much like Sybie’s and Cherrie’s but it had another scent to it, one that she had never experienced before. This smell was wild, but tame; strong, but soft; sweet, but bitter; magical, but… It was magic! That had to be it, nothing else could possibly smell so complex and yet simple.

Jolie stood on her four legs behind a tree and peered around it. There in the light of the moons she saw a boy. He sat upon a rock and was softly trying to command his magic, though he seemed unlearned in the art. With his eyes closed he had a look of determination, like it was hard to do. All of the sudden the leaves began to ruffle. All around him they rose with the air and swirled around him into a funnel. He opened his eyes and jumped up excited and frightened. Quickly he tried to undo it, but the funnel of wind pulled away and began to travel into the forest.

Jolie turned and ran in fear, not only for herself, but for Sybie as well. Sybie was sitting unknowingly in a tree somewhere with a funnel of wind coming straight to her.

A distant howl awoke Sybie who was dozing in the tree, which she found strangely comfortable. Jolie! She thought at once, Jolie must be in trouble! Sybie leapt from her tree and sprinted away into the darkness where she knew Jolie must be. Jolie, are you alright! Jolie, come to me! She cried in her mind and then repeated it out loud. She heard feet scrambling among the forest floor and launched herself in that direction. She fell to her knees in relief as her hands stroked Jolie’s fur lovingly. I thought you hurt! Oh Jolie, what would I do without you! Sybie almost cried as she caressed her life long friend and sister.

Then we must wake Cherrie! Sybie said and stood up, together they ran back to the camp as quickly as they could, shouting to wake Cherrie.

"What, what happened!" Cherrie cried waking suddenly.

"A twister is coming!"

Cherrie climbed down off the tree and was about to run to Sybie when Sybie screamed for her to go as the twister which had now caught up with her swallowed her and Jolie up.

Cherrie was wild with worry and fear as she dashed away from the twister. She circled around it as it thrashed by throwing branches and dirt everywhere.