April Showers Bring...

[Fritzie]

Today had not been the best day to go 'hunting' for some food. As Fritzie looked up through the tree line, the thick black clouds swirled and grew, soon covering the whole sky. A heavy rain began to fall, first a drip here and there, then suddenly, it was raining cats and dogs, so to speak.

Out so far from town, where most shelter was easy to acquire, she was a little panicked as to what she was going to do. Luckily, in her blind running, she came to the clearing where the farmer and his family lived. Off in one direction, she spied the house, and in the other, was the barn, where she could see the farmer leaving, closing up with the horses and other livestock safely inside.

Thinking the barn would be her best bet, she started to slink its way, hoping the farmer didn't notice her. Fortunately, the clouds made it seem like almost night, and she reached the barn with no trouble. Now, to find a way in.

After circling the barn, she found her best bet to be a door in the side that hadn't been shut properly and she quickly slipped through, leaving it opened in case anyone else needed a place to stay. Quickly assuring the animals housed inside that she meant no harm, she curled up in some loose hay, and sighed as she began to warm herself.

[Deleted]

Avi loved the rain and, even in the freezing cold, wouldn't hesitate to race out of where ever she currently resided to splash through puddles. She had been frolicking for a good half hour now and her fur was soaked through. The evening began to cool and, feeling the slight breeze, Avi decided to take shelter for the night. She stopped, looking around. She didn't recognize the place, but saw through the thin mist a silhouetted structure. The barn was quiet and she assumed that meant safe, slowly surveying for an entrance. Soon enough she found a door, partly opened. Avi nosed the door open wider and entered the barn, immediately calmed by the tranquil atmosphere and the heat radiating from the sleeping bodies of the animals. Then she noticed the dog, curled in a pile of hay. She wondered if this was her territory or if she, too, was a stray. She decided that she might as well be friendly, this would be a great place to spend a couple of days. "I'm sorry for intruding, I was just looking for a place to stay the night. My name is Avi, what's yours?" She said, tilting her head curiously.[/size]

[Fritzie]

With the storm raging outside, the quiet warmth of the barn was soon too much for Fritzie, and before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep. The clack of nails on the floor made her ear twitch and she opened an eye halfway, peering towards the sounds. If it was friendly, she would treat it with friendliness, but if it was a mean animal, say the dog of the farm, she would have a surprise attack, knowing that it was there, and it thinking she was asleep.

Luckily, it seemed the canine that entered was a friendly one, and Fritzie popped open both her eyes. The young pup before her looked soaked to the bone, and when she introduced herself, Fritzie sat up.

"Do not fret Avi. I am Fritzie and there is more than enough hay here for the two of us to spend the evening. Come, warm yourself in the straw." Fritzie's tail wagged back and forth in welcome. She herself was only three years, but this pup seemed much younger to her.

[Deleted]

"Thank you!" Avi said happily, shaking herself dry. She lay down in the hay awkwardly, then dug under a good inch of it and curled up three feet from Fritzie. Panting, she looked up. Suddenly, distracted by a movement, Avi jumped up after what turned out to be a mouse. She sniffed around the hole it darted into for a moment. A strange smell hit her nose and she found another room, one without a door. The smell was stronger there, and coming from an assortment of large, crumpled, half empty sacks. She knocked one on it's side and grain poured out. It was a bit like something her former humans used to eat, though this was dry. Avi licked up a few of the oats and, despite the fact that the taste was quite bland, she continued to eat them. Food was hard to come by, and this stuff was close enough. After circling the inside of the barn thrice more she again found her place in the hay. Finally rid of her seemingly endless energy, she fell asleep.

[Fritzie]

Fritzie smiled as the younger pup became distracted by the littlest things. Though she was three, she still remembered how it was to be a young pup, overwrought by curiosity that everything had to be investigated. Her eyes and ears tracked the little one and she hoped that she didn't disturb the other animals or make too much of a mess. If Fritzie wanted to use this barn again, she didn't want the farmer to realize outsiders were in here, or caring.

Avi finally returned to hay, spending a moment or so to find just the right spot before drifting off to sleep. Ahh... the bliss of contentment. With her father gone and Vice having checked out for quite some time, Fritzie was a little concerned with the state of the area. None of the regular strays could be found anywhere, and Fritzie was actually very excited. This was the second new stray that she had seen in a while. Maybe it meant the population was going to expand again. She hoped so. She had been born here so for some reason she was always drawn to this city, but a life alone wasn't what she wanted.

[Deleted]

Woken by the sounds of the animals around her, Avi slowly opened her eyes. Blinking in the brightness of the morning light, she sat. It slowly came to her that this was the territory of a human, and very likely a dog, too. She saw the other dog next to her, and asked "Does the human come here early?" Avi knew that she should be leaving soon, however. She considered leaving for the day then staying here another night, but made no official decision. She jumped out of the hay without waiting for an answer and trotted to the door, peering out. She did not see a human figure and turned back into the barn. What should I do now... Avi pondered, though her mind drew a blank. She began to pant, sitting and staring up at the rafters. Again she rose, then trotted back to the hole which the mouse she chased the night before had disappeared into. She caught no fresh scent and assumed that the small creature had spent the night hiding inside.

[Fritzie]

Fritzie awoke from her sleep as well as the creatures began stirring, and she stretched deeply, first her front end, then her hind legs. Sitting, she scratched her ear, and her eyes followed the pup as she wandered. She pondered her question before finally answering with, "I would say that the farmer usually comes soon. With the other animals awaking now, they will probably soon be demanding their breakfast for the day. I wouldn't tarry here much longer, but go out and look for fresh food to feed us."

Fritzie sat and listened, and was pleased to hear that the rain had stopped some time in the night. Maybe she would go and do another search for Vice. She had found him twice, both by accidents, in the forest. Maybe she should search somewhere else and come up with better luck.

"I believe I shall be taking off. But if you should ever need anything, just come find me, and I would love to take care of you," Fritzie gave her a smile

[Deleted]

"Goodbye, Fritzie, I hope to see you again one day." Avi said as Fritzie left. She decided to keep moving, maybe go back to the city. The weather was good and the sun warm, the rain having stopped some time ago, though the ground was damp and muddy. She scampered out of the shelter, paws sinking slightly in the mud as she went. Avi looked around, seeing the farmhouse in the distance and the dirt road winding to the right of the unmarked path she had taken to get here, decided to go where ever that road would take her. What she really wanted was to go the direction opposite of the one she had chosen, towards the house, back to knowing she would be fed and not worrying where she would sleep each night. She would be in the city by nightfall if she trotted most of the way, she calculated as she sat in the barn door, and there was plenty of shelter there. She would find a dumpster, eat a good meal, and, if it was not raining as it had last night, would sleep under only the stars. She started off, trotting towards the road.