"No," he replied. "But I'm a person of action, Nas. I like to do things." * * * They went out in the sun and Dahlia looked up for a moment before going over to a corner, kneeling down and beginning to clear the area.
She leaned against the counter, looking up at him. "Then what do you want to do while we wait?" *** Osiris went and found a place to sit, relaxing.
"Hm..." he mused, looking over at her. "Want to train Caly?" * * * She hummed under her breath, kneeling under the green grass."
She looked over at the mouse, who was resting in his bed. "That sounds like fun." *** Osiris simply sat back looking past the trees at the clear skies. He glanced over at Dahlia thoughtfully, his expression peaceful. There were storm clouds in the distance.
Victor also looked over thoughtfully. "The mouse seems tired, but we need to invigorate him. Come on. Outside." * * * Dahlia was leaning over her task, her warm brown eyes bright. Her hands slipped through the dark soil, and she pulled out a pouch of seeds that she opened and began to plant, biting her lip with focus.
She laughed slowly, opening the door as the mouse got up, coming over. *** He was a moment more, before shutting his eyes and relaxing.
It was about a week later. It had been heavily raining for awhile. Cracks in the ground filled. The nearby creek was flowing quickly.
Victor had been on the front lines, working to manage the damage. Some of the Rogues who lived closer to the creek had already had to evacuate. He stood at the edge of the water one afternoon with another Rogue, a young man named Alder. His hands were on his hips and his brows were furrowed. The ever-pouring rain fell around them. "What do you think?" he asked quietly, turning to Alder. Alder was staring at the water intently, his eyes following the rush of the river and the rapid lapping at their feet. "An evacuation order," Alder replied after a moment, turning to face Victor. "Look at those clouds. They're not letting up anytime soon." "An entire evacuation," Victor repeated heavily. "They're going to lose their homes. How far do we need to run?" "I don't know," Alder said, shaking his head. "But we need to get away. The river is one thing, but the puddles are growing. They're sneaky." Victor was quiet again before nodding. "I'll go round up some workers to begin the evacuation." * * * Dahlia was napping, the rain patterning on the roof. She was on her back, and her head was resting on Osiris' lap, her hands curled on her stomach.
Nascha was in her home. The fire was lit and the windows were shut tight. Caly was on his bed. Nascha looked out worriedly, resting her head on her hand. *** Osiris was frowning, looking outside as well. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to to show his concern.
There was a knock on Dahlia and Osiris' door. Dahlia didn't wake, but she stirred, shifting off his lap and muttering to herself.
He laughed slightly, looking over his shoulder. "No. No, it isn't. But you already knew that, right?"
