Water

Season One, Episode Two of the series Reign of the Gods by Lynx!

"No, Ska'laar!" Da'nou growls.

I flush. "I - I'm sorry."

He sighs. "Don't apologize. Again."

I dive under him, but skid out on the other side, my underbelly now sore and matted with dust.

He rakes his claws on the dusty ground, teeth gritted. "Again."

Huffing, I try the move again. I manage to stop myself from skidding, and pummel his underbelly with my hind paws.

He moves out from over me. "You're too skinny and thin." He growls.

I have to make an effort not to roll my eyes. As if I didn't know that.

"What can I do about that?" I ask, phrasing it as an innocent question."

"Eat more" is his sulky response.

I growl. I'm so done with this. I stalk away, my long, lanky paws guiding me to where I need to go.

"Where are you going?"

I jump, cursing my luck.

The one time the guard isn't there, Si'nne is.

"Out."

He snorts, padding closer. I can feel his breath on my ear.

"You know you aren't allowed to do that."

"So what?" I lift my chin, eyes on the exit, never wavering. "Who's going to stop me?"

His answer surprises me.

"I am."

I bristle. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He sounds amused.

I take a step forward.

"It would be such a pity if Me'tele found out you were escaping."

"I'm not escaping." I growl, sitting.

"Then you won't mind if I come with you."

I glare at my paws. "Fine."

I slink out, envying his lighter brown fur, it matched the dead greenery around us.

I let out a sigh of relief as we make it out flawlessly.

I look around. Beyond the wall of dead brambles, it's just a dead plain.

I realize Si'nne is laughing. I glare at him.

"You still wanna go 'out'?" He asks, smirking.

I stalk away from him, following the dry scent of other animals, Da'nou hasn't let me hunt yet.

"You aren't going to find prey there," Si'nne said, easily keeping up with me at a loping pace.

I growl, and whirl around, quickly re-entering the camp.

"That was nice," He says, still laughing. "We should do it again sometime."

He pads away. I'm dumbfounded, I can't go after him.

Jerk.

He looks back, and I can see he's smirking again. "And one more thing: hope you aren't thirsty!"

He chuckles and strides off, settling in the shade of the boulder.

Snarling under my breath, I glance around, looking for Wu'ol. I see her socializing with the other Te'Maers.

I decide not to disrupt her. I am about to walk into the Te'Maer den when I feel eyes on me again.

It can only be Si'nne.

I growl, ignoring the prickling feeling along my spine, and storm into the den.

Luckily, Si'nne isn't there.

Unluckily, I'm right in his line of sight.

And he's in mine.

My throat is suddenly parched. I swallow hard, walking out of the den, aware of Si'nne's eyes resting comfortably on me.

The water-store is dry. I look around, seeing Ar'oot. I hurry over to her. "Where's the water?" I ask.

She looks around. "Me'tele hasn't sent any water patrols out."

"Why not?" I ask, appalled. With the scorching heat of the plain, the water-stock needs to remain full at all times.

She lowers her voice to a whispered, fast-paced murmur. "The watering hole's dried up."

She straightens and walks away.

My head is spinning. It doesn't make any sense.

How can the watering hole be dry?

How can Me'tele keep this from the rest of us?

How did Si'nne know?