Nordlys: The Northern Lights Orgy Club

63

A Gibbous moon reigns over the glowing sands of the Chihuahuan Desert, interspersed with sparse, scrubby plant growth anchored atop the crests of dunes. A Black Tailed Jackrabbit pauses in her run, to look up at the stars, her little chest heaving from exertion.

Her gaze finds the Big Dipper, travels down to the Little Dipper, and then fixates on the handle, which encompasses the North Star. She turns her body in that direction, her long ears perked attentively. After a moment she seems to decide the coast is clear, because she takes off running again, her long feet propelling her forwards at an impressive thirty miles per hour.

The land gradually changes under her bounding paws, from soft shifting sand, to gritty sand-covered hardpan, and thence to dusty rock. A large formation looms in the distance, a black void cut out of a field of brilliant stars. The moon rests on the horizon to the West, where it will soon disappear, and Venus shines brightly, presaging the dawn.

The little rabbit halts once more, her lungs gulping in the air, her leg muscles twitching with fatigue. She sniffs at her back paw, and then recoils with a high-pitched squeak.

"You are far from home, Little Rabbit" the disembodied voice greets her suddenly, and her body tenses up in alarm.

"I have news for Halona, urgent news" the rabbit concentrates on these words fiercely, little squeaks emanating from her as she focuses with all her might.

"Then come forward" the command echoes in her mind.

The little rabbit takes a trembling step forward, moving cautiously and slowly, her Leporid instincts sensing that a predator is near. She almost bolts when the canine figure of a Mexican Grey She-Wolf appears up ahead of her, lifting itself from where it had been camouflaged by a small rock pile. She suppresses her instinct to run, allowing the wolf to come closer.

"You stink" the voice in her mind states calmly.

"I know, I'm sorry" the rabbit thinks back, her little eyes closed in concentration.

"Do not apologize. It kept me from killing you. Very clever" the voice responds.

The rabbit squeals in alarm, and the wolf emits a strangled huff which could be laughter. The wolf turns toward the large rock formation, and sets off at a casual lope, the rabbit following behind.

A distant howling attracts the attention of both animals, making them pause, and the rabbit is startled almost out of her fur as an answering howl sounds loudly next to her. She can feel her heart beating rapidly in her throat as she turns to see the wolf who greeted her, seated on hind legs, muzzle pointed at the sky.

The wolf stands on all fours, cocking an ear in the direction of where the distant sound came from. Soon there is another faint howl. The wolf's head bobs in a short nod, and starts walking towards the rock formation again.

The rabbit stands still, nose twitching nervously, ears perked up, watching the wolf, which turns it's head to look back at her with a quizzical expression. The wolf's head jerks to the right, motioning for her to follow, and the rabbit leaps forward in a startled jump to catch up.

The two travel in silence, the shadows thickening as they approach the rock formation. The wolf seems unphased by the darkness, plodding ahead confidently at a steady pace, sure-footed over the rough terrain. The rabbit follows more cautiously, lagging behind, searching the pre-dawn shadows for possible danger.

"Relax, Little One" soothes a voice in her mind. "Nothing will harm you while I am here".

The rabbit swallows nervously, but picks up her pace. The slope of the ground gradually steepens as they progress, and though they have been traveling for some time, the rock formation does not seem much closer. Dawn breaks, painting the sky with a marvelous burst of cinnabar from the east, and a cool mist refreshes the dusty skin of the rabbit's ears, quickly drying as the sun rises higher, the light changing through shades of yellow, to achieve bright white.