Rudie was a rather small raccoon- completely white with dark brown surrounding the tip of his muzzle. He was the smallest of his bunch-  and though his mind seemed to wander to great adventures, his body could rarely keep up.

Lyel was a rather lonesome giant- blueish grey skin with fiery red hair. He was the last of his bunch- and though he craved companionship more than most, his body was threatening and seemed to frighten the ever-so smaller creatures that seemed to encompass the area around him.

When they met, the world was dark- lit solely by the sprinkling of stars far above, and by hints of the rising sun in the distance.

Rudie had been planning a small outing for some time when the day finally came. He took his tiny rucksack, sending one last glance at his sleeping family. The air was cold and it beat back and forth against his fur like the wind from a passing car. His legs shook- from fear or the cold, he didn’t know- and he set out on his adventure.

There were many towering creatures that seemed to wake in the morning and Rudie tried his very best to avoid them- as he usually did by sleeping around this time.

There were the deer, who were- by all means- a peaceful group of creatures. But their hooves were sharp and their minds were flighty. Rudie scurried around them in a wide semi-circle, so as not to alarm them. He didn’t want to risk getting trampled on like his distant cousin had just weeks prior.

There were the dogs, which were dangerous in their own right- but only aggressive when paired with the likes of man. Rudie found them a little while later- slowly making his way through the underbrush so as not to tempt the attraction of the dogs’ more temperamental counterparts. They didn’t seem to notice him. Still, their teeth were sharp and their eyes seemed a little too narrow for Rudie’s liking and he was glad when he’d passed them.

Next Rudie passed the sleeping bears, and a group of rather chattery rabbits, before he reached the one place he dreaded.

When Rudie had planned out his trip- he’d done some scouting ahead of time. He knew it was coming. He knew what lied between him and his destination. The storm.

No one was sure where it had come from, or why it hadn’t already taken its leave- but there was a deep purple sort of storm in a linear form for miles each way.

The rain was heavy, and it would surely drown such a small creature as Rudie. The wind, which before resembled that of a passing car, was now at the precipice of its strength- and it seemed to Rudie that it would feel as though his skin were being torn from his body.

Still, he held fast as he braved the storm. His claws, which were only the size of tiny little needles dug into the ground below him in hopes of some form of anchoring. Unfortunately for the creature, his lifeline was cut short as the wind picked up and he began to fly through the air.

Silent screams left his lips, unheard by the unsuspecting public below. The wind seemed to rip the sound out of his throat as his head thumped against the branch of a tree. Soon, blackness entered his field of vision and Rudie decided that maybe keeping the light in his eyes wasn’t worthwhile. With a deep sigh, his eyes closed- and right before falling unconscious- he thought he heard the sound of a deep voice filled with worry. For some reason, he felt safe- and he let his mind slip for the time being.