Golden eyes turned skyward as she finally realized the time. The stars were shining brightly overhead while the moon followed suit with it's own glow that illuminated the grass around Phobos' body. How many hours had she spent carrying this mouse in her mouth while her body twisted and turned around rocks, following a trail that possibly could have been Deimos'? The gods surely knew as did the sky above and earth below. She did not though nor did she truly care how long it took her. She would find her missing friend. She would! She had to... She wouldn't go home without him, not after how things had been left between the two of them. Not with her telling him he was essentially useless being the last thing said between the two of them.
It was so cold. Perhaps not stopping to gather heat for the night was a bad idea. While Africa wasn't particularly cold, having been moving all day had definitely drained the black snake of his warmth and most of his energy. He hadn't rested or eaten all day. All because that white b***h wouldn't share any of her extra meal with him. She didn't even eat it! Well, she ate part of it, but that's probably only because she wanted to spite him. Deimos scoffed as he coiled up tightly underneath a rock, attempting to keep as much heat to himself as he could. He would definitely survive the night, but it would be uncomfortable and feel longer then it should have.
Her muscles moved, pushing herself onward even though her entire body ached. She would find him. She had to. Those were the words she kept telling herself as she moved onward, further away from Ares and all that was familiar and what she hoped as closer to finding her friend once again.
It wasn't until she pulled herself up onto a rock, hoping to get a better view of her surroundings that the white reptile released the rodent from her firm grasp. "Deimos!" Phobos called out, hoping that if he was within earshot that he would reply to her cry.
The serpent stirred underneath the rock that Phobos confidentially perched on, yelling out his name into the darkness. Deimos stretched, slithering his way out from under the stone, turning to look up at her from behind the female snake as to not alert her just yet that he was there. Why had she been looking for him? She was the one that had called him useless and what had felt like worthless. Her words had stung so bad and even now they still ached. Their wounds fresh on his heart. Was she...worried about him? No, that couldn't be it. Ares must have put her up to this. After all, he was valuable to the red lioness. Of course she would want him back. The thought vanished thought when his silver eyes spotted the dead rodent laying beside the distracted female serpent.
Wasn't that the start of all of these problems? 'Stupid thing.' He thought, glaring at the still body. Why in the world had she brought it with her? To gloat perhaps and devour it in front of him? Most likely knowing the female's better-than-thou attitude towards every who wasn't herself or Ares.
"Deimos!" Phobos called out once again, this time with more desperation in her voice. Just the tone of her voice was enough for the darker of the two to feel a slight pang in his heart. Was he truly the cause of this difference in her usual cold, ruthless voice? A grin spread across his mouth. So he was the cause of this sudden change in demeanor? Was it the fact he had left with no warning? Was it how things had ended between the two of them. Regardless though, it was a powerful feeling.
The feeling dropped quickly though as his female counterpart sunk down against the stone surface she rested on. She curled around herself, her body turning in such a way that she finally came face to face with the one she had been looking for. "Deimosss!" Phobos exclaimed with glee as she realized he was right there in front of. All of her searching had paid off. Truthfully though she had only been moving for an afternoon, but an afternoon that had felt like it had gone on for what seemed like ever though. "Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you?"
"Obviously not everywhere since I'm the one that found you." There was a hint of sarcasm within the male's voice, his silver eyes rolling at the amusing yet slightly ironic scene he was in. She had been looking for him, yet he was the one that found him in the end.
"Oh!" Phobos pulled herself up, moving her neck to nudge the snack she had saved since the morning over to the edge of the rock, near her clutch-mate's face. "I saved this for you. I figured you'd be hungry."
"Okay, what's your deal?"
"What do you mean?"
"First you criticize me fore not hunting for myself and that I'll never be dependable. Now you're pushing food towards me." The male snake scoffed as he wiggled back down underneath his rock, coiling up around himself. Phobos quickly followed, her swift movements knocking the rodent onto the dirt beside her.
"I know...I was harsh. I lashed out and I shouldn't have. Even if you aren't exactly dependable-"
"Gee, thanks."
Her eyes narrowed back at him, a frown over her face. "Let me finish please."
"Fine, fine."
"As I was saying, even though you're not exactly the most dependable sort, you still have your own quirks. You'd funny, hilarious even. You keep me on my guard at all times which has saved us all a few times over because I never know what you're going to say..." Phobos turned her head and nudged it a little closer to the dark body. "I wanted to say thank you for being my friend."
Silver eyes turned, looking back into the golden ones they met. "Your...friend?"
"Of courssse! You've been my friend for as long as I can remember and no stupid mouse is gonna change that. Now come on...we need to get back to Ares before she leaves us."
"It'sss cold though..." The entire body of Deimos shuddered at that moment, his muscles contracting one after another as the chill set in once more.
"Oh dear...come on, eat this." Phobos motioned to the mouse once again as she moved closer, nosing her way between his layer as she intertwined her body with his, hoping to share some kind of warmth while her friend ate.
It was going to be a long night.
[Word Count: 1127]
