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Lucien woke up to the sound of Chris screaming loudly and hands being forced against his back. He quickly turned around and was able to grab the wrists of the person hitting him, keeping the hands from trying to force him out of the bedroll. In the brightening light of dawn Lucien could make out the terrified face of Chris as he struggled against him

"Chris! Calm down!" Lucien said over the screams, "There's no one here!"

Chris slowly stopped screaming and he stopped struggling against Lucien's paws, going almost instantly to sobbing.

"They're all dead, I saw their faces again, all of them." He said through the tears.

"Who's dead? Who did you see?" Lucien asked, letting go of his wrists.

"The village, all of them burned... only survivor. I saw their faces, all of their faces." Chris said, tears now pouring out from his eyes. He then quickly put his arms around Lucien's middle, putting his long muzzle against the crack of his neck like a domesticated dog seeking comfort from its owner. Lucien moved back a little by instinct before he put his arms around Chris' middle.

"Shhhh. It's going to be ok," Lucien said in his ear. "It's all over now."

"Why did I have to survive? Why couldn't I just burn like the rest?"

"Chris don't ever say that, you're lucky to be alive."

"I don't feel like it," Chris said, his tears now slowing down to only a trickle down his cheek and onto Lucien's neck fur.

"Well you are," Lucien replied.

"Thanks for cheering me up," Chris said with a smile as he moved back in the roll

Lucien got out of the bedroll, moving a paw back for Chris. "Come on, it's a new day."

"Yeah, it is." Chris said, taking the paw's help in getting out of the bedroll. They lit the fire with some new pieces of wood flung onto it, cooking up a tinned can of beans and sausages for the two of them. After this they both walked off into the forest to look for supplies: food, wood, ext. After a couple hours of searching the forest around the pond they returned the supplies to the small shack that was built the day before. They placed the supplies inside the shelter and used the new wooden pieces they gained to add four walls with a rectangle shaped opening for the door.

Lucien's ears stood up to attention as a soft rustling sound came from the bushes near the make-do campsite. A tall white fox stumbled into the area, a large and ragged backpack on his back. The fox wore only a simple leather tunic, along with a pair of leather trousers that hung from his waist.

The appearance of the fox made Lucien slowly stand up, mouth half gapping, and move towards the fox while he looked him dead in the eyes. Lucien brought his arms around the fox and gave a large smile to the fox. The fox sniffed him a little and then gave a small gasp, realising who the Golden Labrador was by scent.

"B-brother, you're here." The fox said, bringing his own arms around the dog's back.

"I've missed you," Lucien replied with tears in his eyes.

This seemed to brighten the fox's eyes and made him smile, "I've missed you too."

Chris came over to them and asked, "Who is this?"

"This is my brother," Lucien replied.

"The name's Snowfire," the fox held out his paw.

"It's nice to meet you," Chris replied while he shook Snowfire's paw less hesitantly than before. "Mine's Chris."

"It's nice to meet you too Chris," Snowfire said, moving his arm straight out horizontally for the horse. Chris took the sign and put his nose into the joint, sniffing the armpit fur underneath the shoulder. Chris then put his own arm out and let Snowfire return the tradition, which he did.

"You're like your brother," Chris said.

"So I've been told, you seem a nice person too."

"Thanks,"

"So, is that shelter yours?" Snowfire asked as he looked past Lucien and Chris.

"Yeah it is," Lucien said.

"Looks nice and sturdy, did you both build it?"

"Lucien started it yesterday and we added the walls today," Chris replied

"You two must be really fast workers, it's not far past midday." Snowfire said.

"Yeah, we try to motivate each other as much as we can." Lucien put in with a smile.

"Do you have a campsite?" Chris asked.

"No, I don't like to stay in one place for long. If I do stay then I run the risk of being mugged, or worse."

"Well what if you stayed with us?" Lucien asked.

"You really mean it?"

"Of course, you're my brother, we're also better off in a team than on our own."

"Ok then, I'll come and stay here. But there's also somebody I have to go back for in an hour or two. I don't like to leave him to long, he'll worry too much." Snowfire said.

"Sure thing," Lucien said.

They continued to talk as they went to work creating a second shelter for Snowfire, speaking about life in the city and how both Lucien and Snowfire were infected. Half way through the building process Snowfire went back to the place he stayed the night before, leaving Lucien and Chris to finish the room.

It had barely been an hour when Snowfire returned with a German Shepard running around his paws as he walked back to the campsite, the dog's tongue hanging out in enjoyment. The German Shepard then looked over to Chris and Lucien and ran over to them, jumping onto Lucien's chest, making him fall onto his back. The German Shepard then started to lick his face, pouring saliva over Lucien's face fur. He put his paws up to try to get the German Shepard off him, to no effect.

"Hound, get off him!" Snowfire called over.

"Master, their new people! With new smells, foods and even more belly rubs!" The dog called out in a doggish voice as he got off Lucien's body and ran over to the fox. This action alone made both Chris' and Lucien's eyes go wide and their jaws drop.

"Did that dog just talk?" Lucien asked slowly.

"I think so," Chris said.

Snowfire and the dog walked back to them, Hound now seemed to be a little calmer than at first, just panting like a normal dog as he went over to Lucien again.

"Master, these people smell like you." The dog noted as his nose move over Lucien's body, who was still on the floor.

"I know Hound, they are my friends, remember? The one's I told you about, my brother, Lucien, and his friend chris." Snowfire said with a smile.

Hound moved over to Lucien, who was still on the floor, and put his canine nose deeply into his armpit and took a sniff of the musky area, fulfilling his part off the tradition that Snowfire must have taught him. Hound then stood back and looked at Lucien, licking his already wet nose, as if to indicate for him to do the same.

Lucien sat up and moved forward to Hound's armpit, his nose taking in the musky, hairy and sweaty pit and deciphered the scent like it did with Chris the night before. Hound's scent was more pungent with animal aroma than Chris' was, the scent holding more animalistic traits and memories like chasing tails and catching wooden sticks. Lucien moved his nose out of the joint and then petted Hound's head softly.

Hound's tail wagged happily, "you really smell like master."

"Yeah, I know." Lucien said while he started to pet Hound's head faster. This coursed Hound to almost melt with satisfaction, laying on the ground with his belly up to the sky and his tongue sprawling out of his doggish mouth.

"Yeah, Hound really likes his pets and belly rubs." Snowfire explained.

"I can see that," Chris said, going over to the dog and rubbed his light furred belly. "Who's a good boy? Who's the dog with the slobbery tongue? Is it you boy?"

"I-is it me?" Hound asked, his tongue lolling out even more.

"It is you, you're a really good boy."

"I love these new people," Hound said in ecstasy.

"Hound, don't forget to do the tradition with Chris." Snowfire said.

"Yes master," Hound said as he moved his nose up to Chris' armpit, sniffing the joint deeply.

"Well thank you," Chris said as he then put his own nose into the armpit of Hound and sniffed the pungent joint.

"You're very well trained," Chris said as he stopped rubbing Hound's belly.

"Yes, master allows treats for good work and keeping tradition." Hound said, getting to his paws

After a few minutes of talking the three of them went back to building the room for Snowfire. Working on the room until dusk had fallen onto the land, completing it by the darkening sky. Chris moved into his bedroll, getting an early night's sleep after the day's work. Snowfire sat onto the log they placed next to the fire Hound layed across his paws, the dog's eyes looking into the flames with content only a dog can achieve. Lucien sat on the log next to the fox, bringing him a sausage on a stick.

"Thanks," Snowfire said, waving the sausage just over the flames.

"No problem," Lucien replied, doing the same with his own. "So tell me, how did you find Hound?"

"About a year ago I was heading through a large desert, on the last of my water and food, I passed out from the heat of the sun and the reflected heat from sand. The last thing I remember before passing out was the sound of paws on the sand, and then blackness. Next thing I knew I was in a small mineshaft, barely more than a couple of metres deep. This old dog was looking over me like he was my own appointed protector, I guess he just got a little over protective."

"You were the first person I saw for moons," Hound said in a doggish whine. "I just didn't want you to leave, that's all."

"Yeah, I know buddy."

"I like you two as well," Hound said looking over to Lucien, "Especially the horse, he is nice, he gave me a nice juicy sausage before he went to bed."

"He is a nice guy Hound," Snowfire said.

After this there was a moment of silence, Lucien decided to change the subject. "Why did you change your name?"

"New life, new name. That sort of thing, you know? We got to leave a few things in the past truth be told, including that." He said, gesturing the city.

"Yeah, we might never be part of the cities ever again. But then again, one day, all of those lights in those towers may be from people who are like us, who have fur or feathers, and who speak through muzzles or beaks."

"It's nice to see there's still hope out here, seems like it's in short supply nowadays." Snowfire said.

They talked for another hour or so before they both went to their bed rolls. Lucien slid into the bedroll with Chris, facing away from him like the night before. Lucien relaxed into the roll and slowly let sleep take a hold of him.

While Lucien fell to sleep Snowfire went to his own roll along with Hound, who went to the side of it and curled up into a ball. Snowfire striped and slid into the slightly ragged bedroll, leaving an arm out to pet Hound's head softly, his fingers running through the soft brown fur. Snowfire slowly drifted off to sleep not long after that.