[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika moved over a little and the Draculi curled up beside her. Its fur was cold from the wind, but its little body let off a lot of heat. Laika was soon quite content, curled up with the Draculi. She laid her head on her paws again and closed her eyes. Her mouth quirked into a smile as the Draculi closed its eyes and lay against her.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika could hear the Draculi's quiet purring, but another sound from outside caught her attention. A rustling sound was coming towards the hollow of the tree. It seemed to be coming from above, and suddenly the Drakel from earlier popped its head into the hole. It scampered in, clinging to the roof of the hollow, and found a hollow nook in the tree wall. It curled up inside the nook and began to wash its tail.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika sighed happily; she was pleased to have company. The Draculi was warm and soft, and its purring was comforting. She had wanted to play with the Drakel earlier, but she was happy it was inside in the warm with them. The wind outside picked up, and her ears twitched as she listened to its howling. She hoped nobody had been caught outside in the cold.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The wind started howling even louder, and Laika shivered. It began to rain, getting heavier by the moment. A number of small creatures began filing into the hollow tree. They were trying to get out of the rain. First came the Mr Wilson from the bird bath.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The Mr Wilson shook the water out of its feathers, and hopped over to where Laika was. Laika sniffed at it, and the Draculi opened one green eye. The Mr Wilson paused, then fluttered up to perch on a ridge higher up in the hollow trunk. Laika raised her head off her paws to watch it. The little bird began to preen its feathers.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Next, a couple of Larvie scuttled into the hollow. They were followed by a Florana, which perched on Laika's nose briefly. Laika held very still so as not to scare it. It then took off, fluttering up to the very top of the hollow trunk. It perched on a dead stalk that was fairly straight.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika yawned, and shifted closer to the Draculi. Outside, the storm got worse. She could hear the tree creaking. The wind buffeted the branches above them. A shrill howl echoed from outside.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika shivered, and the Draculi buried its head in her fur. A couple of batti swooped in through the hole. They looked like they were from the flock earlier. They landed on Laika, and crawled onto her back. They clung to her, needing her warmth.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

All night long, the wind howled and the rain fell. Laika slept fitfully, waking every time she heard a new sound. Sometimes, it would be another creature coming to share their dry space. Sometimes it was just the wind, creaking and groaning in the branches. She was worried it would tear the tree down.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Eventually, the wind eased off, and Laika relaxed a little. It was still very cold, however, and the creatures huddled to her for warmth. They had all, at some point in the night, come down to rest on her. Laika was happy to be hugged by so many creatures. She was glad they had all found shelter together.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika awoke the next morning to the sound of heavy rain and thunder. Though the wind from the night before had stopped, the park was muddy and wet. Flashes of lightning could be seen through the hole. Laika jumped as a loud burst of thunder rang in her ears. She hated thunder, because her hearing was so sensitive.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika curled up in a miserable ball with her ears flattened down. She shook whenever a loud burst of thunder happened. Her ears rang from the loud noises. The other creatures saw this and decided to help. They did not like it that she was scared and in pain.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The batti climbed onto her ears and stretched their wings out. Laika blinked, as she realised they were covering her ears. She whined as she heard another crash of thunder, though it was fainter this time. The florana fluttered down onto her head, and stretched out its wings. Laika could no longer see the flashes of lightning with its wings in front of her eyes.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika could still hear the thunder, and it seemed to be getting louder. She howled sadly, a miserable sound. The Draculi rubbed against her side and purred comfortingly. The Drakel and the Mr Wilson dropped down onto her gently from their perches. Each settled by one of her ears, helping the Batti to cover it.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika felt much better now that the creatures were all helping her. The Larvie began to hum, a soothing sound that rumbled through the hollow tree gently. Laika felt herself relaxing even further. Her eyes began to droop, and she rested her head on her paws. The Draculi's purring began to blend with the fuzzy humming noise of the Larvie.