[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika realised a moment later that not all of the small creatures were eating the chicken. She was confused for a moment, before she realised that not all of them ate meat. She sniffed at the chicken to see what else they could eat from it. She began pawing at the chicken, for she could smell the stuffing. She used her mouth to help pull its ribcage open.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The stuffing was made of a mixture of bread and nuts. The creatures that hadn't eaten before came forward, and began to eat the stuffing. Laika was pleased, for she had not wanted to leave the tree again. She grabbed another piece of chicken for herself, and retreated to a corner to eat. The draculi came to sit beside her and began to wash itself.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika scratched at her snout with her paw. It was a little itchy from the burn she got from the chicken. She whimpered, and laid her head on her paws. The draculi stopped washing itself and wandered over to her snout. It sniffed at it, then began to wash her snout for her.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika sighed with relief as the itching went away. The draculi's rough tongue was soothing on her snout. Laika opened her mouth and the draculi began to clean her teeth. It purred as it did, finding bits of chicken between them. Laika was very happy as she was being cleaned.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Eventually, the draculi finished cleaning her teeth. Laika licked its cheek in thanks, and laid her head down onto her paws. The draculi went back to washing itself, now purring loudly. The other small creatures who had watched the exchange crept up to Laika. They were cold, and wanted to share her warmth.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika noticed the shivering little creatures, and lay down on her side. They hustled close to her and snuggled against her warm tummy. Some of them, such as the batti, crawled onto her and snuggled in between her folds of fur. Laika sighed happily, enjoying helping them stay warm. The draculi finished washing itself and snuggled up against her again.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika's ears pricked up as she heard the wind outside begin to moan. The hollow tree began to creak again. The creatures shivered at the noise in fright. The draculi opened its eyes slightly, and made a low sound in its chest. Laika whimpered, but she stayed where she was, not wanting to disturb the creatures on her.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The two batti began to whimper and chirp in fear and cold. Laika nuzzled them, trying to calm them. They quieted down, but clung closer to her. The Drakel crept up onto her back and wrapped itself around their tiny bodies. It used its thick tail as a cover, to try to keep them warm.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika smiled, seeing the small creatures beginning to help each other. She was happy that they were all working together. It was scary listening to the sounds of the wind outside, but at least they were warm inside the tree. The hole was low enough and at a good angle, so no wind blew into it. The draculi's purring soothed all of the creatures back into a light sleep.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika awoke suddenly in the middle of the night. The large hollow tree was creaking and groaning alarmingly. She rolled onto her stomach, careful not to land on any of the small creatures which were still huddled to her. The batti began chirping in fear again. The draculi beside her had its fur puffed up in alarm.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

A loud thud sounded outside, close to the hole, and Laika whimpered. It sounded like something big and heavy had landed beside the hole. She shied away from it, and the small creatures climbed onto her back for comfort and to avoid her paws. The draculi stuck close to her side. It swivelled its ears, listening to the sounds of the wind outside the tree.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

None of the tree's occupants slept that night, as they were too scared of the noises they could hear. They remained huddled together though, both for comfort and for warmth. Laika couldn't tell if she herself was shivering, or if it was the feeling of all the creatures on her back shivering. She hoped they were warm enough on her. She eventually lay down, though she stayed alert.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The draculi lay between Laika's front paws. She rested her chin on its back, and it began to purr. Although its soft fur tickled her nose, she didn't move. It was comforting to feel the soft, warm creature so close. It seemed to be happy where it was, as it did not move away either.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Laika heard the wind die down in the early morning. The tree stopped creaking, but she could hear a whistling sound that hadn't been there before. It was also much colder than it had been before. Laika feared that the wind had done something damaging to the tree. She hoped they would be able to do something to fix it.

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

She stood up slowly, allowing the small creatures to climb off of her back. They huddled together for warmth in a tight group. The draculi moved to lie down where Laika had been. It stretched out, and the small creatures moved to huddle against its stomach. It began to purr, and the sound soothed the distressed creatures.