Me and Skorix went camping and thought it was time to get nice and warmed up and cozy! My little ratty gets all comfy on my lap ~ hehe :3

 Skorix wrote a story to go along with it! and I have to say, it is absolute perfection. :3

A smile crept over my snoot as I looked up to the distant mountains through the gaps in the trees to the night above, the moon was full and so very high in the sky now, its bright, silvery luminescent glow accompanied by a sea of stars which twinkled in the inky black sky, the like of which I’d never quite seen before as the silence of the deep woodland was only broken by the sounds of the nightlife all around us. The chirping of crickets and the hoot of an owl somewhere overhead who thankfully didn’t seem interested in me along with the occasional popping and snapping of the campfire, feeling the warmth from it slowly rising up my back to keep the chill of the night at bay. The time must have been getting on now for about ten PM or so, although honestly I’d lost all sense of time today. I was out here, deep in the wilderness and far from civilization with my buddy Titan who had so kindly brought me out here. we’d started off as early as possible when we left the city, heading out deep into the woods and far from the trappings and creature comforts of civilization for something far more soothing and in touch with the soul, and already I could feel the benefits of it, from a life spent mostly among grey stone, metal and glass, to come from the cacophony of roaring cars, helicopters and sirens to this..it felt wonderful to be somewhere so untouched by civilization.

It had been a spur of the moment decision to make the trip out here the night before, we had been talking together as we often did about ourselves over a cup of tea, about our lives and each other and it came up how I’d come from a city far away from the one we’d met in, how going to the countryside had been something I’d loved to do when I was younger, but getting older now it had become a luxury that was less frequent for me and even when I had been able to go when I was an even smaller ratty than I was now, how the woodlands and wild meadows back in my old home were nothing quite like the deep forests and green places here..it was of course special in my heart and very beautiful where I was from with little valleys, winding hills and small villages accompanying deciduous woods, meadows and country parks that seemed so quaint and peaceful..but here it was like nature was playing a different song. The trees were taller, the valleys deeper and the mountains higher..only having seen anything close to this from watching TV or browsing the web from the confines of my room, thinking to myself and telling Titan just how much I’d hoped to see a place like that with my own eyes for so long..to be able to feel the grass under my little paws and breathe the air in a place I had at this point only dreamed of seeing.

It was as I’d said that, with a playful smile of his own, tail wagging behind him that Titan had told me we’d be leaving first thing today. “j..just like that?...first thing..a-are..you sure buddy?” I giggled thinking back to my reaction, smiling so lovingly at how happy he was to want to show this all to me, how we’d got everything together and packed and then tried our hardest to sleep, the excitement proving difficult to stave off as I thought about the wonderful adventure we were going to embark on, and then how this morning he’d so playfully scooped my groggy little form out of bed and carried me off on our trip for today..and what a trip it had been too..travelling up far from the now distant city and into the heart of the forest, having seen a beautiful lake, a whole herd of deer and several kinds of birds too that I’d watched from the safety of his paws..it had been a breath taking day..and never had I thought I would get to see anything like that..my smile growing as I thought about it all, letting myself at this point just lazily flop back onto my butt and then all the way back as I lay there, feeling the coolness of the grass on my little furred body as my head once more turned skywards as I just let the thoughts come and go before my ears would flick and twitch to the rustling coming from our tent which brought a growing smile from me as I aid my head right back now, watching upside down as that big ebon furred german shepherd in question emerged from the tent, a warm smile on his lips as he walked over, only taking a second to spot me and within a matter of moments he was there standing by my side, smiling so lovingly down to me as I giggled and looked back up to him in turn.

“And how’s my little ratty buddy finding his first night in the forest?” Titan spoke with a playful chuckle, looking down to me as I looked back up in turn and hummed in loving delight as I replied, my eyes meeting his own as I lay there happily and wiggled into the grass around me. “oh Titan..its so..so pretty buddy..so pretty and..so..peaceful..maybe...maybe even..magical is a better word..I mean just..look at that moon and those stars!..they’re so bright out here...you’d never see anything like that back in the city..its stunning..” I said softly and lovingly then with another hum and gentle brux sighed happily.”..and its so different from where I’m from too..it feels..so wonderful to..finally be in a place like this..” I said now just listening as I lay there with my eyes closed, hearing the rustle of his feetpaws in the grass next to me..before suddenly gasping as my eyes would open up again as I felt those big, cuddly furred hand paws wrapping around me and then picking me up, lifting me gently into the air as Titan didn’t take those loving eyes off me the whole time as I felt him sit himself down on a nearby log, finding myself now laying on my back, surrounded and supported by those handpaws as he held me there atop his lap, looking down to me with that warm, loving smile as I in turn gazed up to him, that dreamy look on my face before I would then squeak and happily giggle as I felt those big thumbs of his that were right by my tummy starting to rub over it some through my fur, making me wiggle from being so ticklish, my ratty tail in turn now wrapping lovingly about his wrist as I’d sigh softly as I just completely relaxed there with him, my little hands gently holding and running over his thumbs as I couldn’t take my eyes from his own, feeling my fur fluffing up some in bashful delight as we sat there together, just enjoying each others company.

“you know..I've..always wanted to see what the forests in this part of the world were like..it makes me..so happy I could do that with you buddy...thank you..so very much for bringing me here..i always feel so loved and..so wanted here with you...I….I know I say it a lot but..thank you.. so much for taking me home with you buddy..for..caring for me..for..having me..in your life..I don’t know what I was going to do if I hadn’t met you..things were..well….I.. love you….I love you so much..I..I hope..I don’t..say it too much..” I said lovingly as I sniffled softly, feeling my eyes welling up a little as my smile just grew bigger as I let all this out, never having to think about my words much with him as I shyly spoke, feeling one of those thumbs then shift and gently wipe my eyes and cheek as Titan returned my smile “Aww buddy, I love you so much too~ I've loved bringing you here and getting to be with you, and you never say it too much. You can say whatever’s on your mind to me and talk to me about anything, I always want to hear it..after all, you’re my buddy too~..and..you’re my good little ratty~..” as he spoke those words my smile just beamed at this point, once more feeling those tears welling up as I sat myself up and spread my little arms as wide as they could possibly go, pressing myself right into his fluffy chest and tummy as I sniffled and clung to him in a loving hug, feeling those big, strong hand paws then so gently cradling me from behind in turn as he cuddled me back into that soft fur, the crackle of the fire, the sound of the night life.. just completely lost in the moment.. feeling both the warmth from the fire on my back, and the warmth from our love in my heart, cherishing this moment with him now as I would forever, and hoping for many more to come just like it with my big, wonderful doggo buddy Titan.

<3