It all started on a cool, breezy afternoon when Athena, the elegant and intelligent husky with her striking bi-colored eyes (one as pale as a cloud and the other a rich, warm chestnut), was sprawled out on the couch, living her best life. Her silky fur glistened under the soft rays of sunlight coming through the window. She had a blanket, her blanket. A soft, fleecy thing, pristine and well-loved, perfectly tucked around her like a royal cape. She sighed, content in her perfection. But the serenity of her blanket cocoon was about to be shattered, in the most dramatic and ridiculously funny way possible.
Now, Obito was still in the awkward phase of being a ten-month-old malamute, which means he was as big as a small horse but still had the coordination of a newborn giraffe. His oversized paws flopped around like pancakes, and his tongue, always too large for his face, hung out of his mouth in a permanent state of enthusiasm. But, despite his lack of grace, Obito had one talent, blanket stealing.It was his art form. His reason for existence.
Obito had a very special bond with Athena’s blanket. And by bond, I mean he believed it was his, and Athena was just holding it for him. And today? Today was no different.
Athena was enjoying her well-earned nap, her tail flicking lazily as she snuggled deeper into her blanket. Then, out of nowhere, she felt it, a slight tug.
A low growl escaped her throat, but she was too tired to move. She figured it was a small breeze, maybe a phantom draft playing tricks. But no. The tug came again, stronger this time.
"Okay, okay," she thought. "I’ll just… ignore it. Maybe it’s nothing."
It wasn’t nothing.
Suddenly, Athena felt the full force of it. The blanket was yanked from underneath her, and she wasn’t going down without a fight. Athena jumped up in a blur of gray, black and white, her eyes flashing in disbelief. “Obito!” she barked, her voice a mix of royal indignation and the quiet fury of a husky who’s just been denied her throne.
There, standing before her, was the culprit, Obito. The big, goofy lump of a dog, wearing that famous grin of his, holding Athena's beloved blanket in his teeth like a prize he’d just won at the Puppy Olympics.
"Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me," Athena muttered under her breath, narrowing her eyes. She was a graceful creature, yes, but when her blanket was involved? All bets were off.
Obito, unaware of the storm he’d just unleashed, started to trot away with the blanket, tail wagging like a helicopter propeller. He looked back at Athena once, then gave her the most “I'm so innocent” face, like he didn’t just commit the equivalent of stealing the crown jewels.
Athena’s reaction? It was swift. Very swift.
In one graceful leap that defied all laws of physics, Athena vaulted over the couch as though she had springs for legs, landing with a thud on the other side. Obito, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing behind him, continued his slow and steady march towards the bedroom with Athena’s blanket. This was his prize. This was his moment.
But then, disaster struck for Obito. His oversized, clumsy paws caught on the blanket as he trotted along. His momentum carried him forward, but his feet did not. Like a slow-motion train wreck, Obito’s back legs buckled beneath him, and he slid across the floor, crashing into a coffee table like a pancake on a grill. Athena, now completely on alert, took advantage of the chaos.
In a lightning-quick move, Athena reached the blanket first, yanking it back with the precision of a surgeon. Obito, still sliding and flailing like a jellyfish on ice, was momentarily stunned.
But there was no holding back now. Athena, with all the grace of a husky who had endured too much, turned and darted toward the couch. She wasn't giving up that blanket without a fight. She made it to the couch first, just barely.
Obito, ever the persistent puppy, wasn’t finished. The moment Athena nestled into the blanket, tail flicking smugly, Obito gave her a look, a challenge. The kind of look that said, “I will get that blanket. You can’t stop me.”
So, he did what any self-respecting dog would do, He charged.
It was a blur of fur. Athena twisted, flipping the blanket over her, wrapping herself like a burrito, but Obito was determined. In a maneuver that could only be described as the puppy equivalent of an angry bull in a china shop, he flung himself onto the couch, landing squarely on top of Athena.
For a brief, glorious second, there was an awkward dog pile. Athena, struggling to breathe under the weight of Obito, looked like a grumpy queen who had just been trampled by a clumsy circus animal. Obito, of course, was blissfully unaware of his error, licking her face in what could only be described as a love assault.
Finally, Athena gave up. She was tired. The blanket was gone, and Obito’s affection was relentless. With a defeated sigh, she lay back, allowing the blanket to be stolen, but at least she would get one last moment of peace… before Obito, in his usual fashion, lay down on top of her, stretching his massive body out like he was trying to claim her as his personal mattress.
And so, they stayed there for the rest of the afternoon. Athena, now trapped under her blanket-stealing, wet-kissing, toe-bean-loving brother, lay still, quietly plotting her next move.
But she knew one thing for sure, she would get her blanket back. Eventually. After all, Athena was the queen of the house. But first, she’d let Obito have his fun. Because deep down, as much as she loved her blanket, she loved him more.
And so, the great blanket war raged on… and the house was never quite the same.


©️Lainey Green - intwined.blog