Lost Lake Splish Splash it's a privilege to have a bath

RE: Rhaegara Nash, a curious otter wants to play. All Welcome! Takes place a little beyond the borders, so open to non-Cove members as well!

With the temperature constantly rising and summer hitting them full force, Nash was growing concerned about the water. Now that he knew for sure both the Chasm and the Backwater were out of water, he felt obligated to do something to help but didn't know what he could do - short of inviting both packs up to stay with them. He couldn't do that, especially without Oksana or Al's blessing. He wasn't sure the lake could support that many wolves anyway, and the new litters couldn't make the arduous journey up the pass.

He hated feeling so helpless. The guardian had to remind himself it was his job to protect the Cove, not everyone else, regardless of friendly terms. Neither pack had officially asked for help, anyway.

Today's patrols had carried Nash beyond their borders and along the shrinking shoreline. Still he'd found no sign of a new outlet, nor a blockage further up the mountain. The heat was the only thing that could explain the water's loss - especially if it was affecting other areas within the Lore. Speaking of the heat, Nash decided to wade into the lake until his belly fur grew wet. His dark coat captured the sunlight in an almost debilitating way and the water's cool touch eased his discomfort.

As he bent to drink, a dark shape darted around beside him. Nash looked up in surprise. It was far too large to be a fish, and he hadn't held still long enough for one to feel comfortable approaching him, he thought. A moment later a fuzzy brown head poked up a few tail-lengths away, chattering at him.

"Hello," he said to the otter, amused by it's curious tilt of the head. "What are you up to?"

Stella was still trying to find her place following her return to the Cove. It was truly wonderful to be home again, but at the same time, she had to admit things had changed. She (and her siblings) were older, no longer carefree children, and with another generation on the rise and the lingering drought, there was a sense of worry in the air that was impossible to ignore. She thought that perhaps if she developed a steady routine, she would find things easier, but the daily chores chafed against the routine of freedom she'd grown used to during her travels. It was all just... a lot to adjust to. She wasn't sure how to feel about anything anymore.

This day, she'd decided to try and carry moss balls soaked with water back to the den, to provide some relief to pups and adults alike, and to take her mind off of her foolish worries. She'd seen @Leo doing much the same task before, and so she concluded that it must be a useful and good thing to do.

As she made her way down to the lake's shore, she saw a somewhat familiar shape wading into the waters. Suddenly, a very unfamiliar form appeared, popping up from the depths. She had seen otters once or twice, but not up close. The Vuesain girl broke into a lope, registering the sense of surprise, splashing closer as her concern at the unfamiliar creature abated into simple curiosity. It didn't seem threatening, as Nash's words hit her ears she placed the moss into the water at her feet to free her jaws. "Hello," she said simply, tilting her head as she greeted the dark Eastfall man and his curious little companion. "What is that?" she asked after a moment, hoping Nash might have an answer.

(This post was last modified: Jun 03, 2022, 03:11 AM by Stella. Edit Reason: tagged Leo for mention )

Nash had always liked otters. He enjoyed watching the way they played in the water and cared for each other, especially in the rivers. He didn't see them often in the lake itself, which was part of his surprise at having one so near him. It chittered at him and then darted away as splashing behind him indicated another wolf had joined them. He turned to see Stella, recently returned home, dropping a moss ball at her feet to ask a question.

"It's an otter," he said, looking back again as the otter resurfaced, chirping. It ducked in and out of the water, weaving about them and popping up every so often to call to them. "I think it wants to play." He'd seen them interact with each other like this before, though one had never approached him in this manner. He wondered if it feared him as a predator or saw him as a playmate.

The guardian looked back to Stella. "Have you seen one before?"

For all her exploration and efforts pretending at self-sufficiency, the gap in knowledge and experience was obvious. She still had so much to learn about everything.

Tilting her head, Stella watched the odd creature, her ears flicking between its splashing and Nash as he spoke. If she'd still been out by herself on the road, she might have given hunting the thing a try. Despite herself,  her tail swayed. There was something infectiously cheerful about the little creature. An otter, he said? And it wanted to play? She watched as it circled them in the water, seemingly as curious about them as they were about it. Times might be tough, but for now the lake was still enough to get them all by, and perhaps Nash knew more than she did about otters.

"I saw one on the far shore once, I think," she answered. The other time had been at night, when she has slept near a stream and awoken to see a family of the creatures making their way down to the bank, not seeing them well but hearing their curious chattering as they passed.

Stel had had little time or chance for play lately, but maybe now, there was time to indulge a little, if Nash was suggesting it. Bowing into a play-pose, she gave a slightly hesitant bark. The otter promptly vanished beneath the water, and she looked around in disappointment, only to see it surface a few meters away, circling back toward them. "Do ya know how they like to play?" she asked, casting a sideways glance at the dark guardian, clearly following his lead.

Nash continued to watch the otter in amusement. It didn't seem afraid of them, but it didn't come within a certain distance of them. He wondered what determined that distance. He glanced down at Stella as she mused about when she might have seen an otter. It was strange, having a pup have such traveling experience. He supposed she was a yearling now, but she'd left home so early. At least she had a home to return to, unlike him when he was her age.

Then she was play-bowing, paws splashing in the water. He couldn't help a quiet chuckle, especially when the otter vanished and Stella was clearly disappointed. Fortunately the otter circled back around. "I usually see them splashing around in the river," he said. He imitated her bow, having to stretch to keep his nose above the water, and then slapped his paw down, sending a wave of water towards the otter. It chittered and dove into the wave, surfacing to the side and rolling. The splash it sent towards them was small, but it felt like an intended return.

The creature didn't seem to have gone far at all, instead still circling them as if its own curiosity were simply to great to resist. She watched as Nash bowed and sent a small wave splashing forward with his paws. The otter did seem to like this new game, luckily. Stella's smile returned as well, happy that this cheerful moment had not ended so quickly.

She copied Nash's stance, sending another wave following his in short succession. The otter swam toward the wave this time, ducking under it once more. This time when it popped up again, it extended its head and neck a considerable distance over the water's surface to get a good look at the two wolves, pausing and bobbing like that so tall that its front paws were out of the water as well. For a moment, Stella was confused how such a thing were even possible. "Now what's it doing?" She wondered aloud in curiosity. Then the otter dropped into the lake again and sent another splash their way using its tail - could otters use their tails to swim, she wondered? The otter let out a little bark of its own, so Stella gave another yip of her own and used a front paw to send a splash up and out of the water, shimmering in the sunlight as it rained back down, sending ripples dancing across the surface.

Nash watched Stella interact with the otter much in the same way he had, though this time their playmate ducked towards them. He cocked his head as he watched it stand upright and consider them. Stella asked the same thing Nash himself was wondering. "I'm not sure," he admitted, only to promptly flinch back from her splash as he was showered in water droplets. He let out his own playful bark and this time he half stood on his back legs so he could slap both paws down at the same time, sending a massive splash at both the otter and the yearling stood beside him.

"Hmm," For a moment, Stella watched the creature as it swam and dipped gracefully through the water. She wondered if otters were much like wolves. When she had seen them before, there were a few of them together. Did they live in packs, care for their kin, feel loneliness? Did something call them to venture to strange new lands despite all that? What had brought this odd little creature all the way up to their mountain lake, just fish? Or something more?

Her thoughts were interrupted once more by a retributive splash by Nash. Stella let out a laugh, shaking her head as her reverie was broken. That's what she got for getting caught up with her thoughts during a fight, even a play fight. Looking from Nash to the otter, she shook her coat vigorously, letting the droplets fly in every direction. The otter didn't seem to mind the "rain", surfacing again to watch the two wolves with a tilt of its head.

It was fun to have such a lithe visitor in the Cove. "I wonder if the drought brought it here," he mused. "I've only ever seen them around water, so with everywhere else in the Lore drying up, maybe they're looking for places to live." He glanced at the girl beside him. Having otters around didn't seem all that threatening to the pack. They had enough water that a group of the creatures shouldn't take any away from them, but he didn't know what they ate.

He hummed speculatively as he watched the otter and the otter watched back. He found kinship within its gaze and with a quiet snort he turned away. "Let's leave it be for now; perhaps we'll see it again later." Maybe it was scoping out new territory for a family. He didn't want it to feel threatened here.

She nodded, thinking over Nash's words. It made sense, with so little water around the Lore, a creature that lived in the water would need to seek it out or be without a home. Looking  from the guardian beside her to the otter once more Stella smiled, flicking her tail behind her a single time.

"Thanks for saying hello. Come visit any time." No doubt it could not understand her words, but there did seem to be an intelligence behind those sparkling eyes and clever little whiskers. Perhaps she was just feeling carefree today, but she was glad for the experience all the same. It a world that could be harsh, it was good to be reminded that there wellbeing could be shared, too. She would try her best to remember that.

Reluctant to say goodbye, the girl gazed quietly at the otter until with a acrobatic turn beneath the surface, it was gone as soon as it had appeared. Stella turned back to Nash. "I hope so," she answered, "not if it means the rest of the Lore is dried up, though. Maybe it'll bring us some good luck instead," she concluded. They were certainly due it, in her mind.