Heartleaf Creek Childlike Wonder

Territory Creation: Coho Pool
<p>Sage discovers hatching cohos (late winter-early spring according to fauna) in a deeper section of Heartleaf creek. Due to the depth, it is difficult to see but not impossible. AW

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage, unfamiliar with the dangers of frozen water, trekked upstream carelessly. A fresh kill dangled from her mouth swaying back and forth with each thoughtless step. The yearling trotted along without a care in the world. She had a new home, soon she would have a full belly, and she even had her new friends Eros and Seri nearby. The thought of others' disapproval normally lived rent-free in her mind, but the successful hunt quieted them for the time being.

Rounding a bend she was confronted by a daunting pool. The creek fed into it from above, an insignificant waterfall frozen over by the temperature. The girl slowed to a walk and tentatively moved forward. Had she known better the yearling would not have dared to tempt fate this evening.

Sage's gaze was locked onto the small waterfall, an inquisitive expression flaunting her expressive eyes. She moved across the pool, daring its deepest depths to take her beneath. The ice creaked and moaned. With little warning, the inexperienced child lost her footing and slid out towards the middle.

She breathed rapidly, belly down and legs sprawled out like a newborn fawn. Her emerald orbs were wide, ears tucked firmly to her skull. Her heart thudded against her chest. Too scared to attempt standing up the girl contemplated what to do, ignoring the discarded rabbit a few lengths behind her. Desperately she looked all around.

Another groan from the ice caused her to peer down into the murky water beneath the thick layer. For a long while she stared at the stony bottom, watching pebbles shifting and moving about in a particular way. The longer she watched the unusual movement the quieter her breath drew, the more her muscles relaxed, and her nervousness disapated. She'd become distracted enough to focus on something aside from her immediate situation. After a moment, she could just barely see cracks forming on the small rocks, and then...a fish? It was hard to tell and the wolf's brows furrowed in confusion. "She speaks" She walks She thinks

Marrah is here to be a spoil sport!

I’m Back Between Villages

The Maceio-Tainn teen had begun to slowly make her way back in the direction of her homeland, but it was taking a lot more nerve than she had thought. At first she had made many excuses to herself about the weather and traversing the mountain, but now the days were getting longer and slightly warmer. Spring was about to be upon them and then Marrah knew she wouldn’t be able to use winter as an excuse any longer and she would need to be back at the Chasm and confront what she had done.

Still, as of now it was still winter and that meant she could be slow in her travels because she didn’t feel comfortable crossing the mountain now. Shivers went down her spine at the thought of the aftermath of the avalanche she had seen as a child and imagining being caught in one of those alone. So she would go to the base of the mountain and hunker down for a while until it was safe to cross. She had been heading in that direction when she had stumbled across the smell of a nearby pack and wanted to give them a wide berth.

Marrah half recognized the smells from the exchange last year, those pups had been visiting the Cove at the same time as her aunt and herself. Still, she didn’t know them well enough just to drop in for a visit, and she wasn’t social enough to do so even if she did. So she followed the creek with a wide distance to give them space until their markers were far in the background. Then she hugged the banks much tighter to give her a sense of direction.

Marrah was surprised to see someone else out here, and was slightly horrified to see that someone out on the ice. Her mind raced with her cousin Leo yelling at them to get off the ice last winter and saying it wasn’t safe. Normally the teen didn’t talk to strangers, but this seemed to be the exception. Standing on the banks and watching the girl lay on her stomach and stare at…something, she called urgently, ”the ice isn’t that safe, you could fall through.” She reminded herself of her cousin, and it made her heart ache. She regretted leaving the Chasm but also was still convinced that her leaving had brought the end of the drought. She could only hope she had been punished for her bad choices enough that her returning wouldn’t bring some other natural disaster.

And Everything’s Still

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage had been calmy peering down until an unknown voice reached her, the words sending an instant rush of panic through the girl. She whined and looked over at the wolf with the whites of her eyes visible. The yearling inhaled the scent of the other and was briefly disappointed she wasn't meeting a packmate. However, she was also relieved that this embarrassment could stay a secret. The thought of falling through, as the girl had suggested, made her tremble. She was brought back to the reality of her situation. "I...I don't know what to do." She whispered in a shaky voice.

Slowly Sage made an attempt to stand, but immediately slipped back down onto the slick surface with a helpless yelp. The ice moaned back at the girl. Her ears fell flat to her skull.

"She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

I’m Back Between Villages

The pack wolf appeared genuinely panicked and the yearling couldn’t help but feel bad. She was in very real danger and needed to be warned, but the Maceio-Tainn didn't have any answers about what she should do. Hearing the whispered tone and seeing the whites in the strangers eyes brought a miserable whine from Marrah’s throat. She looked around for something, anything, to help them but she came up empty.

Looking back in time to see the white wolf get to her paws and then promptly fall down to a sickening noise in the ice, Marrah gasped. She lifted a paw instinctively as if she were about to rush out into help, but she hesitated. A knight in shining armor she was not. Instead she called, ”No! Don’t stand up!” That was clearly the wrong thing to do, but what was the right thing?

Whining again in panic she suggested, ”Maybe stay on your belly and try to like… squirm your way over here?” Like a pup trying to squeeze under a log or something. That had to be better than trying to stand up and falling down again. The yearling held her breath and watched carefully, not sure there was anything else she could do.

And Everything’s Still

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage looked to the girl in panic, watching hopefully as she moved as if to come to rescue her...but how could that even be done? Instead the other remained safely on shore and called out to her to stay down. She whimpered in reply. A few tears welled up around the brim of her eyes. What had she gotten herself into? This stranger couldn't save her without risking her own life...The girl needed to save herself, but how? She looked around the barren ice for an answer but nothing came to mind.

The Hervok sucked in a shaky breath and nodded her head. Tentatively she pulled herself forward with her front paws while softly kicking with the back ones to push herself along. She managed to move a little, the ice creaking beneath her. Her belly scraped by the water's surface. Then a little further and further despite the burning sensation of her skin.

A loud moan echoed out around the child and she shut her eyes. "I'm scared." she murmured, the building anxiety stiffening her into a statue.

"She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

I’m Back Between Villages

The plan seemed to be working and the yearling watched while holding her breath as the other girl propelled herself forward. Her head was swimming with possibilities but was hopeful that everything would turn out okay when the stranger froze. Wait, why stop? Keep moving! She wanted to yell at her, but felt heartbroken by the fear on the other teen’s face. Tears brimmed in the orange eyes to mirror the others.

Letting her breath out in a woosh she called shakily, ”That’s okay. It’s gonna be okay, um, just stay there. Don’t move.” The point seemed redundant now. Marrah’s legs shook beneath her as she tried to think clearly, ”I’m Marrah, I’m going to do….something. Hold on.” But what was she going to do? That seemed to be the problem.

Marrah turned away, looking for something to spark her creativity or inspire her to get the girl off the ice. The only thing she could come up with was to start pulling on a branch from a nearby tree, latching on and heaving. She pulled, once, twice, three times, it seemed like it was starting to budge, she pulled harder.

And Everything’s Still

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage watched from the lake as the stranger turned to leave and felt the urge to yell "no" spring up within her. Instead, she stayed quiet, holding onto every word spoken. She nodded her head and with a shakey voice replied, "Oh-okay...I-I'm Sage." I'm an idiot

The yearling had put herself in this situation and now relied on a complete stranger's kindness. Who seemed reliable, but still. The Hervok had gotten them both knee-deep in bad news. She whined loudly with all the building anxiety with distress in her expressive eyes. Another moan of the ice and tears began to spill down her cheeks freely. Her heart thudded so loudly she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. All she could think was I'm scared over and over again.

"She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

Marrah is abandoning Sage, I will wrap in my next post

I’m Back Between Villages

Marrah continued to heave on the branch, trying to ignore the way that the ice was moaning behind her. She pulled hard, standing on her back legs so she could utilize her whole body weight (which was less substantial than it had been when she abandoned the Chasm in the spring). It seemed like it was working, the bough bending down towards her further and further, ice and snow pelting her off of the tree as she struggled.

Then the tip she was holding broke off and the branch whipped Marrah across the face on its way back to where it started. Blinking back tears at the sudden smarting, the yearling gasped in surprise. That had been her only idea, she didn’t know what else to do. Looking back at Sage panic began to sweep through her veins, making her feel cold and her heartbeat rushing in her ears.

Trembling she mumbled, ”I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” And then she began to back away. Once again, Marrah was running as soon as things got hard.

And Everything’s Still

Cade volunteered Eros to come to save Sage, feel free to turn your post into an exit if you want

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage watched with hope as the other girl fought against the tree branch. She clung to the idea of being pulled onto the safety of the shore. So close, and yet, so far from her reach. Her scraped-up belly was starting to go numb from being pressed against the cold surface. Her body was shivering from the mixture of fear and chilly temperatures. She whined loudly as the branch broke free from Marrah's grasp and slapped her face. That had to hurt, with a shaky voice she asked, "Are you okay? Can you try again...please." The last part was more than a plea, she was begging the other wolf.

”I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Green eyes grew as wide as they physically could. Her blood ran cold, her breath hitched in her throat. Pure panic spread across her face. Unable to speak, or cry out for the other to stay, she began to sob violently. She'd been dumb enough to get herself stuck out here...and now her only hope was abandoning her! The tears freely streamed down creamy cheeks onto the bellowing ice. I'm going to die.

"She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

Since this was Marrah's last thread I am going to archive this here so I can deactivate here. please feel free to start another thread for Eros to rescue Sage!

I’m Back Between Villages

The yearling could hear the desperation in Sage’s voice when she realized what was happening, but Marrah was too far gone into her own panic. She couldn’t rescue the girl, and she certainly couldn’t stand here and watch her fall through the ice and die. Her stomach churned as the memory of Rhae sprang fresh in her mind. Amber eyes never lifted up to meet Sage’s gaze, afraid of what she would find instead they stayed trained on the ground.

Marrah let out a low long whine, opening her mouth as if to say something else before closing it with a snap. She turned and ran away as quickly as she could, tears blurred her vision and more than once she slipped and tumbled into the snow before getting up and continuing on. She didn’t stop until she couldn’t breathe anymore and her legs ached with exertion and she was many, many miles away.

And Everything’s Still