Dastard's Rapids am i made of paper, 'cause i tear so easily?

The simple fact kept repeating in Riven's mind - it was easier to pull something down than it was to pull something up. He wondered at the difference between his and Adelard's weight. Was the dark wolf really that much heavier than him, to where it wouldn't be a problem? Riven was smaller than average, but he wasn't tiny. It wouldn't be a stretch to anticipate a slight disaster here, leaving them both stranded at the base of a river.

If nature hadn't intended for Riven to like other males, then why were they so... pretty? And contrary to the belief of his parents and the saints, Riven did not have an attraction toward every male he came across. But it was difficult not to be drawn by someone like Adelard, whose golden eyes looked almost like actual sunshine. Especially when he was looking down at him like that, with a smile on his face and his gaze raking over Riven's fur.

His face heated up a little at the teasing lilt to the other man's tone.

You could be stuck with worse, he wanted to say, but for some reason his mouth felt dry.

It didn't occur to him that he hadn't responded until Adelard bounded off, heavy footsteps thumping until they were drowned out by the sound of the river, and Riv had time to berate himself mentally for the thoughts he was having. It wasn't fair - he looked just like Aubine did, so why couldn't Riven experience those same feelings with her, instead?

It was so frustrating.

His gaze settled back upward when the larger man returned, thin branch toted in his jaws. He looked rather proud of himself, and Riven really hoped that this didn't backfire in the way he was expecting it to. Mostly for Adelard's sake, but he also would prefer not to be crushed by a wolf that outweighed him by what had to be over forty pounds.

Riven stood up on his hind legs and fastened his teeth around one end of the branch. It felt sturdy enough, and at first, it was working - he could feel himself being lifted up, and he almost had his paws at a place where he could begin to climb, when he began to go the opposite direction. It was just one little drop, at first, but it was not the last. He could only watch as Adelard's paws slid over the icy edge.

They were in a freefall for just a moment - fortunately, the drop wasn't too big. It didn't mean it didn't hurt when he hit the ice, and especially when the dark figure that was just hoisting him up came down right on top of him. The breath was driven from his chest, and he could do nothing but lay there, smooshed beneath a much larger wolf, and stare at the sky.

At least, until the laughter began to bubble in his chest. It happened as soon as he could inhale again - the blond tipped his head back and just let himself chortle breathlessly. Because, really, it was funny. He'd be sore tomorrow, he was sure, but the entire situation was so ridiculous. All he could be really thankful for was that none of the others had appeared to see the blunder.

"I guess you are stuck with me," he rasped, voice still breathy and light. Blue eyes peeked open, squinting just slightly, to make eye contact with his almost-savior. "Are you alright?" was tacked on at the end, because while Riven was sure he was an excellent cushion, that was quite a tumble.

(This post was last modified: Feb 02, 2021, 10:40 PM by Riven.)

To Adelard's contentment, Riven reached up and took hold of the branch. The larger male slowly inched backwards. He forced his jowls to remain clamped around the spindly thing as Riven began to climb. A small slip had his black claws scraping forward; then, another abrupt one sent his forepaws over the edge. A gasp sought refuge in his lungs as he felt himself lose his grip, then the whole of his body plunging downward.

For the most part, his rump slid over the river rocks but his forelimbs easily framed Riven between them all the way down. They came to a sudden halt as they hit the bottom of the slope. It might've only been a couple wolf-lengths tall but, caught unaware, it felt like they had gone over the cliff of a canyon. Any more dramatic and Adelard could have sworn that his life could have flashed before his eyes.

The tree limb was still set between his molars when he glanced down at the blond, not realizing that he had him pinned from the abdomen down. The breath held captive in his chest released in a relieved puff of air as he looked into Riven's face. For what seemed like an eternity - a mere couple of seconds in all actuality - he held his companion's gaze as those blue eyes perfectly mirrored the sky. Then, without warning, Riven began to laugh. At first Adelard began to tremble, the adrenaline overcoming him before it broke in a fit of shared laughter.

"I guess you are stuck with me."

All Adelard could do was grin and chuckle, the back of his tongue keeping the branch in place before he shakily set it down to one side. "Are you alright?" He felt like a pup with his tail waving about in a curl and his tongue about to loll out of his mouth. A plain nod was all he could do until the giggles relinquished its hold on him. For the time being, all he could do was titter back as he made an attempt to push himself up and off of Riven's hindquarters, "Are you?"

         

ADELARD

heat stroke, bring the fire black smoke, I take it higher

Relieved that they were no longer about to die, and amused more than anything else, Riven scooted out from under the larger wolf. He was still giggling lightly, shaking snow out of his fur and checking himself over for any injuries. The tiniest of cuts on his right paw pad was all he had to show for it - barely even a drop of blood.

”I’m alright,” he confirmed, blue eyes still alight with mirth as he looked back over at Adelard. His eyes were so bright, and Riven almost burst back into laughter at the sight of this big, regal-looking wolf reduced to a fit of giggles over sliding down an embankment.

He pressed his paw against the snow to help the blood to clot easier, then sighed through his nose. Alright. Back to the drawing board.

Riven glanced back down the riverside, trying to figure a way out of this predicament. But then it hit him. ”Hey, wait... you’re bigger than me,” he voiced, his head tilting to the side as he regarded his friend. ”You could probably just climb back out, right? So you’re not stuck here.”