Iridescent Lagoon The Secrets of Nymn

<i>Current Temperature/Time:</i> 79F/roughly 2pm or so-

An emaciated form had been within the confines of Grizzly Hollow for some time now - and was growing stronger - with more weight on her frame than she had had upon her arrival in the Hollow. Vlarindara still stayed away from most of the pack when nightfall came, choosing instead to sleep near an old tree at the edge of the denning area. Of course, her isolation didn't include the times when the pack was conscious and moving about - she always tried to keep herself on hand to attempt to.. thwart arguments that might arise between some of the more tony members. Then again, everyone was more {word}tony{word} than her at this rate.

Nose twitching, Vlarindara woke to realize that the morning had dawned cold, but clear and she felt.. the unbridled need to simply *go*. Somewhere.. Anywhere. Just to get away from the packlands for a time. Glancing at her dirtied pelt, Vlarindara decided that it was perhaps time to find the lagoon again and clean herself off before indulging in an activity she hadn't done in some time. Swimming. The wolf gathered her paws beneath her and began walking, some of her strength having returned with a somewhat stable food source and not having to constantly wander in search of it.

Instead of growing tired after a few short paces as she once would have, Vlarindara's returning strength allowed her to not only make the trip TO the Lagoon, but to stand upon its shores and stare in awe at the sunlight sparkling off the waters surface. No longer ivory, but a dirtied, matted brown, Vlarindara glanced nervously to her left, then to her right having to crane her head to see with her left eye. Thankfully, she was alone...and the wolfess took a chance to place her paw upon the waters of the lake. It was cool.. but not cold, though it still sent a shiver up her spine. Instead of dwelling upon it, the newest member of the Hollow forced herself to walk into the water until she was chest deep.

Standing there, she shivered until the water seeped in against her skin and she got used to the temperature. After some time, Vlarindara shifted and slowly began cleaning her fur, letting the dirt and debris float away from her - carried by some unseen current wherever it might go. Once she was as clean as she figured she WOULD be, she strode deeper into the water, until her paws barely touched the sandy bottom. At the idea that she was once more going to swim, her heart hammered uncomfortably in her chest and she debated turning back. Was she strong enough for this?

Letting go of her fears, Vlarindara took a deep breath and the last step that plunged her to a depth she couldn't reach the shore. Just a short swim and she'd turn back for home, that's all. Legs that were growing with strength and muscle began threshing the water beneath her, keeping her head above the surface, and paddling her way outwards a little. Vlarindara yapped in excitement when she realized that she wasn't becoming as tired as she initially feared and decided to strike out farther - to swim just a little farther out. That would be allright, right? She'd be fine, she'd turn back when her legs started to tire.

After about ten minutes of doggy paddling in a languid, meandering path, Vlarindara knew it was time to turn back to shore, but after paddling in a circle, she realized with no small amount of fear that she wasn't exactly sure which direction was 'back'. Panic set in and the wolfess's legs stopped churning, sending her entire form beneath the surface a few moments before she managed to get her head back into gear and focused. Blearily, she saw trees and shrubs close by - Guess she was closer to shore than she thought! Legs beating at the water with a renewed sense of fear, Vlarindara made a beeline towards the bit of land that she could see, though each time she shook her head to try to clear the water from her eyes, she simply ended up listing back into the water once again, so seeing clearly was becoming an impossibility. Perhaps if she'd had both eyes..

New fears kept plaguing the wolf - Would she make it? Would she end up drowning out here in the middle of the lake? would something at least eat her before her body washed on shore? Thankfully, however, her fears were unfounded as her paws touched the bottom of the lake again and she scrambled on shore. Once more on dry land, the wolfess shook herself vigorously and took a few moments to simply stand and breathe before starting off back towards the Hollow. Except...there was one problem. Vlarindara hadn't realized it in her frantic need to get BACK to shore - but she certainly hadn't come aground where she'd started.. Or anywhere near it in fact.

Dense trees and foliage surrounded her - trees that looked far older than any she'd thought she'd seen so far in Relic Lore. Amber eyes glanced around before she noticed a distinct lack of *ANY* scents... What in the world...Glancing upwards, she could hear the birds twittering, but the chatter of squirrels and rabbits was completely silent for once, and in a way, it scared her. Vlarindara frowned, and with her head lowered, she pressed onwards, slipping between the ancient trees and shrubs with a curious kind of thought in her mind. What was this? Where was this? Vlarindara glanced around, and slowly realized that as she walked - she wasn't on the land surrounding the lagoon - but an island in the middle of it.

Interested now, the wolfess began pacing back and forth as she traversed the island, her eyes wide with delight at what she'd discovered...at what she'd found. Had anyone else come here? Did anyone else realize that it was really an island in the middle of the lagoon instead of the other shore when looking at the lake? It wasn't large by any means.. There were maybe ten trees or so.. and when she crested the center of the small spit of land, she saw the shores of the lagoon on either side of her. It was.. an odd emotion that filled her. That she'd found something so.. secret.

Never having a thought to keep this to herself, Vlarindara scrambled over the small island, trying to memorize every tree placement - the view from here from all angles. If nothing else, it might entertain the hollow pups with a story of sorts.. Vlarindara finally decided that it was time to head back..but she wasn't sure which direction was really 'back'. At least this time, she was on solid ground and had a few moments to gather herself while she rested.. Right?

The wolfess shifted and curled up in a small hollow next to one of the trees to sleep for a short while - to give her weary leg muscles a chance to rest after the rather frantic ordeal of swimming all the way here. She had to wonder as she drifted to sleep how long a swim it would be to this island if one didn't use such a wandering path to get there as she had. It was probably close to one or one thirty when she woke, and when she did, Vlarindara felt oddly.. refreshed.. and ready to start back again. This time, she was able to look at the shore with a clear head. She had entered the lagoon near where the river dumped into it..

Hopefully, she could see from the crest of the island where the shore wasn't land, but water. And could strike out in that direction. The ivory lady once more returned to the precipice of the island and took her time looking around, trying to spot the water spillway into the body of water. Aha! There it was. Another yap slipped from her lips and she knew it would carry across the water - but honestly didn't mind. Excited at the prospect of telling the pups, or even Jaysyek of her finding, Vlarindara bounded down the slope of the small spit of land and hit the water with a crashing splash.

Each paw kneaded at the water as she began making a bee-line back towards the edge of the lagoon, her thoughts drifting to Jaysyek as she paddled. She knew that the other white lady of Grizzly Hollow tended to want to find time alone - wouldn't a secluded island in the middle of the lagoon be just such a thing? Vlarindara tried to count the minutes in her head that she was swimming, but they escaped her, so instead, she focused her thoughts on what she would tell Jaysyek.. How she'd show her the island.

Likely, the alphess wouldn't believe her, but perhaps - just perhaps she might. Vlarindara paddled in a straight line this time, and when her paws touched the shore, she wasn't nearly as tired as she had been on the trip out to the middle of the lake. With the excitement bubbled in her breast, she glanced back at the lake and then began splashing along the edge of the lagoon, barking and yapping as she kicked up her heels and bit at the water that she was splashing up. All-in-all, the white wolf was having a grand old time, and rather enjoying herself.

After all - it had been quite some time since she'd had a chance to actually take the time to *enjoy* herself. To enjoy things she had once loved to do...instead of hunting to try to fill her belly. However, now that her stomach was full, she didn't have to be on the move to feed herself - she COULD have fun.. and have fun she did. Even going so far as to see a stick floating about ten feet away and diving at it. Once her jaws closed over the stick, Vlarindara raced back to the shoreline with it and then began darting back and forth with the prize in her mouth.

Knowing that she might make something of a hilarious image, she didn't care.. and instead tossed the stick back into the water and dove in after it. She felt rather like a pup again - and damnit, she was going to enjoy this wild hair up her butt while it lasted.. Thoroughly soaked, covered in water and toting around a branch, she kept up her frantic racing back and forth - tossing the stick and playing fetch with herself. For the first time in a long time, she felt care-free.. and like a weight had lifted from her chest.

Even after the sun began to descend, denoting around two-o'clock in the afternoon, the wolfess was still playing fetch with herself... Though she also interspersed the game of self-fetch with racing up and down the edge of the lagoon, barking and yapping at the island.. And occasionally bouncing with all four legs off the ground. At least before she ran over to the stick and back into the waters of the lagoon again to repeat the process.

table by katsuma

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2012, 03:05 AM by Vlarindara.)

<i>Apologies that it isn't as long as your beautiful post!</i>

Elda was miles away from where she had met the strange black wolf and Naira. It was unfortunate that she had never learned the stranger's name, but she figured that it didn't matter much anymore. She felt guilty, upset even, that she had simply left the pregnant alpha there on her own when there was clearly trouble out there for her. It wasn't fair that she had simply left but Elda was prone to fits and bursts of temper at strange times, which were usually followed by strangling guilt. She swallowed with some difficulty. She had been hasty leaving her, that was certain. If she had been more patient and only explained herself more clearly, perhaps she would be apart of a pack right now instead of wandering on her own. She sighed.

The deer trail she had been following for the last two hours came to a stop. She was at a creek and the steep cliff that led down to the bubbling water looked unsafe. But Elda carefully slid and crawled on her belly down into the water and paddled to the other side, where she hauled herself up and out. Her muscles groaned from the exertion and she considered that she would have to sleep soon if she was going to keep up her pace. She had simply wanted enough space between her and the strangers as she could get. She was a little worried that they would be angry that she had left like that. Though as she thought about it rationally, she was sure that she was the farthest thing on their minds.

She shook herself out and peered around for a place to sleep. There was soft grass growing underneath the trees around her and she was able to tuck herself underneath a large bush and lay down. Her filled belly had been cramping off and on as she forced herself to continue and her muscles were beyond sore. So it was with utter contentment that she slept.

When she woke it was difficult to say how much time had passed at first. But as she adjusted and crawled out of the den, she could tell that it was nearing afternoon. Hadn't she gone to sleep toward dusk? Had she really slept that long? Elda <i>felt</i> rested and her stomach was certainly more trim. As she stretched and rolled in the grass, energy began to stir in her and she was suddenly trotting briskly onwards, her ears up and her eyes bright. She felt wonderful. And all she had needed was a good bit of sleep. Guilt had been washed away, tiredness was gone, and she no longer felt like an overstuffed pig.

It was at this pace that she quickly found herself in a lagoon and observing the sight of a white wolf playing with herself. Elda's tail began to wag back and forth, slowly, a smile on her face as she watched. It was a little sad that the wolf was all on her own playing and she felt the incredible urge to join her but she found herself wondering if she would embarrass the wolf by staring at her so. Elda considered it and then began trotting towards her, carefully letting her springing steps and perked ears and friendly, wagging tail convey that she was feeling playful herself. Let the other wolf know she was wanted companionship and a game as well and perhaps she wouldn't have to say anything.

When she got near, she bowed herself and smacked her paws on the ground, a yip coming from her that invited the white wolf to chase her. She did this a few more times, her excitement growing and would turn tail and run the moment the other wolf decided to give chase. Elda was even in the mood that if she were caught up to, she would be more than willing to have a playful scuffle. Wagging her tail and feeling uplifted, she experienced a strange moment of connection or at least the desire to connect with this wolf. The scarred wolf was an opportunity and Elda was not the type to ignore chances.