The Wildwood what a daring dream

<span style='font-size:7pt;line-height:100%'>early afternoon - cool</span>

Today would be a good day! Rissa was going on a field trip with Mother and she was going to learn...Something! The child was definitely up for anything that Corinna was willing to teach her. Even though the walk to wherever they were going seemed very long, she wouldn't let Mother think that she was tired. Especially not before they'd even begun. She was amazed by the change of scenery around her, which definitely helped distract from her sleepy state. The bright, mystical greens of the Grove turned brown and dark green. It was different and amazing! She'd definitely want to come back here. And everything smelled so different, too, even though they were still just trees and bushes. It was more woodsy and it didn't smell like her and Mother.

"Where's we going? What're you gonna teach me?" Finally turning her attention away from the scenery, the youngest Tainn broke the long-lasting silence. It was amazing that she'd been able to stay quiet for so long, but there was too much to see. And touch. At this point, Rissa was less than natty from rubbing along bushes that looked different, and sticking her nose into holes that smelled unfamiliar. It was just too much, a sensory overload, if you will, that she simply tried to take in stride. Thankfully, Corinna was there to keep the cub in line, lest she stick her nose in a bit too deep.

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<3333 I'm so excited for this thread! I'm assuming that they haven't quite reached it yet, as they have to cross the river to get there. =) I think some swimming lessons will commence!

Gone Tomorrow

A change of pace was a requirement. Corinna needed it, just as much as her cubs did. It had been months since she had stepped a foot outside of the territory boundaries. Her pregnancy had made travel difficult and uncomfortable, and her own paranoia regarding the rouge Poison Path wolves had instilled in her a deep desire to remain close to home. The rest of her pack crossed their borders frequently, but so long as they returned home, she did not particularly mind. But today, the leader had decided it was her turn. And while she was not entirely comfortable with the decision, Rissa was coming along.

Corinna had no real destination in mind, but the slow pace that they kept meant that they would not go too far. Rissa was amused regardless, her tawny body throwing itself eagerly into any and all scenic oddities. Her limited experience of the world made it impossible to grasp just how widespread and grand it was, and today was a day for expanding those limited boundaries.

The mother kept a close eye on her daughter as they walked along, a low woof calling Rissa back if she ever strayed too far. Ears flicking upwards as the tiny voice broke the silence, losing interest in the scenery long enough to ask a few questions. "We're going to a place called "The Wildwood". It's north of our pack's territory, where we live." She answered. "Your father used to live here, when he was a cub, just like you." This added bit of information was a bonus for the young cub. Corinna didn't have any intention of taking her all the way to the Hidden Tree den, but this would at least make the place significant to her.

As for what they were going to have to learn, that would become obviously apparent as they reached the River, which shouldn't be long now. Cori could hear the sound of the water flowing from here, and no doubt it would come into view soon. Her cubs had seen a different section of the River before, and had been allowed to wade around in the shallow parts. The River was still slow in this area (Cori would never put her daughter at risk by trying to cross at a rough spot), but it was deeper than what Rissa was used to. "Would you like to learn to swim today?"

As her mother calmly answered young Rissa's questions, her eyes had gone astray again, though she was trying very hard to pay attention to what Corinna was saying. The Wildwood, which definitely explained all the funny smelling trees. And, father used to live there! "He wasn't born in Swift River like us?" Her eyes slowly drifted back up to Corinna, and she tried to pick up her feet a little higher so she wouldn't trip, since she wasn't paying attention. "Neat." she looked ahead, amused by the idea that Indru was born away from Swift River in this funny smelling place. Her ears perked as they neared the river, and she caught her breath. "Water!" She barked, skipping a few paces ahead.

Ratty tail waving excitedly in the air, she spun around to look at Corinna. "We gonna cross the rivers?" She asked, grinning from ear to ear. "I swim across the rivers? Okay! I'll be da best swimmers!" Growling, she jumped back around, running towards the water, but stopped a few feet away, until Mother caught up. "What I do first?" She asked, quite seriously, looking up at Corinna. Rissa was determined to get this right the first time and be the best swimmer. She'd outswim Aiyana and Torrel and everyone! They'd be so proud of her.

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Gone Tomorrow

It always amused Corinna, watching her cubs learn something new about the world. As a young one, it was so easy to assume what was right in the world, based on what you already knew about it. Because they had been born in the Swift River den, her cubs no doubt had decided that's where all the wolves of their pack had come from. So with a chuckle, the mother shook her head from side to side. "Nope, he was born here, across the River. When you're bigger, maybe you can ask him to take you and your brother and sister to go see it." That was a potential bonding moment for the lead male and his son and daughters, Corinna wouldn't steal it from him.

The sound of the water grew louder in her ears, and soon enough, Rissa heard it as well. Bounding forward, the young cub raced ahead, spurring Corinna on as well. They stopped at the bank though, thankfully, and Corinna was quick to catch up to her eager daughter. "Yep, we're going to swim. It takes time to get use to it though," she warned, wanting to curb her daughter's eagerness to prevent what could be a catastrophic accident. Nudging her forward ever so gently, Cori continued on towards the bank. "Watch me." She instructed, her voice a bit more forceful than it had been a moment before.

Stepping into the shallow part of the river, the female waited a moment to let her paws get used to the cool water. Careful to place her paws on the rocky bottom so she didn't sleep, Cori waded out a little further, so the water was half way up her leg. Turning around, she looked at Rissa and woofed encouragingly. "Just walk out, and started kicking back and forth with your legs. That's what will make you move." Wagging her tail, she woofed again, waiting.

She nodded swiftly, excited to spend time with her father. Especially if it meant coming out here again! They could do some more investigating and he could tell them stories about when he lived here, and it would be wonderful! Plus, she'd get to go across the river again, assuming she'd make it across the first time. She pawed at the edge, eyes zipping from Corinna to the water, desperate for her turn to swim. "It cold." She said, nodding in agreement with her mother's statement. Her paw outstretched to confirm her own words, since the river by the den was usually quite chilly, and it wasn't any different here. Except now her whole body would go in, not just her tongue!

Corinna's tone was a bit more forceful, and Rissa snapped to attention, staring intently at her mother in the water. She made it look so easy. Rissa began moving her legs the same way her mother was swimming, even though it was hard on land. And then it was her turn. The child seemed to shudder with nerves as she stepped into the water. It came swiftly up her legs, and she whistled, ears twisting back. It was freezing! And slippery. But eventually the cold went away. Swallowing, she moved forward more and more, and following Corinna's instructions, she began to kick. It was a little terrifying at first, since the kicking didn't immediately work. Her head went under for a second, and she kicked harder, which seemed to work a lot better. Panting, she looked hopefully at Corinna, "I'm doin' it!"

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Gone Tomorrow

Careful to keep herself between Rissa and the deeper part of the water, Corinna remained frozen in her spot, green eyes watching extremely carefully as her youngest daughter began to wade out into the water. There wasn't as much of a distance between the cub in the bank before the depth became enough that her walking motion became a swimming one. As Rissa's head went under the water, Corinna immediately lunged forward, ready to grab the young cub in her jaws and pull her back to safety. But the tawny creature appeared again in a moment, this time her kicks more forceful and better able to keep her afloat. With a sigh of relief, Corinna nodded her head in response to her daughter exclamation that she was swimming. "Yes you are! Just make sure you're keeping your head above the water." She instructed, remembering with a quiver the last time she had been required to fish a daughter out of the river. This section was nowhere near as rough, but that did not alleviate the fear.

Stepping closer, the pull of the river pushed against Corinna's legs, trying to send her downstream. The leader held firm in her stance, though, strong enough to fight against the gentle current without too much trouble. Rissa would not be so lucky. "Make sure you're paying attention to your surroundings, Ri," she cautioned, taking several steps towards the cub, who was slowly beginning to drift downstream. "The current is what makes the water move. If you're not careful, it'll pull you downstream too, and then you'll end up in another part of Relic Lore, in a lake somewhere!" Circling around the cub, Cori passed behind her, so that Rissa bumped into her legs. Nudging the top of her head, Cori smiled down at her daughter. "Ready to cross?"

Swimming was hard work, but Rissa really had no quarrels with it. She'd been given no reason yet to fear the water, but listened obediently to her mother's command to keep her head above the liquid surface. She paddled harder, trying to get to Corinna, and a determined little smile was on her face. But it was odd. Mother was floating away...Wait, she was floating away! Sucking in a swift little breath, Rissa tried to paddle harder, wide-eyed, and trying desperately not to panic. She wasn't weak. She'd do this. "Stupid water." She mumbled breathily, large awkward paws eventually taking her back towards Corinna, though rather slowly as the current was still trying to drag her away.

So focused on trying not to end up in a lake, like Mother had said, she hadn't noticed Corinna disappeared. For a moment, she stopped paddling so hard, barely enough to keep afloat, wondering how her mother had vanished so quickly. But before yet another wave of panic could try to take her, she floated into something. Paddling again, Rissa looked behind her to see Corinna, and she grinned. "I thoughts you vanish!" The child laughed, then nodded, a little tired of trying to fight with water.

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I'm so sorry that I've let this sit this long, Bryony. <3

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna watched with anxiety and pride, a strange mixture that threatened to send her running out of the cold water and keep her there at the same time. Rissa was taking it all in stride, quite literally. The more the young wolf paddled, the less awkward it became, or at least looked like it was becoming more natural. Enough that when Corinna maneuvered to put herself between the cub and downstream, her daughter didn't seem to notice. But her grin when she ran into Corinna's legs brought a wide grin to the mother's face. "I will never vanish on you, my dear," Corinna cooed, tail wagging in the water behind her, creating small splashes from the force.

Rotating around, Corinna turned away to face the opposite bank. Her paws dragged along the riverbed - it wasn't deep enough for her to swim fully, but Corinna wasn't going to risk putting the new swimmer in any deep water. "Let's go!" With an encouraging smile, Corinna began to pad at a slight angle into the water, walking slow to keep pace with Rissa. "You're doing great, not too much farther!" And then they were there, climbing up the sandy bank into wild land. Shaking herself, Corinna obnoxiously shook water at her daughter, grinning rather strepitously as she did so. "Ready to go exploring?"

Rissa grinned at her mother, glad to hear that she didn't actually plan on going anywhere. Her own little tail wagged, but it was hard to tell, save for faint surface ripples. Her tail was mostly underwater. She took a deep breath, her legs growing steadily more tired, but thankfully they were headed towards the bank now. She pushed herself a little harder to quickly come up beside her mother upon the sand. "No mama, stop!" Rissa giggled, assaulted by the drops that sprayed from her mother's pelt. Crouching slightly, Rissa tried to mimic her, violently shaking, but eventually just ended up on her side.

She laughed from the sand, her damp fur definitely attracting the sand. "Explore!" She giggled, getting to her paws again, one half of her body covered in sand. With a wide smile, she began to bounce away from the water, excited to go exploring with her mother.

<i>fade to black? :D</i>

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