I Want My Life To Be a Mountain Stream

@Erebos
Ooc: Sorry for the wait, I had some plotting stuff I needed to sort out first ^^

...that rushes down wild flowered slopes! The sun was setting beyond scattered trees, coloring their crowns in luminous shades of gold, amber and scarlet, and reflecting on the white of Serpent's Pass. Below the leaves, shrouded in evening shadows, a small creek ran along the roots of the mountain range, twisting its way between the scattered trunks in a swift stream. Al along the water source, life was buzzing, as crows and critters of all sizes made ready for the night; some settling in for sleep, and others preparing for the evening hunt. Far the largest among them though, seemed to be interested in none of these activities, nor the creatures performing them, as she steadily trotted along the banks, head hanging low and eyes settled on the ground. Her fur was as fiery as the sunset, bright, even among the deepening shadows, but it was rugged and stained by drying mud, small tufts sticking out in odd directions all over. Steps heavy, legs stiff and eyes dark, it was clear that the damsel was worn out, weary from many days of travel and few of rest. She was heading back north, hoping to run into Rayne somewhere, as he was coming down the mountainside. It was a flawed plan, ridiculously unlikely to succeed, but she had no other options. A heavy sigh escaped the thin girls maw, her eyelids heavy; I need to rest! She didn't want to, not before she'd found Rayne and told him about his sister, where he could find her... But she needed to sleep, and to eat and take care of herself. How long had it been since she last ate? 3, 4 days? No matter how important this quest was to her, wearing herself down like this would get her nowhere; I have to take a break, at least for a couple' days... She sighed again, when she had set out on her travels, it hadn't really occurred to her how tiring adventures could be... At least on your own. The sound of water hitting rock snapped her out of her dim ponderings, once again aware of the surroundings that had otherwise become a monotone blur. Her head jerked up, a faint glimmer of light sneaking into her murky eyes; Wow! Before her, a magnificent sight unfolded: ice blue water and white foam washing over taupe rocks and red leafs, the air filled with thin mist, landing in small, iridescent droplets all over the ground. She stood for a second in awe, watching the water masses fall over the mountainside, whirling wildly around the landing before settling in a turquoise pool, which then branched out in several directions; including the one she'd come from. And then, she couldn't help but laugh, loud and powerfully, her tired body straightening at the joy. Then, taking a deep breath, she threw herself forwards and leapt out into the waters, ducking herself under and enjoying the feeling of the freezing water, washing through her fur, cleaning off the past days' hardship. Word count: 504 I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

PLOT WITH ME!

The land was bloated with water, sources overflowing and spilling their contents down the face of valleys and fields. The occurrence held a love-hate relationship with the torn prince, for at times it was a great annoyance, yet he had always loved to swim.

There was no direction to his strides, he simply followed whatever happened to catch his attention. He was beginning to strain for distraction now, because time was closing in on him. As fall took its turn, he could no longer ignore the winter that was coming and the lethal cold it would bring. He wasn't ready to find a new home, but also wasn't thick headed enough to ignore a very basic truth; without company, he would perish.

The sound of running water built up in his ears like pressure, and both his thoughts and gait shifted in momentum. In short time, he found himself parallel to a chain of waterfalls, and the foreboding of the changing seasons left his mind altogether. A crooked smile took up residence on his face as his paws left the carpet of the forest to grip the smoothed, at times slimy, surface of the tributary's stone bedding. Erebos traveled down-stream, making a game of climbing down the sheers of each fall.

At the final precipice, Erebos paused. Peering down, he spied a small basin of water currently being favored by a sunset red girl. It was naturally shallow, but the flooding rains had raised the water level and fed into Erebos' more daring side. He measured the distance, and made assumptions. Carefully, he climbed lower still, until reaching an altitude that was still questionable, yet possible The boy wasn't normally one to risk his life unnecessarily, even though he particularly enjoyed thrills. However, he had lately noticed that he was becoming more impulsive. The thought itself drove him over the short cliff, merely to make the idea vanish; simultaneously, Erebos both feared and craved change.

Erebos broke through the water's tensioned surface, paws scrabbling at the silt that coated the bottom of the lagoon; the water had been just deep enough. He pushed up, hard, jetting himself back to the air. After a few casual gulps of oxygen, he opened his blazing eyes, and remembered the woman he had seen.

"Hey," he spluttered, legs cycling underneath to keep him afloat. "Lady?"

She had been closed in in her own mind, thinking herself alone, secluded and safe, so the loud splash made her jolt, head turning in direction of the center of spreading rings of waves, close to the mountain wall, and the raging waterfall. Surprise locking her in place, she didn't even have time to decide whether to move towards or away from the crash site, before the first wave rolled over her, ducking her under. The second came in rapid succession, soon followed by the third, leaving her gasping and disoriented, desperately treading waters to keep her head above water. It was in this condition the call reached her, slightly slurred by the water still draining from her ears. She turned her head in direction of the voice, blinking rapidly to clear her eyes, and identify the caller. It took a few moments, but then the orange girl caught sight of a grayscale wolf, fighting the current in a manner much similar to her own, a number of leaps away. Shaking her head to free it of excess liquid, she looked around for the closest shore, moving towards it to get to shallower waters, paws finding some form of purchase on the slippery bottom. Dragging herself mostly out of the water, the dame shook herself violently before turning her eyes back on the silver form in the pond; Jeez! From what she could see of him, he seemed well sized, though a bit skinny, and he was looking back at her with a remarkable set of ember-glowing orbs. The smaller female opened her mouth and breathed in to speak back at him, but was put back by a heavy coughing fit, leaving her voice raw when she could finally speak; <b style="color:#c7470f">"Uhm.. Hi." She looked at the boy, paddling away in the water, with ears half flat, and eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion; his sudden appearance had left her wary, and in her tattered condition, she'd be smart to stay alert. Eyes running swiftly over the surroundings, the rings still spreading out around the man, the remainder of waves continuously splashing against the shore, Aideen wondered how this strange wolf had come to dump into her pool so abruptly ; then her gaze reached the waterfall, traveling slowly up its rushing front. Gulping unwillingly, she looked back to the lad, asking with a little more power in her voice: <b style="color:#c7470f">"Uh... Did you come from up there?!" Word count: 405 I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

PLOT WITH ME!

He caught sight of her on the bank, her coat grabbing his attention like a brush fire among the neutral tones of the scenery. Her expression when initially greeting him caused him to chuckle, a sound that was intermittently muffled as the water rolled over his snout. Erebos quit his idling and pushed himself through the water toward land. It was a relief to find purchase and pull himself from the water's grasp; it had been far too freezing for that dive. He wondered what had driven her into such cold.

He shook himself off, but never took his eyes off of her. He was rewarded for this when she had widened her eyes in realization of what he had accomplished. Grin twisting, Erebos allowed himself to feel some pride at the effect his stunt had on the girl. While he didn't seek approval like his brothers did, it certainly never hurt his feelings to put someone in awe now and again.

"Sure did," Erebos responded, flicking the last loose droplets of water from each limb before seating himself beside her.

"I would recommend it, if it hadn't been like diving into solid ice. What the hell're you doing taking a swim this late in the season?"

Look Out!

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by a bear nearby. +10 Health

She pulled a few steps back as the larger wolf landed himself close by, a small smile though, tucking at the sides of her mouth in response to his smug expression. It widened into a full grin when the man answered her question with unhidden satisfaction, eyes darting swiftly up to the falls' top and back again, opening fully; the perfect picture of awe. The stranger's cocky attitude had struck a chord within the lass, and despite her tired body, her own playful side was awaking. So when he remarked on the water's chilly quality, she simply lowered her lashes and answered in a smooth, innocent tone, smile twisting mischievously; <b style="color:#c7470f">"What? Is it too cold for you?!" She rose from her hunched up position, tail oscillating lightly as she stretched quickly and stepped back out into the shallow of the water. Biting back the cold with a shaky breath, Aideen turned her eyes back up to meet the mans, remarking casually: <b style="color:#c7470f">"I didn't even notice the temperature... I generally value cleanliness higher than the discomfort of a bid of winter-water." With the last words she let her eyes slide along his, lightly shimmering, pelt, wrinkling her nose to imply that he was dirty. Then, with a swift swing of one paw, she sprayed a splash of water at him, eyes twinkling as she awaited his reaction; Come on, you game?! This was exactly what she needed, some mindless fun, pleasant company... A little peace; That and... A whiff of wind blew an enticing scent by her snout, an odor of reasonably fresh blood making her stomach growl bearably. Almost involuntarily she lifted her muzzle, turning her head in direction of the scent; and eyes away from the other wolf. Word count: 289 I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

OOC: @Erebos SOO SORRY for the long wait!! I'll be better at keeping up with posts now... I hope xD Anyways, I'm ending the post here to leave room for Erebos to react ^^ - HAPPY HOLIDAYS! <3

PLOT WITH ME!