Cedarwood Forest Oops!

<i>D</i>eplorable. Absolutely, and totally deplorable. That was how Raigo felt about being bored and, at the moment, he was quite bored. He had explored around the den, smelled every scent that he could track down, he had even tried climbing several of the trees--though that endeavor had not ended so well, on any occasion--in the week since Vlar had introduced him to Borden, their provider for the past several days. Raigo did like Borden, quite a bit, and that liking only increased almost every time that he had awoken next to Vlar and found a still-warm carcass outside of the den. He just wished that Borden did not have to keep going back to his own pack.

P<i>r</i>iding himself on his exploring skills, Raigo had left the den, although without really realizing it, and was wandering through the forest, his nose held close to the ground and tail swinging contentedly behind him. Now he was starting to get to some new smells and trees that he had not seen before. He started to get excited in the heat of his new discoveries and his pace picked up, slightly, though he still did his best to smell everything. Suddenly, he paused, one paw held half-way to the ground in the middle of a step.

Wh<i>a</i>t was that smell? Raigo's head snapped up and his ears pricked straight forwards. It was water. It was a lot of water! Temporarily forgetting about the other things around him, Raigo hastened to the source of the smell. When he finally pushed his way through the low hanging branches of a tree, he stopped and his eyes widened. That was certainly a lot of water. Quite suddenly, a wonderful idea occurred to him. Vlarindara had taught him how to fish, right? There simply HAD to be fish in a river this big, so he would catch a few and bring them back to her. That would thrill her! He found a place to wade in and carefully made his way into the somewhat frigid water.

As c<i>o</i>ld as the water was, Raigo's fur kept him fairly warm, really. Just so long as he was not in the water for too long, he would be fine. He found a pool, just like Vlar had said, and started trying to herd fish into the pool by splashing around and making a general nuisance of himself for the aquatic wonders. He was standing atop a rock, trying to convince fish to go back towards the pool rather than out into the current of the river. He raised up to make a splash and hopefully confuse the fish, but then cried out in shock as the rock tipped, dumping him into the deeper, fast-flowing water. He fought to keep his head above the water, but he was not an incredibly strong swimmer and so quickly submerged. He felt rocks beneath his paws and kicked off, fighting his way to the surface and gasping a breath before he sank back beneath the blackness of the freezing water.

The a<i>b</i>sence of air began to make his lungs burn. He knew that he was going to die. He had not even said goodbye to Vlarindara! Almost simultaneously with that thought, his body was pressed against a wide rock by the flowing river. Claws scraping and lanky limbs scrambling, he managed to pull himself up onto the rock. As he perched precariously on the top of the rock, he looked around. The river had carried him farther than he thought and he could not recognize anything. "VLARINDARA!" he howled, beginning to shiver as his soaked fur was exposed to the frigid winter air. "VLAR!" His back paw slipped off the wet and smooth rock, nearly plunging him back into the river, but he fought and regained his balance. "Help me!" he cried out, hoping that there was a wolf, any wolf, that could come and save him. A front paw slipped off and he yelped as it dipped into the freezing water, but he again regained his balance. "Vlar!" he continued to howl, beginning to shiver uncontrollably.

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She hadn't seen Borden in a few days, and after the meals a week ago, she had gotten a better bit of food than she would have had herself. The she-wolf had gone hunting after leaving Raigo in the den, and with luck he would stay where he was supposed to. Vlarindara snarled as she took off after a rabbit, zig zagging in the snow behind the beast, her jaws snapping just inches from its tail. It was the howl that split the air that had caused her to slam to a sliding halt, Raigo! She could hear the terror in it and listened for the direction he was crying from before turning tail and racing that direction.

The white wolf soared over a fallen log, landing easily as she raced as fast as her legs could carry her to the sound of his howling. She let loose a howl of her own as she slid headlong down a slope as she moved, her legs splaying for balance before she landed. The howl had been a simple "I'm coming!" as she charged ahead, hitting the rivers edge before coming to a stop and inspecting the rushing water. She could see the broken ice where he had gone in, and she had to wonder if he'd tried to fish - this river was much too fast! The female ran along the bank, her ground eating lope following the trail of broken ice. There! She saw him!

Vlarindara slid to a halt across the river from him as she began to pace, looking for a way to get him free of the rock island he'd gotten himself onto. She dipped a paw into the water and stepped into it with her other before almost being swept from her feet by the current and having to return to the shore. A frustrated growl left her throat as she bounded up and down the river, looking for a shallow area to cross downriver before returning in long bounds. She knew that he wouldn't be able to hear speech over the sounds of the rushing water, and most likely his own pounding heart. So instead, she let loose a strong howl, not caring who would have heard her - she had other things on her mind. "Hold on!" It said "I'll get you out!"

<i>E</i>verything had gone terribly wrong! This was not how his little fishing expedition was supposed to end. Raigo kept howling for Vlar, hoping that she could somehow hear him, even though he knew that the chances of that were slim. She could be anywhere! His shivering was getting worse, the longer he was out in the cold air with sopping wet fur, but he kept howling. To stop howling would mean to lose hope of rescue and that was one thing that Raigo would never do. He took another shaky breath to howl again, but stopped, hearing a voice in return. For a moment, he thought that some wandering wolf had heard him and simply responded, but then he recognized Vlar's voice. She had heard him!

L<i>i</i>fting his head once more, he howled again and again, just so that she would know where he was and not lose him. There! He caught sight of a flash of white fur in the trees and then Vlarindara burst through the tree line. His tail gave a feeble wag at the sight of his savior and his howling turned to piteous whining. He was cold, he was in pain from banging against the rocks, and he was terrified. But Vlar was here, so everything would be okay! He barked encouragingly at her as she searched for a way out into the river and to him, but his paw slipped again and he gave yet another terrified yelp before barely managing to regain his balance. He looked back up at Vlar to see her still running up and down the river, searching for a shallow crossing.

Su<i>d</i>denly, a horrifying idea occurred to him. She couldn't get to him. He whined again as he realized this, watching her frantically searching for a way. But the river was just to fast. She couldn't get out to him. And even if she managed it, how would they get back? Raigo was already losing almost all of the feeling in his paws and tail and his shivers were becoming more and more violent. He gave one more small bark, before settling into silence and watching Vlarindara struggle to get to him.

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She wasn't sure what else to do, but the wolf thought of a cockamamie idea to just..jump in. Instead, she raced up the river, splashing in it a few times before her eyes landed on a long branch, it was sturdy, or seemed to be. The wolf picked it up and tested it, trying to break it with both claws and jaws before affirming that it was quite sturdy indeed. She held the branch securely in her haws before gauging the distance from the short to the rock and back. Oh..this was dangerous - but she wouldn't just do *NOTHING*. The wolf backed away a few paces before racing towards the water and jumping, all four paws leaving the ground as she hovered over the rushing river only a millisecond.

The splash when she landed was impressive, and the current drug her a few feet before she realized that not only could she touch the bottom with her padded feet, but there were rocks along the riverbed that she could brace against the current with. Of course, that wasn't after the first tumble and few seconds of scrambling to get her feet under her. After she got herself braced, she knew that if they could manage it, she could possibly get Raigo to the shore. The water swirled angrily around her neck and shoulders, almost covering her entire back as she began letting the current take her towards the rock. The white plume of her tail waved behind her as she literally walked *BACKWARDS* towards the rock, using her returning strength to brace against the current.

When her hind paws touched the rock he was on, she adjusted her footing, splaying her legs for balance and holding her head high. One end of the branch was extended towards the younger wolf, and she hoped that he'd get the hint and grab onto it with every bit of strength he had. Every few seconds or so, one of her feet would slip and she'd have to shift her weight and scramble to replant it firmly in the river bed. She'd had trouble farther out, and had depended on the current and her paws to take her to him without overshooting it. Now that she was here, she'd found that the water was shallower, but still almost too deep for her to stand securely.

<i>N</i>ever had Raigo imagined that his exploring would put him in a situation like this! It was bad enough knowing that he was standing on this rock, slowly freezing to death, but then to watch Vlarindara try to find a way out to him was unbearable. A few soft whines escaped his shivering muzzle, but they would not be able to be heard more than four feet away, due to the rushing river. More than even getting off of this rock, Raigo only wanted Vlar to stay safe and he hated himself for putting her in this sort of situation.

A <i>w</i>hile back, Raigo would never have dreamed that this would have happened to him. Sure, he sometimes gets in trouble, but never like this! He barked loudly when Vlar picked up the branch and started testing it. What was she going to do with that??? Surely she did not expect him to jump onto it or something like that. Why, he could not even feel his paws anymore, let alone jump onto a passing log!

Un<i>a</i>ble to keep his body still, due to the shivering, Raigo knew it was only a matter of time before one of his paws slipped from the rock and he would not be able to regain his balance, thus sweeping him downstream to his death somewhere. However, this thought was forestalled when he saw Vlarindara actually leap into the water, carrying that branch in her mouth and doing her best to wade out to him. She was doing it! Vlar was actually making her way out to him with that branch! A few excited barks and yips escaped his chattering muzzle as she drew nearer and nearer.

She <i>p</i>ulled the log close against the side of the rock and Raigo, fearing he was about to slip, spread his legs as far out as he could to lower himself down, closer to the log. He stretched his neck out as far as he could and then, finally, took hold of the end of it in his jaws and bit down as hard as he could. He would do his best to help Vlar swim back to shore, but, as was demonstrated earlier, he was not a very strong swimmer.

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The female had no intentions of trying to get him to swim, instead, she began slowly backing away from the rock, and once he was in the water, would begin moving backwards towards the bank. She moved in a slightly diagonal angle, so that he wouldn't have to do much other than hold on. There was another reason for letting him 'float' downcurrent. Her body was planted firmly between him and the water rushing towards them both, this way, she hoped, to create a slight barrier against the crushing weight so he wouldn't get so buffeted by it.

She kept eye contact with the younger wolf the entire time, not in an aggressive way, but trying to silently give him the encouragement she knew he'd need. She hadn't missed the chattering and shaking - in fact, she knew that the moment she was clear of the water, she'd be shaking to.. but for now, her mind was on other matters. Getting him safely to shore was the first priority.. the next was getting him warm and dried off once more. She hadn't even thought about who might have heard them howling - these two strange wolves in their land - nor did she care. Not now.

The female continued to back up towards the bank, doing her best to use her own body as a barrier for him, knowing that at any time, the branch could break, or he could lose his grip.. She prayed that it wouldn't happen, but didn't dare chance a glance behind her to see how far away from the bank and solid ground, she couldn't.

<i>N</i>ow things would start getting interesting. Raigo felt his body sliding off of the rock and back into the river and he had to fight to make himself keep hold of the log. Vlar knew what she was doing and he was going to trust her. When his body was once again engulfed in the freezing, rushing water, his numb legs started pumping, doing his best to help Vlar fight the current and keep his head above the water. His brown eyes remained locked onto Vlar's amber gaze, knowing that she was encouraging him and willing him to hold on.

W<i>i</i>th that silent comfort, Raigo forced his trembling jaw to stay shut, ignoring the pains that began to shoot through his jaw muscles at staying clenched when they were so cold. If it weren't for him knowing that his brain was telling his legs to swim, they could have been just dangling underneath him, for all he knew, as they were completely numb, nearly up to his shoulder and hip joints.

A t<i>w</i>inge in his jaw muscle caused his grip to loosen slightly and he felt his teeth slide along the wood of that life-saving branch. His gaze became panicked and pleaded with Vlar to help him as he fought to keep his grip on the log, giving small growls that sounded more like a whine than anything. After a moment of struggle, the pull of the river was too great for the exhausted pup and it broke his grip on the log, plunging him beneath the water and carrying him downstream.

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The look on his face had been eloquent enough, and she'd had a moments notice that he was going to lose his hold. The female dropped the branch and dove for the smaller wolf, sinking into the current as her jaws clamped around fur. She could only hope that it was the scruff of his neck, or something along those lines, because she was surfacing whether she had it or not. Her paws scrabbled against the current, searching for any purchase to grab hold of, and it the rushing water that actually gave her her idea. Her jaws tight against his fur, but not enough to break the skin, she worked to keep her own head as well as his above the swirling water.

Despite the cold, or maybe because of it, she knew their time in the water was only shortening their chances of survival, so she did the best thing she could. She turned *WITH* the current and began letting it carry them downstream. The female had no idea where they'd end up, but she simply battled to keep Raigos head above the surface, as well as her own. What seemed like hours, but in reality was only maybe thirty seconds, her scrambling paws touched the bottom and she locked them up, bracing herself in the water despite the current. She had put her back once more to the oncoming water, and was holding onto the pup with all her might. She knew now that she'd managed to grab his scruff and hoped she'd managed to keep him from drowning.

Her feet were steady on the smaller sandbank, and this time, she didn't wait to see if he'd help her, she simply began dragging him to shore. When her back paws touched the bank, she kept going, slipping and scrambling but not letting go of her charge. Finally! She had all four of her feet on the solid ground and begun backing up even more, sliding his soaked form over the snow until he was well clear of the rushing water. A worried whine escaped her then as she forced frozen jaws to release him and moved, nosing against his cheek and face, trying to see if he really was alright. They weren't out of the woods yet, but she'd gotten him clear of the water, by god!

<i>E</i>ven the greatest warrior has his time to die and, despite his personal opinion, Raigo was far from the greatest warrior. However, as he body twisted beneath that horrible cold of the rushing river, he knew that his time had to near. There was no way that Vlar could have gotten to him that fast and help him out of the water. However, even as he accepted that fact, he felt a pair of jaws clamp onto the back of his neck, a little low, so it stung, but he didn't care. Vlar had saved him!

A <i>s</i>light jerk was all he felt before his body whipped around and was basically hanging by the scruff of his neck. His head was soon pulled above the water and he gasped, filling his lungs with oxygen. He tried to paddle his paws to help Vlar get back to shore, but they would not do what he told them to and simply hung down current uselessly. Vaguely, he could feel Vlar pulling him in towards the shore. Slowly, the current lessened and the speed of his liberation increased.

He <i>o</i>nce thought that it would be fun to go swimming in a river filled with ice, but now he never wanted to repeat that experience, ever. He felt his body being dragged along the more solid sand and then, soon enough, over the snow-covered forest floor. He figured that he could stand up, rather than have Vlar drag him, and actually managed to get his feet under him and take one uncoordinated step before his numb legs collapsed underneath him and he fell, sprawling to the snow.

He a<i>l</i>most managed to get his feet beneath him once more, but his legs would simply not cooperate. A soft, keening whine escaped his frozen muzzle as Vlar nosed him and whined in return. His small body was still shivering heavily and his eyes blinked several times in rapid succession as he tried to keep himself from losing consciousness. One thought dominated his hazy mind as he lay, shivering in the snow: <i>Vlar will save me.</i>

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She was worried when he managed to get to his feet once, but fell, and couldn't get up again. Of course, she felt the bite of the cold herself and shook off as best she could, trying to dislodge as much water from her fur as possible. Vlarindara had no idea the thoughts in his head, but she could only grab him by the scruff again and begin pulling him carefully over the snow. She had to find a spot clear of snow, somewhere that she could get him warm, and where the wet of his coat wouldn't continue to soak him, but drain off. Her grip on his scruff was gentle, and she moved as smoothly as she could. Despite the cold gripping her own bones, she couldn't leave him go - that was the one thing she knew most - don't stop and don't let go.

After a short bit of dragging, she saw a darkened patch in the woods and left him momentarily to investigate. At one time, she suspected it had been a small, temporary shelter. Possibly for another wolf, or coyote, maybe even a small bear, but it was hers now as the scents were long gone. The female returned to her charge and once more began to drag him over to the lopsided shelter. It seemed to be purely accidental, a tree fallen years ago had rotted away slightly, and something else had dug beneath it into the dirt. It was rather small, so she ruled out it being a bear... but it was dry thanks to the tree and the other brush and brambles that had blown, and grown over it. She stopped just outside the small entrance she'd found and slunk inside, digging as fast as she could to make it a larger space, an opening that she could settle Raigo into, and still have room for her own form.

After she felt it sufficiently widened, she returned to the pup and pulled him into the small burrow - for that's really what it amounted to being. After some tugging and some more pushing, she would have managed to get him inside, hopefully with his help - but if not, she would manage on her own. After seeing him settled inside the small space, she shifted around herself and moved to curl as close to the smaller wolf as she could, and use her own bulk to keep the dregs of wind from piercing his own sodden fur. There was little she could do now, other than to clean away the excess water from his hide, and to try and keep him as warm as possible. That, and pray that he would be alright after she got him warmed up.