Cold Water Creek meet me in the woods

For Wrynn only please!! <3
Midday, partially cloudy

The babble of the creek nearby had been a constant companion as Sunny traveled alongside its banks. It was comforting, in a way. He knew he'd have to break away from it eventually, but for now, he was content to stop and take a drink from the frigid, clear water. Until something shimmering just below the surface caught his eye.

Boulders were strewn through the stream, jutting out of the water as the stream lapped against the sides of the stone. None were close enough to treat them as stepping stones, though. He'd have to jump; the one nearest to him would be quite the bound.

"Legs don't fail me now," the wolf mumbled to himself as he bunched his legs up before making the jump. For a moment, he thought he hadn't made it, the leap almost landing him directly in the water, but his paws made contact with the boulder, and quickly he gained purchase on the slippery surface. With a slight wag of his tail at his success, he turned to face where the movement had come from.

Fish! And decent-sized ones, at that. His stomach rumbled, and he couldn't help but lick his chops. Fish had never been a favorite of his, but anything sounded good right about now. Without a second thought, he lunged forward, submerging his whole head under the water, jaw moving in an attempt to grab one of the fish. The sudden motion caused him to lose the footing he had, sending him careening into the water as he scrambled to stay out of the creek.

"Gah!" The water was just as cold as he thought it had been. For a split second, his mind still turning over in an attempt to catch up, he sat in the icy water, a stunned look on his features.

He shivered at the cold. Even with the sun it was still freezing, and though he was thirsty the thought of drinking from the probably icy cold water was filling him with dread. He'd need to find somewhere warm to curl up and heat himself up again after taking his fill of water. His legs brought him closer to the creek the burbled nearby, and he appeared just in time to see a wolf splash face first into the water. The wolf sat as frozen as a statue in the water, and Wrynn bounded to the bank of the creek, filled with worry for the wolf. It was far too cold to be completely soaked through, and he worried about any potential sickness that could arise from being wet out in this cold air.

"Are you... are you uh, okay?" He said in a stuttered jumble of words, finding it difficult to speak eloquently in his hurry to make sure the other wolf was okay. Wrynn lowered his front end in a partial bow, letting the tips of his toes touch the water as he stared at the pale coloured wolf, a soft whine slipping from his maw. If he thought it would help he might've jumped into the water to help out the stranger, but his fear of the cold water and at helping out a wolf he didn't know kept him at bay. What if they got angry and snapped at him for interfering? And so he stayed where he was, ears flicking back against his skull in apprehension.

Another beat passed as Sunnys’ mind continued to reel, the sudden cold shocking his system. Had another voice not reached his ears, who knows how long he might have sat there, stunned. Focus shifted to the russet wolf that stood at the bank, and the blonde man simply stared at him, bright yellow eyes wide and confused. Finally, his brain snapped back into gear as the stranger whined, and as the cold permeated his wispy coat, the icy feeling biting at him. With a loud and sudden yelp, Sunny shot up, bounding and wading through the river to the bank where the stranger stood.

Droplets fell from his coat as he pulled himself onto land, had it been any colder, his fur might have frozen as soon as he exited the water. Not entirely thinking, Sunny shook off near the stranger, scattering water into the air around him, expression both a mix of upset and embarrassed. How much had the stranger seen? A nervous laugh bubbled from his throat, ears pinned back and tail wagging beneath him.

“I-I’m fine… A little cold, but…” Another chuckle escaped his jaws as he avoided looking at the man directly. “I don’t think I’m cut out for fishing, I’m sure they’re all swimming away laughing. Thanks for, uh, saying somethin’. I coulda been sitting there for some time!” Embarrassed as he was, he still found it in himself to smile. The stranger had wanted to help, and he could appreciate that.

The pale wolf simply stared for a moment, before letting out a shrill shriek and bounding his way. Wrynn stumbled backwards, falling onto his haunches in his desperation to move away, cringing into himself as he awaited a set of teeth and claws to the face. His eyes squeezed closed, flinching as a cold spray flew in his partially turned away face, but nothing happened.

A single eye opened as the other wolf spoke, now seeing that they were simply standing on the bank, looking very embarrassed. Okay, so maybe he had overreacted just a bit.

Wrynn unclenched his body, sitting in a more normal-looking position as he wrapped his head around what the pale wolf had said. "Um, heh yea! No... no worries!" He still felt a little shaken, but for now the pale wolf didn't look angry at him. "I've never fished before," he added, trying to move the conversation along to try and hide his own embarrassment.

As the other wolf shrunk bac,k cringing, seemingly fearful, more embarrassment pooled under his wispy fur. Way to make a first impression, fall in the river in front of them and then run around like a freezing lunatic, screaming. Not like he didn't already have a hard enough time making friends. But the stranger seemed eager to move the conversation on, and for once, Sunny had no problem with that.

Water still dripping from his coat, he trotted a few paces away as the other spoke, as to be polite and not soak the stranger as he shook the remaining droplets from his fur, albeit some of it had already begun to freeze. It wasn't his first plunge and likely wouldn't be the last, but the cold water always shocked him.

With another embarrassed laugh, he sat on the bank, tail curled close to him, the tip tapping against the ground lightly. "My family was, uh… Way better at it than I ever was." Another chuckle, an attempt to clear the remaining embarrassment. "They could catch salmon like it was nobody's business!"

A brief silence passed over the blonde, before he spoke again. "Uh, the name's Sunny! Didn't… mean to startle you like that." Small paws shuffled against the dirt and snow on the bank as he averted his yellow eyes from the stranger.