Turtleback Lake I keep wishing that I'm sleeping

RE: Migrating geese are raucously crowding bodies of water, and react aggressively to other animals trying to drink or fish. All welcome but specifically at @Chan

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera hadn't really been here herself before, but she'd heard enough about it that she was able to make her way. She'd been most of the distance in her search for water in the past, anyway - today was just the first time she made it all the way to the lake itself without finding any water first. She paused when she saw the expanse. She wasn't sure if she'd call it bigger than the Cove's lake, but then she hadn't seen this one before the drought hit.

Large birds crowded the shore, loudly shrieking as they waddled about, wading in and out of the water. Enera sighed and forged on, keeping an eye out for any sort of thick moss or hollow branch she could use to drag water all the way back to Woya. It had taken her nearly two full days to get here - how was she going to get anything meaningful back to the woman caring for her younger sisters?

The thought brought a pang with it as she was reminded once again about her mother's death, and the girl shook herself. As she approached the birds several turned to look at her, still squawking. And then, out of nowhere, several charged her, beating their large wings against her head and driving hard beaks toward her face. Enera yelped and backpedaled, feet sinking into cracking mud as she scrambled to escape the onslaught. It wasn't until she was back in the trees and free from the flat plane of soil that the birds relented and returned to the rest of the flock.

"What the heck," Enera growled, glaring at the geese. "I just want water." Determined that these foul fowls wouldn't keep her from her goal, the yearling forged forward yet again.

Forward dated to 5/30.

Chan had been dealing with the infestation for days now. It wasn't their fault, really- the geese were just as desperate for water as any of them. Still, this was do or die, and he'd be damned if it was his comrades who fell. His shells, once so plentiful, were being ravaged constantly and it was no longer safe to leave them about. That meant more work for him as he stashed them, then had to make the journey from forest to retreated shore repeatedly.

He carried an emptied one now, boldly strutting into the flock of large waterfowl. They were steadily growing used to him, and while they honked and hissed and beat their wings, he was able to largely ignore them and get to the water's edge. Bruises could not be felt when his mind weighed so heavily with the fight for survival.

(This post was last modified: Sep 25, 2022, 08:04 AM by Chan.)

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera placed her paws firmly on the hard dirt, staring at the flock lining the water and considering her approach. They weren't any bigger than her, although she wasn't terribly bigger than them, either. She was still growing, anyway. Or so she assumed. A low growl rumbled in her throat and her eyes narrowed. She did not have the time for this!

Releasing a challenging bark, Enera charged towards the flock, determined to show these stupid birds that she was not to be messed with, that they would not get in her way, and if she ended up with lunch then so be it. They would not keep her away from the only water source she had!

The geese scattered in a honking cloud of feathers as she bowled into them, snapping wildly as they beat their wings at her. Several hit her neck and shoulders with their beaks and she was sure she would feel them for a while, but right now rage was coursing through her and she couldn't care less what blows she took herself. She whipped around and managed to get her teeth around the neck of one goose and began whipping her head back and forth, flinging the goose helplessly from side to side until it stopped moving. Enera immediately dropped it and lunged for another, but the birds finally seemed to get the message and back off, still honking their displeasure at her and waving their wings threateningly, but giving her space. Enera stood firm, panting, beside her kill and growling challengingly at the surrounding geese. She almost wanted them to come at her again.

Chan passed the shoreline and entered the water, standing at a depth great enough that he could force the shell underwater until the air was replaced by the life-giving fount. The feel of it moving around his legs was blissful, and he let the carapace sink down into the silt while he closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sun. The exhausted wolf was granted a moment of peace as even the geese began to settle around him, before Enera made her renewed attempt.

Their raucous kicked up again, opening his eyes and drawing his attention. He couldn't recognize the girl at first, seeing only a blur of cream, brown and black as animals collided. He jogged out of the water, but she'd fended them off before he could even try to assist and as the birds cleared he recognized one of the Chasm youths that had greeted him during his and @Jethro's diplomatic venture to their borders.

He frowned, worried this meant this was the pack's nearest source of drinkable water.

"Hey!" he called out, shell temporarily forgotten in the water to his back.

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera was just beginning to relax and turn to the killed goose - might as well eat it - when she heard a voice. The girl looked up, surprised. She saw the familiar form of one of the Cove wolves coming towards her in the water. She squinted at him. What was his name again? He'd come to their borders a while back, when she and Marrah were still on the small side, and mama had-

The energy that had filled the yearling for her charge to the water drained away, replaced once again by the crushing weight of loss. She drooped. "Hi," she said, padding to meet him. If the geese really wanted their dead companion back they could have it; she wasn't hungry anymore.

This was not the same child that he had previously known. Chan's frown deepened as she visibly deflated, concerned that the Chasm must have taken more hits. In all honesty, he likely didn't even have to ask, could glean enough from their shared predicament to know. Still, he genuinely cared and so asked the question as his paws brought him to the young girl.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why aren't you with your pack?"

This was a long trip for water, and he wouldn't be at all surprised to hear they had an expectant mother or two... that wouldn't be a good combination, at all.

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

She'd hoped he wouldn't ask any questions, but of course he did - that's what others did. She hadn't met any wolves from outside the pack since... well, since. Even when she'd met Gem for the first time the girl had known. Now, though, she was going to have to explain.

Did she have to, though? What did this stranger care? He hadn't been back since his visit, and she hadn't seen him on her own trip to the Cove right before- well, what was he doing here, anyway? They had plenty of water on the mountain. "Why aren't you with yours?" she fired back, though her voice was dull and held no real venom. "We're outta water," she added, just to be polite. She promised m... she promised she'd be good.

Again she proved different, and perhaps it was simply a part of her maturation as she entered her yearling year. Chan could remember easily how turbulent growing up in the world could feel even at the best of times. Regardless of the reason, she clearly did not seem excited about answering questions, and so the older wolf ceased prying. While his features retained a sympathetic hue, his lips now lilted upward in a small smile.

"Was s'posed to be leavin' the Lore altogether, but the droughts got us kind of stuck," he replied to her sarcastic query in a convivial fashion, as though she had not given him any attitude at all.

"You lookin' to take some water back to the Chasm? I can help."

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

If he was put off by her quip, he didn't show it and merely answered her question instead. She had to admit a little relief, and maybe a little irritation. So he didn't care all that much after all, what a surprise. That was fine, though. It meant she didn't have to explain things for the sake of being nice. She didn't feel like being nice right now.

If the world wasn't going to be nice to her, why should she be nice back?

His answer did have her a little curious. "Why's the Cove leaving the Lore?" she asked, voice not quite back to its old spark but at least it was a genuine question this time. They hadn't mentioned it while she'd been there - and they would have done, right? Woya was their family, so they would have said if they'd been leaving. Nash and Kateri weren't acting weird, anyway. Why would they leave with newborns? "Why would Nash 'n Al move their babies when they have water right there?" she asked, almost more to herself as her nose scrunched in confusion. She supposed it had been a while since she'd been up... Maybe something had changed. As much as she wanted to avoid engaging right now, Woya and Dad would want to know what their neighbors were up to.

It was swiftly made clear that he had confused her. Chan's brows pinched briefly, before he realized where the miscommunication lie and his smile became apologetically sheepish.

"No uh, not the whole Cove. Aleister got better, so they didn't need me to stay anymore," he told her with a light tone, meaning to keep things simple rather than weighing her down with details much less wasting her time. With the severity of the drought, he knew it was more precious a commodity than ever. Speaking of...

Chan turned to fish for the sunken shell. He needed to get it back to Flair, and really didn't have the time for chatting. In many ways, he was still stunned by what had happened and could not yet fully process the ramifications awaiting them.

"There's lots of shells along the shore, please feel free to help yourself to any of them."