Turtleback Lake Getting my steps in

For @Reika backdated to 6/4. Sorry I took so long! Late afternoon. Note to self: bumping Enera's health to 100 for getting a drink here

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera was making this journey more and more often as the summer progressed and fewer puddles could be found nearer to home. That didn't reduce their need, however. With all seven puppies now born, and her sisters leaving the den, water was crucial. It had been nice of Chan to show her the trick with the shells, although getting a full turtle shell from the lake back to the territory was a feat; this time she was going to try packing in a little moss to help preserve as much liquid as possible.

Her paws ached less this time, though. She was growing used to the exercise at least. Maybe she would be able to start making the journey a little faster as she got used to the route. As it was, she was looking forward to wading into the cool waters. It was one of the few things she looked forward to these days; getting a drink and relaxing at the lakeshore for an afternoon before beginning her journey home.

She was not disappointed; today she didn't have to fight geese just for the right to access the lake. Water lapped at her fur as she walked out, only stopping when it was up to her shoulders. It would be nice if @Marrah were here to swim with her, but Enera wasn't sure either of them had the heart to even pretend to play these days.

Worry laced the young Archers face as she looked up at the sky from the meadow. It didn't look like there was any rain in sight. She was worried for the friends that she'd made and Finley's pup, it hadn't been long ago that he'd been born. Reika tried to check in with the new mother often to see if there was anything she could do.

As of late it seemed they'd all come together. She didn't think they were really a pack but it seemed they were all there for each other. It was nice having others nearby. The Archer girl made her way through the trees toward the lake. She tried to spread out her visits to get water but that wasn't as easy as she'd hoped.

The silver woman left the safety of the trees as her paws set foot on the muddy banks of the lake. It had shrunk considerably but there was relief that it was still there. That wasn't the only thing either. A face she'd never seen before had waded out into the lake. "Hello there," she called, "Is there some help you might need?" Maybe there was something for her to take her mind off the drought.

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera was aware there were other wolves nearby; she'd run into Chan here, after all, and his presence helped her feel more relaxed. She didn't think she'd mind running into him again if he was still around, even though she wasn't much in the mood for socializing these days. It was getting easier though, the longer time seemed to stretch. Each day dragged by, yet it had already been so long since mama had left her.

A voice called from behind the eldest Rayvne girl and she turned in the water to see an unfamiliar woman coming towards her. Her ears flicked. "I'm just here to get water," she said, indicating the turtle shell floating not far from her. It had been kind of Chan to give one up for her to use to ferry the life-saving substance back to the territory.

Reika was pretty familiar with the wolves that were near the lake. However a newcomer wasn't much of a surprise. It had become rather clear that water in other parts of the lore had dried up leaving turtleback lake as one of the only sources of water that she knew of in those parts. The Archer girl took the last few steps to come to the edge of the water to get a drink as she regarded to girl as she waited for an answer.

It was as the young girl thought but it did bring some curiosity especially when the turtle shell was indicated. "I see you've met Chan," she commented having seen the Eastfall mam use the same method to bring water to Flair and Finley. "Where do you come from?" She asked because that was what she was most curious about.

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

It was no surprise the new girl knew Chan. It helped Enera relax, a little more confident she wouldn't challenge her over the resource. Chan was nice. He probably associated with nice wolves. But of course she needed to ask more questions. Ener couldn't help a sigh. "Fools Gold Chasm," she said. Simple enough answer, and it's not like the other girl needed more information than that.

"Do you live with Chan, then?" she asked. Enera wasn't in the mood for socializing but she'd promised to be good and that meant being polite, no matter how much she wanted to just get her water and leave the interaction. Her m- well, she didn't want to disappoint anyone by being mean."I'm Enera," she added dully.

Reika couldn't help but be curious about this girl that was visiting the lake. That was what led to her first question. The answer she recieved was intriguing. Her father had told her of many places in the lore but the one mention was one he'd never spoken of. "What kind of place is that?" She asked taking a few steps closet yo the water.

Her ears perked a little when asked of she lived with Chan. Her head tilted to the side a moment. "Kind of I guess." She replied, "There's a group of us. We don't exactly live together nor are we a pack but we stay in the same area and help each other." Reika really wasn't sure what to call what their group had hut it worked and she was happy with it. "Its nice to meet you Enera. I'm Reika." She spoke her tail waving behind her.

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Unfortunately the conversation continued. Enera knew she was going to be exhausted by the time they were through in a very different way than she was from the journey. She scuffed a foot on the sandy lakebed, watching the particles billow up in the water around her. It reminded her of other times, happier times, and it sat like a stone in her throat. She looked back up at the girl.

"It's a cave, to the south, that glitters like gold. My pack lives there." Surely that would be enough?

Her head tilted. It was strange to her that there could be a group of wolves living together but not calling themselves a pack. Questions flickered through her mind, but she had not the energy nor motivation to ask them. Instead she said, "Nice to meet you too, Reika."

The Archer girl probably could have thought of a million more questions to ask the newcomer. The one she asked about which had been an the forefront of her mind was about where she lived. While Reika already knew a lot about the lore she hadn't seen too much of it. So there were a lot of places that she had wanted to visit and maybe one day she would. There was still a lot of time a head of her.

She listened intently as Enera described her home, "That sounds like a really beautiful place," she stated, "I haven't heard of it before." Indeed it was a place that her father hadn't mentioned to her.. "Maybe I can come and visit one day." Reika didn't know when though since she had no idea when the drought would break.

"You don't have too far to go with the water do you?" She asked with a concerned note in her tone. "I mean are fairing okay in the drought?"

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

This conversation seemed like it was never going to end. Why was it she ran into someone almost every time she came to get water? Enera supposed she shouldn't be surprised; of course wolves were going to congregate around water sources - especially loners that didn't have a real home to get back to. She couldn't say that, though; that would be rude.

"It is," she agreed, referring to the beauty of her home. She didn't comment on visitation; she had no right to invite or ward off friendly visitors; that was for Woya or Dad to do. Fortunately the conversation shifted back to water, although Enera didn't want to talk about that very much either. "It's only a two day journey, day and a half if I hurry," she said with a shrug. "We do okay." Chan's turtle shell helped quite a bit, though, and she wasn't the only one making the trip back and forth.

Reika felt that she should probably visit more of the lore at some point. She knew there was family there but it was hard then. The drought kept any of them from traveling far from the lake since water in other areas had dried up. She thought maybe once the weather broke and the rain returned she might be able to see other places.

The other girl confirmed that her home was a beautiful place. Reika couldn't imagine many places in the lore not being so. The girl went on to talk about how far of a journey she had to the lake. "That feels pretty far but I suppose you have to travel it " There wasn't much more of a choice if the pack wasn't willing to move closer to water. "I'm glad to hear your doing okay. Though I am hoping the rains come soon for all of us."