Sanguine Cove Don't know whatcha got

Mona liked the water. It was bright and sparkly and cool, so she liked to swim on hot afternoons when she thought she could get away with it. She didn't like leaving Magg alone with mom and dad, just in case she got too much attention, but she couldn't wait to show them how good she was getting at swimming. And she was learning all by herself! Her goal was to be able to swim across the whole lake, but for now she only paddled a short ways out and back. Better to save the impressive feat for her debut as the Greatest Swimmer Ever.

Something was going on in the pack, Mona knew; Mom and Dad were sad all the time and Dad was gone more and more often. Mona didn't ask though; clearly it was taking the attention away from her and that needed to change. It would be time to swim the lake soon.

But she wanted one last practice session, so she wandered away - not particularly sneakily - to the lakeshore and dove straight in, confidently paddling away from land.

Mom had told them to stay close to the den. She said it would only be for a little while but Feyre didn't really know how long a little while was. Daddy was gone to be with the ancestors mom had told them. She had explained that he'd been hurt really bad and he hadn't been able to get better. She didn't understand why her dad couldn't get better when he was so strong. The little blackbird missed her dad a lot and wanted to see him. She had been on her best behavior for her mom cause she was sad even if she didn't always show it.

After so many days staying near the den Fey had to get away. The sadness was suffocating her, she didn't know how to handle it all. Her little black paws carried her through the dry underbrush. The path she followed led her to the lake. Her little steps brought her to the waters edge.

Her attention fell upon one of her age mates in the water. For awhile she watched her play before making her way toward her.

Mona was getting good at this. In her mind she was gliding elegantly through the water, going longer and longer between breaks. She would be ready to make the full swim across the lake soon. So soon. Now all she needed to do was get Mom and Dad to come down here with her. Maybe even Magg and Matos too - just so she could rub it in their faces that she could do this and they couldn't. She'd have to make sure Gran was down here too. She'd be so pleased!

She was making another turn to come to shore for a brief break when she saw the other girl approaching. Mona had seen her at the Big Meeting where everyone was sad because someone had died. Mona hadn't thought much of it, other than being annoyed; Mom and Dad had been acting funnier than usual, Dad especially. It meant less attention for her, and they'd even left them with Gran all day long to go off and do something by themselves!

Still, this was an audience and Mona was happy to perform so long as the girl could keep a secret. She dragged herself back up out of the water and approached the girl, ignoring her own fatigued, trembling legs. "Watcha doin'?" she asked.

(This post was last modified: Aug 05, 2022, 06:20 PM by Monatalia.)

The news that her daddy was gone and she'd never get to see him had hit Feyre hard. She loved her dad even if she didn't completely understand what that meant. She remembered hoping he would get better so that he could come and play with her and her siblings. That wasn't going to be happening now. She didn't want to see her mom so sad because she didn't know how to help her.

The little blackbird walked along the shore trying not to cry about her dad. Her chest hurt and she didn't understand why. Her orange eyes caught sight of the other girl in the water. Feyre didn't know her well but she was curious about what she was doing. For a brief moment that took her mind off her dad.

That was until the other girl came over. Fey hadn't been expecting that. "I'm thinking about my dad," she admitted to the girl, "What are you doing?" She returned, "You know you shouldn't be in the water by yourself. Something bad could happen."

Mona had been hoping for something at least a little original, but of course the answer 'my dad' came from the other girl. Of course. Mona blinked and shrugged at the warning about the water. "'m swimming," she said proudly. "My dad taught me how and now I'm practicing."

Maybe what she said was mean, but Mona didn't really care about that. She was doing something cool and this girl was just moping around. She should be doing something better. Looking around and then giving this new girl the side-eye, Mona said, "I can teach you, if you want, but you can't tell nobody or they're all gonna wanna learn." Having a friend to swim with might be nice... she was already way ahead of this other girl anyway, so there was no way she would be able to swim across the lake first.

Feyre looked at the girl confused by the fact that this girl went on talking about swimming. Didn't she understand what had happened? Her ears widened as thr girl spoke of her father teaching her to swim. "At least you have a dad that can teach you to swim," she nearly yelled at the girl. The young Vuesain didn't really know what anger was until this girl taught her about it.

Feyre went quiet after that not really sure what she should do next. Should she go an leave this girl to her swimming or stay. The girl spoke again offering to teach her to swim. The little blackbird thought about it and finally decided that maybe it woukd to do something. "Okay, you can teach me."

Words are dripped

like honey from lips

Mona was proud of her swimming skills and knew she was good enough to teach someone else too. She was already thinking of what moves to start with when the other girl all but shouted back. Mona's ears dropped back in annoyance. What was she yelling for? Hadn't she just said that her dad taught her? How silly. She chose not to snap back at the other girl's sudden ire, however, since she agreed to learn to swim with her.

A broad grin stretched across Mona's face. "Okay, first you gotta get in the water up to your chest," she said, sidling back into the lake and looking over her shoulder at her agemate. "You can't be afraid a' the water either." After a beat she added, "I'm Mona, by the way."

The little blackbird was furious with the girl. So much so she yelled but it didn't seem to help her understand that she was upset. The girl just kept prattling on about swimming. Feyre gave up trying to make her understand. Instead she agreed to the swimming lesso. Though she was sad cause she felt that it was something her dad should be teaching her.

At the girls instruction of getting into the water up to her chest Fey took the steps needed to enter the water. "How's this?" She asked looking over to the girl. She did smirk a little when the girl talked about being afraid, "I'm not afraid of anything," she told confidently, "I'm Feyre."

Words are dripped

like honey from lips

The other girl finally stopped yelling and agreed to the lesson, boosting Mona's confidence. She followed as the girl waded into the water, stopping a little beyond her. "That's good enough for now, Feyre," she said. She may be young but she understood the concept of drowning, which was why she was practicing so hard before swimming across the lake. Showing off wouldn't do her any good if she couldn't make it!

Okay, next you gotta just kinda lay into the water until it's all that's holding you up and kick your paws to move," she said, demonstrating. "Make sure ta keep your head up."

Feyre was still quietly angry on the inside because the other girl didn't seem to understand at all. She wondered if maybe it was something that others couldn't understand. After she conceeded to the lessons she was all ears to the instruction she was about to recieve. The Blackbird followed the other girl out into the water but stopped when she was told to. "Why can't we go further?" She questioned since she thought they woukd need to be further out.

Then the real instruction and even a demonstration began. Feyre didn't try right away. She watched Mona closely so that she coukd copy her movements. Once the other girl had finished Fey took it as time fir her to try. So she tried what Mona said. Letting her body follow a little forward into the water. Then she started kicking her paws but when she did that something seemed to he going wrong. She couldn't seem to stay straight in the water like Mona, "Whats happening?"