Duck Lake the echo of some foreign song

The clouds had been leaving the horizon since late morning, the sky gradually returning to a blue that served to remind the girl of spring. It was warm; a thaw had found its way into the coldest month of the year. The steady drip of meltwater had Lainie pick her way carefully around the lake's edge, wary of the odd icy patch made dangerous by the slick layer of water atop it. 

A curse left her through gritted teeth as quite suddenly her forepaw decided to take flight against the ice, shooting to the left as her body lurched right to compensate. Her other paws lost traction and for a moment she flailed, gaining her paws only when a rear limb sunk into frigid mud, simultaneously anchoring and disgusting her. Grimacing, paws having found their balance, she carefully made to continue, extraction her limb from the mud with a sound that worsened the expression on her face.