Firestone Hot Springs caught in a daydream

the morning bought chilling temperatures. clouds covered the sun, blocking a great quantity of heat. the amazonian gazed up to study the sky. to her dismay, it looked like it was going to snow soon. she had grown tired of this cold weather, so when she stumbled upon some hot springs she was pleased. the smell was off putting, but not enough to turn her away. she elegantly made her way towards them.

alkaia took a spot to rest. she stretched her legs and sat down. her ears swiveled around her head and her eyes scanned for any movement. there was no way she would let her guard down now.

She had finally found the headwaters that led inland, and followed them relentlessly. Her torso ached from the toil of overwork, but she bore the pain without complaint. A grimace etched her face, the only visible sign of the sharp pain she felt with every fall against the ground.

These lands held something familiar, but no matter how long she pondered, that familiarity taunted a stretch beyond her grasp. Even the great plateau she left behind her filled her with the feeling the answer should be easy - but of course, with everything in life, finding the answer wasn't so simple.

Frustrated and worn, the leviathan turned aside and, for the first time since finding the headwaters, unglued herself from the river's edge. Her brain ached and her body felt sore from travel, no closer to finding what she was looking for than when she had followed the sand. The cold didn't quite help to boost her morale, but after some roaming she felt a swell of warmth, which she proceeded to follow with eager steps. Soon enough she herself approaching a collection of nasty smelling pools, yet the heat beckoned her sore legs to rest and unwind before setting off again. Another seemed to have the same idea, and the woman turned her crystalline eyes upon the resident by the water, a wolf bathed in cinnamon and cream. "I hope I'm not interrupting," but if she was, she had no intent on moving. The leviathan had already taken her own spot by the pools, and turned a curious eye upon her company.

her moment of solitude was short lived. she spotted a stranger from the corner of her eye, promoting her fur to shoot up momentarily. however she calmed when she realized this wolf probably wasn’t a threat.
 
alkaia’s head tilted to one side as she began to speak. she had heard this language quite a few times over the years, but never bothered learning it. “δεν καταλαβαίνω,” she sighed, knowing full well that that she wouldn’t understand her tongue either.

Though she sensed no trouble from this fellow stranger, who calmed quickly after the initial surprise her arrival seemed to bring, the leviathan gathered their company wouldn't be particularly eventful. The stranger also seemed to understand this - but the leviathan wasn't about to give up so quickly.

How could one bridge a linguistic gap, when neither knew any words the other spoke? A small smile touched her lips at the prospect of a challenge, and settled with names, first. The leviathan didn't have much of one to give. The title the gypsies had christened her with felt no more a part of her than did the stones she walked on, but, with a slow draw, she lifted her paw toward her chest and pried around until a word came to mind that was pithy, easy, and felt more her - but not completely so. "Muse." She said, and gestured an open paw toward the stranger, brows raised and hoping she would understand she hoped for a name in return.

alkaia took a step back and stared with puzzlement as the woman gestured to herself with a paw. muse. the term was not unfamiliar to the amazonian. the name evoked pleasant memories of her days as a juvenile, listening to her mother’s stories those cold nights.

she stood silent for a moment as muse motioned to her. she inhaled sharply as she came to the realization that they were exchanging names. “alkaia,” she returned, lifting her own paw to her chest.

Though the woman at first showed uncertainty, a smile soon quirked the leviathan's mouth. "Alkaia." She repeated, and tipped her head with a gesture of greeting she felt familiar and accustomed to. "Hello."

From here she had little idea what else to do. The warmth already made a difference to the soreness of her muscles, easing their tension and giving clarity to her mind. She would depart the woman's company soon to continue her travel along the river. But she had time left, and being herself a woman of words, she felt keen to learn more about the language this woman spoke. Perhaps through Alkaia, she could glean something new.

She flicked her eyes across the ground until she spied a loose stone not far from where she sat, and extended her paw to bring the rock close to her. Touching the stone, she looked to Alkaia and said, "What?" and raised her brows in question, gesturing her paw toward Alkaia again, like she had before. Another exchange of names - and the leviathan hoped the other would understand what she sought.

alkaia recognized the word of greeting and dipped her own head in return. though greek language was something she’d grown accustomed to, she was able to pick up a few words in english.

she watched curiously as the muse grabbed a stone and place it in front of her. she pointed to it, and asked what it was. alkaia threw a questioning glance at the female. she didn’t understand why it was so important to know what a rock was but shrugged it off anyways. “βράχος.”