Macawi was hot. She had just come from the hot springs to the north and now she was sweating and miserable. It was particularly warm that day, too, which only added to her level of discomfort. She needed somewhere to cool off. Luckily, she had come across the river not far off, and followed it down aways away from the hot springs, and now the cool spray was lightly coating her fur and washing over her face.
She bent her head to take a long drink, and then, without a second thought, dunked her whole head into the river. The sound of the rushing water was amplified ten-fold, and bubbles swarmed around her face. It tickled. She brought her head up out of the water and shook it vigorously. She was in the mood for a swim. However, she didn't think that would be a very good idea. The river's current was strong, and she knew she wouldn't be able to keep up with it. So, she decided to nap beside the cool water instead.
She lay down and closed her eyes, listening to the roaring river as she drifted into sleep.
OCC: jumping in because I find Macawi simply adorable
Hunt, drink and sleep under the stars.
That had became Galileo's routine, always on the move wether it was chasing prey, running from a potential predator, or just for the thrill of it, he was always busy, always looking forward.
Right now, the senile male, just roamed along the border of the river that bordered the famous Kinta flatlands. He had just made his way from the edge of the Sunspire mountain, a journey that had taken two days. He had hunted along the way, a petty hare that was caught off guard, enough to calm his hunger, but not for long.
The black and white coloured wolf, walked slolwly, almost dragging his tail behind him, he was beginning to feel the effects of fatigue and hunger take over him. So he decided to take a drink and cool down near the rushing waters.
As he approached to drink, a small figure curled up at the other edge caught his attention. It was a bundle of greyish fur, whose flanks rose with ease as the creature snored.
Galileo pricked his ears and sat at the riverside, dipping his toes into the water and observed the creature for a while.
OOC: Aww! Thank you!
IC: Macawi dreamt that day at the river. She dreamt that she was the leader of her own pack! She dreamt that the pack was full of members of every canine species: Wolves, Coyotes, Dogs, and all manner of hybrids in between. They were an odd bunch, but Macawi didn't care. She was happy leading them, although her leadership was more on the side than up front. She was perfectly willing to let the members of the pack be their own leaders, as long as everyone was nice to each other...
Macawi awoke with a start, and looked up, her ears perked. Something had startled her into awakening, and she looked around for what it might be. Across the river, a single wolf sat and gazed at her. Oddly enough, his gaze seemed friendly, or at least indifferent. Macawi was not used to this kind of look. She only had two friends in the whole world. All other beasts in this place wanted nothing more than to kill her and be done with it.
Cautiously, she sat upon her haunches. Across the rushing river she called, "Be this wolf friend or foe? If he is friend, Macawi will gladly cross the river and have a conversation. If he is foe, then it is time for this coyote to leave. If this one lies about being friends, be warned: Macawi will outrun wolf! She has outrun many of her cousins before!"
Galileo, just like the sleeping beauty in front of him, found the sound of the rushing water comforting, he enjoyed the melody the current played as it crashed against rocks and dragged smaller pebbles away.
He sighed feeling relaxed and bent over to lap up a drink, his soft pink tongue lashing and splashing the surface of the river. Then the sound of movement caused him to look up again. The small grey and brown critter stirred and shot up as if a ghost had toched its poor soul.
They exchanged stared for a moment and then the small, but loud animal called out to him. "Be this wolf friend or foe?", she squeaked and then continued to babble to the wolf, funny enough she seemed to speak in third person..
Galileo enjoyed company, and this individual seemed harmless. Just like him, the coyote was just another soul that drifted with the wind, no set path or boundaries. Another hiker in the mountain of adventure that called itself life.
"Sorry to disrupt your sleep, I am a friend, if you let me of course" he barked across the river.
Macawi gave her famous coyote grin to the big old wolf sitting across the river from her. She shook off the remnants of her dream, promising herself she would think more deeply about it later as she sank into the river to begin the swim.
The current was still strong, stronger than Macawi had anticipated, actually, and she suddenly became frightened. She kicked hard against the rushing waters all around her, but the river continued its ceaseless pounding against her body, and she felt herself getting dragged along quite swiftly.
She continued kicking aimlessly, panicking down, and locked eyes with wolf across from her, gaze wide with fear. "Help Macawi!" she cried. "Macawi can't -- she can't do it! Help her! Please!"
Galileo returned the smile and dipped his head once more as a sign of courtesy, he was known to be gentleman. He watched as the small coyote made her way into the water, splashing as she leaped into the mighty river.
Suddenly her joyful expression turned into one of sheer terror. Galileo froze as he watched the delicate creature struggle against the current. "Shit!" he exclaimed, as he ran towards the place she was in.
It was extremely unusual for him to curse but in a situation so precarious, he couldn't hold it back. He darted into the water, cold drops splashing against his face. Galileo was not an extremely large wolf, but he could feel the muddy river's floor under his paws, sliding underneath him making it impossible to get a decent grasp.
"Keep your nose above the surface!" he barked, paddling as fast as he could behind her, she was a smalled creature, the strong current and sharp boulders that hid underneath the surface could take a toll on her.
OOC: Sorry, I know that my character randomly almost drowning was news to you. I should have PM'ed you about it before I went ahead and put that in there. I hope you don't mind.
IC: Macawi lifted her snout further out of the water, snorting in panic. She opened her mouth to gasp in more air, even though she really didn't need to, and succeeded in swallowing a large mouthful of cold river water. She coughed and spluttered, still kicking out in random directions.
No! she told herself sternly. Do not panic! Keep calm! Keep calm. Her desperate kicking stopped, and she began to simply dog paddle in place, not being able to really move forward any, but at least she wasn't being dragged anymore. Her paws could not touch the bottom of the river, but she knew she'd be able to keep up the paddling long enough for the older wolf to get to her.
"Thank you," she called to him as he swam over to her. "This wolf is Macawi's life saver! Thank you."
don't worry
As the small coyote struggled to keep herself afloat Galileo paddled with a greater force, his hind legs propelling him forward, almost at reach of grabbing her by the scruff.
Stay still little coyote, he said in his mind as he pushed harder.
The creature squirmed, coughing out water, and thanked Galileo. He gave her a weak smile, knowing it was no time for talking. He closed his mouth over her scruff, careful not to hurt her, and began swimming diagonally.
Macawi allowed the big male wolf to close his jaws around the scruff of her neck and pull her to shore. She helped as best she could, but mainly she was focused on keeping her snout above the water. She tried to kick, but she was afraid she might kick her rescuer if she did that, so she decided to just stay still. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, they both made it to shore.
Macawi lay exhausted on the other side of the river, every once in a while coughing up water. "Thank you, friend," she said weakly, as the wolf lay heaving beside her. "Thank you."
Galileo felt relief flush over him as his paws felt the muddy floor underneath become more and more stable. He crawled out of the water with the coyote still clingijng from his jaw. He then set the smaller creature softly on the ground as he spread on his side, his flanks rising wildly as he recovered his breath.
"No worries," he breathed, "Glad you're ok" he added turning his head to meet her gaze. "My name is Galileo by the way" he barked. Nice way to meet someone he thought to himself feeling droplets of water slide from his snout.
OOC: Sorry this is so late. I've been sort of putting Macawi off in favor of Majesty for a while.
IC: Macawi coughed up a few mouthfuls of water pathetically, glancing over at this Galileo as she did so. When she was done, she gave a great heaving breath, and grinned. "Well," she began. "That was fun. And look! Macawi has made it over to the other side of the river, just as she said she would! Aha! All thanks to this wolf! Thank you, friend."
She smiled at the old male. Looking around, she asked, "So. What would this one like to talk about now that Macawi is not dying?" She gave a laugh at this, and grinned widely. But she was still shaking from the ordeal.
it's alright, againg Gali was still a loner when this happened
The wolf took a moment to shake his coat, bullets of water flying in every direction, after that he sat and looked at the fellow coyote.
"Macawi right?" he asked as he allowed his pink tounge to hang out of his mouth.
He then gave a low chuckle when the little canine joked about their ordeal that could've ended badly.
"Yes, you made it little one, you kept your word, Macawi" he barked in gentle tone and blinked at her with some kind of affection towards the creature.
"So let me ask you something," he began, his deep amber eyes fixing on hers,
"Aren't you afraid of wolves?". It was common for creatures such as foxes and coyotes like her, even being distant relatives of wolves themselves to feel threatened by their prescence. And to say the truth the wolves arrogant nature didn't help either.
Macawi scoffed at the wolf's question, laying down in the grass beside the river. She landed on her side with a thump and then looked over at the male, her head upside-down so that the world seemed to have been flipped. She grinned. He looked silly now.
"Why do all wolves think coyotes need to be afraid of them?" she asked, her silky, accented voice full of something close to contempt. "Macawi does not see why Cousin Wolf cannot get along together with Coyote. This one and Macawi get along, do they not? This one saved her life, even! And yet most other wolves hate Macawi! And Macawi is tired of it! She is fed up!"
The coy-wolf sighed. "Macawi is thinking she should perhaps leave the Teekon Wilds. What is the point of staying here when all anybody wants to do is eat you or kill you or push you away? No. This is not a life. Macawi will find somewhere quiet, away from other wolves, and live out her life in peace. An island, perhaps…"
wrapping up, thank you <3
Galileo flicked an era back when he felt the coyote's discomfort and annoyance at his question, he hadn't meant it as a challenge, he was curious, he knew how others could treat those smaller than themselves.
He dipped his nose in an apologetic manner,
"No little coy-wolf, I never meant it like that," he began,
"I see no problem with a wolf and a coyote being friends, I was just saying that because unfortunately not all wolves think the same as I" he shrugged.
"An island?" he wondered, never really being a fan of salt water, he wanted to tell her that no matter how far she went and how much she isolated herself it would not change the irrational animosity between the two species, but he refrained of doing so since she seemed determined to do it anyway.