Amber moves slowly through the forest in search of water. She still thinks if the deal she has made with Runt was a smart one.If they catch you, your done smart one! She shakes her head in protest. A part of her says she is doing the right thing, but the other part disagrees highly. She nearly stumbles as she reaches the lake. She stares down into the clear water studying her reflection. A small, timid wolf stares back up. She dips her muzzle into the water, taking gulps at a time, trying to wash away her mixed emotions. Her paws suddenly slip and she suddenly plunges into the water. She gasps as water flushes over her head and pulls her under. Her head bobs back up and she yelps, "Help! Help!" But she gets a mouthful of water instead. Her paws flail madly. She tries to control her movement, but the current is moving to fast.
As her head splashes out again, she lets out a quick, distressed howl. Hopefully someone would come. The current tugs her under again, this time all the way down to the surface. Please someone, anyone! She was running out of time, and she didn't feel like dying today either!
Koda found himself wandering alone, with no particular goal in mind. Life in the plateau was starting to settle down again. Koda was glad for it, he was not a big fan of drama.
He picked up the scent of a wolf nearby, a member of the pack he hadn't yet met. Koda changed his course and followed the trail. He had nothing better to do, and he wanted to get to know everyone in his pack.
His ears perked up when a shrill cry for help pierced the air. His pace quickened to a lope, and he soon found himself on the shore of a small lake. He spotted the wolf he'd been tracking splashing in the water, in obvious distress.
"Hold on!" He called to the wolf as he splashed into the water.
She barley caught a glimpse of the wolf. The current pulled her down quickly. She heard a splash and saw paws swimming towards her through all the bubbles. It gave her the encouragement she needed to get her body into a swimming position. She quickly swam up to the surface, and gasped in a breath of air before she plopped right back down again. She searched frantically for the other wolf, but could see it no longer. You're gonna die Amber! Die! Her nose pocked out of the water, and then she was dragged back down. The clock was ticking.
Having grown up playing in the river, Koda was a strong swimmer and quickly made it to the girl. Her head slipped beneath the surface and she started to sink, he inhaled a breath before plunging his head underwater. The girl's light pelt was like a beacon in the murky lake water, and he paddled toward her.
He reached the girl and wrapped his front legs around her, kicking his hind legs with all his strength to propel them both to the surface.
As they broke the surface, he spoke to her. "I've got you, you're gonna be ok."
Amber feels a set of paws wrap around her. Yes! She stopped struggling so the man could pull them up to safety. Sure enough, she felt cold hit her face. She gasped for as much air as she can, and then coughed a bit. The water still surged through her whole body.
Koda started to swim for shore, making sure to keep the girl's head above water. He struggled a bit, it was hard work dragging someone through the water. By the time they reached the shore, Koda was exhausted.
He wanted to collapse on the ground, but he knew the girl needed him to take care of her right now. He turned to the she-wolf. "Are you okay?" He asked between rasping breaths.
As she felt land underneath her paws once again, she flopped down, cold and exhausted.That's exactly why me and water just don't mix. She coughed a bit before answering, "Yes I'm fine." She looked up at the wolf. He wasn't to bad-looking either. Thinking she was staring to long, she got up and shook herself off. It didn't help though because she was still drenched. "Thank you." She felt a bit embarrassed when she thought about the incident. But she hadn't really swam in water all that much. "My name is Amber by the way. Yours?"
The girl was tired and out of breath, but otherwise fine. Seeing the danger had passed, Koda allowed himself to relax. He plopped down next to her, his breathing slowly returning to normal as he rested.
"You're welcome, I'm just glad you're safe," he replied. He started having flashbacks to Kesuk. They had met under similar circumstances. At least he had been the hero, this time. "I'm Koda, nice to meet you Amber."
Amber tensed up a bit as Koda sat next to her. At least he hadn't caught you staring, she thought. She felt very small and awkward. She never experienced anything like that before. And she hopes she never would. Strangely, being by Koda gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling. He's just another wolf, no need to fuss about it. But she couldn't believe her own words. She caught her self staring again. She shook her head and quickly said, "So, what are you doing?" She didn't want to be in this awkward situation anymore, but then again, felt even more awkward. She was just glad to live another day.
"I was just out for a walk, then I heard you calling for help," he explained. He studied the girl before him, noting that she appeared to be around his age. She was slender and feminine, with a silvery pelt and pale blue eyes. Quite a lovely little wolf. "I'm glad I decided to come this way," he added. It seemed fate had given him a chance to redeem himself for being unable to help Kesuk.
"So what happened?" He questioned, curious as to how she'd ended up in her predicament.
"Well, I'm glad too," she replied with a grin. If he wasn't there, she would surely have drowned, no questions asked. The next question made her squirm. "Er... I was taking a drink, and I managed to slip in the water." She laughed lightly. A quite embarrassing fate if you asked her. She quickly added, "But I'm not always a klutz. Well, maybe sometimes." She chuckled a bit. She looked over at the tall mountains in the distance, remembering the time she passed through those. Only five months old at a time. One moment, chasing a squirrel, the next, stumbling down the hill. She couldn't help but smile when remembering the incident.
Koda chuckled lightly. The plateau pack seemed to draw in clumsy girls like a magnet. Good thing he stuck around to keep 'em out of trouble.
"Well, do try to be more careful from now on," he said in a more serious tone. He didn't want any harm to come to the other wolves in his pack, and especially not to such a sweet young lady.
"Hey, I could try teaching you how to swim sometime, if you want," He offered. He knew Amber probably wouldn't feel like going back in the water right now, after she'd almost drowned, but it might be a fun way to escape the heat when the summer months returned.
Amber thought about it for awhile. "Oh, what the heck. Sure, I don't want to nearly drown again." She smiled. It was worth a shot. Besides, she would have to swim properly sooner or later. She layed down on her side, feeling heavy and tired. "It feels embarrassing not to know how to swim," she said quietly.
"Everyone's got to start somewhere," he replied, with a reassuring smile. His natal pack's life was so intertwined with the river that he and his siblings were practically born swimming. It wasn't a hard thing to learn, and he was confident Amber would pick it up quickly when the time came.
"So, Amber, you must be new to the pack," he said. He himself had joined not long ago, shortly before the pack fragmented and broke in half. It was refreshing to see some new faces around after losing so many members. "How are you liking it so far?"
"Way much better than I expected that's for sure," she replied. Despite the sneaky little stunt she's pulling for Runt, everything was great. Definitely better than being a lone wolf. She curled up a bit, trying to warm up. She hadn't noticed she was still shivering a bit. She tried to force herself to stop, but she couldn't.
Koda noticed the poor girl was starting to shiver. He realized he was feeling a little chilly himself. He moved closer to Amber, and laid down next to her so they could share body heat. "Is that better?" he asked. It felt a little odd, cozying up to someone he'd just met, but he hadn't saved the girl from drowning just to let her freeze to death.
"If you're strong enough to walk, we should go find shelter in the woods," he suggested. They would warm up much quicker once they were out of the wind.
Amber's muscles relaxed as Koda's fur brushed against her fur. "Yes," she answered, "We should go." Strangely sad to leave, she got up and sniffed the air. it was no use though, her surroundings still smelled of water. "Can you smell anything? Other than water?"
Koda turned his face into the breeze, catching a good whiff of his surroundings. The lake was the dominant aroma, though he could also smell dry leaves and dead grass. To him, it was starting to smell like winter.
And there was something else. His keen senses had detected a trace of prey scent in the air. He turned to Amber. "You hungry," he asked. "You can go get cozy in the woods, and I'll track down something for you to eat."
She glanced into the thick woods, and then back at Koda. "Sure, I am a bit hungry. Do you need any help?" She knew that she wouldn't be much help, since she couldn't even smell the prey, but it was instinct to help.
New thread? :)
Koda shook his head.
"Naw, you go get yourself warmed up," he told the girl. Amber was in no condition to be hunting, and besides, Koda could handle the prey on his own. He didn't mind taking care of she-wolves; he'd been doing it his entire life. Boys took care of girls, it was just the way of the world.
"I'll come find you when I have something," he said.
[size=xx-small]Sure! I can make one as soon as I can![size=xx-small][/size]
"Ok, if you say so. I'll be a little north from here." With that she went up and started slowly north.[/size]