Whitewater Gorge The Door of Death is made of Gold

summary: Agana pursues her mission that leads her to a gorge with hopes of learning something new.
time: late morning; date tba

Water — a substance that is essential to sustain life; without it, they would all die in a matter of days. The beige woman was fond of the water; as a child, she used to be the best swimmer, but also the only swimmer in her family.

The late morning sun found Agana wandering the edge of a gorge. The murmur of the running water below her relaxed her. Her lemon gaze turned to the water under her: someone would meet their end here if they were to jump.. or fall. The female backed away, distancing herself from the edge of the cliff.

The river reminded her of her mission: she was to gather more information about the natural world; more than she already has. The purpose? Only she knew. The woman continued her stroll, yellow orbs wandering from side to side.

unlike her counterpart, kukutux was shaken. the rush of waters below her only caused the duck more trembling. what had the world come to in the night? quietly, with a grim focus, the girl pawed the edge of the gorge with a ginger gait, pausing only once to adust the heavy furs draped over narrow shoulders.

all that was left of what she had built upon the mouth of the totoka. she tried not to think of it, of her brave little home swept away by flooding or swallowd by yawning earth. she was alive, and above the gorge, the trees grew lovely in their robes of red and orange. the brisk air was reviving to the duck, and presently her jadestone gaze found that she was not alone.

on the other side, a wolf, tall and cloaked in shades of gunmetal. her confidence first drew kukutux' eye, but the girl would not stare.

the pelts grew heavy; she stopped again to tug at them with frustrated teeth, and there the girl lost her footing. a single cry as she plunged headlong into the rush of swollen waters below, clawing desperately for purchase at the muddied walls before the riverflow closed overtop her head. 

SPLASH ! —
 
A loud cry and something hitting the water; or perhaps someone. It happened fast; too fast. Her lemon gaze immediately turned to find the source of the cry being dragged by the rapids below. Shock, it was all she had in mind, shock, it was all she felt; her jaw dropped a thousand miles.
 
A wolf would meet their end if they were to jump.. or fall. The phrase echoed in her head like a winder wind; same words, all over again. She did not know what laid under the surface; perhaps it was shallow, or deep enough to not kill her when she fell.

Still, they were just details; would they matter if there was even the smallest chance Agana could save her? Save them both? Little thought was given, just as her other good and bad decisions. The woman would not have the girl's blood on her paws and the constant reminder of her scream.
 
“Hang on!” it was all that came out of her mouth before she made a leap of faith.
 
The water was cold; her body sank like a heavy stone. Her eyes suddenly opened to see darkness; to her right, darkness; to her left; darkness. It was everywhere, like a plague. Back to reality, her gaze spotted the pearl that fell under. Her heart was racing; movements were not as swift as they used to be. Eventually, she managed to get close and touch the pearl with her paw before the currents drifted her away.

was this then the way? would she perish here?

kukutux flailed against the current, against ice and ice and ice —

a glancing touch; she reared gasping from the waters with a struggle against a flat piece of wide bark, and turned wide eyes upon the woman who had dove in after her. the currents dragged the duck beneath again; she fought her way up, and back, and up, back back back, swimming with unsteady lashes of her heavy limbs toward the silverchased savior.

another cry burst from her throat; she found herself collided again with the woman, and here she clung, and clung, searching with head above water frantically for any slope of muddy embankment where they might lunge and drag themselves out of the rush.

cold..

She felt the waters drag her body down, and her paws trying to keep her up. A wave crashed over her head and send her to the depths below once more, like a leviathan trying to drown its prey. Again, her head cracked open a small part of the water.

so cold..

The pearl clung to her now weak body; the beige woman was close to the end of her energy. Her yellow gaze scanned her surroundings in search of something, anything, to drag themselves out of the rapids.

but then..

Agana saw a lower part of the right edge, enough to help them get out of the water. "There!" she shouted as loud as her lungs permited. She made sure the pearl clung to herself strong enough, and began swimming to the slope. A wave crushed to them, but it did not stop the woman from her way. The currents were not as strong as they were before, and Agana took advantage of it completely.

The beige woman climbed the slope, heavy breathing, placing the pearl gently on the ground. She could barely breath; legs weak from the rapids. "I.." Agana made a few steps away from the water before collapsing.

swept, buffetted, lashed — kukutux felt water pour from mouth, from nostrils, from lashes. she gasped, for surely the spirits had seen fit to save her, and clawed at the wet mud beneath her paws.

the woman who had plucked her from the swollen gallows lay some feet away, and the girl stumbled, dripping, to lay alongside her savior. 

kukutux had nothing — once more it had been lost, once more she would be forced to rebuild. but for now, she had the slight breadth of herself.

draping her slim and sodden frame across the other she-wolf, kukutux lowered her muzzle, seeking to see that the woman still breathed.

Her body felt numb; she could barely move a limb. Everything was a blur; her mind still needed to process what happened. But all she felt was cold, cold, cold.. Her breathing was heavy, like a thousand mountains pressed on her chest.

Agana felt as the pearl draped herself around her; it felt good to feel even the slightest warmth on her ice-cold body. But her body was shaking; perhaps the cold, or the realization she could have drowned.

The beige female turned her head slightly, enough for her golden gaze to see the white female. “Next time..” she coughed, “try to be.. more careful..” the woman could barely make out words; she coughed again, and again, and again.

there was a faint hint of maternal scolding in the water-scoured voice. kukutux’ ears fell back against her wet skull, and she nodded. ”i was running away from ... all that is happening,” the duck admitted softly, seeking to clean droplets of the river from the other’s fur, if allowed.

”we are both alive,” she went on, eyes casting about the muddy bank for any sign of mallowflower or mint. nothing. she frowned, glancing back at her companion.

”can you walk? we must get away from the water,” kukutux suggested, for now she feared it, feared it might climb its barriers again and drag them both to their true deaths.

"The earth.. is moving," she admitted, followed by a cough, "I don't think you'll manage to escape." It was true; no one could escape the heaven's wrath. And if it was to hit them, then so be it. But it did not; they were alive, and thats all that matters.

Her body sensed what the girl wanted to do, and with a slow movement of her head she signed her to approach. "Yes.. the heavens spared us from their wrath," cough, and cough, and cough; her throat was sore from all the coughing.

"I think," Agana tried to get up, but failed the first attempt. Following the second, she managed to stand. "I can stand.." she assured the ivory girl, making a few steps to be sure of it. "Let's get away from this.. hell," Agana was not getting anywhere near water for the next few days.

the woman’s words provoked a shudder along kukutux’ spine. transported to her last days with grandfather, tears rose unbidden to sting the girl’s eyes with a pang of saltwater.

dipping her muzzle to veil them from her savior’s gaze, kukutux sidled close, offering her shoulder for support as they began to move away from the violent rush. ”i am kukutux. i am a healer.”

and a shaman, the spirit whispered, though the duck was unsure she wished to claim such yet. ”when we are clear, let me make a drink for your throat.”

“Nice to meet you Kukutux,” she spoke as she cleared her throat, “I’m Agana, an.. aspiring astronomer.” Instead of focusing on her current fragile situation, her mind drifted to the stars; to the night sky she adores to watch each time her thoughts are too heavy to sleep.

“Thank you, I appreciate your concern.” A smile formed on her lips; it has been a long time since someone expressed even the slightest feeling of affection towards her. Golden gaze turned to Kukutux; an unusual name who’s origins she was curious about. But her gaze had not noticed her sudden sadness.

“Kukutux.. What an unusual —” a cough, “name. Where do you hail from, if you don’t mind?” The female hopes she was not intruding with her sudden question.

a smile wreathed kukutux' features. "a watcher of stars. where i am from, they are important. shamans," she murmured shyly. "sdax ukuxtakuq," she went on. "that is what the little ones would say, when the brighter ones came to the sky."

from where had she come — the duck's smile faltered; she busied herself continuing the visual search for any herbs that might aid agana. "it is a place that is no more," her soft voice uttered. spotting a sprig of spearmint sprouting above the cold earth, the girl pulled away a moment, plucking it before returning to the woman's side.

Where she was from, “watchers of stars” were viewed with both kind and mean eyes. Her parents, however, supported Agana’s every decision, and if she wanted to spend an eternity staring at the stars, then they would accept it.
 
A strange language she spoke; it was different than the Romanian she was used to. Golden gaze watched the pearl with interest; her culture was different than the ones she encountered before, and wanted to learn more about it. In a failed attempt, the woman tried to reproduce the strange phrase she heard, “sd- sdac? No, no, sdax? Yes?” silence, “Sdax – uku- what?” a laugh came out instead of words. Oh well.
 
A place that is no more; her expression suddenly went to blank; perhaps it was not a good idea to ask this. Her lips parted to apologize, but it was too late; Kukutux turned to take what seemed like.. a herb, before returning to her side. Agana’s gaze turned away from her, shamed of her imprudence. “I apologize.. I did not mean to open old wounds,” because she herself knew that old wounds may seem that they heal, but will always be there, as a memory, imprinted in mind for eternity.

“If you don’t mind, what plant is this?” Agana pointed with her nose the herb Kukutux held in her mouth.

"you have done well!" the duck exulted, pleased with a fervor of relief to hear her tongue upon another's lips. repeating the phrase, this time more slowly, she nosed the plant now laid across her withers. "it is called nautchiak," kukutux purled. "your word for it is 'mint.' 

to agana's apology, the pale girl gave a gentle shake of her head. "no. it ... my heart hurts, but the place..."  jadestone eyes blinked silently as she searched for the words to compel her tale to tongue. "last year, i lived upon an isle. there were falling rocks. my family did not survive."

"we call the place where they have gone 'the dancing lights. kikuyat," she breathed, for the word blossomed sweet upon her tongue. "and when someone has died, we do not speak their name again, for fear of bringing their spirit from its rest."

finding that she had spoken much, the girl cast a rueful glance to agana. "i have been alone too long."

“Thank you,” another smile rolled on her soft lips. She did good; she really did. “Nau- naut, nautchi,” silence, “Nautchi-ak.” Golden gaze turned to face her counterpart, “Nautchiak?” It was interesting, this language lesson. And, apparently, that herb was mint. No, no, nautchiak.
 
“I’m sorry for your loss,” and it hurt her too, deeply. Her mind drifted to her family; to her beautiful mother, her courageous father. It almost made her cry. She had mixed feelings about the whole situation; was it good, that she left? Should she have stayed? Would it have changed a thing? “Kikuyat.. I hope they have found peace.”
 
Agana glanced down with a giggle, “That’s alright,” I have been alone for long too. But she had been alone by choice, not by fate.

"i think that they have," kukutux murmured. for the first time since it had happened, there was no great agony in its telling. agana was kind, receptive, understanding. the ache of loneliness ebbed, abated somewhat in her spirit. though they had both faced death mere moments ago, it was as if she had always known this woman.

her laughter was soft, answering. kukutux worried her lip a moment, focusing instead on where the pair might rest from their ordeal. "perhaps," the duck began hesitantly, "there is no need for either of us to be alone any longer." agana wore no pack scent; the girl herself had no place to which she must belong. maybe rejection would come, but all the same she must know.  solitude, in its irony, had made the girl bolder.

last from me ! up for another thread? love these two, they are so soft <3

Agana had faced death long ago, before the river tried to drown her. No, she experienced it; not a literate death, but symbolic. Her identity died when she fled the norths, and was reborn under a new face, a new name.
 
Golden gaze turned to Kukutux; perhaps, she found a new companion, even if it was for a short while. Agana nodded, accepting her companionship, for now she was no longer alone. “Of course,” her voice was soft, unusually low.