Qeya River Imitosis

@Magpie

"Wuh-"

Seldom was Shrike lost for words. But as he stood ankle deep in the water and stared below the quivering surface he saw something that caught his attention and stripped all words from his mouth before he could finish the word he was about to say. He'd been drinking, but as per usual, his eyes continuously roved the water's surface, looking here and there, as though the young male was always on a hunt for something. And fortunately for him, his observation skills had found him something that stuck out. Something that he wanted. Something that was pretty beyond words. 

It was a piece of quartz, but he couldn't quite see exactly how clear or beautiful it was below the surface- all he could see was the gleam and the extraordinary potential of something that glimmered so brightly below the surface of the water. He waded in deeper, until the water came up to his chest, and began to grasp for the stone with one foot then the other, trying to tease it into water that was shallow enough for him to dip in his muzzle and grab it. But the stone caught against another rock and wouldn't budge. He didn't want to scratch it, digging at it with his claws, so he straddled the thing with his forelegs, breathed in deeply, peered down with an unusually focused look and with a movement swift but reluctant, dropped his head below the surface.

It took him several moments to resurface- he'd opened his eyes several times and had touched the stone with his muzzle a few times before he decided that yes, he had the right one, before he grabbed it and lifted his head out of the water. Cool liquid dripping from his face and down his shoulders, he peered below the surface before he even moved one foot, just to make sure he hadn't grabbed the wrong one. If he waded back to shore and dropped a dud, he might not find the right one again. He was fairly sure he had the smoothe, bright stone, so he waded back to the shore, and with a movement careful and tender, he put down the stone.

It was as brown and opaque as mud.

He gritted his teeth- he'd grabbed the wrong rock. He waded back in quickly, looking here and there- he couldn't see it. He began scrabbling at the rocks below the surface, frustrated, trying to find the one he'd found before, and wanted desperately.