Blacktail Deer Plateau In the Morning

While Osprey busily splashed in the shallows, her mother backed up, then broke into a sprint. Junior didn't even notice until her mother's body made impact, sending a wave of water up and over her paws. Some of it even splattered her chest. It was both startling and cold and it left the puppy sputtering.

Then she realized her mother was paddling around in the water. An astonished Osprey Jr. gaped at the sight. Then, with little consideration given to the possible danger, she ran at the water. The ground gave way and she was tumbling into the cold, wet depths, sinking like a stone.

Then her natural instincts (those of every young animal) kicked in and she began to kick. Her legs pumped her toward the surface and her head broke through. She gulped in air, then continued to doggy paddle, going in no particular direction but doing her damnedest to stay afloat. At first, all the new sensations were a little overwhelming and therefore scary, yet after a few moments, Osprey took to swimming like... well, a duckling takes to water.

"Heh!" she cried out as she finally attempted to steer herself toward her mother. "Wa, wa, ma, ma!" she chirruped, then hiccoughed when she accidentally swallowed some water. As soon as her throat cleared, Osprey Jr. began to laugh, a sound of pure, enamored delight. Clearly, swimming was the pup's new favorite thing in the whole, wide, wild world.