Stone Circle Bobcaygeon

When he brought attention to the coldness of the water, she shivered again. How long had he been watching her? The water had not seemed this cold before...But then again, she was nearly completely submerged, which she had not planned on doing as she too knew that it was still early in the Spring to be spending a lot of time in the stream. He offered assistance but she shook her head, perhaps a bit too vehemently. She reminded herself not to be rude, and that she shouldn't fear her own packmates. "No, thank you, I-" She said, and began to stand up on her own, bit one of her little paws slipped on a smoothe stone and she fell back into the water, bumping her chin on another rock which caused her teeth to clack together audibly. Her breath hissed past her lips and she tried again, more slowly this time, and stood. 

Dripping wet, with her fur flat against her sides, she realized yet again how petite she must look to a man of his stature, and how pathetic, as well. She hadn't intended to be caught in such a vulnerable state. She wondered what he thought, seeing this new packmate for the first time- so tiny, so frail and in a worthless state. But he had kindly stepped back, allowing her the space to slowly, gingerly, pick her way toward the bank. She sent a glance in his direction, assessing the distance between them- and set to shake the water from her pelt- but as soon as she twisted in preparation for her shake she felt a jolt of pain slip down her ribcage with the keen edge of a scythe. "Willow," she croaked, as she straightened stiffly. She couldn't bear the jarring motion of a shake just yet. "There must be some nearby?" She asked.