Qeya River četiri

He didn’t see her smile- nor would he have noticed if he had been swimming shoulder to shoulder with her, as he was lost in a daydream. Over and over again he pulled himself from the water, every last drop from his pelt which magically settled down in light waves as if styled by a groomer. Senka was not the type of woman to fawn- but he thought he might be able, at least, to make her blush and warm.

His paws scraped against gravel and he halted suddenly, realizing all too late that Senka was going to get out of the water first. Still with ice water up to the point of his hip he stood in the water, staring as if the woman had emerged as a cryptid. 

He stood there so still, that a little minnow came and plucked a piece of gristle from the lower jaw that hung just below the surface. When she turned to look over her shoulder at him he slammed his jaw shut, forcing a mouthful of water down his throat and the rest to go spraying out through his lips- like an animatronic orca. 

He lunged forward and realized that the rocks beneath him were loose. His head plunged below the surface while he caught his footing again and emerged gasping for air. He bounded through the remaining shallows to stand shakily beside her, his fur flat against his sides and split in all the most unflattering places as the water ran to the earth. Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

G-g-g-golly, He said, his lips wet. I- well, hah, He said, his gaze suddenly dropping as he realized how embarrassing his confession was. Still, he wasn’t one to pull a punch. I feel like I should be worshippin’ you.