Phoenix Maplewood as to fall in love with me

her forepaws are drenched, muzzle dripping and muddied. so far, she's failed at snatching any of the minnows in the shallows of the pond she's become enamored with. earlier, she'd even managed to startle a bullfrog into the murky waters, the news of which she'd eagerly shouted back to her mother, who remained just out of her view within the treeline, searching there for something unknown. 

juniper stepped further into the pond, pressing her muzzle below the surface and exhaling. her tail wagged at double speed at the bubbles she managed to produce, though she made the mistake of inhaling. nose burning, she backpedaled, spitting up the stagnant water that had managed to slip into her maw in disgust.

It was only a matter of time before the wandering pup sneaked his way outside whitebark’s borders. How could he not follow someone’s scent that led out into the unknown? He just had to catch up with them, whoever they may be. No one was gonna exclude him from a potentially grand adventure!

He tracked the scent all the way to a pond. Playing within it was a girl he’d yet to meet. Toshi looked back and forth, failing to detect her mom, before running out to the water’s edge.

Hey! he chirped, Watchu doin’ in there?

at the sudden appearance of Toshi, Dawn's attention shifts quickly to the newcomer, returning to her task only after identifying him as one of the pack. swiping a paw across her muzzle, wincing a moment at the taste, the arrival of a playmate proved a welcome distraction. "hiya!" she called, tail lashing in eager greeting. "I'm 'venturing." something shifted in the reeds, her attention was stolen a moment before she identified the culprit only as the breeze. 

"wanna get a frog with me? I bet we could." alone she'd not once been successful, and yet here was a companion with which hse might have better luck.

’Venturing? His face lit up. That was his favorite pass time! Usually he’d do it on his own; momma an Kiyoshi weren’t as into it as he was. Good to know there were some like-minded individuals out here.

He jumped when he heard rustling in the reeds, because anyone would be shocked by some random noise right? That’s what he kept telling himself when he tried to brush it off like he hadn’t done anything. Just play it cool. It was just a uh-

A frog? He had no clue what that was, but it sounded pretty cool. Yeah!

Toshi bounded into the water with a big smile on his face.

a grin at her companions little jump, though she doesn't draw any attention to it besides; she knows enough to know he might not like that, and then it would be mean. "yeah! dey're green and sometimes brown and funny-looking!" her brow furrows a moment in contemplation as she searches for a description. "like noses with legs! and they jump." she offers, as he bounds into the water. 

something startles, moves just under the surface toward the center of the pond. "LOOK!" she cries gesturing with a paw to the place where it had just been.

Noses with legs huh? That did sound pretty weird, and slightly terrifying! Made him rethink this whole thing real quick. Did he really want to be eaten by a creature like that. What a lame way to go. But who could say they ever saw an elusive nose-leg monster? He wanted to join that exclusive club.

His eyes skimmed across the water, keeping a lookout for any strange activity. She spotted something before he did, and he quickly snapped his head towards the shadow below the the surface.

How are we gonna get it? he asked, looking back at his companion. She seemed to be the nose-leg monster expertise.