Swiftcurrent Creek Good Life

Merlin had all the reasons to feel satisfied with his life so far. First - no one had assaulted him and his coat was still intact. Second - days were nice and warm, which meant that the little critters he mainly lived on were still abundant. Third - headaches did not bother him. With his belly full and mood reasonably happy, he yearned for a bit of company now. Independence was all great and good, but lonely at times. 

He had stopped by a river to quench his thirst and was now picking at some underwater weed that had caught his interest. It turned out that the slimy plant had no intention of resurfacing, therefore, when one hefty tug went awray, Merling landed butt first in the cold water. Which is not a nice feeling (as all, who have had their trousers wet would know) - he bolted from the river, on to the banks and began to tend the damage.

Trying to find his way around or through the mountains lead Hyacinth north. He didn't mean to go this far, but the smell of fresh water (not a puddle, or muddy mess like last time) caught his attention. The days were still fairly warm, with chilly sunless hours being the only real warning of winter, and a reminder of his own vulnerability as a lone wolf. He'd been lucky living in a desert for so long, but still, he didn't forget how bad things could get.

Especially for a lone wolf.

Hyacinth had been moving at a swift pace, his attention funneled by a need for water, when Merlin's splashing caught him by surprise. He stopped so abruptly two of his legs were still hanging in the air. Eyes keen and alert were swift to pick out Merlin from the backdrop. Curious, Hya tilted his nose up to gather the young male's scent. He looked pretty normal, so why not be social? So he checked his surroundings (which were pretty open) to be safe and approached the shore at a more steady pace.

"You alright?" He asked, not able to keep the bit of smile from his cream-colored muzzle. From the smell and appearance, Merlin was younger than him. Hya liked the youth, they always had such energy and promise!

@Merlin

Soon with hefty shaking and thorough grooming the worst of the cold water was removed, leaving his fur wet, a bit soggy even. It was a good thing that there were good few hours until the nighttime, which meant that he would be dry by the time he went to sleep. 

He was drawn away from his simple moment of contemplation, by the arrival of an older wolf. At a first glance the guy seemed friendly and nice, he reminded Merlin a little of the bachelor group he had lived with and naturally wondered, if this guy had ever met those guys, spent time with them even. 

"Oh, I am fine, the wrong foot and fall, that's all," he explained and grinned. "Name's Merlin, who are you?"

Seemed all was well. Nothing but a slip and a trip; he'd been guilty of those as well. Hya smiled at the memories of his young foibles, and at the exhuberant friendliness of the young wolf before him. He had friends that were a lot like Merlin growing up long ago, so it was pretty refreshing to say the least if a little nostalgic. At least it let him forget his troubles for a while.

"Well that's good then." He remarked to Merlin being alright. "Hyacinth Kytan. Good to meet you." Admittedly he wasn't very good at small talk. Give him a job and he'll do it handily, but sit for a chat? Oof. So Hya moved the topic along, taking a few steps toward the waters edge to give it a look. It appeared fine, but for all he knew he'd get a mouth full of saltwater if he took a sip. 

"Hows the water here? I went to a river a few days ago but it was entirely made of mud. Never seen that before. I've been living off puddles." Which was fine and all, but he longed for a good drink.

@Merlin

Hyacinth made Merlin think of flowers and, what a girly name it was for a man like this. But he was smart enough to keep his trap shut, even if there were one or two witty remarks on the tip of the tongue. His older comrades would have chipped in without hesitation and been mercilessly tactless and rude, he - on the other hand - was still very much aware that he was a young wolf and was not at liberty to say everything he wanted. What's allowed to Jupiter, is not allowed to an ox.

"Puddles?" Merlin tilted his head to the side, feeling curious and a bit confused too, then looked down at the river water, which seemed perfectly fine to him, then back at the flower man. "It looks fine to me," he shrugged, not much to add in regards of small-talk about quality of water. "Where are you heading to?" he asked. They chatted for a while and then their ways parted.