Big Salmon Lake Until sunrise

: @Keyni

The lake area near Lunaria's home was tranquil and void of any disturbances -- only the soft autumn winds that whispered mother-nature's prayers to all her creations and prepared them for winter. That was until Luna showed up, of course, because within seconds the little raven would come bursting into the scene with the franticness of a lion's new spotted prey. The once still, seamless lake surface suddenly became an explosion of water when Luna also decided to dive head first into it.

What could've happened, you may ask?

Well, she'd made an attempt to mask her scent towards a rabbit she was hunting by rolling in the grass, only to land directly into a beautifully sculpted, castle-like red anthill that had the she-wolf hauling ass to the nearest water source faster than you can say "rest in peace."

And now back to the present, where Lunaria was now jerking her head up to gasp for air and feeling the sting of hundreds of bites on her skin. Today was definitely not her day....

Keyni had been peacefully lounging under the shelter of a tree, jade eyes cracked open and fixed on the picturesque view of the lake before her. Her moment of un-interrupted bliss was not meant to last. Shattered was the relative silence when a mighty splash of a body hitting the water reached her ears. Picking her head up firmly from its resting position atop her paws.

She blinked once, twice. No one just dove in icy waters such as these at this time of year without a very good reason. Rising, the tundra mix headed down to the banks, led by the trail of flattened grasses in the wake of the panicked she wolf. And sure enough, there she was. A black, wet figure desperately gasping for breath, submerged in the chilled waters. Concern lacing her features, Keyni strained to reach down, to gently clasp onto the loose fur of the others nape, in aiding her to dryer ground.

It was not long before the cold of the seasonal waters began biting her harder than the actual insect bites themselves. Luna's body began shivering violently, using her front paws in an attempt to gain some -- ANY leverage that would help her rise out of the chilled lake. To the raven's suprise however, she started to feel the grip of someone pulling her scruff upwards and would've been sent into panic mode if it wasn't for the current predicament. Panic could be saved for after she figured out who it was.

With the grip Lunaria had on the surface, she pulled upwards with a grunt and allowed her back legs to do the rest of the climbing. Freezing water clung to the raven's pelt and made her appear smaller than she already was -- not that she particularly cared about looks at the moment, because there was an onlooker that she still had yet to confront. Luna shook her pelt out and lifted her head to meet a pair of shimmering jades.  

A pretty soft-pelted woman stood in front the raven, assumed to be her aid, and she'd shoot her a freindly smile. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say it was you who stopped me from drowning, yes?" She drawled with the hint of a playful gleam in her eyes....despite almost drowning.

Hardly acknowledging the bitter sting of the water that nipped at her paws and pattered lightly upon herself, Keyni was pleased to find that the raven still had enough strength to hoist herself up onto more solid ground. Releasing her grip, the tundra mix stepped back, giving her some space. Sucking in a breath, she could only anticipate her response, be it grateful or aggressive. You never knew what kind of wolves you'd run into these days, regardless of a kind act. Fortunately for her, the reception was the former.

Shivering and soaking wet, she had still managed a wry little smile for the paler girl. In return, Keyni offered her classic, soft one. A gentle nod of her head followed. "Indeed it was." Her eyes roved over her shaking black coated body, unable to see the results of the biting ants. "Mind telling me what happened?" She asked. With a critical look, Keyni knew that something would have to be done to settle Lunaria's shivering, and quickly before she came down with a cold. "C'mon. There's a good layer of pine needles under the tree I was resting at. That should be enough to get you somewhat warmed up." She offered with a wave of her tail.

Lunaria continued looking toward the she-wolf who helped her out of the lake, feeling a bit flustered that she had even gotten into such an embarrassing situation in front of someone in her moment of franticness -- Luna felt like a big idiot right now (but hey, at least being bitten by ants and diving into a cold-ass lake got the attention of a really pretty girl, so that was a plus.)

Anyhow, the raven would take a moment to step back and shake off her pelt before turning her attention back to the woman. She offered to follow her to a nearby layer of pine needles, and the huntress happily obliged with a nod of her head. "Ah, you'll have to excuse me, If I knew someone was gonna watch me dive into the like and make a fool out of myself, I would've rubbed against a tree instead to save the embarrassment." She joked with a soft laugh while moving to the femme's side to follow her.

"I got bitten by a swarm of ants. Kinda panicked too, as you can tell..."

Had Keyni been a less tactful individual, she would have given little thought to inviting the pretty woman in close, to use her body heat as warmth. But she was a little more reserved than that, especially with strangers. Still, the offer was there as she settled down on the thick bedding of pine needles, leaving her flank open. 

She shook her head, modest. "Things happen that we can't always predict." She huffed in half amusement. "I recall a similar incident myself. Accidentally stepped on a wasp’s nest..." Her jade eyes settled down on a pale white front paw. Insect bites of any variety were a nasty thing to contend with. Looking over Lunaria with a soft scrutiny in her eyes, she tried to spot signs of redness through her thick fur. "I am no medic, but perhaps we should get you checked out, just in case?"

The raven felt herself cringe a bit at the mention of a wasp attack, knowing by experience how painful those bite can be -- seems Luna was an expert on pissing off mother nature then....

"Hopefully my packmates won't make fun of me afterwards when I return, but yes, I might need to get it checked out soon!" She probably wasn't going to share the details of what happened to her pack mates due to how humiliating this already was, but at least the huntress got to meet a possible new acquaintce out of it all. Speaking of which....."I don't think I caught your name yet?" Who was she speaking to right now?

"I have heard that some insect bites can cause a more severe reaction than usual, in some individuals." She commented, with no great deal of concern. "Better safe than sorry, I am sure your pack mates will understand. Perhaps one day you can all look back on it and have a laugh." At least she and Lunaria had something in common so far; bad experiences with stinging insects. 
Tipping her head towards her, she flashed a slight smile. "Oh, my apologies. Introductions aren't exactly the first thing on my mind when I am pulling another wolf out of freezing water." She jested gently. "I am called Keyni."

The she-wolf eventually introduced herself as Keyni -- Lunaria would remember her name readily in the future. She did save her from nearly drowning afterall. "Nice to meet you Kenyi. And again, thanks for saving me there." As they arrived to the layer of pines, she shuffled for a moment before eventually laying down on the blanketed flooring, glancing up at the delicate fae with a curious glance. "You're a lone wolf, yes? How'd you manage to get this far?"

"No trouble at all. Though I think you do owe me your name in return now, too." She jested lightly. "I can't just sit by and watch while a wolf succumbs to what would have been an icy death." She visibly shivered at that, imagining what a horrible way to go that would be. 

As Lunaria laid down, Keyni rose a soft brow in silent question, before shifting further onto her side, to scoot closer. Offering her the warmth of her thick winter coat. She had to admit, she missed the close contact of a pack. Of the warmth of multiple bodies huddled together in a den. "That's right, I am. There's a bit of a story behind it." She set her chin down over her paws, keeping her eyes upturned towards her companion conversationally. "I left my natal pack by choice. Their ways and mine...didn't match. About a year ago, I arrived here. I did spend some time with a pack, but a rockslide separated me from the group. I took that as sign to retrace my steps and see if I could re-connect with my family." She smirked wryly. "As you can tell by my being here, that...didn't work out so well."