Eiwen thought he felt a slight shift in the surroundings. He lifted his head from staring at the swiftly churning water beneath him and saw two other wolves on the bank, sunning on the rocks.
As he turned back to Meena he didn't realize the large branch that was being pulled towards him from upstream. He yelped as some of the thorns from the bush caught on his long belly fur.
That slight distraction was all the river needed. Eiwen's feet were swept out from undernear him and he splashed into the raging current. 's**t!' he exclaimed while trying to claw for a grip on the slick rocks again. His fur was saturated with water and it weighed him down more than he'd thought.
Wolves aren't meant for swimming any sort of distance or for any long periods of time, if he didn't find a way to steer himself back to shore soon he'd be too exhausted to keep at it. Eiwen fought the strong current to keep his sense of direction and to keep his head enough out of the chilling water. His muscles were already tensing from the cold seeping through his thick fur. He barked in frustration as he hit another rock, bruising his backside for the umpteenth time.
Finally a bend in the river led him closer to the bank and he grabbed onto a fallen tree with his powerful jaws. Using his forelegs he was able to partially pull himself out of the water enough to drape his torso over the log and crawl along it back to the dry shore.
Eiwen lay gasping and swallowing great breaths of air as he lay out on the sunny bank, his wet fur like a muddy mop around him. A bit of steel came to his eyes and he managed the strength to pull himself up to his feet and shake out his dark coat, sending muddy water spraying out around him.
He sneezed once, twice and then ran to roll in the sweet grass by the river bank to get rid of the dingy mud smell from his fur. When he finally got up his white paws and muzzle were streaked with green grass stains. He shook his head as he looked down his snout and saw the funny discoloration. 'Oh well, it's better than that smelly mud.'
He shook himself again for measure then barked once and set off at a run back upstream to where Meena had been jumping between stones and where the strangers he'd seen were presumably still situated.
~*~
Eiwen cocked his head at a curious angle. Had he just heard a voice? He spun around once and could not see anything then he saw her, on the other bank was the female he'd seen on the rocks.
'Funny thing, I guess I ended up on the wrong side of the river. He checked back upstream and circled in place once more. He finally shook his head to clear his confusion. He shrugged and dismissed the fact.
'...Except how am I supposed to get back over there? I remember that the rocks don't go all the way across the river and I didn't see any sort of natural bridge. Well s**t, what am I supposed to do now?' He tried wading out into the river until the current tuggled at his legs and rewet his belly fur. 'I don't think so...' he told himself as he'd thought it might be possible to swim across to the other side. 'Hmph....' He walked back to shore and sat there, pondering a way across.
All the other wolves were over of the far bank and he didn't want to abandon his new friend, Meena. 'Perhaps the rivers narrows further down? ...or do I try to climb the cliff by the waterfall..... urgh! Why is this so damn hard?!' He dug angrily into the wet dirt of the banks. Still venting he rammed his shoulder into a log, it moved when he fell against it with his weight. 'Huh? well, I guess that might work....'
~*~
[after Meena falls in]
'Crap!' Eiwen lunged forward as Meena slipped from the rocks. He rounded swiftly and sped back to fallen tree, carefully padding out onto the thin trunk. The fae's head bobbed under again and didn't come back up. 'No!' He pushed off from the log and splashed in only a few yards away from Meena.
He paddled with all his might and dove under the raging waters. The vague wolf shape was still too far away, he couldn't reach her. He let out his breath and sunk dangerously low into the current so he could push off from the streambed. Planting his strong hindlegs on the rocky bottom he propelled himself upwards, towards the floundering shape of his friend.
As he came up he grabbed Meena by the scruff as if she were a little pup and kicked furiously with his feet, barely breaking free of the waters surface. He let Meena go for a second and gasped for a few breaths of air before he grabbed back onto her scruff again to hold her head up.
The brute coughed and sputtered as water got in his nose and parted mouth. 'Damn!' He hissed through chattering teeth and mouth full of fur. The shore was still so far away and he was already exhausted and his limbs were going numb from the cold. Meena slipped from his grip for a second and he barked frantically, hoping the other wolves might come and help.
Anything would be a miracle right now. Eiwen thought as they were pulled further down river into a swifter portion of the rapids. Large rocks poked above the water and caused little bulged on the water's churning surface. Eiwen's eyes widened in fear and he found the adrenaline rush he needed for another attempt. He scooped up Meena and kicked furiously for the nearer shore, luckily it was the shore the other wolves were on and maybe, just maybe they'd make it out of this yet....
~*~
Eiwen barked in surprise and fear as Meena slipped from his jaws yet again. He peered underwater and couldn't see her. Fear spread through him and he dove clear under. He managed to pull back up just in time to avoid a collusion with a submerged boulder.
A slightly different lump on the water's surface caused Eiwen's heart to catch in his throat. 'Meena!' Her limp body was floating atop the water's tumultuous surface. He launched off from another rock, hitting a few more as he splashed towards the unconcious she-wolf.
The water flippd him over wrong and he hit another rock hard with his foreleg. He heard a crunching sound and pain shot up his leg. Wincing, he clenched his teeth and ignored the agonizing pain. Using his back legs more than his front now, he got close enough to Meena and saw that she was just unconcious, but barely holding on. He grabbed her again by the scruff and pulled with all the strength he had left in him. The rapids were a sure sign for another waterfall up ahead as the water quickened its pace. However, the river also gave them an advantage, it had gotten a lot shallower and they weren't as far from the shore anymore.
Eiwen went for the final thrust and pushed them into slower waters shelters by overhanging branches. He paddled limply until they caught in the grasp of the branches. The pull of the river no longer an issue, he managed to nudge Meena in front of him until he reached the bank and limped onto the muddy slope, pullling the she-wolf behind him by the scruff.
Eiwen just managed to pull Meena's limp body onto the grass farther up before he collapsed with a shrieking yip. His foreleg was bent at an unnatural angle and a small bone fragment protruded through the skin. He whined and barked as he tried to pull himself up from the mud, but to no avail. He flopped down half onto the grass, his hindquarters lolling on the muddy bank. He shifted a little closer to Meena and saw that she was breathing, thank the moon. He tried to curl closer around her body to keep her warm despite their drenched fur but it did no good. He, himself, started to shiver. At first it was just a slight chill, but it escalated into a racking quiver all over his body. He pulled himslef inwards and tried to ignore the pain, the cold, and the sinking feeling that they were impossibly helpless. He was unable to move and Meena wasn't responsive. Eiwen lay his muzzle down with a whimper and a heavy cloud passed over him as he blacked out.
As he turned back to Meena he didn't realize the large branch that was being pulled towards him from upstream. He yelped as some of the thorns from the bush caught on his long belly fur.
That slight distraction was all the river needed. Eiwen's feet were swept out from undernear him and he splashed into the raging current. 's**t!' he exclaimed while trying to claw for a grip on the slick rocks again. His fur was saturated with water and it weighed him down more than he'd thought.
Wolves aren't meant for swimming any sort of distance or for any long periods of time, if he didn't find a way to steer himself back to shore soon he'd be too exhausted to keep at it. Eiwen fought the strong current to keep his sense of direction and to keep his head enough out of the chilling water. His muscles were already tensing from the cold seeping through his thick fur. He barked in frustration as he hit another rock, bruising his backside for the umpteenth time.
Finally a bend in the river led him closer to the bank and he grabbed onto a fallen tree with his powerful jaws. Using his forelegs he was able to partially pull himself out of the water enough to drape his torso over the log and crawl along it back to the dry shore.
Eiwen lay gasping and swallowing great breaths of air as he lay out on the sunny bank, his wet fur like a muddy mop around him. A bit of steel came to his eyes and he managed the strength to pull himself up to his feet and shake out his dark coat, sending muddy water spraying out around him.
He sneezed once, twice and then ran to roll in the sweet grass by the river bank to get rid of the dingy mud smell from his fur. When he finally got up his white paws and muzzle were streaked with green grass stains. He shook his head as he looked down his snout and saw the funny discoloration. 'Oh well, it's better than that smelly mud.'
He shook himself again for measure then barked once and set off at a run back upstream to where Meena had been jumping between stones and where the strangers he'd seen were presumably still situated.
~*~
Eiwen cocked his head at a curious angle. Had he just heard a voice? He spun around once and could not see anything then he saw her, on the other bank was the female he'd seen on the rocks.
'Funny thing, I guess I ended up on the wrong side of the river. He checked back upstream and circled in place once more. He finally shook his head to clear his confusion. He shrugged and dismissed the fact.
'...Except how am I supposed to get back over there? I remember that the rocks don't go all the way across the river and I didn't see any sort of natural bridge. Well s**t, what am I supposed to do now?' He tried wading out into the river until the current tuggled at his legs and rewet his belly fur. 'I don't think so...' he told himself as he'd thought it might be possible to swim across to the other side. 'Hmph....' He walked back to shore and sat there, pondering a way across.
All the other wolves were over of the far bank and he didn't want to abandon his new friend, Meena. 'Perhaps the rivers narrows further down? ...or do I try to climb the cliff by the waterfall..... urgh! Why is this so damn hard?!' He dug angrily into the wet dirt of the banks. Still venting he rammed his shoulder into a log, it moved when he fell against it with his weight. 'Huh? well, I guess that might work....'
~*~
[after Meena falls in]
'Crap!' Eiwen lunged forward as Meena slipped from the rocks. He rounded swiftly and sped back to fallen tree, carefully padding out onto the thin trunk. The fae's head bobbed under again and didn't come back up. 'No!' He pushed off from the log and splashed in only a few yards away from Meena.
He paddled with all his might and dove under the raging waters. The vague wolf shape was still too far away, he couldn't reach her. He let out his breath and sunk dangerously low into the current so he could push off from the streambed. Planting his strong hindlegs on the rocky bottom he propelled himself upwards, towards the floundering shape of his friend.
As he came up he grabbed Meena by the scruff as if she were a little pup and kicked furiously with his feet, barely breaking free of the waters surface. He let Meena go for a second and gasped for a few breaths of air before he grabbed back onto her scruff again to hold her head up.
The brute coughed and sputtered as water got in his nose and parted mouth. 'Damn!' He hissed through chattering teeth and mouth full of fur. The shore was still so far away and he was already exhausted and his limbs were going numb from the cold. Meena slipped from his grip for a second and he barked frantically, hoping the other wolves might come and help.
Anything would be a miracle right now. Eiwen thought as they were pulled further down river into a swifter portion of the rapids. Large rocks poked above the water and caused little bulged on the water's churning surface. Eiwen's eyes widened in fear and he found the adrenaline rush he needed for another attempt. He scooped up Meena and kicked furiously for the nearer shore, luckily it was the shore the other wolves were on and maybe, just maybe they'd make it out of this yet....
~*~
Eiwen barked in surprise and fear as Meena slipped from his jaws yet again. He peered underwater and couldn't see her. Fear spread through him and he dove clear under. He managed to pull back up just in time to avoid a collusion with a submerged boulder.
A slightly different lump on the water's surface caused Eiwen's heart to catch in his throat. 'Meena!' Her limp body was floating atop the water's tumultuous surface. He launched off from another rock, hitting a few more as he splashed towards the unconcious she-wolf.
The water flippd him over wrong and he hit another rock hard with his foreleg. He heard a crunching sound and pain shot up his leg. Wincing, he clenched his teeth and ignored the agonizing pain. Using his back legs more than his front now, he got close enough to Meena and saw that she was just unconcious, but barely holding on. He grabbed her again by the scruff and pulled with all the strength he had left in him. The rapids were a sure sign for another waterfall up ahead as the water quickened its pace. However, the river also gave them an advantage, it had gotten a lot shallower and they weren't as far from the shore anymore.
Eiwen went for the final thrust and pushed them into slower waters shelters by overhanging branches. He paddled limply until they caught in the grasp of the branches. The pull of the river no longer an issue, he managed to nudge Meena in front of him until he reached the bank and limped onto the muddy slope, pullling the she-wolf behind him by the scruff.
Eiwen just managed to pull Meena's limp body onto the grass farther up before he collapsed with a shrieking yip. His foreleg was bent at an unnatural angle and a small bone fragment protruded through the skin. He whined and barked as he tried to pull himself up from the mud, but to no avail. He flopped down half onto the grass, his hindquarters lolling on the muddy bank. He shifted a little closer to Meena and saw that she was breathing, thank the moon. He tried to curl closer around her body to keep her warm despite their drenched fur but it did no good. He, himself, started to shiver. At first it was just a slight chill, but it escalated into a racking quiver all over his body. He pulled himslef inwards and tried to ignore the pain, the cold, and the sinking feeling that they were impossibly helpless. He was unable to move and Meena wasn't responsive. Eiwen lay his muzzle down with a whimper and a heavy cloud passed over him as he blacked out.
