An Acquainted Swim [Open/Crystal]

[FireMist]

Eira stood at the shallow area of the lake, she had disobeyed the pack rules already, by not being accompanied by a male wolf. Although, she does believe those are some quiet foolish rules, not letting the females going wherever they please. Where they one useful for healing, or mating? Eira has been thinking a lot about this for the past days. It was sticking to her mind, and to add on top of all of that, her father has been annoying her more than usual. A red head and blue eyes fell into a cold, refreshing shock of liquid. A pink, long tongue rolled out, and gracefully started to lap up water. The red tails both moved slightly with the passing wind. The tip of the ash on the tails looked as if it was the only thing that was dark on this Lyxxus body. Her fur gleamed as the reflection of the water and the warm sun hit it, and her dirt brown ears matched the mud from recent rain not far off the shore.

For fall, it was a little warm. Without caring how cold the water was, Eira dunked her whole face in there before coming out full of energy. She had to run. Just had to.

That's exactly what she did.

Eira's paws lifted off the ground to run in the shallow water. It splashed on her tails, it splashed in her face. It was cold, yet refreshing. She felt free. Free from those boring worries, and surprisingly, her father hasn't talked to her all day. Maybe he was just messing with her other siblings. If they were even alive, that is. Then, she had to do it. Eira pounced onto a fish, but missed by a landslide. She rolled happily in the lake, smiling with the biggest smile. Yes, even though she was or in pack territory, she felt alive. She felt free.


[[Out of Character: It's short, I know, I was rushing, but good luck!]]

[Crystal]

Crystal wandered, exploring the land she had accidentally stumbled into. Her ears pricked with fear when she heard the splash. Her muscles tensed as she looked for the sound's cause. She slowly crawled toward the direction of the sound until she felt her hooves submerged in shallow water. She looked down at the water and sniffed. It was obvious another wolf was around. She asked herself in her mind if she was on pack land but she guessed the answer was yes. She looked father beyond her surroundings and saw a little bit of red, moving in the water. She got closer, trying to be quiet, but she slipped and fell into the water. Completely soaked, she quickly popped out again and wished she wasn't so clumsy. She kept moving forward in a submissive position now that she knew she must of been seen by this other wolf. She surveyed the wolf, very brightly colored red fur and two tails. Crystal didn't necessarily want to talk to the other wolf, it was just kind of a need to know where she was, and even if she was trespassing and needed to leave or not. She continued to approach the other wolf with her submission growing and growing. She was finally close enough to talk to the red wolf but she didn't know what to say. She thought a while, she knew it was awkward that she was just standing there, and then finally decided what to say. Then she found the courage to say it. "Hi, I'm Crystal. I came from the desert and I don't know where I am. Could you please help me?". She asked the question timidly and hoped this wolf would show kindness and not anger, for she was completely sincere.

[FireMist]

It took a while for Eira to notice there was a wolf in the territory. She stopped splashing, and saw an Eremus in a submissive position, and in the water next to her. Hi, I'm Crystal. I came from the desert and I don't know where I am. Could you please help me? Eira looked at the wolf and smiled. "Sure! I'm Eira! You're in the Enclave right now, but I could help you! I usually get lost, wandering out of the territory. Come on, let's get out of this water, it's getting cold." Eira smiled and started to jog back to the soft grass. She shook off, and then water went everywhere. It was on the trees, on the grass, everywhere. Eira stretched and then looked at the wolf, and twitched her ears, "I'll help you as much as I can, but the thing is, since you're in pack territory, you gotta be a little... Quiet. Who knows what'll happen if you were seen? I'm not even supposed to be out of the stupid area with a male to guide me somewhere. Eira sighed and then wagged her tails. Her red fur was so wet, it looked like dancing fire. Her brown ears were so wet, they looked like mud.


Eira then put her nose in the air to make sure no wolves were around, but she only did this for a few seconds, not really caring. She motioned with her head for the wolf to follow her, and Eira started to jog out of the area. When she turned around to talk to the wolf, her ears snapped. There was something moving, somewhere. They weren't the only ones there. By the hearing of it, it sounded like it the creature was small. A jackalope, maybe? No, a little bigger. Eira just ignored it, and began to speak, "Do you hear that? Or is that just me?" Eira looked around before continuing to walk. "By the way, what's it like being an Eremus? What does it sound like when you run? Have you ever seen a unicorn? What's it like being a loner? How's the desert? Is it hot? Eira had so many more questions, but she decided to keep them to herself.

It was taking a while, and Eira began to think if she should tell a pack member. Her kindness was too strong, and she wondered that if one day she would get hurt if she would continue. Eira continued to think as they walked up a hill, and when they got to the top, it was an overlook of the lake.

Eira smiled and let the breeze run through her fur, then she turned to the wolf again, "Wanna race down?" She smiled and wagged her tails as she turned around and looked down the hill.

[Crystal]

She gently trotted over to where Eira was and shrugged. "Sure we can race." she she said before she ran down the hill. But she tripped again and stopped sideways on the hill. She immediately stood back up and sighed. She turned away from the other wolf and frowned slightly. The desert. Everywhere she went and everything she saw reminded her of the desert. She tried to shake away the topic literally by shaking her whole body. A giant cloud of dirt flew off her and a few loose leaves and twigs fell out of her fur. She laughed a little bit and then turned around to face Eira. She accidentally inhaled some of the dirt and sneezed. "What's a unicorn?" she looked directly at Eira. She liked this wolf. She was a kind wolf who seemed to care about other's well being. Crystal wondered if she should leave, if she stayed and someone saw her she might get Eira in trouble and she didn't want such a kind wolf to get in trouble for her. The other wolf was carefree but Crystal knew she wasn't without fear. "Do you want me to leave? If what you say is true if anyone sees me you will get in trouble too. So I'll leave if you want me to."

[FireMist]

As the wolf started to run down, she ran down too. Then wolf then fell, and Eira gasped, "Are you okay? Crystal shook her fur to get rid of the topic, and Eira left it alone. When she turned to face Eira, she sneezed, and Eira smiled, "A unicorn looks like some sort of Eremus, but has a horn on its head. It isn't a wolf, it's just, a verry tall eremus almost." The next thing Crystal said, Eira had to think about for a bit. She sat down, and finally said, "Yes, it is true that if anybody sees you I could get in trouble, also, if anybody from my pack sees me alone without a male I could get in trouble, but you don't have to go. I want to prove what I can do to other wolves, and I want to help a friend" Eira smiled and wagged both of her tails, then, she heard the same noise again. She ignored it, but it didn't ignore her. So her father spoke. I bet it's either a bear or a wolf. Probably a wolf. I think it's a bear. Nah, it's a bear. To Eira's surprise, her father was right. It was a bear.

A black bear emerged from some trees, and almost instantly saw Eira and Crystal. Eira froze, not moving a muscle, then, trying not to move her mouth, she said to the Eremus, "Stay. Still. Told ya! The black bear also froze, but then he or she stood on its legs and held its nose high. The bear's fur was very dark, and his eyes were brown mixed with red. The next thing she knew, the bear was back on all fours and it was coming right towards them. Eira wanted to move now, but didn't.

Her tails twitched, and so did her ears. Her paws seemed to have a mind of their own, and all of a sudden, Eira shouted "Run. Run! She then started to run, and ran behind the bear. It was a dumb idea, yes, but she made a wide circle around it, and it gave a confused noise. It didn't know who to get, so it just sat down and roared.

[Crystal]

(Wait I'm confused, her father was there? Or was that in her head?)

[FireMist]

[Her father is in her head. He haunts her through her mind]

[Crystal]

(Oh okay. By the way I asked Nepara and she said that this could happen before I joined the Nyx.)

[FireMist]

[Okay]

[Crystal]

Eira's reply stood out to her. Yes, it is true that if anybody sees you I could get in trouble, also, if anybody from my pack sees me alone without a male I could get in trouble, but you don't have to go. I want to prove what I can do to other wolves, and I want to help a friend. She had just wanted to prove herself. She wanted to help a friend. Was she that friend? Did Eira just call Crystal her friend? Crystal had no other friends, she hadn't even seen any other wolves before Eira who wasn't her dead family. She blushed slightly but made sure that Eira couldn't see.
Then Eira's words hit her sharply. Run. Run! Crystal's ears shook and her legs took off. "I don't know where I'm going so I'll just follow you!" she told Eira who was already running. Then she saw Eira going around the bear. "What are you doing?" she asked still running after Eira. The bear sat and let loose a monstrous roar that scared Crystal half to death. She jumped almost strait into the air but somehow kept flying forward. When she landed she was lucky she didn't land face first, but instead she landed on her chest. She whimpered slightly but got up and kept running from the bear. "What is that thing?" she shouted to the bright red wolf ahead of her. She had never encountered a bear before. There were none in the desert and she was lucky enough not to see any when she was traveling.

[FireMist]

Eira kept on running for a long time, until she reached the edge of the territory. She stood there, panting with her pink tongue out. "That was... a bear... A black bear... I don't know if they eat wolves, but I bet they kill them. My sister once said they eat berries, but I wouldn't know." Eira looked at Crystal and smiled, she put a paw on the eremus's head, and then smiled again. "Thirsty? I know I am! Before you go, how about we find something to drink? I believe it'll be a long way to the desert anyway. Once you leave the territory, I would no longer be able to assist you. I cannot go out of the territory, so I would not be able to help. Although, I do believe I know where the desert is; but we'll cross that stream when we get there." Eira smiled at the wolf and started to walk to a nearby creek. It wasn't far, and it was very cold and refreshing in the fall.


What should I do? Why are you asking me? I wasn't. Oh. Well then I think you should just go to the creek and sleep. I said I didn't need your advice! Why, though? Because, sleeping is fun.


[Sorry it's short]

[Crystal]

Crystal stopped once Eira stopped. Her tongue flopped out of her mouth and she panted furiously. "Bear? It was huge. I don't care what it eats!" The red lyxxus placed its paw on her head. "While I am thirsty, I couldn't go back to the desert. Thanks for your offer though." she followed the other wolf to the close by creek. "Why do you put up with your pack if you hate the rules so much? Why don't you just leave them?" Crystal asked while walking. She approached the creek and looked at her reflection. She plopped her hoof down quickly and water splashed up into her face. She lowered her head toward the water and licked some up. When she had satisfied her thirst she walked into the creek and let the mud soak off of her hooves. Once they were mostly clean she stepped backwards and shook each individual one off. Mud flung at a nearby tree when she shook off the last one. She raised her hooves and admired their unusual cleanness. "I never thought I would see them this clean!" she joked. She smiled at the other wolf and again stepped into the creek. This time though she rolled onto her back and waved her tail and body through the water. She climbed out again and shook the water off of her whole body. Some loosened twigs fell out of her tan and brown fur. "Aww. . . That was my scratchy stick." she moaned childishly. Maybe I do have a pup in me still. Even after the desert I can be happy. She smiled at Eira and rubbed against her wiping water and mud against her. Crystal smiled mischievously and giggled.

[FireMist]

Eira rolled out her dry tongue and lapped up water before answering the wolf. The question shocked her, and she feared she would get in trouble if any wolves were lurking around. "Well, this is my first pack, and I don't want to go, as much as I hate the rules. Also, if I leave, I fear that they would hate me, and I would never be able to go around the territory again. Although, if I would go to another pack, it would be Children of Hvítur Ári." Eira smiled and then stretched, tired from the running. She then laid down in the creek, and chuckled as Crystal was surprised at how clean her hooves were. Eira closed her eyes, and the next thing she knew, mud and water were on her. Eira got up and shook, water and mud going everywhere. Then, she got out of the creek and rolled on the ground, getting mud, twigs, and dirt all over her fur. She growled playfully like a pup and wagged her tails, and then she pounced on the wolf, laughing. When Eira got up, she rubbed some of the dirt and twigs on Crystal. She jumped into the creek again, and started to splash water everywhere. Ever since Eira joined, she's never been able to play, or be herself. Maybe she should go.

She shook her head and smiled, again growling at her playmate playfully. Eira got into a play position, with her rump in the air and her tails wagging swiftly. Her tongue rolled out of her mouth as she gave out her pup-like smile. She splashed around again, barking in a high pitched tone. Eira moved around quickly, and laughed at how playful she was. She did a happy, strange dance, and laughed. She remembered how her brothers and sisters used to play with her like this, when their father wasn't there, of course. Oh how devilish he was. Always used to abuse them. Eira then forgot about all of that stuff, and remembered that it's over. That it'll never happen again. She then playfully tickled Crystal with her tails on the nose, and under her chin. Eira laughed and fell in the creek onto her back, she paused for a moment, but that made her laugh harder. Oh how she missed playing like this.

[Crystal]

She admired and understood Eira's answer "Well, this is my first pack, and I don't want to go, as much as I hate the rules. Also, if I leave, I fear that they would hate me, and I would never be able to go around the territory again. Although, if I would go to another pack, it would be Children of Hvítur Ári." although she didn't know who or what the Children of Hvítur Ári were other than using the context clues.
Eira pounced on her playfully and she rolled around on the ground actually acting her age. When Eira got into a playful position Crystal felt obligated to do the same. She smiled back at the already smiling Eira and danced around a little bit. The other wolf tickled her on the nose with both of its tails and Crystal sneezed. The other wolf fell over into the creek and then broke out into hysterical laughing. "What's so funny?" she too giggled a bunch too. She laid on her back in the creek next to Eira with her hooves hanging in the air above her. A wad of recolleted mud rolled down one of her hooves and fell and hit her on the stomach. She laughed and rolled over in the creek to wash it off. Then she sighed. "If only my life was like this all the time." she spoke her thoughts to the other wolf. She was sure she could share her thoughts with this other wolf now and so she did.

[FireMist]

After Eira got up, she giggled and then sat down, with a sigh. "Yeah, I wish my life was always like this, too." Eira batted at the wolf's ear playfully and got out of the water, shaking off the wetness of the creek. It was getting dark out, and Eira realized she was taking a big risk here, but she didn't mind. Her ears twitched as she yawned and stretched out her legs. She looked up, and the sun was going down. Eira let out another sigh, and looked at the wolf, "If you were to join a pack, which pack would it be?" Eira then thought of all of the pack leaders. She remembered that her brothers and sisters knew all of them together. Like, some knew Nepara, some knew Acelan, and so on. Eira remembered how each pack formed, and how the wolves looked like how they were today. She remembered how a lot of Sennyo think they're better than everybody. She remembered how Keiyou are always flying without a care.

"What is the desert like in the winter? Is the desert always hot? How did you get here?" Eira wanted to ask so much more, but didn't feel she was able to, for she was getting tired, and felt that she would annoy Crystal. Eira scratched the side of her neck with her back right paw, and yawned. Her tails thumped the ground, and her paws padded the ground silently. She then suddenly started to groom herself, getting all of the twigs out of her tails, and all of the clumps and dirt out of her side. Once she finished and was officially clean, she smiled at the wolf and rolled her shoulders before getting up for another drink. As she looked at the creek, she had to look at her reflection. Her eyes were blue, ears dirt brown, and fur warm, summer, red. The tips of her tails had gray on them, and she believes she admires that the most.

As she put one paw into the water, she put in her right paw, which was the darkest red of the rest of her fur. Blood red. Before she put it in the water, she saw a circle suddenly appear. Then another. Then another. It began to drizzle outside. Eira looked up into the cloudy sky. It was quite beautiful, as there was a sunset and the sky was half cloudy. Maybe a rainbow would appear? Eira shrugged as she didn't mind the soft rain and lapped up water, the smacking sound of her tongue hitting the water and the rain splashing into the water made Eira relaxed. She hasn't been in rain for a while, and she remembered how much she loved it.