nav skill: firefly lake

Nausicaa was growing, the first season of her life had flown by. She was becoming less of a fluffy pudgy lump and more of a miniature wolfess. Keeping her in the den was becoming an impossible task, but Myrrh had compromised, she would stay within sight of the lake. This wasn’t her favorite, but it got her the freedom she desired. Her gangly little form was too preoccupied with the snow to dwell on her constrictions though.

She decided she loved the snow. She was making snow tunnels and running around spraying giant clouds as her feet hit the ground. Nau’s laughter was an innocent peal over the ice. She hadn’t quite felt brave enough to test the solid surface yet. Of course it was still quite the temptation. She ran around a snow covered pine tree before returning to the edge of the lake, her bright eyes overlooking the pristine snow covered surface. All she wanted to do in that moment was run through it.

Torin was far from home today, taking the time to see to any shifts in the land of Boreas, he'd already skirted the borders of a pack he didn't know... though it was vaguely familiar to him and made a mental note to check in on them on his way back, but for now he was moving northward, a more roundabout route perhaps but he wanted to cover as much land as possible right now. Slowly the snow had been building as he moved, finding himself more and more ill-equipped to deal with it. Torin couldn't imagine what he'd find in the north. He'd never known any world but the deserts of the west for any prolonged amount of time. He'd made a foray into the north once before... and he was worried he'd be too cold to manage the north... maybe he ought to have waited for spring. These thoughts were interrupted by a peal of laughter, high and clear, like crystal. That of a pup. Torin stopped, his brow furrowing into a frown as he took a few deep breathes, scenting the air. There was a scent of a stranger... just one. What was a pup doing here by themselves? Slowly Torin shifted his course, concern washing over him as he sought out the source of those laughs. He was cautious though, keeping his attention on his surrounding in case it became clear the child was not in fact alone, he didn't exactly want to aggravate a protective parent. Talk Think

Bright blue eyes stared out over the frozen lake, there was no more mud now. Her paws were covered in the clinging cold. Nau didn’t care though, her coat was warm and her boundless energy kept her going. She took in a deep breath, the exhale causing a cloud of fog to surround her. She watched it disappear before setting her eyes to the lake and finally taking her first steps.

She was timid at first, placing one paw on the surface first, testing how solid it actually was. When she was confident it would hold her she placed another paw beside the first. She hopped a couple of times, leaving room to retreat should she need to. Nausicaa decided she was safe enough and suddenly burst forward, running over the ice. Her speed increased, and as she tried to stop she realized she was continuing. With wide eyes she slid further over the frozen surface.

With her heart racing in her ears she finally came to a stop in the middle of the lake. She grinned widely, looking around to see if anyone else might have seen her newest discovery. She was going to have a good time slipping and sliding out here.

As Torin moved closer it became more and more obvious to him that no guardians were around. The Pup for whatever reason was totally alone. He still proceeded with caution, finally seeing the child for the first time. She was sliding around on the frozen lake, and Torin watched for a moment, unsure. From the distance he was at he couldn't tell if the pup was stuck or playing, he couldn't make out her expressions. Slowly and as non-threateningly as he could Torin approached the frozen bank, he kept his tail and head low, abandoning all dominance in his posture. When he spoke he tried to keep his tone friendly while still making sure he could be heard by the pup. "Are you stuck?" Straight to the point, he wasn't about to mess around with a pup in potential danger. Talk Think

Nau was having the time of her tiny life, itty bitty paws skittered and slipped over the ice and she squealed in delight. She was starting to get used to the reduced friction, it was so different than the snow covered ground she was used to. Myrrh barely noticed the man appear at the edge of the ice, but even with her unobservant puppy-ness she looked up to him as he spoke. Was she stuck?

Nausicaa attempted to run, and comically as her stride increased the further she didn’t go. Instead of being worried she tried to run faster, but remained in the same place thanks to the ice. This caused her to go in to a giggle fit. She laughed and laughed until her sides hurt and she collapsed on the ice because she couldn’t move.

”Yes!” She managed to squeal out as she kicked her legs and rolled on the frozen lake in absolute joy.

For a moment of pure terror, Torin watched as the pup tried to move towards him, her legs moving but she wasn't going anywhere and he was ready to throw himself onto the ice, regardless of if it would hold his weight or not but then he heard her giggles and he relaxed. She called out an answer to him and Torin nodded, so she was stuck but it wasn't an issue... Yet. Slowly he put one paw on the edge of the ice, it groaned under his weight and the more brittle ice at the very edge of the lake did crack under him but otherwise, it held. He leaned onto his forepaw and tested the stability again. Then he put his other forepaw on the ice, sliding slightly so his rump was in the air. Then taking one last deep breath he moved entirely onto the sheet of ice and held his breath. He was still close enough to the safety of dry land if it gave out under his paws here he'd be fine. He waited, then when it seemed the ice would hold he began the slow, awkward shuffle towards the pup, trying to remain balanced and managing to do so but not without wobbling and nearly falling over most any time he moved. Talk Think