Part the Waters

Rain. Rain everywhere. It began with little warning, other than the threatening grey storm-clouds that had begun to fill the sky. Arella had been wandering on her own, somewhat oblivious to the impending danger; she wandered happily, without a care in the world. At first, as it began to pour, the water seemed fun. On her own she wandered near the borders of Valhallan territory, letting the rain soak her to the core. Her black fur clung to her small frame, making her look very much like a drowned rat -- but a happy, smiling one nonetheless. A smile seemed permanently plastered on her face, tail wagging behind her with startling speed.

Her Aunt called -- from a great distance away. Was the storm getting too bad, she wondered? Curious, she bounded forward, briefly pausing to shake some water from her coat. Not that it helped in the slightest, for the rain seemed incessant, almost as though it would never stop. Tongue lolled from the side of her mouth as she began to run forward, as fast as her small paws would carry her.

Everything seemed to change as she drew nearer. Here, the ground was softer, more unstable. She had been gone for a few hours at the most, and it seemed as though nearly half a foot of rain had accumulated in some spots! She grew more nervous as she got closer to the sounds of others, to the familiar scent of her Valhallan family members.

In a split second, she seemed to stumble forward, sliding and falling down a small hill. Though the land was relatively flat, the plains were sometimes uneven in areas -- and it seemed the rain accumulated in these uneven areas.

She always thought she was a good swimmer, but she felt much less capable as she found her body engulfed by a sudden burst of flood waters. "Help!" Arella suddenly shouted, hoping terribly that someone could hear her. Paws beat against the current as she struggled to keep herself afloat, limbs all lashing out to grasp for solid ground. Someone would surely have to help her, right?