Attack of Panic

is this really necessary...

Finally, the dead of winter had passed, taking the icky sticky mud with it that his twin insisted on covering him with. Spring was going to bring normal weather back, right? Hopefully, he didn't know how much more he could take of washing himself in freezing cold water. It was a breath of fresh air; quite literally. Gus couldn't be more thankful of the change of weather, but spring brought more than just that. They were a year old now, a fact that made his chest puff out with pride as he wandered aimlessly. His steps were high as he nearly pranced forward, a whole year old now! It was a cause to celebrate, however, he had lost track of Amaranth. It wouldn't be fair to do anything without her, not that he did anyways. His studly stroll stopped as he gave more pause, carefully sniffing at the wind. He was sure that she had headed this way, the boy had thought that he picked up on a familiar scent at least. Had he really let himself get distracted? A frown erased his previous glee, ears pulling back against his mottled head. She was going to get him for this, Astra had no doubt of that. Blowing out a heavy sigh, he continued onward. Might as well cover some ground, his twin was a quick one.

Carefully avoiding a puddle that had gathered, the boy picked his way through the grass. To his horror, he looked up with wide blue eyes to see the marsh started to extend before him, carrying gross water, and of course, mud. Gus physically recoiled, darting backwards towards a patch of dry land. He was much more distracted than usual, now that he was focused, he cursed at himself for not hearing the call of birds ahead of him. They dotted the horizon now, herons picking their way with ease though the wetlands. He scowled at them, catching the gaze of one as he strolled by, a fish dangling in its mouth. "How could you even live here?" He asked with distaste, face wrinkling up to show his true feelings. He completely forgot about the scent of his family, trying to instead figure out if he should just turn back, or somehow pick a safe passage through. There was an island of sorts in the middle, a dangling willow blocking the view of what it could hold. He fought with his curiosity and his need to stay away from the plagues that could be swirling in the waters below. Licking as his now dry lips, Astralagus let out a soft whine, dancing from paw to paw. Damn it all, why did water have to carry so many things that could harm him? It would be easy to just charge through if he didn't know the horrors of what lay below. He knew that Mara would have barreled through without a care in the world, and at the moment, he envied her reckless abandon. Darn his need for knowledge, life would be easier without knowing all the things he did, what a burden to bare...

Astralagus Adonis Adravendi