Not today Death

Drachen jolted to consciousness sputtering and gagging on sea water that had made its way into down his throat before heaving the watery contents into the sand before him. The black and tan brute groaned and rolled over into his tan belly as his world still seemed to rock and shift like he was still clinging to the wooden raft at the mercy of the ocean tides. It nearly took all of his will power to flutter his oceanic blue eyes open before shutting them once more when the morning light hit him. "Fuck...." he groaned hoarsely, grimacing  as the use of his voice burned from both the sea water and dehydration. The Vaekhal male allowed himself a few more moments to lay on the beach as he cleared his head as best he could before opening his eyes once more. Blinking heavily before they finally decided to focus, he met a pair of golden eyes staring at him intently, causing him to jerk his head up in surprise. A female red tailed hawk perched on one of the large driftwoods that he had clung to, her frame haunched as she studied him.  "Sorry... I won't be your breakfast today." his rough but hushed voice rumbled to the bird of prey but the bird still did not seem so sure as she only clutched her talons harder on her perch. Drachen wrinkled a lip to flash a fang of defiance towards the bird before he shifted his black paws underneath him and slowly got to his paws. His pink tongue swiped over his tan lips as another wave of nausea rolled over him but fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, his stomach was empty and he could not bring anything up.

The male, then slowly drew in a breath once he was sure he was not going to fall or heave and lifted his head to observe his surroundings, still feeling the hard stare of the hawk. It seemed he had washed up in a bay with high cliffs on one side and a forest in front and to his other side. With the sun just peeking over the horizon, he could not see deeper into the forest and his burning nose refused to pick up any scents on the air besides that ungodly ocean smell. He had no way of telling if he had washed up on some pack land or if there even was another wolf or larger predators around. But honestly, his main concern was finding some sort of water, so he forced his weak legs to move his body towards the trees in front of him, praying to whatever Gods that were listening that he would find fresh water. And it seemed that his prayers were answered as the storm that had deposited him on this sandy shore had rained and left a decent puddle and he did not think twice about shoving his face into the fresh water and drinking. He was on his way to gorging himself when the sharp cry of the hawk had him snapping his head up to the raptor with bared fangs. The bird had followed him from the edge of the sea to the forest line. Drachen was too tired to try and scare the hawk away and he slumped to his belly and rested his head on his dark paws. His fur felt disgusting from all the seawater that had dried on his pelt but he was too tired to try and bath it off and just took a moment to just appreciate the feeling of his body slowly rehydrating.