wait no

The wiry furred lass was hesitant as she stood on the glittering sand bar. Would she dare? It was so tempting to explore up there, but what if the northern wolves ate her up? She whined with the weight of the decision, pacing back and forth from one edge of the sand bar to the other. The ocean had long since stained her toes, and her paws were collecting sparkling sand faster than a rotting carcass drew maggots. Audits lay back against her skull, trim skull lowered between her narrow shoulders. What should she do? The dove took a hesitant step forward, but stopped after that, the dark tip of her tail twitching. An irritated yap squeezed out of her throat, teeth clicking shut audibly as she stooped to glaring at the ocean. It was all the sea's fault. If it hadn't decided to change with the storm, she wouldn't be faced with this kind of temptation. 

Shaking the salty ocean air away from her, she continued to pace to and fro with increased agitation. There was a guillotine hanging over her head every second she was in the north, but how tempting it was. What kinds of strange places might lurk up there? Her tail was now whipping back and forth as she stared to the north with pained longing. Why must it be so tempting? She danced from foot to foot, twirling at a whim to see if it helped her make a decision. It didn't. Now she was just a grumpy explorer with sparkles in her curly coat. Frowning, she stared at the sand intently. If she stared hard enough, and really put her mind to it, she could make a decision, right?

Eventually, she decided; forget it, you only get one life, right? Off she went, plodding across the surf with grim determination. She would see at least some of the foreign north before she chickened out, yes. Her delicate toes touched lightly upon the sand, flawless strides honed from years spent almost entirely by the sea. Her wiry ruff danced in the breeze, and the twin ruby feathers behind her audit fluttered and danced with the whims of the air currents. As she closed in on the other side of the land bridge, her doubts resurfaced again. Was this really a good idea? Not really. Yes, she only had this life to live, but she would like to live it for a little while longer. Pausing near the end of the sand strip, she stared longingly at the other side. Whiskey coloured optics were sorrowful, but the rest of her knew this was a really crappy idea.

Without a second thought, she started barreling toward the land mass she knew as home. With the salty air rushing through her nostrils, it was hard to think there was anything bad in the world at all. She skidded to a halt in the middle of the land bridge, gazing at the crystalline water. She knew exactly how nice it would be to jump right in. Wiggling her haunches like a child, she sprung forth and dove beneath the waves. Ah, this was glorious. Much better than some silly, dangerous northern lands.