the changing tides of seasons [private]

[Arie]

-- @bmkmb --

Her shoulders had begun healing enough... somewhat? for her to be able to walk albeit with help. And that help came in the form of Talonstone. She would never get used to that name of his would she? He would still and always be her Frosty. Because as far as she was aware, his fur hadn't changed colour has it? And neither Talon nor Stone represented the whiteness of his fur, but well, Stone did represent his brittle attitude still. Nevertheless, Doep,- Doetuft. Yeah, she was still getting used to the new name and all. It was rather confusing going from reacting to one name and then been expected to be fully comfortable with her new name in a matter of moments. So leaning against Fro.. oh goodness no. She was fully prepared to call him Frostpaw again. This was exactly what she'd just been complaining about! Shaking her head with mild annoyance and flickering her tail, she leaned against Talonstone as they continued their walk. Where were they even going? Hunting had been the plan... but she knew very well she was still unable to hunt in her own state. Oh yeah, she was being brought along for company. And also to somehow help out her... no that was too complicated to think of, she was brought along to help him out where he to pull a 'oh im going to faint' move again. Which seemed kind of ridiculous considering she was the one who needed help just to walk around semi properly. However hearing the small trickling of a stream, she stopped, then took a few more tentative steps before feeling the bank underneath her paws and digging her claws into the ground, feeling more shaky than anything. Streams... rivers, lakes. They weren't her friend. She much rather preferred puddles and even stepping in them could sometimes be unnerving for the blind cat. How did you know where it ended? when it stopped? She didn't know. "It's.. a stream... correct? Why... did you bring... me here?" The answer soon dawned on her but she still stood stiff, leaning heavily against her hind legs and taking her weight off Snowflake's side despite the pain it was causing her. No way was she risking falling in. Not like she expected Snowflake to push her in... but you had to be ready for the unexpected. "I'm... not going.. in." No way in hell was she risking that.

[nocturnal]

@Arie

Talonstone was very tempted to drop Doep- Doetuft onto the ground and run off to explore. For the first time being allowed into the territory without supervision, this was not what the white ap... warrior had been expecting. Then again, they weren't even in the pine forest that he had grown to enjoy. This territory was strange and wild... although he had to admit, the mixed species of trees and the unfamiliar flowers made for nice scenery. The weather was cooling down already. Soon, it would be leaf-fall again - the large tom's favorite season. At Doep- tuft's sudden shake and flick of her tail, Talonstone turned and wondered what the molly was thinking about. Personally, the newer warrior was questioning how this hunting thing was supposed to work. It wasn't like Doe... tuft could chase after prey anyway, not if she couldn't even walk on her own. Talonstone didn't even know where they were headed; he was probably going to get the two of them lost sooner or later. The gradual trickle of something, followed by the sound of rushing water, had the warrior's ears pricking up in controlled excitement. They must be nearing a river... or a stream. Soon, Talonstone was able to see that it was the latter. At Doep- tuft's question, Fr- Talonstone replied stayed silent. He wasn't sure why. He had simply gotten curious when he heard the trickle of water. Unlike some cats, Talonstone enjoyed streams and rain. The feeling of being soaked to the bone was something that couldn't be beat. Why... was Doetuft acting so scared? Ah, right... blindness and water didn't really mix. An idea dawning in his mind, Talonstone took a few steps towards the stream, wading into the shallow section of the running water. He plunged his head into the clear liquid, scanning along the floor before resurfacing and shaking his fur out. It turned out that the stream wasn't that deep. He could likely touch the bottom of the deepest point with his tail if he happened to be rearing up on two legs while still keeping his nose above water. Turning to Doetuft from the shallows, Talonstone meowed, "It's not deep. This part of the stream barely reaches my underside."

[Arie]

-- @bmkmb --

Uh... no. Sitting down in order to avoid toppling into the stream, Doetuft listened as it seemed Talonstone was enjoying the water. Was he seriously going to attempt get her in there? Had he forgotten the fact that her senses got completely messed up by water? Flickering her ears in slight nervousness she just listened for now. In truth she'd forgotten her companions love for water. It was such a strange thing when it came to it. He was a Shadowclan cat, a warrior no less now, and still he was comfortable splashing around and having fun in it? The cat who it seemed struggled to have fun and enjoy anything was acting like a kit, or so it sounded, in the water and she couldn't help her huff of amusement at the thought of imagining the white tom jumping around and splashing in the stream. Shaking her head somewhat she couldn't help but move a bit further forward, digging her claws into the ground still to make sure that every single movement was controlled and secure. She wasn't going to go into the stream. No way. Not used to being the one who wasn't up for something ridiculous did leave the molly dumbfounded for a bit but she was now sitting on the bank and reached down with a paw, fumbling as she couldn't sense where the water started and how far it was. Feeling something she reached a bit further and then drew her paw back shocked. She had reached the water after all... and it was cold. Shaking her paw she hoped at least some of it would splatter back onto Talonstone. Was he seriously expecting her to get into that cold ass stream? Eyes slightly wide at the bare thought Doetuft pushed herself a bit further away. "Are you... expecting me... to come... into.. the stream?" Nope.. that wasn't happening. It was cold and add in she wouldn't be able to sense anything, it seemed more like asking for an early death than anything. 'Doetuft, died few days after her warrior ceremony from drowning.' Good job. But she knew, that Snowflake knew her well enough to somehow do so she ended up in the stream on her own accord. A determined glint now reaching her eyes she directed it towards Snowflake. "Its not.. if its deep or not. It disorientates me... no matter what." Her voice had gotten better without anything happening or was that just a steady improvement?

[nocturnal]

@Arie

The white-furred warrior greatly enjoyed water. He didn't mind the rain, nor bodies of the clear-blue liquid. He preferred running water, especially when it was freezing. For what reason, Talonstone didn't know. From all his past experiences with water, one would think that he would rather avoid it, but that wasn't the case. Back during his earlier days of being an apprentice, Talonstone had had his first taste of stream... literally. To put it simply, getting shoved into a rushing stream in the middle of leaf-bare by a clumsy mentor wasn't the best first experience. Regardless of his fur, the apprentice had been soaked and freezing when he had washed back onto land... which was possibly a fluke. He should've drowned or something normal, but the stars had been laughing at his panic that day, so of course they would have to let him live. His next eventful experience with water was with Lionpaw and Ravenpaw, making it much more enjoyable, although not much less traumatizing. The water had still been cold in the beginnings of newleaf, and somehow an attempt to catch fish had turned into swimming lessons. As it turned out, swimming lessons should be taken in lakes or pools of still water, not in enraged rivers overflowing from snowmelt. Moving on, though. Was he expecting Doetuft to come into the stream? Not really, although he hoped she would. He could always push her in to prove that water was nothing to fear. That's right, he had completely forgotten about the disorientation. That was a decent excuse, but not really. "Are you more disoriented near water or blood?" Talonstone asked. It was possible that the former was the correct answer, but that wasn't stopping him from getting Doetuft to at least stand in the shallows of the stream. "Disoriented or not, unless you manage to fall face-first into the water and are unable to get up, then you will not drown, nor will you be swept away." Then, an amusing idea came to mind. "You could always hold onto my tail whilst in the stream. All of the shallows are the same depth and I will not head farther out should you choose to enter." Did he expect Doetuft to come in? Not really. It was simply an option. Kicking at the water, Talonstone sent a few wild droplets splashing in Doetuft's direction.

[Arie]

-- @bmkmb

Water in her face. There was water in her face. Shaking her head in an attempt to get the droplets away from her, she sent a glare Talonstone's way. That hadn't be nice nor welcomed. Water was a beast in itself, especially for a blind cat. Not to add in the fact that if it was cold she could risk getting any variety of diseases from the cold. Don't go jumping into water in general. It wasn't exactly Doetuft's forté. Paws tapping the ground slowly, she licked the front paw that had accidentally ended up in the stream. It was cold. No matter what he was saying. Unlike her companion the tabby warrior had no long fur and was barely able to produce enough winter fur to keep her warm during the cold seasons. What might be cold for her could be even warm for Frosty. Rubbing her face, already feeling like this discussion would only end up when she either fell into the water or she went in herself, Doetuft felt like giving up. Letting out a loud huff, a sound she'd begun to make far too often while in Snowflake's company, she thought about his first question. "Blood... disorientates mainly... from scent. It overs up.. nose and feeling near your... face. Water... removes... your sense of... balance. Where... everything is. You... feel like... you don't... know up and.. down. Like.. you could get washed... away at... any moment." At least she tried to explain it and probably did quite the poor job at it. Her fear of water only seemed natural. Or at least to her, it was natural. Falling face-first into water? That seemed almost too easy! Was it that easy to go drowning? "And... what's preventing me... from slipping and... falling face... first into water?" She wouldn't be able to see where she was placing her paws! Nor if it was going deeper or more shallow... this just seemed like some dangerous as hell adventure that Frosty was dragging her out on. At least she wouldn't die alone... that would be a bonus right? "And whats.... saying I can... get up? I might be.. swept away before... I can get up!" Yep, she was trying her hardest to avoid going into the water. "The one... who cannot... stand on... her own... standing up... in a river? I'm... sorry Snowflake but... it sounds like a... really really bad idea." More excuses, and more excuses... and then? What was that? Did she hear correctly? Unable to resist she cocked her head and put a paw up behind her ear to emphasize her question, "What.. was that? Snowflake.. being... willing to... instigate contact?" It was becoming a rare occurrence, it mainly being her who instigated it. "What's.. preventing me from... dragging you with... me, if.. that was... to be.. the case?" She was at least considering it... which was a step from being completely unwilling to go in at first. Could she maybe just... sit in the stream? No... cause she would risk being washed away that way.

[nocturnal]

@Arie

So the great Doetuft was not scared of cats with malicious intent or dangerous battles, but could not stand - and refused to stand in - water. It was almost as amusing as his dislike of mud and frogs. While the white tom was very tempted to throw a good-natured jab at his friend, he decided that this was not the best time for that. Besides, Doetuft had a good reason to be wary of water. It would be rude of him to make fun of the tabby for that. After having stood in the water for quite some time now, he was beginning to grow used to the temperature and it was starting to warm up. It hadn't been very cold in the first place, just on the slightly chilly side. Then again, Talonstone's fluffy fur insulated him and he was comparing this to a river during leafbare. Obviously, the latter would've frozen anyone to the bone. Noticing Doetuft's paw lick, the warrior took a chance to speak up, "It becomes warmer the longer you stay in." He quieted down as Doetuft explained the differences between deep red and clear blue, taking the time to listen but also to lay down in the water, stretching himself out. The stream was running, yes, but it seriously was that shallow. Besides, after taking swimming lessons in a raging river, he was fairly sure that this placid stream would cause no problems. "You're sense of balance is removed, not your ability to touch," Talonstone pointed out. "Can you not tell where the earth is? It should be similar to walking in mud." At least, that's what he thought. Because regardless of the ability to see, gravity still existed. A cat could still feel which way was up or down, especially if they were making physical contact with the floor. "If the need arises, I am capable of pulling you back to your paws," the white warrior added. He had experience pulling cats through water. He would rather not think of why he had that specific experience. At Doetuft's concern about being swept away, Talonstone resisted his urge to sigh. While the tabby molly was nowhere near his size or weight, she definitely wasn't light enough to be pulled by the stream. "The water is not moving fast enough to carry a pebble," the tom meowed dryly, kicking up a pebble from the shallows just it prove it to himself. Said pebble did move, but only slightly before sinking back onto the ground. "This might be quite surprising, yet I am fairly sure that you are heavier than a pebble." It was supposed to be easier to stand in water! Didn't the crystal liquid assist in supporting one's strength? Talonstone refrained from grumbling to himself at Doetuft's refusal. "You will not be washed away; you will not drown," the warrior meowed in a confident, reassuring, and slightly exasperated tone. "I will not allow the stream to claim you." Well, he had not expected that to come out of his mouth. Why had it? Oh, whatever. He could think about that strange declaration later. "The stream is not powerful enough to drag you away, let alone the both of us. I do know how to swim." Guardians, he was on his stomach in the water and still touching the floor! Even if a cat managed to trip here, they shouldn't have any issue getting back on their feet. Why was it so hard to convince Doetuft to just get in?

[Arie]

-- @bmkmb --

Was she seriously considering it? Yeah... She didn't want to be absolutely terrified of falling into rivers anymore... or streams for that sake. Not that she had any intention to get used to the water but maybe just... maybe? Doetuft was stuck. For once she wanted to try, but also... it still made her quite uncomfortable just the thought. Flickering her ears steadily as she tried to come up with another good excuse to avoid the water, and failed she let out a small sigh. Snowflake was right with all his points, and she had no good reason to avoid it. Outside of not wanting to get wet and have the cobwebs over her wounds washed off but that wouldn't be... reasonable enough. "Don't... make me.. drown," she couldn't help but mutter as she slowly lifted herself from the ground, shaking a bit with her still recovering wounds but nevertheless the tabby molly leaned back and then began feeling around on the edge... or was it a bank for that sake? She didn't know. Slowly getting an idea of where the drop to the stream was she put a tentative paw into it, quickly pulling it out. It was still cold! Deciding that she was likely going to be pushed in if she didn't take the first steps herself, she shuffled her way closer to the bank of the stream, now sitting on the complete edge of the water. This was going to go so wrong. It was going to go so very wrong and she was nervous to say the least. It wasn't every day you make your way to rest in a stream! Or maybe it was for others but it wasn't for her! Slowly making her way into the stream, one paw after the other, and eventually lying in it... because standing was still extremely taxing on her shoulders and she did want to be able to make her way back to their camp. However she had heard Snowflake's words and let out a scoff, "I would... like to think... I am heavier... than a pebble... preferably. Otherwise.. I might.... need to start... eating fish. To become... heavier." Apparently that was what made you fat, fish. Or was chunky a more... fitting word for that? Not like she wanted to get into a whole overthinking about the correct word... again. Tail twitching she'd held it above the water, wanting at least one part of her not to end up completely covered in water, she couldn't help but want to get her revenge back. But it was... unnerving. Her tail she'd kept on the bank so she would know where it was, but if she let it go... she wouldn't know where the bank was. That was the most worrying concept about being in a stream or a river for that sake. Being unable to see the bank you wouldn't know if you were walking further away from it or closer to it. It could be an extremely wide stream for all she knew and would take her forever to reach the other side! Sighing she sent a small look Snowflake's eyes, not exactly happy but... not unhappy either. "I got... in... didn't I?" She had! and that had to be worth something. Not like she wanted a reward but... she wanted some acknowledgement. Who didn't? But... his words. "You? wont allow the stream... to claim me?" She couldn't help the huff of laughter which turned into a coughing fit as she accidentally had dropped her maw too low and somehow? she didn't know, had managed to get water into her nose. But deciding to just quickly drop in... something vital? important? Something that Frosty probably deserved to know when it came to blindness and water. "I.. need to know... where the bank.. is. If... I lift my tail... off it, I could... end up extremely... lost. I can... feel the pebbles yes... but I cannot see... the bank. So I won't... know... if I'm... walking to a bank... tree lengths away... or if it... is just... right in front... of me." In truth... now that she was in the water, that was the only thing that worried her. The being unable to find the bank. At least that was an improvement. "How... can you get used... to this?" Was it any easier with sight? She didn't know but maybe that too was worth asking. "How... does the stream... look from... your perspective?" To her it was wide... worrying and something to be admired, but from a safe distance. Not inside it.

[nocturnal]

@Arie

The white warrior watched Doetuft curiously from his place in the stream, wondering whether his words had made a difference. Although his debating skills certainly weren't the best, he was still capable of being convincing at times. Hearing the tabby molly's mutter, the large tom rose, fighting to push down the accomplished smirk that had rebelliously slipped onto his maw. Once he was sure that he was perfectly composed, the warrior walked - waded, he supposed - over to the stream's bank, standing far away enough to give Doetuft room, but close enough to assist in case she actually did manage to fall over. His eyes danced with amusement as the other warrior poked at the water. It was like introducing a kit to a puddle, not that he'd ever witnessed such an curious event before, other than the time where he had been the kit. His first experience with a puddle had ended quite quickly, however, as an enraged foxheart had soon grabbed him by the scruff to throw him beside the nest in the nursery, all while complaining viscously about white pelts and their incessant need for grooming. Said grooming that, of course, Talonstone had never actually received. Taking a step back as Doetuft laid down in the running water, the white warrior barely refrained from rolling his eyes at the molly's retort. First smirking and now this? What, did water somehow unlock some hidden, snarkier part of him? "I was not aware that fish made cats fat," the tom remarked nonchalantly. If it was true - which he seriously doubted - then that would explain many, many things about rivercats, or fishfaces, as they were sometimes called. If anything, it was lack of movement that resulted in overweight warriors, as proved by the chunkiness of certain elders. An overweight warrior was just as good as a dead warrior. Pudgy cats were unfit for just about anything from hunting to battling. They might as well all be kittypets. Talonstone despised the suffix of -pudge because such a word should never be even remotely necessary to describe a clan cat. Guardians, not even loners could be fat! They would never survive alone in the forest if so. Kittypets and only kittypets could possibly stand being chubby; fat cats simply did not belong in the wild. Talonstone's gaze was drawn to Doetuft's tail, which was obviously sticking out of the water and seemed to be attached to dry land. "You did," the warrior agreed impassively, staring bemusedly at the limb. He felt slight embarrassment as Doetuft repeated his words, only to blink, startled, as the molly began coughing. Well... she wasn't exactly drowning, so that was something. The tabby needed to know where the bank was so that she could get out... right. And Talonstone needed to help her find a way around that. "Water always flows downstream. As long as you are walking perpendicular to the current, you are getting closer to the bank. The center of the stream is always the deepest, so if the water is rising, you are headed the wrong way. The current is also stronger near the center." Was that enough information? Would it help? What if Doetuft found herself in the water one day and no one was around to help? After learning to swim, water had never again been an issue for Talonstone. It was likely a different story for other cats, however. How had he gotten used to this? Being forcibly pushed into rivers mid-leafbare made for surprisely effective motivation for learning how to swim. That likely wasn't a tale that Doetuft wanted to hear, unless she was awaiting his response? The tom opened his mouth to say something - either answer vaguely or push away the question - but to his relief, Doetuft spoke again. From his perspective... not a general perspective. Yes, he could describe what he saw. "The water is clear. I am able to see the pebbles that blanket the streambed. The stream - rivulet - is small, not wide at all. I could easily cross it in a dozen large paces. It is a couple fox-lengths wide." Now, what did he see? "The water runs smoothly. It is... calming, in a way. Droplets splash against the edge of the stream, and water laps at the bank." The sound of running, trickling water was relaxing, at least to him. Doetuft lacked her sight, not her hearing. "What do you hear?" Talonstone asked, throwing the other warrior's question back at her.

[Arie]

-- @bmkmb --

The water was starting to get warmer... she didn't feel as cold as she had in the start. Was that normal? Or had the sun somehow, begun heating it up? That was another question to ponder and she wondered if Talonstone knew what had done it. Maybe it was just her getting used to it, or was it her body regulating her temperature to fit in? Or was the water that had slowly begun draining the warmth from her? Why was she even thinking about this?! Doetuft had no clue and just let out a disappointed huff, more at herself than her companion who it seemed was doing his best at keeping in laughter at her statement that fish made cats fat. "Its... true! Or at least... its logical. More... logical than... anything else... thats for..sure. Why else... do they.. go thump.. thump... when they walk." That was what she'd managed to pick up from her times at the gathering. Oh and the fact that a certain Riverclan apprentice apparently hated her for no absolute reason. It seemed arrogance and loud steps and obnoxiously loud voices was a trademark of the fish faces. At least that's what Doetuft had managed to gather from her experiences. Maybe this gathering she wouldn't be running into that damned apprentice, given she now had the chances to hang around the warriors properly with her promotion. That was still something that was insane to her... that she'd spent so very long as an apprentice that becoming a warrior seemed like a massive achievement. It had to be for Talonstone as well; strangely it wasn't something they'd discussed ever... not much discussion of training and the fact that they - at that time - would soon be warriors had happened. They'd never had normal conversations had they? Either this mess, with the river and the apparent amusement in Frosty's voice that she couldn't help reflect; or the extremely taxing and emotional conversations they somehow had a tendency to end up in. Not that she minded. But once again she'd gotten off track, going off a tangent in her own instead of focusing on what was right here in front of her. Overthinking... one of her worst traits if she could say so herself. In reply to his simple two words she couldn't help but stick out her tongue in stubbornness, "Yes..I did." Were they going to keep going with this? Was it childish? Not that she cared. The fact that they were literally in the stream doing nothing was in and itself extremely childish and well... tough luck getting something useful done after this. It wasn't like she would be useful anyway. But then came some useful advice - finally! - and she couldn't help but appreciate it. He really did a lot to help and she hoped the grateful shine and appreciation shone in her blind gaze. Expressions was something she struggled with too, eyes were used to show a lot of emotions and well... knowing she was blind it was as if other cats didn't believe her eyes 'worked'. But she wasn't about to get into that debate and instead just contemplated his words. "So... as long as the water tries... to push me down... and I stand... horizontally... compared to that... I shouldn't be washed down... the stream?" Was she making it sound more complicated than it should? Maybe. But hey, he was the expert here not her. Over complicating things seemed to be something she was extremely good at. "I think.... I just won't... go deeper. Seems... safer and.. less....stupid." More or less, it put her at a lower chance of dropping. And leveling a warning glare at Snowflake, "And don't... you dare... push me... into the deeper... part of it. Or... I am going... to get that Frog... or even... a toad.. to drop.... in your nest." She'd not forgotten the prank she'd been planning since she met him. Now that she was a warrior though, she could go out of camp on her own with no consequences and that included going out to catch a frog or a toad.... or maybe even a snake and throw it at a sleeping Talonstone. And then he started describing the stream and it was... nice in a way. To understand what was around her and what it was looking like. Slightly unnerving by the fact that she would never be able to understand but listening and asking was how she tried to relate to sighties. However at his question she was shocked and with an impulsive decision - largely supported by the fact that she believed that Snowflake would guide her back to the bank were she to begin to panic - she splashed somewhat at him with her tail before answering, "Its... again, a calming... sound. The ripples... how the sound... moves along... it. But.. it can also... become monotone... like the annoying... sound... of other voices... or birds... chirping." Too much of anything was bad. But now she'd let loose and her tail was already drenched from the water and she was so tempted to shake it so the water would hit Snowflake again but; she refrained. For now.

[nocturnal]

@Arie

The sun shined down onto the warrior's back. It was warming up the water and his fur, but naturally, the stream felt cooler than the air above it. Talonstone gazed out to the other side of the stream, tempted to swim to the into the deeper area, but refrained since Doetuft was counting on him as a guide. He then felt his maw pull up into a slight smirk at the tabby's reasoning. Thump, thump, they apparently went. His mind managed to form an image of the rivercats going thump, thump; it wasn't their pawsteps doing the thumping, but rather it was the sounds of them collapsing onto the floor. Like when he had went thump recently. The warrior's eyes hardened in distaste. Why was he even thinking about this? Going thump was something that he wanted to forget. Difficult, seeing that he now woke a good deal of time before the slightest hints of dawn because of the incident. Barring the raid and various Gatherings, Talonstone had never met a rivercat before. It was strange, seeing that he had known thundercats, shadowcats, skycats, and even an honorary windcat. What was stranger still was everyone's ability to correctly guess a rank at Gatherings. No one ever mistook a small warrior for an apprentice, not did they assume that a large apprentice was a warrior. How did they do it? Talonstone wasn't one to actively search for conversation at the multiclan moonhigh meetings, so he wouldn't know. Blinking at the tongue that Doetuft had stuck out, the white warrior twitched his ears in amusement. He cast a sly glance at the molly as he responded, strangely impulsively, "Yes; yes, you did." They were acting like kits again and it was even worse since they were warriors now. The combination of water and Doetuft seemed to be having an odd effect on his usually aloof personality. "Are you expecting a prize for it?" he... definitely did not tease. The tom was silently surprised to see appreciation in the tabby's eyes. He wasn't sure why. Had he subconsciously assumed that his advice would be dismissed, or was it that he was unused to seeing any sort of emotion from Doetuft's eyes. How foolish of him. She still had them; she just couldn't see with them very well, if at all. He figuratively shook those vile thoughts away as he corrected, "You should be walking forwards in the right direction should you be standing like that." The warrior was fairly sure that doing so gave the rushing water more to push on, therefore making it easier to be pushed away, but hopefully Doetuft would never experience that. Yes, not going deeper in the first place would work, too, he supposed, but she should still know what to do in the event that she had no choice. Talonstone couldn't help but smirk at Doetuft's sudden threat. "How are you expecting to catch a frog when you do not know where to find them?" the warrior inquired. Unless Doetuft had gone exploring with someone else recently, neither of them were very acquitted with the new territory. "I have no nest," the tom reminded the tabby molly. He still hadn't gotten around to building one. Besides, he was beginning to feel comfortable in Doetuft's pile of sticks. The white cat quieted as Doetuft began to describe things from her perspective. He had never thought of water as irritating before, although he could understand why that might be to some cats. Water was a calming presence in his opinion. It could be dangerous and rapid, but also quiet and constant. Streams and rivers were always constant. They never stopped flowing, so they could be counted on to be there. Talonstone shifted, then waded deeper into the water without a word, trusting Doetuft to not do anything about it. He wasn't forcing her to come with him, after all. It was just him who wanted to be able to submerge himself completely for a bit.