Murky Depths

A whine escaped gasping jaws, muddy paws clamoured at pebbles and mud as Bayani struggled to pull himself onto the disappearing landmass that resided in the raging river. He flopped on the ground with trembling legs, breathing in heavily while raising his head to look around in panic he realised his options weren't many. The morning had started with a calm sprinkle which beckoned him out of his old fox den but the spring beauty was nothing more than a ruse. The usually bright pelt was matted to clammy skin, dull and bedraggled he pulled himself back to his tired paws. "There's-there's gotta be something." A stroll by the river had been nice when it was just a sprinkle but now it was as if a beaver had gotten pissed at its husband and broke the dam in its rampage. He paced on his shrinking island, the other riverbank seemed obscured with the rushing water and swallowed trees. "Good god, what am I supposed to do..." He was a good swimmer but to swim in this mess? Holy crap he wasn't even sure his father could manage this. And his father could do anything! At least he'd like to think so...

The day had started off with a light rain, perfect to obscure the fit female's pawsteps. So of course, Emberlynn had began the journey out to the hunting grounds, the lush, large fields where the best prey roamed. After all, the pack had to eat.

Steadily, the rain began to pick up. It kept on coming down, yet Emberlynn tried to ignore it. But it wasn't that simple. Soon, she reached the riverbank. It was beginning to flow over. That wouldn't stop her, would it?

Emberlynn kept following the bank, the water still flowing over, faster and faster, every minute the river just seemed larger...

That's when she saw him. The other wolf, clawing its way out of the river.

She ran, paws pounding on the muddy riverbank, sinking in with every pawstep. Now, she was close enough to hear his mutter, but she couldn't tell what it was.

"HEY!" She called out, voice rising over the winds that had picked up. "It's not safe out here!" Emberlynn shouted, running up to the soaked wolf.

Crash!

And there was the thunder, the noise brutal. Emberlynn jumped, scrambling in the mud. The storm had truly begun.