Swiftflow's Story
Swiftflow
was sitting on the beach gazing dreamily at the stars. She was so lost in the
stars she didn't see Oceansong sneak up on her. He grabbed her and tickled. Her
startled scream turned to helpless laughter. "S-s-stop t-t-that
Song."
She had a hard time getting the words out between her fits of laughter, and trying to catch her breath as well. Finally he stops and flops down on the sand next to her. Looking up at the stars himself. "What is it you see up there, Swift? It's just a bunch of pretty lights up in the sky."
Swiftflow glances at him before looking to the stars herself. "I see so much up there." She points to a spot in the sky. "There the Smiling Ones swim the ocean of the night sky. Over there..." She points to another section of sky. "...is a Sharp Teeth prowling for prey."
She looks over at Oceansong and sees he just has a blank look. He turns to her and smiles. "If you say so Swift."
Both lapse back into silence, happy to sit in each other's company. Being born around the same time, they were agemates and grew up close, since there were none close to them in age. As they sat there, suddenly winds started kicking up. Both were startled at the suddenness of it. Looking around they noticed that it seemed a storm was coming. Both high-tail it back to the cliffs to warn the tribe and wait out the storm.
The other elves of the Seaside Holt were busy scrambling around securing what needed to be, and making sure the tadpoles were all inside. Swiftflow came upon a frantic Weaveweed. "Swiftflow can you help me find Bubble. Foamsurf says she's not in the den with him."
The wind was picking up and really whiping now. But Swiftflow couldn't turn the distraught Weaveweed down. "Of course, Weaveweed. Where all have you looked?"
"So far, only right around the Holt."
"Then I'll go look along the beach, you keep looking around here." Swiftflow fought against the wind making her way back to the beach. She knew of a few places that a tadpole could hide. She'd used them herself a few times when she was as little.
Bubble was a quiet child and had no agemates, being the last born to the tribe five turns ago at the coming of the Long-Tusks. Swiftflow had felt for the tadpole being the youngest and always watched and smothered. She had shown Bubble one day a few of the places she could hide when she needed to get away form all the adults.
Hurrying as quick as she could, she looked in all the places she'd shown Bubble. Finally she finds her in one of Swiftflow's favorite places. In fact, it was a place she still visited from time to time. In a section of the cliff near the edge of the beach, there was a small tunnel. Now that she was bigger, Swiftflow had to actually crouch down some to traverse it. Once inside it opens up into a lovely grotto with small waterfalls coming down the back end into a pool. Long ago, Swiftfglow had managed to smuggle some furs here to make a comfortable bed to one side. And there was Bubble sitting there. "Hello, Bubble. Your mom's worried about you and there's a really bad storm coming."
Bubble looked at her a moment. Then sighed. "Alright." She sounded so dejected and Swiftflow felt for her, but they needed to get to safety. Quickly they exit the place. It is now a gale outside. Swiftflow hussles Bubble quickly to the trail that leads to the Holt. Weaveweed is there frantically trying to call for Bubble. "I am here Mama."
Bubble rushes up to her mother who scoops her up in a fierce hug and hurries her to the den. Swiftflow is happy the cub is back safe. Just as she starts to head up as well, she hears a voice calling. Turning back towards the beach she sees nothing. She takes an uncertain step, then pauses, head cocked. Suddenly the gale turns to a hurricane-like force and she is hit by a torn down tree branch. Her and the branch tumble end over end around each other. Soon both are picked up into the wind. Swiftflow loses consciousness at some point.
When next she awoke, she had landed in the water. Completely disoriented, she still managed to make it to the surface, sputtering and coughing once she broke through. She paddled keeping herself above water, fotunately she was a fairly strong swimmer and it automatically kicked in. She tried to look around, but it was still storming and she couldn't see a thing. She had no clue where she was or how she'd gotten there.
After a few hours of paddling she was starting to get tired. The storm was calming down by then as well. But she needed to find a way to rest. Trying to look around, she still sees nothing but water all around. Frightened she was sure what would happen to her. Her fear gave her a spurt of adrinaline and more energy to keep swimming.
After about another forty-five minutes, she was lagging again, and so tired, she was about falling asleep. Just as she was about to give up she was bumped under the water. Terrified she stopped swimming suddenly, and sunk. Instinct taking over, she automatically started swimming again. Before she knew it she was surrounded by fins. The bodies attached to those fins would periodically bump up against her, scaring her just about to death. Then a head pops up and she sees a fish with a smile on its face. Not certain of its intensions she almost stops paddling again.
The creature siddled up to her and bumped her. Swiftflow didn't know what to think. After a few more times of bumping her, Swiftflow figured out that it wanted her to grab ahold. Not long after the creature brought her to a bit of floatsom. The short rest had given Swiftflow some energy back, so she scrambled up onto the floatsom. Wore out, she falls asleep.
The next few days Swiftflow drifts in and out of conciousness. The Smiling Fish seemed to stay with her the whole time. At least, everytime she drifted to wakefulness they were there. Eventually she drifted to shore unconscious yet again.
She had a hard time getting the words out between her fits of laughter, and trying to catch her breath as well. Finally he stops and flops down on the sand next to her. Looking up at the stars himself. "What is it you see up there, Swift? It's just a bunch of pretty lights up in the sky."
Swiftflow glances at him before looking to the stars herself. "I see so much up there." She points to a spot in the sky. "There the Smiling Ones swim the ocean of the night sky. Over there..." She points to another section of sky. "...is a Sharp Teeth prowling for prey."
She looks over at Oceansong and sees he just has a blank look. He turns to her and smiles. "If you say so Swift."
Both lapse back into silence, happy to sit in each other's company. Being born around the same time, they were agemates and grew up close, since there were none close to them in age. As they sat there, suddenly winds started kicking up. Both were startled at the suddenness of it. Looking around they noticed that it seemed a storm was coming. Both high-tail it back to the cliffs to warn the tribe and wait out the storm.
The other elves of the Seaside Holt were busy scrambling around securing what needed to be, and making sure the tadpoles were all inside. Swiftflow came upon a frantic Weaveweed. "Swiftflow can you help me find Bubble. Foamsurf says she's not in the den with him."
The wind was picking up and really whiping now. But Swiftflow couldn't turn the distraught Weaveweed down. "Of course, Weaveweed. Where all have you looked?"
"So far, only right around the Holt."
"Then I'll go look along the beach, you keep looking around here." Swiftflow fought against the wind making her way back to the beach. She knew of a few places that a tadpole could hide. She'd used them herself a few times when she was as little.
Bubble was a quiet child and had no agemates, being the last born to the tribe five turns ago at the coming of the Long-Tusks. Swiftflow had felt for the tadpole being the youngest and always watched and smothered. She had shown Bubble one day a few of the places she could hide when she needed to get away form all the adults.
Hurrying as quick as she could, she looked in all the places she'd shown Bubble. Finally she finds her in one of Swiftflow's favorite places. In fact, it was a place she still visited from time to time. In a section of the cliff near the edge of the beach, there was a small tunnel. Now that she was bigger, Swiftflow had to actually crouch down some to traverse it. Once inside it opens up into a lovely grotto with small waterfalls coming down the back end into a pool. Long ago, Swiftfglow had managed to smuggle some furs here to make a comfortable bed to one side. And there was Bubble sitting there. "Hello, Bubble. Your mom's worried about you and there's a really bad storm coming."
Bubble looked at her a moment. Then sighed. "Alright." She sounded so dejected and Swiftflow felt for her, but they needed to get to safety. Quickly they exit the place. It is now a gale outside. Swiftflow hussles Bubble quickly to the trail that leads to the Holt. Weaveweed is there frantically trying to call for Bubble. "I am here Mama."
Bubble rushes up to her mother who scoops her up in a fierce hug and hurries her to the den. Swiftflow is happy the cub is back safe. Just as she starts to head up as well, she hears a voice calling. Turning back towards the beach she sees nothing. She takes an uncertain step, then pauses, head cocked. Suddenly the gale turns to a hurricane-like force and she is hit by a torn down tree branch. Her and the branch tumble end over end around each other. Soon both are picked up into the wind. Swiftflow loses consciousness at some point.
When next she awoke, she had landed in the water. Completely disoriented, she still managed to make it to the surface, sputtering and coughing once she broke through. She paddled keeping herself above water, fotunately she was a fairly strong swimmer and it automatically kicked in. She tried to look around, but it was still storming and she couldn't see a thing. She had no clue where she was or how she'd gotten there.
After a few hours of paddling she was starting to get tired. The storm was calming down by then as well. But she needed to find a way to rest. Trying to look around, she still sees nothing but water all around. Frightened she was sure what would happen to her. Her fear gave her a spurt of adrinaline and more energy to keep swimming.
After about another forty-five minutes, she was lagging again, and so tired, she was about falling asleep. Just as she was about to give up she was bumped under the water. Terrified she stopped swimming suddenly, and sunk. Instinct taking over, she automatically started swimming again. Before she knew it she was surrounded by fins. The bodies attached to those fins would periodically bump up against her, scaring her just about to death. Then a head pops up and she sees a fish with a smile on its face. Not certain of its intensions she almost stops paddling again.
The creature siddled up to her and bumped her. Swiftflow didn't know what to think. After a few more times of bumping her, Swiftflow figured out that it wanted her to grab ahold. Not long after the creature brought her to a bit of floatsom. The short rest had given Swiftflow some energy back, so she scrambled up onto the floatsom. Wore out, she falls asleep.
The next few days Swiftflow drifts in and out of conciousness. The Smiling Fish seemed to stay with her the whole time. At least, everytime she drifted to wakefulness they were there. Eventually she drifted to shore unconscious yet again.