[SkyWolf11]

Golden eyes shone through the warm mists of the bubbling spring.  Silva yawned softly and rolled onto his back, stretching his legs into the air.  This day would be a day to his liking - simple and joyful.  

With the fairly recent ending of the war, things had calmed down, yet became even busier at the same time.  He couldn't explain how, but there seemed to be a presence of ... restlessness in the air these days.

Only the warming mists of a hot spring could calm his soul right now.  Thus, he had come to Roraldi Forest where hot springs thrived.  His silver flames wisped silently against the mists, becoming one with them.  He closed his eyes and breathed in the moistness deeply.  A smile came to his face and he was at total bliss.  

Though he was at peace, he wouldn't mind some excitement today...

{1}

[SkyWolf11]

Feeling the restlessness coming back into him, he got to his feet with a low growl.  "Man..."  He stretched, trying to rid himself of the feeling.  "...I guess not even the hot springs can calm me today."

With tails twitching irritably, Silva began to move into the wooded area around the springs.  His keen eyes guided him through the low set mist.  There was an eerie silence throughout the trees.  An unnerving silence.  His ears twitched manically, searching for any sounds.

Nothing.

Even the bubbling of the boiling water had seemed to quiet.  His skin crawled with anxiousness and slight fear.  The silence was unnatural.  Cautiously he backed toward a sturdy tree trunk and nestled down, eyes and ears tuned in to every possible sound and movement.  

Unblinking with tails slowly twitching, he waited for something to happen...

{2}

[clackno1]

[center]


She had heard about the hot springs here in the forest. She had never been here before so she doesn't really know where she's going. She had met someone who told her which direction to go to get to the springs. Truthfully, she had gotten lost about an hour ago.

As Lu walked through the forest she got the smell of hot water and minerals in her nose. She became excited at the scent. She ran forward and burst through a large bush, almost falling off a cliff into a boiling pool of water."Well that was close." She walked around as slowly as she could, not wanting to go head first into the boiling water. She slid down a slope and walked a bit away from the spring, breathing in the fresh, warm scent. She lied down on a small hill on some fresh grass, spread her out her legs and tried to relax, but is unsuccessful. Why does she have the feeling that there is someone else nearby. She decided to explore a little more.

A ways into the forest, away from the springs, she got the smell of another khuna. Well what a coincidence. By the scent she could tell that it's a male. She could do with some company. She walked in the direction of the khuna, trying to scent him again. As she walked she stepped on a twig, making a loud snapping noise that made a small echo in the forest. Anybody within 20 yards of her would probably have heard that. She froze and waited for a response, maybe the other khuna had heard her. She hopes he didn't run away.

[SkyWolf11]

Silva's fur bristled and his heart skipped A beat as a loud crackling broke through the silence and echoed through the trees.  He quickly turned his head in the direction of the sound, ears froze, zoning in on the area.  He was unsure of what to do next.  

After a few moments of thinking the situation over, he cautiously stood and lifted his nose to the sky, taking in any unusual scents.  His eyes widened as he drew in a familiar scent.  A kuhna.  It was a kuhna nearby...and a female by the smell of it.  

Having a sense of security now that he knew what creature had appeared, Silva got up the nerve to speak.  "Uh...hello?" He started, trying to reassure the other kuhna that he wasn't a threat.  

He took a few steps forward, following her scent seeing as he had not yet gotten a chance to see her face to face.  He was relying fully on his nose to lead him.  "Where are you exactly?"  He must have looked silly, talking into the trees.  He continued forward, nose in the air and ears rotating for any sounds that may help him locate her.

{3}

[clackno1]

Lu made a cautious step forward. The khuna hadn't attacked her so that must mean he's friendly. She heard him talking and tried to follow the sound. She walked forward towards a group of trees and some bushes. She was being careful where she stepped as to not make another sound.

She passed another, smaller hotspring and drank in it's sweet smell. She thought about taking a dip in the spring but decided to find the male first. She walked through another group of bushes only to come face to face with the male."Hello." Surprise takes over her face as she sees that it's an Elder Khuna. She watched the flames on his tail blow in the breeze.

[SkyWolf11]

He jerked to a stop when the female stepped through a close bush,but quickly relaxed.  With a friendly smile, he flicked his tails calmly as to say hello.  The flames danced around him, giving him a ghostly appearence.  By the look on her face, it took her by surprise.

"I knew something interesting was about to happen."  He gave a hushed laugh.  "I just didn't know I'd come face to face with another kuhna."  He looked her over.  She was a common kuhna, just like a couple of his companions back home.  It hit him that he should introduce himself.  After all, it would be the polite thing to do, right?

"My name's Silva." His amber eyes shone with interest.  "What may I call you?"

{4}

[clackno1]

She looked over the khuna. The glowing markings and flames made a pretty display, but also made him look, haunted."I didn't really expect anything like this either, I didn't think I would meet anyone else here." She gave a friendly smile as he introduced himself."I'm Lu, it's a pleasure to meet you." Out of no where she started using her manners. That's strange, it must be that he's a male is the reason. She smiled again, with her tails swinging from side to side, she looked around, realising that she had lost the springs, and now is completely lost. She gave a sigh and sat down.

[SkyWolf11]

"Lu."  He repeated her name. "Very pretty."  He smiled warmly.  Despite being with the opposite gender, he was being calm.  Usually he would be a babbling fool!  Something about Lu gave him a calm position.  Or could it have been the warm atmosphere from the hot springs?  Whatever it was, it was releasing the tension.

When she sighed, he sensed her sadness.  "Something the matter?"  He asked, trying to comfort her.  He remained standing.  The warm mists rolled over his paws, enticing him to take a dip.  He fought off the temptation.  There would be time for the springs later, or so he hoped.  Cat or not water soothed his anxiety and rid him of worries.  Maybe later, when they were better acquainted, she would like to take a dip as well.

{5}

[clackno1]

She smiled at the compliment he had given her. Then her smile disappeared and she gave another sigh."Oh, it's nothing, it's just that I was lost when I found the springs and now I've lost the springs, but my master will send someone out looking for me, probably Boyce if I can't find my way out alone." She stood up and watched the mist roll over her paws. This Silva is very nice, it's nice to make friends when you go somewhere new."So what are you doing here, come for the springs, or something else?" She smiled and awaited his answer.

[SkyWolf11]

"Oh I see." He took a moment to look around the dense forest.  The trees built walls and the bushes looked to be like snares.  Not exactly a nice little path one could follow.  "It is easy for one to wind up lost here."  

At the mention of this Boyce friend of Lu's he began to wonder if any of his pen mates would come search for him if he were to get lost.  Probably...everyone in his pen were pretty close to one another.  Or, at least the kuhnas were.  He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and smiled again at Lu.

"Well, I originally came here for the springs.  They are a wonderful means of stress relief for me."  He inhaled the sweet mist deeply and let it out in a long sigh.  "I think I remember where a group of hot springs are if you would like to find one?"  He looked at her, hoping her mood would improve.  He always hated seeing people sad or depressed.  

"But we'd have to take caution.  There are several springs littered throughout this place and the mist can block vision and your sense of smell."

{6}

[clackno1]

"That sounds great." She watched the mist curl around her paws and up to her elbows."I almost fell off a cliff a little while ago, the spring at the bottom was boiling." She looked around wondering where the nearest cliff was, and if she would fall off it."So where is this group of springs?" She scented the air, but the mist was so thick that her nose soon got congested. She sniffled a little and turned back to Silva.

(Writers Block )

[SkyWolf11]

His eyes grew wide at the mention of a cliff.  "My my, we must be careful then shouldn't we?"  He was lucky enough never to find himself on any ledges around here.  His luck had been favorable so far.

He scented the air and closed his eyes, trying to enhance his sense of smell.  The flames on his tails wisped quietly as a small breeze blew them softly.  Soon droplets had formed on his nose from the moistness of the mists.  Picking up the scent of mineral water, from the springs, he opened his eyes and searched through the fog.  It seemed to be stronger in one general direction.

"I believe it is this way."  He said in a hushed voice.  He turned slightly and took a few steps forward.  His fore-paw sunk into the ground, throwing him off balance.  Stumbling, he pulled his paw free with a gross sucking sound and watched the hole slowly cave in.  Flinging the mud from his arm, he turned to Lu.  "Watch your step.  This place is like a swamp."

((No worries - I have it too  >w<;; ))

{7}

[clackno1]

Lu watched as Silva's paw disappeared into a pit of mud. The sucking sound as he pulled it back out was disgusting. She shivered at the thought of sinking in it and stepped cautiously forward. She tried to step on places where there was a lot of moss, but eventually she had to take a risk. She tripped on the root of a tree and fell face first into some mud. She gasped in horror as she started to sink. She quickly got herself up, and noticed that her underside was completely caked in mud. She had the urge to groom but suddenly felt sick at the thought."How long until we reach the springs?"She calms herself by thinking of the warm water against her skin and soaking into her fur.

[SkyWolf11]

Silva had to bite back a laugh at the sight of the muddy female.  He felt bad for wanting to laugh but couldn't help himself as a snicker slipped from his mouth.  "Sorry,"  He apologized to Lu, "are you okay?"  He looked her over.  She didn't appear to be hurt...just...muddy.  

Taking another step forward, he turned slightly to keep an eye on her.  "Observe the land.  Watch where you s----"  At that moment, Karma decided to bite him in the butt.  The ground beneath his feet shifted and he slid forward, his front arms thrown under his belly.  In seconds his face and underbelly were a dark brown and his ego bruised.  Clumsily, he got to his feet and drooped his ears and tails.  What an idiot.

Slowly he turned to Lu.  "See what I mean?"  He tried to play it off like it was all planned.  He knew she probably wouldn't buy it.  'Dang Karma...'  He thought, embarrassed.  

"Hopefully not much longer."  He answered - delayed reaction.

{8}

[clackno1]

Lu clenched her teeth at the small snicker that came from the male. She had come here for relaxation, for she desperately needed it, and the snicker threw all her calmness away, but the male falling in as well made the anger just drip away. She had to cover her mouth to keep the laughter in, but you could clearly see the expression on her face. She turned away so that Silva would not see, this time watching closely at the earth so she would not fall again.

She could smell the mineral water from the springs and the mist had subsided a little, but not very much. A light mist hung in the air which made it impossible for Lu to see 10 feet in front of her. Grass reappeared under her feet, showing that they were out of the marsh.