[Aeneas]

    Aeneas threaded his way through the tall grasses of the Blooming Fields until he got to the river, one of several that flowed into Lake Deephaven. He liked being near the water; he wasn't that good a swimmer yet, but he was sure he could become one if he practiced. He took a seat on the sandy bank, and looked out across the water with a soft smile. He liked collecting the water-smoothed sticks that sometimes washed ashore. It was as though they held a kind of magic, changed as they were by the river and presented as gifts to its bank. He had a growing collection.

    As he sat and watched, enjoying the breeze, he felt a tremor in the sand. The fur along his spine rose in an uneasy ridge, his instincts telling him something he was not old enough to recognize. Before he could begin to ponder the tremor's source, the whole earth began to shake, convulsing beneath his paws. With a yelp, he was tossed into the rapidly shifting current.

    It was a struggle to find which way was up. His paws churned beneath the surface, his whole body flailing, until finally his muzzle met air. He was able to gulp down a single lungful before being thrust under again, and now he began to feel an icy finger of panic. Water filled his mouth. His shoulder collided with some other current-bound debris, and he frantically tried to grab onto something. His paws scrambled over something wood-- bark? His claws found purchase in the rough grooves, and as the river water surged over his body, he was finally able to poke his nose into the air and gasp.

    In his paws he held the trunk of a tree, another casualty in the earthquake. He could see through blurred vision the wall of roots upended on the shore where the earth had shifted. But it was all he could do to hold on; he dared not try to get closer to the shore. What if he lost his grip and got swept away again? No, he needed help.

    He coughed, sputtering as he forced water from his throat, and was able to give a weak howl. He hoped someone heard it.

[Sekirei]

(Grandpa's got this)

"Stay put, Sara. I'll find the boy and bring him home." Byakko told his distraught daughter who kept her girls close. With a shaky okay, Sara lied down. While Ticon and Akutan had split off to search for their ladies, the older wolf went in search of his grandson. He followed the river towards the Blooming Fields. The pups were big enough to wander on their own but not too far from the copse of trees where the clan made their home. Aeneas was known to go there. The large Fringe Dire sniffed around, the large scar on his left crinkled in its usual horrific way, as his focus was narrowed down to finding his grandson. He heard a weak howl and looked up. There, clinging to a downed tree was Aeneas.

"Damn it." he cursed. "Hang in there, Aeneas! Grandpa's coming!" he shouted to the boy. The downed tree didn't stretch across the river but given the water pounding it hadn't dislodged it from its place, Byakko was confident he could manage this. He had to be careful, though. The tree was wet from the river and he wasn't as young as he used to be. He quickly tested his footing on the tree, Byakko crossed to where Aeneas was clinging. Lowering his belly to rest against the wood, the oldster brought his maw down to grip the boy's ruff. The river and the fact Aeneas was growing bigger didn't make it easy for him to pull him out. With a heave, Byakko managed to pull him out enough that he should have enough purchase to help his aging granddad out.

[Aeneas]

    He heard someone shout, their voice muffled by the roar of the river in his ears. He looked up, and made out the huge black and white form of his grandfather through squinting eyes. Relief seeped into his heart, even as he shivered against the water. Help had arrived. Aeneas held on tight as Byakko gingerly climbed out onto the tree, and waited to move until his grandfather was closer.

    He felt Byakko's teeth close on his scruff, and his paws scrabbled beneath him as he was lifted somewhat out of the water. Sopping wet, he struggled to get a grip on the wet wood, but he dug his claws in until he could hold up his own weight. His limbs shook. Slowly, with Byakko to guide him, he began to make his way back towards shore. He was careful to secure his claws in the rough bark with each step, keeping his body as low to the tree as possible. He eyed the shore, his stomach in knots. They would make it without falling back in, right?

[Sekirei]

Aeneas managed to pull himself up onto the tree with Byakko's help. Slowly but surely, the oldster managed to back up until he hit solid ground while keep his grandson's ruff in his maw. Only when he was sure both of them were on solid ground did he let go. Seemed it was just in time because the tree soon snapped from the water pressure and was being carried off. "That was a close one. You alright, Aeneas?" Byakko asked, coming to rest on the ground to catch his breath. This was one of the few times where he hated being old. Seemed like it was only yesterday when he had been young and strong. But here he was: older, wiser, and a grandfather. His time was ticking down and Byakko was preparing to face his own end. For now, though, he was enjoying what he had.


{Blah. Short. I blame Ultra Moon}