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The eaglehound took offense to the baring of teeth but Lull did not. She turned her head, staring at the beast for a moment, before turning her attention back to Gloom and Doom. The hound whined at the silent reproach, feathers and fur falling to lie flat.

"How resourceful of you," she replied--mouth stretching in a hidden half smile. It wasn't something she herself would have done (appearances were everything) but she could admire the selfish uncaring will to get what one wanted.

Wander gave a yip as Doom swam to the side of the log, alerting Lull of the doe's assured want to climb on (or perhaps steal). The kimeti turned her head from the buck and took in the orange-haired doe.

"Not trying to take my log, now, are we?" she questioned, quite obviously amused by the idea. She flicked her tail in the water causing the log to drift ever so slightly away from the doe. She waited a breath before using a hoof to right the log's path, allowing it to come once again up against the doe's side. "I may be willing to share..." she mused though gave no inclination as to why or how to persuade her to do so.

“I am Be Mine.” She looked towards the Songbird with bright and loving look; obviously having become quite attached to the bird in the fairly short time she had known him. “He is Fall For You.” At the mention of his name that bird gave a low trill, but his attention seemed to be on something other than the two Kimeti.

“… Vexed.” Be Mine repeated the name and was about to say something more when Fall suddenly gave a high pitched screech that sounded that it should not be able to come from the small birds beak. Then the dead tree shifted. Only slightly in budged and creaked… and debris kept piling up.

"Dark is a Way. And Light is a Place. Those are good names. Are you twins? Or do you simply have similar names?" Charm stroked the calming waters, aiming for her brother. "We are not; we have simply always been together. We complete each other in a way."

When the duo of Night and filly met the quintet of does, foals and cheetah, Night immediately nuzzled his sister's cheek, reassuring himself, and Charm, that each was corporeal, and not an illusion. The little filly slid of the buck's back and into the waters, paddling a bit to meet with the two foals braced on the does' backs.

"I am most pleased that you are safe, brother mine," Charm told Night, "and so proud that you rescued a youngling." She laid her head on his shoulder, a silent sign of the fear that was just now releasing her body from it's grasp. "No need to fear, mine sister. I was fine, and the young needed help. The mud had caught her fast. And you have saved life, as well." Night nodded to the quiet foal on her back, whose wide eyes had drooped when the waters had slowed and the doe had hoisted it on her back. Then he turned to the darker doe, the one whom he did not know. "Well met, lady. Congratulations on saving your life, and the lives of young. I am Of the Night."

This Night was somewhat new to Lucky Charm. Where was her panicky brother, afraid to be parted from her side? Not, of course, that she didn't like this new Night, who seemed so cordial and outgoing where before he had hesitated to speak to new Kimeti. But still, couldn't her brother have stayed a little less confident?

Spark smiled gratefully at the buck and followed him. "thank you." she said, climbing up onto the small island. Seeing he didn't follow, Spark scoots over. "There's room enough." she tells him. "I'm Sparks of Color." she replies, not even remembering if she'd already told him her name.


Rat and Shard smile at the doe. "I'm Shard and this is indeed my sister, Drowned Rat." the buck says. "You can follow us if you wish." He continues. Shard sees that the place he'd been leading the group to is a fallen tree stopped by two other trees. Not enough room to get out of the water, but enough branches to at least rest their legs. Both he and Rat find branches to their liking and hook their front legs over. "Not the best but better then swimming." he says.

"Foxbuns aren't my favorite, but a life is a life." Rat replies, relief on her face for the break. "I haven't seen any alligators, but I'd guess they'd suffer the same fate as any of us. And be too busy with the dead to bother the living." She says.


Skystain scowls as she watches the buck carry the pearly doe away. "That stupid buck is going to get them both drowned." she growls to Stardust. "It was their choice. At least if the buck flounders the doe will have been able to rest a bit. Enough to swim away at least." Stardust replies. Skystain gives an annoyed sigh and watches the current take the other two. "Pride goes before the fall, they say." Stardust says.

The tree! Belatedly, Vexed regretted her swift ascent - if she hadn't added her weight to the dead branches, the filly's perch would likely have held as long as it took for the waters to recede. As it were… She cast an anxious eye at the debris pressing against the trunk - how long would it stay? But…the waters were nearly still now. Perhaps it would be best to move on anyhow, where land might be found, and others.

"Maybe it's time for a little swim, Be Mine," she tried her best to make it sound like a fun activity, "we could find something to eat! My home is much further North, it would probably be dryer there." What was left of her home, at least. And her feather collection… Stop thinking about the bird, Vexed - it has a name. A little filly named it, you sick, sick, 'meti.

Oh - wait. But what of the filly's home? Did she have parents? Vexed didn't quite dare to ask - what if they had been washed away in the flood? That would be awkward. Uh…um. She settled for, "is there somewhere you'd like to go instead?"

Finally. Finally, the waves finally stopped, and they were no longer battered by the harsh force of the flood. Worn and weary, he lay slightly on an angle, with his back and side to and angle and his head pointed toward the sky. Thank the Motherfather. It was finally over... it finally stopped.

Staring blankly at the sky for several minutes, he took a deep breath and finally flipped over onto his stomach, slowly treading water. He looked at the doe who was also treading water beside her, and opened his mouth to speak. He suddenly closed it, realizing his answer would of been silly. What was he supposed to say? That he purposely avoided them due to him ego and nearly killed them both?

"Um, y-yah, the current carried us away," he muttered lamely. Well, it was half-true... But at least the worst was finally over. Looking around, he spotted a somewhat sturdy log, and began to swim towards it. Swinging his two front legs around it, he sighed, and turned towards the pearly doe.

"Over here!" he called out. Now that the waters were calm, they could use this log to help them keep afloat and try looking for some dry land.

"A great weed of life then" Dappled thought to himself, deciding it would be wise to not voice such comments about the bucks beloved 'sprig'. "Is it now?" Dappled raised one curious brow as he clambered near, shivering clinging droplets of water free from his coarse coat. He'd never thought to hate water as much as he did right now. "Well there's a story worth hearing about. It must be a sprig for very little lives, considering it's size." Dappled mused, supposing that even small creatures mattered on some level.

Glad to have some part of him touching stable, if still soaked, something again. Trying not to lean too much on the other buck as he took his advice and balanced up next to him, he'd not want to go and send his rescuer back into the drink. "Hollow, I am Dappled Despair, and I do not croon. Old does and ugly birds croon, I re-tell the rich, and tragic history of our kind. Which occasionally involves a song.." Dappled would not push his luck though, he felt miserable enough without needing the added burden of Hollow drowning him. As much as he did question the things that lay beyond of the after life, he was not eager to discover those answers first hand.

Night smiles at Dark, and drops his head to rest on Charm's before nudging her softly forward. "Come, sister mine. The young need to be reunited with their own, as you and I have reunited. Let us give them happy times for now." Having said, he scoops his little kiokote on his broad black and blue back again and asks, "Do you trust me, littles?"

The little kiokote, unfamiliar with the swamp but knowing that the buck who saved her knows it intimately, nods, then gasps with a mixture of fear and delight as she is flung once more into the air. But this time, he will not be there to catch her; he has flung her ahead, into the water beyond their little huddle of Kimeti and kiokote. She splashes down, throwing water high into the air, thrashes fitfully back and forth, and surfaces again to find him next to her, grinning cheerfully. "That was fun, yeah?" he asks, and paddles off, flicking his tail across her nose in jest. She nips at the liquid-laden tip, and he tows her through the water, teaching her to swim.

Charm watches her brother's antics with a small, wistful smile. Having rested for a moment, she once again gathers her precious cargo of kiokote foal and strikes out after her brother, quickly passing him and his filly. "Pardon me!" She calls to the dark kiokote ahead. "We have young ones here!"