Mysteries of the Desert (Open)

[Origami_Dragon]

Searing was somewhat taken aback at the notion of just having gone to sleep as the sun went down. Apparently it was true, what the travelers said. Outside the desert life was lived by day and night was for sleeping. As both of the other Sams settled down to sleep he managed to stammer out, "Ah, sleep well then."

Looking up at the dark sky and the open sands around them Searing stamped one hoof gently. Almost he was tempted to take off, to go run. But no, that would be the coward's answer. With a soft sigh he dropped his head to graze while drowsing. Sleeping by night sat wrong with him, but the morning would be bad if he didn't get any sort of sleep. And it hadn't been a restful day for him either. Best to get food and rest now and not think too hard on what the morning would bring.

((Jump forwards to morning next?))

[silvermoondragon]

((sounds good!))

Time passed and the moon danced gracefully across the starry night sky. Eventually the sun began to rise, the orangy glow on the horizon creeping outwards eating up the dark shadows thrown by rocks and the sparse desert growth.

Wave was the first to wake, slipping quietly down to assess the situation as she did each morning hoping for a miraculous change. Like each other morning she had been stuck, there was no change and she returned to the surface with a moody splash before she realized that this morning was different, she was not alone any longer. Hopes rising once more, she swam back over to the shore.

Blue had been having a great dream, when he awoke with a start as water rained down on him, soaking through his fur and feathers. Eyes wide, he whipped his head around until his eyes settled on Wave, slowly making her way back to the shore.

[Origami_Dragon]

While the others had slept the night away Searing had dozed and grazed and kept an ear open for sounds of trouble. But it had been a peaceful night, and near dawn his doze had faded into a deeper sleep, though he remained on his feet. His muzzle brushed the tips of the grasses as he snored ever so slightly. The sound of rippling water disturbed his sleep, and one large ear twitched, a hind foot stamped.

At the huge splash and spray of water, both highly unnatural in the normal course of desert life, Searing shot fully awake with a bound. He lept nearly half his body height in the air and landed on splayed legs, breathing hard, looking around for the danger.

It took a moment for Searing to recognize the sensation of water once more drenching his thick mane and dripping down into his eyes. With a snort he shook his head vigourously, sending the water flying once more. It seemed such a waste of water...

But the water served to remind Searing of what the plan of the day was. Slowly he paced nearer to the pool and stood beside Blue, peering into it's depths. Where the night before all that had lurked there was inky blackness now he saw strange grasses on the bottom, a few wiggly things hiding in them, rocks and pebbles and yes, a boulder. His eyes fixed on that chunk of rock and he pawed the sandy soil nervously for a moment before lifting his head at Wave's approach. "So then...?"

[silvermoondragon]

Blue watched as Searing leapt into wakefulness, then followed as he walked up to the edge of the oasis, peering with him into the depths. The bright morning sun was now illuminating the water, clearing it of the inky blackness that had claimed it the previous night. He could sense the other stallion's nervousness as their eyes found the boulder causing all of Wave's problems.

Wave looked at Searing as he spoke, she could tell the desert stallion was uncomfortable with the idea of swimming. "Have you eveyr swam befoyre?" she asked him.

[Origami_Dragon]

As the sun began to bake the desert sands and dispell any hint of the chill of night Searing nonetheless felt a lingering chill. Even by day the thought of submersing himself in the water seemed unsettling. And while he could now see the depths of the oasis pool, that also meant that he could see just how deep it was. Oh, yes Wave had vanished under the waters last night, but it hadn't quite sunk in what that meant. Even now it felt like the water was playing tricks on his eyes every time he glanced at it.

The water had once more captured his uneasy attention when Wave spoke. Lifting his gaze once more Searing shook his head at her question. "Heyre in the deseyrt wateyr is yrayre and pyrecious. To see it so deep that it comes oveyr youyr belly or so wide you cannot leap it in a bound is yrayre. This is one of the layrgest oasies that I have seen." Tentatively he poked one hoof into the water and swished it around. "I yrun, but neveyr swim."

((Hadn't quite thought about the fact that there may have to be some impromptu swimming lessons here until just now...))

[silvermoondragon]

((YAY swimming lessons! I think swimming comes naturally to most animals?))

"You'd looooooooooove the ocean!" Wave called out humorously, "but anyway, swimming's easy, just kick youyr feet and paddle. Come on, tyry it, I know you'll like it! and I'll be yright heyre to help if you need it."

At Wave's invitation, Blue leapt in, creating a big splash that made even Wave turn her head away. He ducked his head under the water to wet his mane to help cool himself off before shaking it off, spraying off even more water, although this time it didn't spray to far before he began paddling around Wave.
((Blue's such a showoff ))

[Origami_Dragon]

At Wave's declaration that he would love the ocean Searing looked at her dubiously. His doubts grew as she briefly explained swimming. He was too occupied with eying Wave to notice Blue until the other stallion had plunged in with a splash that would have emptied half the pools of water Searing had seen. At least the water felt nice and cool now...

Shaking water out of his eyes Searing sighed. "I do not see how kicking will help swim," he said doubtfully as he bucked slightly and kicked his hind legs out as though lashing at a foe. "Can one even do that in the wateyr?" And watching Blue begin to move around her, it didn't look as though he was kicking.

Carefully Searing began to wade into the water, sending only small ripples out over the surface to mix and mingle with the fading ripples of the earlier splashing and of Blue's swimming. Searing stopped as the water began to brush up against his belly, then with a slight shudder continued on, still walking until the water was up to his chin. At that point he stopped again, not entirely sure what to do next, what to do when he hooves could no longer touch the ground while still allowing him to reach the air.

[silvermoondragon]

While Searing was engrossed in wading through the water, Wave had slowly swam up next to him to provide moral support. When he had reached up to his chin and was at a loss of what to do, Wave spoke encouragingly, "take a deep breath and try to float. Kick your legs gently if you have to, and remember, the ground is right beneath you and you can reach down to it if you need to."

[Origami_Dragon]

((Okay...enough of this being a lazy Ori-bum. *forces self to reply* Feel free to kick me via PM if I vanish this long from the RP again...))

His attention had been entirely on the water, and so Wave speaking out startled Searing. With a yelp he kicked out, unintentionally launching himself deeper into the pool. The water was now over his head, and for a moment he vanished underwater entirely before flailing his way to the surface and reappearing with a gasp and a snort. "Cold!" he exclaimed, legs working furiously to keep himself afloat and upright. As a result he bobbed and bounced wildly in the water, still snorting the water back out of his nose. Not that he really had inhaled much water. The same reflex that pinched his nostrils shut in a sandstorm had triggered when the water had gone over his head. But it still felt weird.

Searing didn't even realize he was floating until his frantic movements stopped and he failed to feel the ground under his feet. Looking down through the clear water he froze. "Umm..."

[silvermoondragon]

( XD That's ok, it gave us both a break and hopefully now we can return to the RP with fresh ideas!)

Wave watched Searing carefully as he thrashed about in the water at first, ever watchful should his head duck under the water for two long, but cautious to avoid getting a kick in the face. As soon as he calmed down and began to float Wave encouraged him softly, "Good, now try kicking your legs, almost like walking. Not two fast or you might get some water up your nose. Practice swimming around and once you're comfortable with that maybe we can try going under."

Meanwhile, Blue was acting like quite the little showoff, paddling around the oasis, dipping his head under and flapping his wings. He had been swimming many times before, having encountered many different kinds of bodies of water, and being the adventurous soul he was, had to try out each and every one.

[Origami_Dragon]

Freezing in place meant that Searing started sinking again, and he resumed kicking even as Wave began to encourage him to do so. Sometimes the best way to learn to swim really was to get thrown into the water. Searing gulped as he watched his legs 'walk' on nothingness, then snorted and sneezed briefly. "A little late foyr that." Another sneeze helped clear most of the rest of the water out as he looked dubiously at the clear water beneath him. Go under that?

With a sigh he turned to watch Blue go up and down and all around, splashing little dropplets all over every time he flapped. It didn't seem to...hurt the blue male any to keep ducking himself under the water. And the only way that boulder was moving was if they went under there. Searing shook his head slowly, then took a gulp of air and pinched his nose and eyes both shut and...stopped kicking. After a moment his eyes snapped back open and he flailed his way to the surface again, coughing and shaking his head. "Swim fiyrst, then duck. Yright." He bobbed in place for a bit before slowly, hesitantly starting across the pool.

[silvermoondragon]

      Wave smiled encouragingly at Searing as he started swimming around, his strokes becoming more and more confident as he continued swimming. "When you're yready, let me know and we can try diving down."

      Wave glanced over at Blue, grinned, then flapped her fin wings sending a huge wave and numerous splashes over his way, soaking him completely.
      Blue's head popped up with a rather annoyed look on his face, mane slicked down against his face and water dripping down his muzzle. A quick grin flickered across his face before disappearing as he ducked down under the surface only to resurface closer with a giant splash, practically leaping out of the water.

[Origami_Dragon]

Fortunatly Searing was becoming halfway comfortable with moving in the water when the huge wave rocked the pond. Even so he bleated in shock as he found himself bouncing up and down in the rather large ripples or mini-waves that followed Wave and Blue's play. At least since the water wasn't aimed at him Searing managed to keep himself afloat. Once he was halfway steady again the desert stallion (slightly awkwardly) spun in the water, expecting to find hunters or the local Song in the water with them, determined to attack and either eat them or drive them away.

Instead he spun just in time to receave a huge faceful of water as Blue retaliated against Wave's splashes. Sputtering and coughing Searing shook his head, trying to get the water out of his eyes. The fact that his mane was now soaked and strands of it were plastered across his face wasn't helping. "Ayre we tyrying to empty the pool befoyre moving the bouldeyr? Lady, will that not be most uncomfoyrtable foyr you?"

[silvermoondragon]

((eeew... midterms! They're slowly killing me))

      With the splashing, Wave had almost forgotten that Searing was still learning to swim, and turned to him with a sheepish grin after he spoke, "Soyryry about the waves, and I doubt we'd manage to fully empty out all the wateyr, although that might make it easieyr to move the bouldeyr"
      Although Wave was enjoying the playful frolicking in the waters, she was beginning to feel impatience as she sensed the time going by. "Ayre we yready to tyry the bouldeyr?"
      Blue looked at Wave and Searing, took in a deep breath, and kicked his way under the water. Wave looked over at Searing, "I guess he's yready, how about you? Don't woyryry, I'll guide you down and help you yreach the suyrface if you need, just stayrt heading upwayrds and I will notice."

[Origami_Dragon]

((Eat them. How do they manage to drag midterms out for an entire month or more anyways?))

Searing looked down at the water, as much or more than he'd ever really seen in one place before. "Well, the sands would dyrink it all up yreadily enough should we splash it towayrds them, but it would be a waste." He was just as glad that they were not actually planning to try and send all that precious water to soak into the eternally thirsty sand beyond the oasis.

Searing's head went back up slightly nervously as Wave asked if they were ready to go down and move the stone. Wave's reasurances that she would notice and help him reach air again if being underwater grew too much for him were nice...but his nerves still sang out that he wasn't ready. But he'd never be ready...so best to just do it. He gave a curt nod then swam over to where the boulder lay. He looked down through the clear water drew a deep breath, then pinched his nose shut, flattened his ears...and sank.

As the water closed over his head Searing blinked. It bothered his eyes slightly, all the water. Not as much or in the same way as sand grit did, but it still felt odd. The back of his throat tickled. He was used to running, to almost constant back and forth flow of air. This holding the breath was unnatural. He had to think of this as a sort of storm. You didn't breath in sandstorms, not until you had to. You hunkered down in the lee of a stone, a cliff, anything that could protect you; closed your eyes, pinched shut your nose, and waited it out. It didn't take so long to find his hooves on the ground again. The sky looked odd from below the water when he glanced up to see where the others were. He also couldn't feel his weight very well. How to get enough grip to shove a stone away when his body struggled to rise to the surface again? Hopefully they could move it. Hopefully the others would be here soon, before the air ran out and he had to go up again.

[silvermoondragon]

((well, some of my classes have 2 midterms, but that's no excuse for genetics where both of them are in November, eek! one tonight... Would this post count for Nano? or not since the RP was started before November?))

      Wave watched Searing nod and begin to sink slowly down into the water. She was a little surprised at how calm he was, sinking deep below the waters he had been so hesitant to enter in the first place. Wanting to get things over with as quickly as possible, she tucked her fin wings and ears close to her body and, like the others, submerged herself.

      Within moments, she had reached the bottom of the oasis, careful not to stir up too much of the sandy silt and mud at the bottom. She looked around, saw Blue wiggling around stirring up tons of silt and leaving clouds of muddy water behind him, and sighed inwardly, he was wasting much of his precious oxygen fooling around. When she got to Searing, she almost laughed as he stood stalk still on the bottom, as if he was standing up on the surface. Coming up to Searing, carefully lest she startle him and cause him to panic, she looked into his eyes and lead the way over to the boulder. Since verbal communication underwater is quite difficult, to show the others how they might attempt to push the boulder she pushed on it, pressing her front fins to its sides and kicking hard, as if swimming forwards. As if to give them hope, the boulder rolled forwards a bit before rolling back into place with a small dirt cloud when Wave stopped to wait for the others to arrive.

[Origami_Dragon]

((Crashing computers and entering NaNo are distracting... Eee, multiple midterms for a class doesn't sound fun. Nor does it make any sense. How do you have two midterms? It just... *brain breaks* And I have no idea if this counts for NaNo or not... I don't think they have an official policy on RP entries. I mean...the story this goes with did start before hand, but you wouldn't be using any other post for your entry. I think it's all your call.))

Despite what Wave thought Searing wasn't really all that calm. Every muscle was tense as he stood on the sandy bottom looking nervously around the pool. His ears were held flat back against his head to try and stop the water trickling irritatingly in and his throat was tickling with lack of air. It wasn't so much that he needed to go up and breathe now, but he hadn't realized how different holding ones breath underwater would be from holding it in air you simply didn't dare breathe. Then a little still trickled in. Now, anything seeping in was wet and bad.

At least Wave showed up down beside him before Searing had a chance to really panic. His eyes flickered over to her as she slowly approached, looked at him briefly, and then continue on the short distance to the boulder. He'd done fairly well in dropping himself where he'd wanted, but the water seemed to have pushed him slightly off from where he wanted to be. He didn't realize that things can look as though they're off to the side from where they really are when looking into the water.

Carefully Searing followed Wave, narrowing his eyes as Blue stirred up itchy silt and sand. It was hard to walk under the water, but walk Searing did, not yet quite sure of himself while swimming. Anyways, he rather thought he'd bob to the surface again if he swam. He could see the boulder shift slightly as Wave shoved at it, only to settle down again once she let go. He nosed at the thing, scratched at the sand around it, particularly where the dirt had puffed up when it dropped back. Then he peered around behind it. Back there looked to be stone. Over here was loose sand and muck. Up above was a small ledge on the side of the water, perhaps where this stone had originally rested. An idea slowly began to form in his head and he pawed at the loose sand at the boulder's base once more, then looked up at the others. How exactly did you talk down here anyways?

[silvermoondragon]

(( At least some classes call them term tests instead of midterms. But then there is genetics... the prof clearly didn't get the whole idea of midterms. We had our first one November 3 and 3 weeks later we have our second one, which is about 4 weeks from the final but we had 2 months before the first one. Oh well, I guess it gives some people the opportunity to make up, if they bombed the first one...))

      The two land-dwelling Samanayrs made their way over to the boulder, and Wave watched Searing carefully for any signs of needing air. She knew Blue would be fine although he might end up being the first to return to the surface with all his fooling around.

      As Searing reached the boulder and stared peering around, pawing at the base of the boulder, Wave first thought he hadn't understood how she had tried to explain how to move the boulder and she moved forwards slightly to attempt to show him again, but she stopped when he looked up at her. She could tell that he was trying to figure something out and by the way his mouth twitched slightly she guessed that he wanted to tell her something.

      Just at that moment, Blue came charging over, however charging would look like underwater, and launched himself at the boulder sending up a giant cloud of sand that quickly reduced the visibility so that Wave couldn't even see the end of her fins unless she brought them right up to her face.

[Origami_Dragon]

((That's just...silly. *pokes genetics professor* Most of my classes didn't even have an official 'midterm'. We just had three or four tests fairly evenly spaced out throughout the semester, then a final at the end. And the spacing between the last regular test and the final was usually about the same as between two regular tests. In some cases...the final was just another test pretty much the same as any other.))

Searing was busy watching Wave, trying to figure out how to comunicate with her underwater. Too busy to keep an eye on Blue. And so he was caught completely off guard when the winged Sam came barreling in and kicked up a huge cloud of muck and sand. Searing couldn't see a thing. Now this felt like a real sandstorm, and he gave in to his first instinct. Flee.

Of course, since Searing was currently at the bottom of a pool of water this didn't work so well. As he pivoted to run away from the cloud of stinging grit he lost his hold on staying sunk. Moments later the desert Sam was bobbing on the water's surface once more, coughing and hacking from the water he had unintentionaly swallowed in his retreat.

Still wheezing slightly Searing decided to stay up here for a bit longer. Maybe Wave would follow him up and he could use this to tell her what he had thought of when he'd been poking at the boulder.

[silvermoondragon]

      As the dust cloud rolled over her, Wave puffed out a small breath of air in annoyance, Blue's silliness was not helping things. She looked around for a moment and saw Searing heading to the surface in a panicked and awkward manner. She quickly followed him up to the surface to make sure he made it up safely. Popping up next to him with a small splash, she watched him coughing and wheezing carefully lest he slip under the surface for a moment.
      A few moments later, Blue reappeared at the surface as well, and Wave glared at him. "You know, all youyr silliness is just causing tyrouble. If you plan on helping me out I suggest you smayrten up."
      Blue's ears flattened as Wave chastised him. "I'm soyryry," he said quietly.
      Wave then turned back to Searing. "I believe you had something you wanted to say down theyre?"

[Origami_Dragon]

Spitting out one last mouthful of water as Blue surfaced and was scolded Searing nodded and finished getting his breath back. He chose not to say anything further to Blue; the other stallion had been chastised already and scolding him more would help nothing. "I did," he said to Wave as she prompted him to share his thoughts. For a moment he glanced down through the still cloudy water towards a boulder he couldn't really see. Was he sure this would work? Well...if it didn't they could still always try Wave's original plan.

"The side theyre is steep. The bouldeyr doesn't wish to go up it, as you found. But the gyround is soft and sandy, as he pyroved." One ear flicked in Blue's direction. "Youyr fins might not move the sand, but ouyr hooves should. It woud be easieyr to move the bouldeyr into the middle of the pond than back up to wheyre it came fyrom. Especially if we did it a path to yroll down. The pond is still sloping down a little theyre."

While he had been speaking Searing had continued to stare down into the still murly water. Only once he had finished did the desert Samanayr look up and back and forth between the two others. He was not very familiar with large amounts of water. Perhaps one of them would see some flaw with this thought that he didn't.

[silvermoondragon]

      Wave looked curiously at the Searing as he explained the idea he had come up with under the water and her eyes began to light up as he got to the end. She had always loved floating in the water, strongly believing that it's beauty and the current tugging gently at your fur helped to stimulate thinking, and Searing's brilliant idea proved that.
      "That's a gyreat idea!" she called out, "I can't believe I hadn't thought of that being stuck in this pool foyr so long."

      As they had been talking, the silt had been slowly sinking back down into its place at the bottom of the oasis. Wave noticed this happening and then mentioned, "Although, digging around in the silt will pyrobably stiyr it up and yreduce the visability again, you won't be able to see veyry well.

[Origami_Dragon]

When Searing at last looked up it was to find Wave looking at him, eyes alight with definate approval. As she exclaimed what a good plan it was he ducked his head. "Well, the easieyr appyroach is to push up, not out. And you don't yrun on the gyround. Wateyr seems to make you feel things diffeyrently than aiyr does. I'm suyre you would have tyried it eventually."

Following Wave's gaze back down to the clearning water below, in which it was now once more possible to make out the form of the boulder Searing shrugged. "At least this time I'll have wayrning. Last time it came so suddenly...I felt like I was tyrapped in a sandstoyrm!" He shivered, remembering the sudden surge of pure panic that had overtaken him when the sand had suddenly surrounded him.

After a moment Searing glanced curiously over at Blue. The other stallion had been oddly quiet since they had resurfaced and Searing wondered how he felt about this idea. After all, he would be down there too. And until they were all in agreement on what was to be done it would be best not to go back down where they couldn't comunicate readily.

[silvermoondragon]

((sorry it took so long to reply, everything got quite crazy with exams for a while))

      Wave looked approvingly at Searing, "Well, I am still glad that the both of you found me, even if I had thought of the idea, I still might not have been able to move much of the sand on my own."

      As Searing looked over at Blue, he looked back up at him and blinked his eyes. "I am very soyryry for being so foolish eayrlieyr, I pyromise that this time I will follow youyr diyrections and stiyr up as little sand as I can."
      As he started talking about the plan, the excitement began returning to his eyes. "Yes, I agyree youyr plan should woyrk, ayre we yready to tyry again?"

[Origami_Dragon]

((No problem; I figured that was what was going on. Exam madness and then hopefully some time with family for Christmas.))

A single quick glance downwards to compare his broad hooves with Wave's rather delicate looking fins was the only indication Searing gave that the Aquatic mare might be right about her not having been able to free the stone by digging on her own. Other than that he simply shrugged noncommittally.

Blue's apology made Searing blink and turn to look more fully at the other stallion. His eyes were quizzical for a moment before he realized that his mention of the sudden sands that had been roused by Blue's abrupt arrival had probably prompted the apology. Searing nodded and whickered an acceptance then turned to face both of the others. "Then peyrhaps we should soyrt things out and deteyrmine the diyrection of appyroach foyr all while we ayre still up heyre. I was suyrpyrised to find how little communication theyre was down theyre. Who heyre has the best hooves to dig the path? I think two should push if theyre is yroom." Looking down at the boulder he tried to imagine it rolling out to the center of the pool. How fast would it move? "Oyr peyrhaps we dig fiyrst and then all push. I would hate to see the stone cyrush the diggeyr if it moved too fast..."