She watched, crouched, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Slowly, slowly her soft "prey" came closer. Her hind quarters began shifting back and forth, preparing for the launch.
There!, she judged, and leapt wildly into the air, clapping her paws around a single snowflake in descent, giggling madly. Her momentum continued to carry her forward, and she came crashing down face-first into a drift of snow the wind had pushed against a tree.
She stood up, covered in snow, glanced around quickly to make sure no one had spotted the young kip's botched attempt at "hunting." Finding no one nearby, she giggled again and shook the snow off her bright coat. She was in a fantastic mood, as always, but felt that nothing could bring her down today! She was going to the spring today, and her mother had let her go without her sister! It was an adventure! Her first time out on her own, and she felt the freedom coursing through her veins like thirty birds in flight. She turned back onto her course and trotted gleefully towards the spring once more.
It was a big meeting spot, and Sevg'ili loved that about this place. Geits from all around came here to meet, water, and socialize. Sevg'ili loved the atmosphere and conversation, the sound of the gurgling stream under it all. She took a deep breath, inhaling all the scents and holding it inside her.
Carefully, she made her way to the spot her parents always took her to water. It is safe at this spot only, they told her. You don't want to fall in, or you won't get out! She couldn't swim, so she made sure to listen to them. Plus, the water was very cold! Sevg'ili may love being out and about, but she did not love being cold.
Another 'geit was already at her spot, a larger, tawny kip who was watching the water with a dreamy expression on his face. Sevg'ili smiled, wondering what he was thinking about, and turned to dip her muzzle into the cold, fast water. Cold, clear, cool, crisp, water.
Sevg'ili started when the kip approached her, dunking her nose further into the water than she had intended and breathed water rather than air. She brought her head straight up, coughed and sputtered for a moment before turning sheepishly towards Giles.
"Ah, hi, haha" she said, her ears turning towards her head, slightly embarassed. "Yes, hi! I'm sorry about that! I was, um, distracted! Haha, yeah..." She sat on her haunches and ran a paw over her nose a few times, trying to make light of her reaction. Giles seemed kind, she was sure he hadn't meant to startle her. "Nice to meet you Giles! I'm Sevg'ili. You can call me Sev if you can't pronounce my full name, sometimes its hard." She grinned, sure that she had herself under control again.
