Home is Where the Heart is {open}

[::Fox::]

Late summer sunlight left a golden cast on the world as it loomed in the clear blue sky, lingering near the very tops of the trees as though considering setting. Night was still an hour and a half or so off at the very least leaving plenty of sunlight for the less time-coordinated of strays to finish up their daily business. Those strays were lucky if they actually had something to accomplish during the day. A lone stray trotted in the sandy beach near the lake with no destination in mind nor a goal that needed finishing before the sun reached the horizon. This evening walk wasn't an unusual thing for the lonesome stray, his rich tawny fur catching the sun's rays with a perfect match in shade. Had he been standing in sun-ripened wheat, the handsome male Chinook would have disappeared completely. His coat was rich tawny, eyes burnt brownish-amber, stride full of purpose with really nowhere to go. It was more of a habit, to have such firm decision reflect in his pawsteps. Really, Asher had no place to go. There was no home to return to when the night grew cool, no family waiting for him to bring them supper or a pack waiting to know he'd returned safely from the spotty streets of Harthorn. Nope. None of that for Asher, no matter how much he desired it. At least, he didn't have it yet.

The handsome Chinook did plan on having those things but, for right now they were just a tad out of reach. Ask him any day and he'd say it was alright, things would come soon enough when he had earned them through working hard and earning his keep. He'd find his lot in life eventually, a safe haven to fall into when the pressures of the world were just too much. It would be alright. Right now, his posture reflected this ideal. Though he was quite alone, Asher was at ease. He wasn't looking for shadowy figures in the boulders or killer fish in the waters. He didn't scan for humans on the opposite shores or flinch when he heard distant sounds of cars on the road that ran past the lake a little ways through the woods. His stride was easy, shoulders loose, tail wagging lazily, ears swerved forward and head hanging in a neutral pose. All at ease, each muscle relaxed as his paws trekked through the soft sand still warm with sunlight.

Without really thinking, Asher's paws turned toward the shallow waters lapping lazily at the bank. Paws meant to wade through deep snow in the far north easily moved through the wetter sand as his golden feet dipped into the water. Prenton Lake was a relatively clean lake, one where humans often swam when the summer was hotter and skated on when the winter covered the lake in ice. No deadly diseases or animals lurked in the sparse woodland so, Asher moved into the lapping water without fear. When he was up to his chest in the cool water, the Chinook stopped walking and simply stood, letting the liquid lap at his dense coat. Sunlight glinted off the water, reflecting on his tawny pelt and catching in his eyes. Closing his eyes to keep from getting spots in his eyes or going blind, the male simply stood and enjoyed the duel sensation of cool water and warm sunlight on his face. It was absolutely wonderful, perhaps more relaxing than just walking on the beach all by himself.

As the sun sank into the trees and the water grew cooler, the sunlight gone from most of the lake, Asher waded out of the water. His fur clung to his legs and underbelly, droplets of crystal trickling from his tail tip and legs. Not bothering to shake himself out, the Chinook simply flopped down on the sandy bank. It still felt warm from the sun, comfortable even though he knew half of him would be caked with sand when he got up. Closing his eyes, Asher pushed the thought off to think on later. For now he let himself be comfortable, the sand molding to his powerful figure. It was quite relaxing, crickets chirping in the forest, an occasional soft breath of wind, leaves rustling, water rippling. For right now things weren't perfect but, they were okay. As good as they had ever been for Asher. No need to get worked up even though he didn't have everything he wanted. He knew he had time to work for it and earn it. He was still molding his life. For right now, something told him this was just as important as anything else, this quiet moment.

[nightmare]

"I couldn't tell you,
why she felt that way, she felt it every day.
I couldn't help her,
I just watched her make the same mistakes again.
Whats wrong, whats wrong now?
To many, to many problems,
don't know where she belongs,
where she belongs...."

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Nothing in the shape of something. Wonder in a lost place. The path she followed lead somewhere yet no where. Her remaining three paws hit the ground in a steady beat, thud, thud thud. Her breath was even, and the small limp she had made it hard to keep a steady heart beat. Her walk was a bit faster, and her rhythm a bit louder, but none of this even mattered to her. She was free, but where was Dina? Free as well she hoped. The path to the lake was grown over with grass and wild plants, and covered in sand, the humans didn't use it often, and neither did the dogs. Alice liked the lake, it gave off a cool breeze and it was quite shallow in places, nice to cool off in. She didn't come here for that though. She came to follow the small cat that had caught her attention near the streets. It lead her here, to the lovely lake.

Alice was new here, and didn't have a pack. She hoped one day to join, but right now she wanted to get used to where she was, and find out if Dina had gotten out. She missed her sister dearly, and it hurt to think of her. It hurt worse to think of what she looked like, those huge black feathery wings coming out of her back. Poor Dina. Alice missed her dearly. She didn't like to think of it sometimes. So she didt. The cat preoccupied her now.

"Come on cat, please stay, i just want to say hello. You do know what that means don't you." She tried to catch up to the orange cat. "Oh Please do stay." she wined a little. The cat didn't want to have anything to do with the dog. It weaved in and out of trees and when it came to a big tree with a lot of branches, it hopped up and sat just out of Alice's reach. "Oh darn, kitty. I just wanted to play." Alice was just curious, and most of the time she was to curious for her own good. Curiosity leads to trouble, her mother would tell her when she tried to leave her bed. She smiled sadly at the thought of her mother. She hoped with all her heart her mother and father had gone to good homes. She missed them so much as well.

Alice sat down in the sand with a humph. Her missing leg made it harder for her to travel great distances, and made it hard to chase cats up trees. Her right ear stuck up and her left lay at the side of her head, the way they often did. She sighed and pouted a little. She was lonely, oh so very lonely. She wished for her sister back. She loved her, and cried over her for so long, she wanted her back. Flashes of memories, of the fire that appeared out of no where, appeared in her head. Alice remembered it well. She only realized that Dina, her own sister, had made the fire, made it with her mind, when Alice found out she could walk through others dreams. It was a power. Alice's wasn't very strong at all, but Dina could kill. It scared her to think of what Dina could do.

She got up and shook her fluffy white coat out. She needed to stop thinking of all the bad in life, and get to some good. She started to head along the sand, toward the lake, the sun was lower in the sky now, and the day threatened to end. Alice didn't want to get stuck out here in the night. There were stories of evil dogs who kidnapped females and raped them. Alice wouldn't have that at all. The sand felt nice under her paws, soothing almost. She looked at the cloudless sky above her head as she walked, there were not a lot of trees near the lake. Alice could smell the sweet water. It made her thirsty. She hopped along in the sand to grab a quick drink from the cool lake. She stepped into it, it only covered her paws on the part she was it. It felt nice on her pink pads, and she smiled. The water tasted sweet, fresh. It was glorious.

There were fish a few feet out in the deeper part, Alice could see them from where she stood. She bounded over to them, splashing water everywhere. When she drew near the fish scattered. This is fun, she thought. She stood still and waited for the fish to re-gather, and then bounded at them again, watching the brightly colored dots swim every which way. She did this, over and over, laughing. She was having fun. For the first time in a while, Alice was enjoying herself. It felt good. She was so caught up in her fish chasing game, she didn't notice someone was near.

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Word Count: 864

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[::Fox::]

Asher's dark brown eyes flickered open as his ears caught the sound of splashing. For a lake, that wasn't too unusual considering humans and dogs tended to come here to play or cool off. What was unusal was the fact someone was splashing around at sunset when Asher had just recently been quite sure he was alone. Twitching his triangular ears, the handsome sled dog sat up. As expected, itchy sand was caked on his side, caught up in the fine tawny hairs that made up his pelt. Ignoring it though, the Chinook looked around. His eyes caught on the form of a dog splashing around in the shallows, bright laughter starting to trickle through the late summer air to the handsome brute. Sitting up a little more, he angled his head curiously, peering toward the canine curiously. What caught his eye right away was that the dog was a fine snowy white. Next Asher's eyes took in the lack of a limb which surprised him. Not many dogs were seen with a missing limb and it was sad to see but, the dog didn't look sad so Asher pushed the feeling aside. He wasn't the one missing a limb, if the one that was wasn't unhappy then he had no right to ruin their good mood.

Pushing himself to stand up, the Chinook gave himself a brisk shake. A whirlwind of sand spiraled off his coat making him look a bit less like he'd been lazing around all day. Setting off at a brisk jog, Asher trotted toward the other dog following the beach. His tail, slightly curved in shape, wagged lazily in time with his step. The brute's jaws were parted in an easy grin, tongue lulling a little, posture totally at ease and relaxed, happy at the possibility of some temporary company.

When he got closer, Asher saw that his eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him. The white dog, a femme by her scent and body strucuture, was indeed three-legged. For a moment he wondered what accident or birth defect had caused it but pushed the thought aside. It wasn't any of his business and she seemed to be having fun, it would be nice to just play with someone for a little while. Most strays were too serious to play, just splash in the shallows or play tag in some open patch of grass. Asher maintained a healthy child at heart, sometimes perhaps being a bit too playful for his more serious of company. His laid back nature was often something that got him looked down on but, Asher knew when to stand up for himself and when to just let things go and play a little game.

Wagging his tail, Asher slipped into the water a few yards from the white fae. Ripples cascaded outward from his step as he waded again to chest depth, looking over at the femme.

"Looks like fun," Asher barked, watching the fish scatter as he waded through them. "Hope you don't mind a little company?"

Asher's voice was pleasant, a mix of homey warmth and playful youth. With the setting sun reflecting off the water, his tawny coat was set alight with a soft golden glow that darkened his eyes nicely. Being bred for sleding, Asher had a hadnsome, firm stature, a mildly deep chest, well shaped head and alert ears crowning his head. A thicker ruff of fur surrounded his neck, a gift from his ancestors against the cold and attacks. Dense fur between his toes made it easy for the Chinook to wade over wet sand, as easily as leaping through deep snow without sinking. All gifts from the past that combined today to make a handsome dog that oddly enough seemed to radiate comfort with himself and others, utterly relaxed and okay with where he was in life and what was going on. That was Asher, without a doubt. Things might not be perfect but they would be someday and even if they never were, at least he'd have fun along the way. He'd meet dogs, learn things, try things. Just as long as he was happy with who he was when the time came to move on.

[/blockquote]

[nightmare]

"Her feelings she hides,
her dreams she cant find
shes loosing her mind
shes falling behind.
She cant find her place,
shes loosing her faith
shes fallen from grace,
shes all over the place..."

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The confused fish were so stupid. Alice ran at them, they scattered, and then went back to just floating about in some other spot. So Alice ran at them over and over again. Laughing and panting and hopping about. The sun was setting, it made the lake so pretty. Colors splashed when the water did, and Alice found she couldn't look away from it. Like she was in a watery trance. Her whits fur was soaked now, from head to toe. A permanent smile stuck to her face, and there was child like cheer in her blue eyes. She loved the water.

She was so distracted in her play. The fish seemed to be the only thing that mattered at the moment. They were her only friends. The orange one, she liked to think of him as Lenny. And the brown ones were, Mona, Cory, and Sid. They all had lives and families. She wished she had a life, and a family. Sometimes she even wished she was a fish. A Silly wish, yes. But it did make seance. Fish didn't have to worry about much. Fish didn't have war. Did they? Fish were not raped. They didn't need to go for months and months walking with three legs, lost in the big world. No, they could just float. Just relax and let the current take them. Alice wished the current would take her, so she could soar through it, and not care where it lead her. Not care where she ended up. If only life was that easy.

Alice stopped at the sound of movement in the water. She spun around quickly to see what it was. Smile still spread across her face, laughing a little. There was another dog. What was he doing out here?

"Looks like fun," A strange light brown dog came toward her in the water. She stopped jumping around and looked at him. "Hope you don't mind a little company?" The dog was nice enough.

He was muscular built, and a almost sunset brown color. His eyes were darker, and held confidence in them. He was slightly tall, and quite furry. He had the look of a winter dog, like a husky, or and native dog. His voice was soothing, a tone that said, I'm no danger. He wanted to play? How could Alice say no. She cocked her head to the side, her one ear up, one ear down look. Her blue eyes looked over him, looking for any signs of danger. She loved making friends, and was not shy in any seance of the word.

"Of coarse." She chirped, smiling "My names Alice. Whats yours?" She bounded over to him, and splashed him a little. A giggle escaped her maw, and her smile spread across her whole face. She hoped this dog would come play with her, she didn't much like playing alone for to long.

Alice had not played with anyone in so long. Not since her sister Dina had been around. She remembered how they would play in the pond in there backyard. The big fat orange fish they would Chase. The smell of daffodils filled the air, and she could hear her parents light laughter from where they sat and watched. She could remember the feeling of the neatly cut grass under her soft pink pads. The look in her sisters eye when they would do something they knew they shouldn't. It was all so close, yet still so far away.

Alice shook her wet coat, splashing more water at the stranger playfully. She didn't want to remember the past. She wanted to start over. For it not to hurt anymore. Her smile stay intact, showing no sign of distress. Her front leg was getting tired, but she dint let it show weakness. She was strong, a fighter, and she would make sure everyone knew it. He tail wagged furiously in the cool air. She was happy to have company now. Happy not to be alone. The loneliness was starting to drive her madder than a hatter.

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Word Count: 678

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[::Fox::]

When she looked up, Asher smiled and wagged his tail, happy to see she didn't look too startled or scared. He hated accidentally scaring others, mostly because someone startling him made him about as happy as a grizzly that woke up before spring had sprung. She had a nice smile and wasn't far from pretty. Most brutes would think a female missing a leg was one of the ugliest sights to see in a physical and emotional sense. To Asher it was just another part of her, this bright-eyed fae named Alice. He would put money on her having been a housepet in an accident, then her humans not wanting her. Humans could be so fickle, they loved their pets as long as they were perfect. The moment a pet misbehaved, went blind, went deaf, lost a leg, whatever it was, the human didn't want it anymore. It was like throwing away a perfectly good toy just because it got dropped once but it still worked fine. It was a cruel reality and a practice Asher often frowned on. This girl seemed nice though, ready to play and lighter in heart than most of the demonesses lurking around Harthorn.

"My name's Asher, it's nice to meet you," Asher barked, grinning and shrinking back just a little when she splashed him.

The water felt nice on his sun-warmed fur. Giving himself a shake, Asher whacked his paw on the water, splashing back at Alice. Since he was slightly taller than Alice, Asher stood deeper in the water, chest deep instead of foreleg deep. To make it a little more fair, Asher circled around into the more shallow parts, the water now swelling occasionally just high enough to brush his underbelly. Giving himself a slight shake just for the heck of it, Asher whisked his tail through the water, splashing at Alice.

Leaping to the side a little, Asher gave a bark and trotted a little farther along the bank, splashing in the shallows. When he'd gone a few yards, the golden Chinook turned halfway back toward Alice and gave another bark, tossing his head a little. His semi-curled tail was held high with his head in a playful posture, one front leg raised in mid-step. The sinking sun reflected orange fiery light off the water, dancing over Asher's tawny pelt.

He was trying to get Alice to chase him and catch him. He could remember playing this game with his brothers and sisters when he'd been little. It had become his little joke to "die" or something because it had been funny when his siblings hadn't been paying attention and then he'd keel over. His mother would scold them for "hurting" him until Asher told her it was just a game and they hadn't done anything wrong. His mother used to shake her head at him and laugh, then shoo them off to play some more. Sometimes when his brothers would be particularly mean, he wouldn't pop up and say it was a joke, he'd let his mother think they'd been mean. Then they'd leave him alone for a while after getting in trouble.

Plus, Asher liked romping around from time to time, rolling around in the sand and splashing in the shallows, chasing somebody or being chased. To him, it was all in good fun though he would have to take it easy since Alice did have a handicap. It might not hinder her horribly but he'd bet her front leg wouldn't be too happy with him if he played too rough. Plus, it was just rude to rough around a pretty lady.

[nightmare]

Asher seemed nice, and a playful pup at heart. Alice laughed a little when he shrunk back from the water she splashed at him. And then laughed again when he shook it off on her. She jumped around a little, splashing him again, and getting splashed by him She twisted and turned and tried to dodge the cool water. Alice was having fun, forgetting all about Dina for the moment. Her tail wagged furiously, and her tongue lolled out in a puppyish grin. It looked like Asher was enjoying himself as well.

Asher trotted up the bank and turned back and gave Alice a bark. She smiled and raced to catch up with him. Alice loved to give chase, it was the best feeling. Running free with other dogs. Heaven on earth. Alice and Dina would always play chase, and Alice would always win because she was so much faster than her sister. She didn't know about now though, with the whole missing leg thing going on. She was still fast, a lot faster than most three legged dogs, and she loved to run. She half ran half hopped in the deeper water to chase Asher. She was catching up, but assumed that he was going easy on her, being a gentleman. She liked that, no one ever gave her slack these days. It was nice to know chivalry wasn't dead.

Alice wondered what Asher dreamed about. She was always curious about the dreams of others, and loved her dream walking power. It always gave her wisdom and power to know she cloud do it. She loved it so. The sunset was making her white coat look almost orange. And she could faintly see her reflection in the moving water. She was closer to Asher now, and she ran up beside him laughing and lifting her head to the sky, feeling the breeze on her face. She gave a small bark and she ran ahead of him slightly, pushing herself. Now it was her turn to be chased. It was like tag. I catch you, you chase me, you catch me i chase you. The thought lifted her heart. The last time she played this was with Dina, but that was the last thought on her mind at the moment. Seagulls flew above in the purple, orange, yellow sky. A perfect picture.

[[OOC]] I'm super sorry this is so short. I have like NO muse what so ever. I would have done this later, but i might not be able to get to it, so i wanted to make sure it was done. SORRY AGAIN. I hate short posts. -feels ashamed at post length-
<3<3

[::Fox::]

Tossing his head a little, the golden-furred Chinook wagged his slightly curled tail as Alice started running toward him. Her odd little gait was interesting to him, not in a morbid way though. It was interesting how dogs hindered in some way could compensate and come out better than the "perfect" dogs. Asher had seen blind dogs navigate proverbial minefields without hesitation and deaf dogs still get their point across. Of course, there weren't many three-legged stray dogs running around Harthorn so, Asher didn't see them very often. Despite the hindrance though, Alice had an odd sort of grace about her in her odd gallop. Asher jogged in a big circle in the lake shallows, waiting for the femmora to catch up, tail up and wagging. He may not have been as cleanly cut and sharp looking as a husky but, Asher wasn't ugly. In the sunset light, he glowed and so did Alice, her white pelt taking on a soft orange tone that liked quite nice.

Twitching his ears at Alice's bark, Asher replied with one of his own as she cantered past him, splashing him with her passing. Giving himself a shake, and subtly giving Alice a head start, Asher pawed at the water and ran after her. He kept his lope measured and easy, muscles flowing smoothly under his golden coat. It was thin for now but when autumn and summer came, the sleek tawny would darken to burnt gold and give him a thick feathery appearance. It was slightly embarrassing, that transition into a winter pelt. It made him feel fat and fluffy, weighed down by all the necessary fur.

Swerving behind Alice, Asher headed into deeper water, occasionally using his muzzle to fling water at Alice. A light bulb came on above Asher's head as an idea crept into his mind. Grinning to himself, the brute swerved farther to the right into deeper water. He knew there was a ledge somewhere on the beach where the lake got drastically deeper, perfect for his little plan. Giving a bark to get Alice's attention, Asher started to turn as if he was going to charge back into the shallows and grab her. He didn't get that far.

Instead, he let his paw "slip" on the drop. With a yelp the golden Chinook ducked out of sight under the water and stayed down.

It was all theatrics but, if she didn't fall for it, he'd have to go up soon for air. It was a good thing the big brute knew how to swim or he really would be in a pickle. His thinner summer coat held less water so, he wouldn't be dragged down too far. He just wanted to see if he could trick her like he used to trick his siblings. His little trick was harmless of course but, he hoped she'd take it well. It would really suck to make a friend and then break one over one silly little joke. But he couldn't stop himself from doing it anyway because honestly, boys will be boys.

[nightmare]

The sound of moving water was the only thing she could hear. Her steady run was making the water go in every which way. Her laughter ran through the air as well. Her ears twitched back, and she listened to Asher's pursuit. He was right behind her, right on her tail. She laughed again, it was difficult to laugh and run at the same time. It gave her stomach cramps. She was having way to much fun being chased to even notice the cramps. She couldn't notice the slight slowing of her pace, from her front leg starting to grow tired. To much fun. Water flung at Alice every so often. Asher was somehow splashing her. She whipped her tail around to fling water back at him. She let her tongue roll out as she ran.

She turned fast at Asher's bark. He was to the right of her, and she swung around fully and went closer to where he was. Asher turned to run at her, and Alice jumped up, but when she hit the water again. Asher was gone. Alice stopped in her tracks, what? She was so confused, what just happened? She remembered, the lake had a ledge, where it got deep suddenly, and the current was stronger there. Alice trotted deeper in, and felt around for the ledge. Did he slip off, Alice hopped he could swim fine, so that he could get back up. It would be just terrible if she lost him as soon as she met him. Loosing new found friends was always terrible.

"Asher?" she called out, looking into the water. it was not still enough for her to see anything clearly. Alice found the ledge with her front paw. It was hard for her to keep balance, but she managed. Her ears stood straight forward, pointed toward the water. A look of worry crossed her face. She searched the water frantically, but she could not see anything that didn't look like a fish. She was a bit scared now. How long would he be able to hole his breath? Alice couldn't do it for very long, but maybe Asher could. She stared down at the water, and somehow it remained her of Dina. She wished she could have water powers to counter Dina's fire powers. She shook her head. "ASHER!" she called louder now.

Looking on top of the water was not doing a thing. she took in a great breath of air, held her breath, and plunged her head into the water. Once under water, Alice couldn't hear anything. She opened her eyes, everything was hazy, and blurry. She looked around, blinking a few times. She wasn't seeing anything. Where was that big brown dog? Had he gotten pulled away by the current? Was he stuck under the ledge? Oh no, what had happened to her new friend?

[::Fox::]

Underwater was a new experience for Asher. Sure, he'd gotten his head pulled under from time to time but he'd never really opened his eyes and looked while trying to maintain that delicate balance between the surface and the dark depths below. The lake wasn't the purest of waters but it wasn't brown with filth so when Asher's amber orbs opened, he saw hazy shapes of rippling water. Interesting but, not enough to drown over. Waiting as long as he could, the golden-pelted Chinook felt his legs protesting and his lungs aching, warning him to get up and gulp in some air instead of water before his body rebelled. Still he waited until he caught sight of something white in the haze. It took a second for him to realize it was Alice's single front leg. What was she doing so close to the edge?! Without a second thought, the Chinook kicked out with his hind legs, propelling himself upward to fresh air before the fae could tumble off the ledge. Sure, he was a good swimmer but he doubted Alice was. She might have been at one point as much as she obviously loved water but, Asher doubted she was anymore.

The Chinook's handsome golden head burst up into the air. Cool summer evening air nipped at his soaking fur like a sharp reprimand for his little joke but, Asher paid it no head. Flailing wildly, he took in deep lungfuls of air, coughing on the water that had crept into his lungs or into his belly when he'd been under. Spitting out a bit of water, Asher kicked his way toward the ledge where Alice stood. His legs groaned at him but he ignored it. He'd sleep good tonight if nothing else. All this swimming and holding his breath would be sure to knock him out cold.

Paws finding the ledge, Asher looked over at Alice, eyeing the ledge warily. "Sorry about that, lost my footing," Asher barked, giving his head a bit of a shake and sending droplets of water flying. Unsure of if he could dive for her again if she slipped, Asher touched his nose to Alice's shoulder, a quiet urging to step away from the precarious ledge. He didn't want her to get hurt because of some stupid little joke on his part. "Didn't cause too much of a fright did I?"

He felt bad now, really bad. He had forgotten that Alice wasn't one of his siblings that had sooner or later figured out his tricks. She was just an innocent girl that he'd probably scared the life out of. Jeez, living on the streets was making him a jerk. Shaking his head at himself, Asher stood chest-deep in lake water, soaked through now. Before it had only risen to his legs and belly but now it covered him, making him look about half his normal size what with all the extra fluff now flattened to his body. His legs shook subtly but he was sure Alice wouldn't notice, it was just him being tired and holding his breath, he'd be alright.

[nightmare]

Alice had to bring her head up for air. She lifted her head out of the cool water and into the even cooler air. Breathing heavily, she shook herself out. The water was high up to her chest. But she was a swimmer, so she would live. She still searched the water for Asher. A dark spot appeared in front of her. It grew and grew under the water, until a big brown head popped up. "Asher" she squeaked. Ohh how happy she was to see him okay. He coughed up some water, and swam to the ledge. He got back into the shallower water, and touched her shoulder with his nose, as if to tell her to step back from the ledge. She did, and then she nudged him with her shoulder.

He looked a bit unsure. Alice wanted to lighten the mood. "I knew you would come back up. You look like a swimmer." she smiled at him. "How about we go dry off, its getting dark now." She looked over her shoulder, the sun was almost completely gone now. She didn't want to be in the water after dark, it would be a lot colder. Alice loved the water. Before the accident, she was an amazing swimmer, her and Dina would swim all the time in there owners pond. Dina was never as fast as her.

Alice hopped ahead of Asher, no way effected by his fall. She easily got over things. She liked him, he was the kindest dog she had met so far, and she didn't want to loose him as a friend. The water felt cold on her body. The water was shallower and shallower, and she shivered when it got down to just her paws. She shook out. The air was crisp and it felt nice, but she couldn't stop the shivering.

She looked behind her at Asher, and waited for him to come. She barked happily at him. A stray thought crossed her mind, and her smile disappeared. Did Asher have a nice home and pack to go back to? Alice didn't. Alice had no where to go. She didn't want to sleep in a badger hole again. It was cramped and it smelt bad. She wanted a home, or somewhere nice to sleep. She shook herself again as she stepped onto the beach.