He wanted to swim. The water seemed dangerous and untamed; he liked that about them. In the world he plunged into where everything seemed so civilized, Shandom yearned for the beauty and danger of the unknown wild. His ears were perked forward, his tail held erect, and his whole body trembled with excitement. It had been a long time since he felt such a turbulent emotion, and he wanted to harness it in doing something he’d never done before. Shandom had always been an excellent swimmer – he and Lea enjoyed their frolics in the rivers that wound through Etienne – but this presented a different challenge. He could not imagine the waves were particularly easy to navigate.
Shandom found himself drifting to the ocean. Its roar consumed his ears and the smell of salt was overwhelmingly enjoyable. Terra appeared fascinated by it as well, and Shandom turned to smile at her. “I suppose it would be slightly more difficult. Do you see how wild the water is? And it is probably cold as well… Though, I admit, that would not bother me. The rivers I swam in as a youth were much chillier, as I was further north.” He was silent for several moments, as if making a decision. “I’m going to go in,” he announced before striding confidently into the waves.
It was absolutely freezing, of course. Shandom yelped in surprise and delight as the water lapped around his alabaster legs. The water drew in and out, as if it could not make up its mind as to whether or not it wanted to touch him. It quickly made up his mind as a large wave crashed into his chest, utterly soaking his body. A huge, wolfy smile curled across his lips. “This is wonderful!”
