Boggy Swamp — [AW] Man in the grove

It was taking Whorl some time to find the perfect den. He’d traipsed across the mushy flats for hours, pausing every now and then to peer up at the cypress trees and mangroves that dominated the area. The cloak of twilight had slipped around the small canine’s shoulders without him realising it. Of course, realising that the hours had ticked by initially made no difference to his searching - Whorl was a man on a mission.

He squinted at the mangroves; not at the canopy as some might have, but at the roots that spread and undulated like hillsides near the saltwater shallows. Nothing was perfect yet. Whorl glanced up at the moon and tutted as if the glowing orb might pay heed to his displeasure.

It was no good searching in the dark and Whorl needed to rest. He made his way across the flats, heading for more solid ground, but something caught his eye: a spark of light which danced and darted. It ensnared his gaze, his zesty green eyes bright as his cheeks lifted into a grin. It didn’t take much for Whorl to follow.

The firefly, too, was just following, with Whorl trotting behind. The pinprick lights were gathering, multiplying; Whorl couldn’t help but feel this was somehow significant. He was rewarded, in the end, for that belief: up ahead, one tree stood slightly apart from the others. It was taller - older, Whorl guessed, than the mangroves growing either side. Its roots were thick as a large wolf’s forelimb.

It was also swarming with fireflies, its leaves and branches illuminated as if lightning had been arrested mid-strike. Whorl’s eyes widened.

“There she is,” Whorl cooed to no one - nobody with ears, anyway (he hoped). His tail wagged as he padded closer to the glimmering titan of flora. “You’ll be perfect, old gal.”

A life of servitude does not train anyone for the skills to be independent. And what had started off as a beautiful day was quickly turning into an adventurous chore. Sure, they had set out to explore the region in full; encouraged forward by the deep greens and warm air of the coastal biome. But as the sun traveled the sky, and the earth began to cool, and the ground began to sink, and the water began to rise, and the bugs began to amass… Well, they weren’t feeling so sure about the “adventure” any more.

And it soon became apparent, hopelessly so, they had gotten themself turned around and a little more than lost in the bog.

“Shit,” it muttered under it’s breath, after sinking another paw into a pool of mud and water. ’There is no end to this… wet’ They observed, while shaking their foot free. With thinning patience, it was about time to climb a tree and call it quits for the evening. But light and movement caught the serval’s eyes and diverted their attention.

Crouching, as to not be noticed, and dimming the light of their spots and stripes subconsciously, the lithe feline watched as a trail of glowing bugs led on a canine of some unusual sorts. Curious, and hoping they were heading in any direction that would take them outside of the swamp, the serval followed.

But hoping wasn’t enough to correct the mistake of ever exploring this damp maze, instead, they were greeted with a much different sight. It was a large mangrove, much larger than its neighboring counterparts, swarming with light bugs that lit its branches and roots. The feline had never seen a phenomenon like this, and stared in awe until the mumblings of the canine perked their ears.

’Almost forgot you were here,” they thought, as the canine padded closer to the tree. Wanting a different view, the serval began slinking off to the side, ‘leaving the bog’ now a lost task in their mind. Two steps, however, were all the steps they had managed before SPELUNKING a paw into muddy water it had assumed was solid land.

Hissing loudly, annoyed, the feline quickly looked back toward the tree knowing full well they couldn’t remain hidden any longer. For unless the canine was deaf, he’d surely have noticed, and the serval wasn’t about to be surprised twice.

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OOC: Hello :3

Whorl’s reverent words were wicked away by the damp air. Had his senses been less intent on the glorious tree and its glowing visitors, he might have caught signs of another within a close radius before the plop of a paw into a puddle tipped him off. Whorl’s semi-prehensile tail swung low and fast and he dropped into a play bow, though he still hadn’t pinpointed the exact location of this impromptu company.

The wispy fronds protruding from the curious canine’s brow unfurled but they couldn’t tell him near as much as his nose. The dark leathers twitched, wetted by a swipe of his tongue. A feline, his nose told him - that was a detail well worth extending this encounter for.

Whorl’s ears splayed as he straightened from his playful bend. “The more the merrier, sweetie,” he chuckled into the humid air, tilting his head up until it was bathed in the yellow-green glow of the lightning bugs. “This is a rare treat, you know. They don’t always do this. Some believe it’s a sign of trouble ahead.” He shrugged. “I just like finding beauty in unexpected places.”

“You don’t live in this here tree, do you?”

It watched, all four eyes, as the canid bowed in what appeared to be a kind gesture. He did not seem startled or angry about an unexpected visitor stalking about, and actively seemed to encourage the encounter with friendly words. Still, the serval kept their distance, only dissipating the shroud of shadow it had formed to keep it’s glowing spots abated.

Now in plain view of the friendly canine, it pondered the words he had spoken. ’Sweetie?’, wasn’t that used in familiarity? Or to children? Maybe it’s common in this world, or to this person. Even so, it was strange to hear in reference to a stranger.

”No, this tree is not mine,” it briefly put out, it’s voice articulate but neutral in tone. ”I assume it belongs to the light bugs,” it tried to jest. ’People do that, right?’ But once again it’s voice came out stale. Even so, it was worth a shot.

”It is surprising to think some bugs and a tree would cause superstitions.” The feline seemed to mumble to no one, but it’s words were audible for all to hear. Gazing back at the tree, they decided to ponder quietly again. 'An interesting display indeed.'