*Moose*

A gaunt cow moose stood in the lake where the water reached up to her knuckly knees. Her head and ears were drooped down in a sign of ill-health, although she didn't carry any scent of sickness on her. There was a mark upon her haunch where a stike had gouged her flesh, but that was not the cause of her ailment.

Fallen Rose

She watched the dear her orbs watching it, they took on a confuzed look, why was the cow sick. She appeared sick but she smellt fine. She slunk forward her orbs watching the moose wondering whether to strike or not.

*Moose*

The moose turned to face the wolf, having heard her approach. But in doing so, she nearly fell after loosing her balance. Stumbling but catching herself, the moose lifted her weary head and gazed fearfully at Fallen Rose with eyes that were very dialated. Now it could be seen that this sickly moose was breathing swiftly, although not heavily. Her great nostrils flared and her ears perked up a bit as her senses fixed upon the wolf. She wanted to run, but her body was weakened and sick, so she stood her ground for the time.

Fallen Rose

She tilted her head to the side watching the moose through green eyes, she didn't move just watched the behavior of the wierd moose.

*Moose*

The moose stamped a hoof down in warning to the wolf, splashing water as she did so. Her body shifted just slightly to the side in preparation to run, but she still held her ground. She was undoubtedly ill, but from what? That was the mystery...

Fallen Rose

She watched the moose stomp then slunk away, it seemed, but she kept watching, not wanting the moose for food.

*Moose*

The cow moose watched as Fallen Rose slunk off and felt a great weight lift from her. She watched for a long moment, thinking that the wolf was gone for good. Then she dipped her dark head under the water and came up with a mouthful of plants from the shallow lake bed where she was standing. Slowly, the cow munched on the plants, still keeping a lookout. The plants she chewed on seemed sickly themselves... dull and blotched with dead patches. Some smelling rank with decay.

Maura

"Is it safe to eat those? They look sick to. Maybe thats whats making you sick.." The plants looked like they were dieing. The black wolfess exited from the underbrush near the edge of the lake. "I won't hurt you. But I want to know whats wrong. Why is everything getting sick?"

*Moose*

The moose turned ridged again, drawing her head up and flaring her nostrils at Maura. The black wolf and those red eyes... she matched the discription of a fabled wolf that was said to have helped deer in the past. The moose didn't know if the story was true or not, but word had spread through the deer population and was told like a tale to young fawns and calves.

The thought of this tail stirred a faint trusting in the sickly cow. Enough for her to state a few words. "The lake is sick. The animals that live in and around it are sick." she lowered her head slightly, feeling tired. "We don't know why, but there are rumors..."

Fallen Rose

She perked up as she listened, she stepped forth by the other femmora. And spoke.

two-leg filth, I bet

She said. Anger at the Two-legs growing, but she didn't advance on the moose, she lowered her head, in a submissive gesture.

Maura

"Like all that junk at the dump has been dumped in a connecting waterway......." She trailed off. "They're destroying their own homes as well as ours." Her red eyes flashed with anger for what the humans were doing to the lands.

*Moose*

She turned slightly, ready to run if she needed. But like most prey species, she could read a wolf's language well enough and could tell they didn't seem to be in the hunting mood. Still, talking to two wolves was very scary for her, especially since she didn't feel well.

"Humans? I have smelled them now and then, but I stay away from their scent." Suddenly she lifted her head, "Wait... I remember! I heard talk from different animals about this human..."

Fallen Rose

She perked as she listened to them it all seemed to be coming together.

Maura

"Please tell. He's destroying everything. We can't let this human keep destroying our habitat." She backed off a bit giving the moose more space.

*Moose*

She was realived to see Maura back off, and thought better of their intentions now. Her wariness was still there, but she focused more at the matter that had been brought up.

"I haven't seen him. But the scent comes from a northern area of the lake. None of us moose have seen the man, but we've heard his thunderings now and then, and we run. You might try asking other creatures though, for they might have seen the man." She offered, making a rather lengthy speech to the predators. As for 'thunders', she was speaking of a vehicle. Many species had different terms for things, especially regarding humans.

Maura

"I think I'll go off to the northern part of the lake and ask around a bit. Maybe even jsut wait for this human. Thank you gentle beast." With that she turned and began to walk along the beach of the lake heading north. She kept a look out for any creature that could help.

*Moose & Creatures*

The moose nodded solemnly, watching the wolf depart. There was a great interest in her eye and she thought about the rare interaction she just had with a predator. "Thank you." she called out, then turned to Fallen Rose. She hoped the wolf still didn't feel like attacking her.

All along the bank of shore of the lake there were dead fish here and there. Other things, like crustations, amphibians, and water bugs also littered the water's edge. After a while of walking, Maura came across another creature. This was a very large alligator snapping turtle resting on the bank. He turned towards Maura and instantly drew his head back, opening his powerful jaws as a warning to her. But his movements seemed sluggish; he appeared to be sick as well, although it was harder to tell with turtles.

Maura

Her eyes seemed to lose their glow as she saw the dead corpses littering the shore side. She flinched back a bit out of suprise when the turtle threatened her.

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm jsut trying to figure out whats worng with the lake."

Fallen Rose

She dipped her head to the moose then followed the other wolf.

*Snapping Turtle*

The turled hissed lightly, pulling its head back more as the second wolf approached. "...pru'lem?...yes..." The reptile's speech was slow and strange, for his kind didn't talk much with others, especially land creatures. "Sum'thin wrung with it, yes..." He studied the two wolves with eyes that were badly dialated. "Sum'thin's in the watur. Killin' us." The turtles eyes narrowed suddenly in suspiscious anger, "What du you want?" It wasn't often that a wolf or any other creature tried to talk to him, so he was naturally skeptical.

Maura

"I heard from a moose back a few turns that she heard a man was near here. and that they had those moving peices of shining material.....cars, thunders, what ever you wish to call them. I'm searching for the end of this mystery to get rid of it so that I can get rid of it. I can't stand to see nature destroyed like this."

*Snapping Turtle*

He tilted his head, confused. But 'thunder' and 'shining' meant two things to him. Lightning, for one. And the glistening, rumbling motor blades on boats. "Speed shells." The retile murmured, giving a nod. "They cume here uften. Killin', trappin', and druwn'd us. Making the watur sick. 'specially the fish." he brought his head out more and turned his small, sharp eyes on Maura, "I heard talk of a man, yes. A heron was talking about him. Lust her whule clutch of babies... sickness. She lives at the marsh since then. She should know about this man; she knuws a lot." The turtled offered, eager as well to put an end to the sickness that plagued the area.

Fallen Rose

The Marsh we shall go then

She said dipping her crown to the turtle and racing towards the Marsh.