Finding Hearts (Nanowrimo Entry)

Finding Hearts Ch.4

*AN: Next chapter the samurai are coming, the samurai are coming! I've made you wait long enough for them :3

After several hours of sprinting, I ran completely out of steam, coming to a relieved halt before a rather peculiar group of palm trees. All together there were around twenty of them, leaning in towards each other like a ring, and surprisingly dense. Was this what Seraph had called a rainforest? It looked too small for that but it was possible that this had been a part of one at some time. Having seen the group of trees from a ways off, my anticipation had risen more and more with every step, and now I could hardly contain my excitement. Out of breath and severely parched from my long run, I had been overjoyed at the sight of them. Palm trees, especially a collection of them this large, meant a source of water.

Peering through the thick trees, I could make out a glint of blue in the middle of the grove.

It was water!

I licked my dry lips expectantly, scraping them against my even dryer tongue. My entire mouth and throat felt like deserts themselves, and I wanted nothing more than to charge straight into the clearing and quench my thirst, but my common sense held me back. In such a perfect place it was hard to believe that no Kappa had named it their territory. I had to be careful or else I might stagger right into another Kappa, one who would probably want to eat me too, and after running all this way, I would have no chance of escape. First I needed to scope out the place, and then, if it was uninhabited I could go in drink. If not...I didn't even want to think about that. Finding a small boulder that easily hid me from sight, I dug a hole in the sand and slipped chest deep into it to insulate my body from the growing chill of the night. From behind the boulder I could rest well enough and watch to see if there was any movement from the grove. If in the morning I had still seen no one I would enter the trees and drink to my hearts content.

The thought of cool water kept me awake and vigilant through the night and when no one had appeared even after dawn, I made my way down to the grove and slipped guardedly, under the canopy of trees, still on the lookout for predators. After a minute or two of being completely submerged in the miniature palm tree forest, I pushed aside a set of leaves and walked out into the clearing, my eyes immediately locking on the spring of water before me. The light from the moon, filtered gently through the trees, fell on the pool and made the clear water sparkle almost unnaturally. It was more beautiful than my oasis.

Myself control vanished wholly and I didn't bother to survey my surroundings, rushing over and plunging my face into the cold water without a second thought.

Washing the dirt from my face and neck, I cupped my hands, pooling water between them, and drank eagerly. I knew of no words to describe how good it felt. It was so much more than bliss. Never before had I so greatly appreciated the gift of plentiful water. I drank 'till my belly ached, and then more for good measure, marveling at the new moistness of my mouth, another small thing to be appreciated, when only minutes ago it had been dry, cracked, and incredibly uncomfortable.

Finally quenching my thirst, I decided to take a swim, my body hot and sweaty. I dived head first into the water, completely casting aside any worries of discovery. Everything just felt too good.

The pool was relatively large, bigger than my old one, perfect for swimming small laps, and I did just that. Opening my eyes to the water, blinking quickly as they adjusted, I glided lazily along its length, and curiously examined the varieties of fish, many which I had never seen before, who flitted back and forth around my body as I swam. I loved the feeling of the water sliding through my open fingers. After a stressful few days, the undisturbed peace I had found beneath the surface was just what I needed.