[AW] Head First and No Regrets

[Regis]

look at the stars
look how they shine for you

The Prince of Delumine has heard much of the pink dolphins which supposedly call the Rapax River home – his own parents had told him of the times they’d seen them with their own eyes, yet his uncle Ulric would always scoff at such tales and reassure him that they were just spinning tales, because he had never laid eyes on them for himself. In all honesty, Regis didn’t know what to think, but pink dolphins weren’t outside the realm of his imagination. Not to mention, his parents had never lied to him before, he wasn’t sure they ever would, so why shouldn’t he believe them?
 
Sheepishly he had approached his mother and father with the request to go to the river by himself, and much to his surprise, they had allowed him to do just that. It wasn’t that he really wanted to, simply because he enjoyed the company of others over isolation, but he’d be lying if he said the chance to go alone wasn’t at least a little bit exhilarating.
 
So, with a promise to be back in an hour or two’s time depending on what he found, Regis set off with Milo at his side. There was a thin layer of snow blanketing the ground from the night prior and a gentle, but still bitter breeze that tousled his mane, but it didn’t affect him to the severe degree that it had during his first winter which had nearly staked a claim on his life. Today, it was Regis’ turn to stake his own claim in a manner of speaking and prove that he was no longer just a child, but somebody who was fully capable of taking care of himself and proving to his parents that he was just as responsible as he really was. “Let’s race, Milo!” He called out to his russet companion, who gave a yip before taking off without hesitation. Laughter bubbled forth from the Prince’s dark lips, and with a toss of his head he gave chase, hopping here and kicking there as the pair of them zipped across the snowy landscape.
 
It wasn’t long before they reached the riverbank, both panting as their hot breaths curled in a misty vapor. The river itself was slow flowing, not quite frozen like it had been the week before but Regis guessed it wouldn’t take much to change that. His features scrunched up as he frowned, his hope of seeing the dolphins diminishing significantly. Did they like the water this cold? If the water froze, did that mean they did, too? Inching closer, Regis tentatively dipped one foot into the water before jerking it out almost immediately. He grimaced and looked to Milo. “Dang it… I was hoping we’d get to see them. But it’s really cold.”
 
Milo made a soft sound akin to a whine in the back of his throat, then cast his gaze further down the winding river. ”Maybe if we go further?” He suggested, ”Closer to the ocean, behind the citadel.”
 
Regis considered it for a second, remembering his promise to his parents. He’d explained exactly where it was he wanted to go explore and reassured them he wouldn’t stray far from there, and going to the section that began to wind around the back of the citadel wasn’t far… Right? “Okay,” he relented after a moment, glancing back the way they had come before starting to follow the river further southwest, “But we can’t go too far.”

"Speaking."

Open to all! c:

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