Dam it (2025 spring seasonal prompt)

With the snowmelt already in full swing, Sonya, Scythe and Katana made their way from their self made burrow into the bright sun of a fresh spring morning. It was a glorious sight to behold, as flowers were already blooming, taking over the once white landscape with hundreds of colorful patches mixed amongst new grass growth. However, the pack of utahs knew very well that they weren't the only ones heading out of their den these days- danger could be lurking anywhere and they would need to be careful. 

Scythe lifted his head to the sky, taking in a deep whiff of air. The chain from his collar jingling slightly as he did so. Katana quickly followed suit, the tiny hatchling eager to emulate his father's behaviors as he watched attentively. Sonya, on the other hand,held close to the burrow- until Scythe's reassuring glance was sent her way. 'Everything looks fine-' his eyes said, and so it seemed. 

Yet, there was something different in the air- a smell of an animal all three of them couldn't place. It was new, and unfamiliar- yet their handiwork wouldn't go unnoticed as the trio made their way from the burrow and down to their usual watering hole- only to find it empty. 

"Dam it-" Scythe muttered angrily as he stared down a now muddy trench where water used to freely gather. 

"Dam it." Katana repeated, chirping it excitedly, though his youthful vigor was quickly squashed with one killer look from Scythe who was not having it.

 "How could this have happened?" Sonya lamented, her voice soft and her tone evidently worried. Afterall, there was no water around here for miles... save for this one spot that they were at now. So, where on earth could all of this water possibly have gone? 

Sonya pondered it more as she watched Scythe and his shadow Katana explore the area just to be certain. Indeed, they confirmed still that all the water was gone. How odd indeed, Sonya thought, as her eyes pensively looked upon the mud left behind. But then it occurred to her- perhaps water was still left upstream? Surely there would be more there! 

So, they packed up again- uncertain what they would find as they back tracked the stream they had once known until the trio were stopped in their tracks again at the smell of that strange creature as well as a massive wall of wood. 

"What is it?" Katana asked aloud, cautiously approaching the wooden structure, his tail swishing curiously from side to side. 

"Careful now." Scythe warned, as Sonya tucked herself behind her mate. "There are bite marks in this wood. Something made this. Maybe it was the two legged." He spoke gruffly. 

"I thought you said the two legged couldn't find us here." Katana spoke softly, quickly retreating from the wooden wall to seek shelter next to his parents again. 

"Stranger things have happened love. Best to keep our distance... although, I dont smell any of their kind around here." Sonya noted, taking her own whiff of the air again.

It was hard to make out what exactly she was smelling, but one thing was for certain, water was not far away. Sonya could smell it definitively and they needed a clean source to drink or they wouldn't make it very long. 

"Whatever it is that built this- it's not very big. Worth the risk for water." Scythe spoke, based off of the marks in the wood. "Just stay close to me." 

So, they backtracked a little, finding a pathway up and over this dam that had been created until they saw the water collected up on top. To say it was a relief was an understatement as the trio looked upon the glistening waters surface. Katana eagerly slipping away from Sonya and Scythe to get to the edge for a drink. Yet, he froze. A strange, brown creature stood upon the fallen and chewed logs- staring back at him with more sticks in hand. 

What was this thing? 

Was it this strange creature that caused all of this trouble? 

Katana tried to hiss at it to scare the creature off, but instead it snarled back, sending Katana running to Sonya and Scythe who both tried to stifle a laugh as to not wound their sons pride. 

"What a feared and troublesome beast, wouldn't you say." Scythe spoke in jest. 

"I've never seen anything like it," Sonya added. 

"Well, we need to get rid of this wall- and the beast if we want our water source back. Sounds like we have a snack." Scythe added, looking down at Katana with a supportive glance. 

His boy would gain the opportunity to help hunt, and their water problems would be solved all at once. Seemed like a win win for everybody- save, perhaps, the beaver.