As the seasons began to warm, the thaws reached the snowcapped mountaintops. All the dry streambeds grew into trickles, which grew into streams, which turned into rushing rivers pouring down the mountainside. It washed out the temporary bridges folks used to cross the terrain, leaving people to scramble.

Seafoam, Parhelion, and Inky were one such group, as they stared morosely at the rushing current in front of them. Though it wasn't necessarily deep, it was moving fast, fast enough that if any of them unbalanced, they'd be swept away in the blink of an eye.

"Well. That's great."

Inky snorted and eyed Parhelion. "Bit of an understatement?"

Seafoam hefted the package of medical supplies for a neighboring colony and eyed the torrent. "Flyer's still out," they pointed out blandly.

Parhelion snorted. "You think we should try and cross that?"

Sefoam nodded downstream to where some boulders sat, sticking out of the rushing current. The water frothed angry white around the boulder's grey sides, as if trying to claw it away. "Could use those."

Inky eyed them. "Consider: I don't feel like taking my life into my own hands today."

The other two would most likely survive if swept into the icy current, layers of blubber protecting them, but Inky? With no limbs to pull themself out, no protective blubber? Nope, no thanks.

"First smart thing you've said all day."

"Oh! Fuck you too, asshat."

Seafoam sighed and stared at the clouds overhead. They were heavy and dark grey, threatening rain.

"I'll go first." they said, ignoring Inky's and Parhelion's startled protesting noises, and began walking towards the boulders.

"But -!" Inky protested, then wilted. "They do really need those medical supplies," they admitted unhappily as they slithered along. "The pox is no joke."

With a grumpy huff, Parhelion joined in, walking on Seafoam's other side. "You're buying me a round of the finest sashimi after this," he sniffed grumpily.

"Deal."

The three approached the boulders, staring at them warily. Now that they were closer, they seemed more precariously perched than they had from upstream… Spattered with water, they were slick, and some had patches of mud or dirt on them that would prove uneven footing when attempting to get a hold on the solid stone.

Inky and Parhelion gave Seafoam looks that clearly said they wouldn't mind if they turned back, but Seafoam gritted their teeth, considered, and stepped carefully onto one of the boulders. It wobbled, and they quickly scrambled to the top, centering their weight on it so it wouldn't tip.

They paused for a moment, then stepped carefully to the next, balancing exactingly, and made their way cautiously and painstakingly across the torrent.

Inky muttered something unflattering about the river, then cautiously slithered onto the boulders. Their long, flexible body, made balancing and gripping somewhat different than Seafoam's path. They tended to go along the sides of the rocks, gripping with the long muscles along their sides, rather than over the top.

Parhelion eyed Seafoam and Inky and grumbled to himself. He tightened the straps with the medicine in it, then made the cautious first step. It wobbled alarmingly and he hissed, scrambling to the next one. That one was sturdier, and he took a break on it, calculating the route ahead. Seafoam had taken the straightest route, while Inky had taken one best for their body plan. Parhelion decided that he didn't feel like taking his life into his own hands more than he already was, and settled for a conservative path, choosing only the most stable-looking stones.

It took longer than the others had, but he was the least damp when they all regrouped on the other side of the river.

They discussed their next plans - Seafoam pointing out that other crossings were probably washed out, and Inky grumbling about their soggy fur. Parhelion agreed with Seafoam, and so they plotted their new route to avoid the widest parts of the streams. Though with how that one looked… well, the best they could do was plan.

"This medicine better be worth it," Parhelion grumbled.

"You're one to talk, you're not sopping wet," Inky grumbled.

"Oh! We're across the river already. Let's get this over with." Seafoam rolled their eyes, and the group set off.