Bit of Fishing [OPEN]

[Candle]

It was time for Achak to get a little "me" time. He had not had that in far too long, what with the founding of Aquene, recruitment, and regular parenting duties. Sure, his pup was fully grown, but a Dad's job never really ended. Especially not with a lack of a mother. Achak knew thinking about... her was never productive. But on clear, sunny days like this, where the sun warmed his fur and the cool mud squelched between his toes, he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander. Norra had been his soul-mate; the gal of his dreams, the one he wanted to grow old with, to raise a bunch of litters with and start their own family pack.

But those dreams were gone. So sure was he that he would never love again that whenever his daughter introduced him to female after highly eligable female, he had bluntly turned down any conversation. Ghostly eyes tilted back to the depthless blue expanse above him as he let thoughts of the past consume him. Though it had been many seasons since Norra had been taken from him, he still felt her absence every day. And days such as this -- clear, sunny -- made him remember how much he missed the warm soul that once shadowed his every move.

The familiar, inescapable prick of pain stabbed him in the chest once again, and he found himself breathless as he tore his eyes from the sky and shut them as tight as he could. Perhaps if he closed them tight enough, he would see her face again... just one more time. When Achak opened them, however, he was staring at his own, muted expression of anguish. The lake seemed to be mocking him as it showed his reflection with anapolegtic insulance. The male frowned at the pathetic wretch he saw, and with a freshly steeled resolve, waded into the cool waters.

[Whey]

Taelia had been wandering aimlessly for quite some time, taking little notice to the change in her surroundings. Over time the soft padded snow gave way to lush grass, which had grown increasingly mushier. She had become tired of being alone and was desperate for any social interaction. In the separation from her brothers she had had a hard time finding and an even harder time catching prey, which led her weight to slowly dwindle. Due to this and her extensive travels in an effort to find other wolves and more ample prey her fur, although well groomed, was also starting to thin out and was not a plush as usual.

She prodded along, the earth under her squishing between the pads of her paws. For the first time in a long while she lifted her head and assessed her surroundings. She had no clue where she was. All she knew was that she was immediately next to a lake. She walked slowly over to the edge of the lake and looked at her reflection. She quickly admired herself before crouching down to take a cool, refreshing drink. She had only begun to lap the water when her nose filled with the scent of nearby male wolf. She quickly looked around expectantly and spotted the wolf wading into the water not too far from her. She tilted her head to the side and watched him curiously. As assertive as her personality was, she was not confrontational unless provoked and, in addition to being alone for so long, was content to watch the wolf from the water's edge, still crouched.

[Candle]

The fish were in high sorts today, swimming about each-other in jubilant circles and leaping out of the water for no apparent reason. Achak's lips curled up in one corner sardonically. Such simple creatures they were; they probably had no idea why they were so happy. Then again, neither did he? One or more of them would die today, that was for sure.

Achak closed his eyes and released a calming sigh as he commanded his long legs to be still. Within seconds he felt fish clumsily bumping into him. He was oblivious to the fact that he was being observed, which was rather ironic considering his most recent comments on the fish. The male's lids lifted ever so slightly to peak at the prey below him. Then, he struck, darting his snout into the water and then retracting it in but a blink of a moment. A fish now flapped about furiously in his jaws, a futile endeavor to escape.

From life, comes life, my friend. thought the leader as a sort of apology to the fish for having to take its life to feed himself. Just then Achak felt his scruff prickle and pivoted his head about to see the female wolf simply staring at him. Perturbed but not threatened, Achak crunched down on the fish to steal its life, waded back to shore, and dropped his prey to the mud.

After licking his chops to remove himself of stray scales and water, he calmly asked, "Hello, miss. Do you know whose land you are currently standing in?"

[Whey]

Watching the wolf intently, Taelia wondered what he was doing as he stood still in the waters. He seemed to stand for ages before finally, in just a matter of seconds, a fish appeared clasped tightly in his jaws. Taelia found herself wishing she could hunt half as well and her stomach growled in reply. She turned her head to her stomach and then back onto the other wolf just in time to see him turn his head directly at her. She became quite anxious, and was expectant of him to come directly over to her. However, he seemed not to notice her at first and continued to feast on the fish that he had just caught.

Not until he started talking did Taelia know that he, in fact, had noticed her and she suddenly became quite embarrassed. She sat up and averted her eyes quickly, slowly returning her gaze to him. "I was not aware I was trespassing on anyone's land." She said, sounding more confident than she looked. This wolf did not seem incredibly angry or rude, but nonetheless she was slightly offended at his 'greeting'. Her embarrassment vanished. "Maybe you could enlighten me." She added with false enthusiasm, looking at him expectantly. Her paws slid in the wet mud and she righted herself, licking one of her paws intently. She looked at him as she washed her paw, assessing his appearance. He was larger than she was, and she reconsidered if her remarks were particularly genius to make on her part. She decided it was probably not the best way to reply to this foreign wolf, who looked almost menacing. However, she did not retract her previous remark and continued to look at him expectantly.

[Candle]

Achak abandoned his lunch for now to approach the she-wolf. His tail raised higher dominantly, but did not stiffen to indicate he meant her no harm... for the moment. Achak was a kind soul, but should his land and family become threatened, there would be no mercy. Long-legs marched through the mud, raising high each time he stepped to dislodge himself from the suction affect. He came within but a foot or two of the female and flared his nostrils.

"This is Aquene's land, and I am its leader, Achak. What are you called, stranger?"

As he waited for her answer, the silvery wolf circled the female slowly and methodically took in the sights and scents of her body. She smelled healthy, was not in season, and was relatively young. A perfect candidate for the pack, but he mustn't get ahead of himself. She could be bat-shit crazy for all he knew. When he had completed the inspection, Achak trotted back to his fish and turned to face her. His eyes were probing, questioning, as they aimed them at her. Their gazes had not met directly yet, for he was not sure whether he wanted to test her for dominant tenancies. Instead, he flicked the end of his tail absently and remained silent.

[Whey]

Taelia set her paw down and shivered a little as the mud seeped in between her toes. She decided to soften her tone as this wolf, now identified as Achak, circled her, inspecting. "Aquene? Well I've never heard of Aquene. My name is Taelia," she nodded her head. "pleasure to meet you, Achak, though by odd chances. I haven't seen another wolf for many miles." She tilted her head and studied his gait as he trotted away to return to his fish. Her stomach ached when the thought of a tasty meal re-entered her mind. He looked at her, and she waited for him to stop walking before approaching him.

"Say," she started, taking a long pause. This wolf, Achak, seemed kindly enough to ask a small favor of. "would you mind sharing a bit of fish with me? I haven't eaten in a while.." Her voice softened and faded out. She was desperate for food, and was pleading in her mind that this wolf would share. She looked longingly at the fish and then returned her pleading gaze to Achak, licking her chops. It wasn't the arctic hare or lemming she was used to at Glacial Pass but she was so hungry she gave little thought to the fact.

[Candle]

Achak smiled grimly at her words, knowing they were far too true. The lands had been sparsely populated as of late, thanks to the heat wave. Most had moved north into the mountains to seek cooler temperatures, abandoning their lands. Achak seated himself gingerly on the moist soil, knowing full well he would have to wash the mud out later.

"Aquene is... relatively new. It consists only of my daughter and I, at the moment. Regardless, it is a pleasure to meet you, Taelia."

He watched her, eyes intent and unwavering, as she stared hungrily at his meal. Achak frowned, hoping she would have the manners to not ask. Ah, but she did, causing him to have to think on it. And think he did, for he knew his answer would most likely decide many things for the both of them- not the least of which included whether she would join him. He sighed and shook his head ever-so-softly before craning his neck down and nudging the fish over to her.

"Here," he said simply, his voice and face unreadable. While she ate, he would make conversation. "Where do you hail from, Taelia?"

[Whey]

Taelia's ears perked up and her tail wagged slightly. "You have a daughter? How old is she? I love pups." She shook her head softly. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well." She laughed a little, "You'll have to excuse me, I seem to have forgotten my manners." While she meant well, her solitary travels had left her manners rusty, and this was easily seen.

Her bushy tail waved happily as Achak gave her the fish and she dove right in. She looked up only when Achak started to make conversation, licking the scales and blood from her muzzle. "Over from Glacial Pass." She replied, nodding her head in the direction of the frozen lands. "Much cooler, too." She laughed. "And you? I take it you are from around here." When Taelia looked down she noticed that she had nearly eaten the fish down to the bone. Realizing she had neglected to thank him beforehand, she bowed her head. "Thank you, Achak, I was terribly hungry." She still was, but the fish would curb her hunger until she was able to catch her next meal. She did not want to impose on Achak and make him share his food.

[Candle]

Achak smiled softly, seeming amused by her reaction to his daughter's existence.

"She is anything but a pup. I suppose that shows my age, doesn't it?" chuckled the leader, mirth staining his voice.

Ghostly eyes flickered to the scraps of the fish and grunted distastefully at what remained of it. he would catch another later, or perhaps dig up a vole or two. It mattered little; he had not really been hungry, but had killed the fish to keep his strength in prime condition should a challenger appear from the woodlands.

Upon the question of his origin, the male motioned with his snout to the north, where the mountain range jutted forth from the earth like the decrepit, arching spine of a long-dead giant.

"I was born somewhere in the miles and miles of peaks and valleys over yonder. It wasn't a very inviting place, so I decided to find territory here instead. This land has treated me better than those forsaken, windblown piles of rock."

Achak grimaced at the memory of the biting winds that plagued those mountains, and shivered before turning his gaze back upon the dame with a gentle smile. He saw in her parts of himself from weeks back- bedraggled, feral, desperate, and longing for a better life. Sympathy welled up within his chest, a warm bubble to wash away the residual shudders of cold nights past.

"Taelia," began the male, his tone inquisitive, yet cautious, "do you not have family left? No pack to call your own?"

The wolf wished not to offend her with his questions, nor earn her ire for being nosy, but it was worth a try.

[Whey]

"Oh," Taelia said, disappointment plaguing her voice. "How old is she then?" She wondered, too, how old Achak was but she kept this thought to herself, fore she thought that this might offend the wolf.

Taelia followed Achak's motioning and rested her eyes on the mountains in the distance. She recalled her own brief forays into the mountains while Achak explained his origins. She then nodded her head when he had finished talking. "I would imagine so." She replied simply before returning her gaze to him.

Despite the concern in his voice, a wave of anger washed over her and she stood for a moment, her thoughts consumed with the memory of her brothers. "No," she replied, a hint of resentment in her voice. "it is just myself."