Whitefish River So start me up and watch me go.

Come play with Speedy!

The slowly coursing river in front of Speedy was teeming with fish. She licked her lips as she watched the occasional flip of a tail break the surface of the water. She didn't fish often, usually preferring rabbits or birds, but there were so many, it should be easy to catch one, right? 

She trotted into the water, wagging her tail as she watched the fish swim by. A couple times, she almost went for one but stopped herself, deciding at the last minute that it wasn't close enough. Finally, a brazen whitefish was headed right for her; he was a big one, too. Her golden gaze tracked the fish as it moved closer and closer. Then, right before it swam directly in front of her, she shot her muzzle in the water and attempted to grab the fish between her jaws. She felt the fin just barely escape her teeth as she pulled her head back up. "Damn!" Speedy said as she shook the water from her face. How did that fucker get away? Now she was mad and was not leaving this water until she was successful.

there was a beauty with fishing. it required patience, a skill saarthal had always admired but never obtained. it required speed and quick strength and the ability to manoeuvre one's ja — bullshit, my thoughts are such bullshit. maybe, you only ever needed luck. everything seemed to be related to luck. something i don't fuckinggg have. in any case, that hardly mattered. her thoughts were done entertaining her because there was a girl. seemed cute. and saarthal was bored. perfect. she watched as the fish darted away from the stranger's jaw and cocked an eyebrow at the mild profanity slipping from the girl's lips. huh, let's strengthen that. "fuck," saarthal emerged, a quicksilver smile breaking past onto her mouth. "bad luck, dude. they're real quick, those fish."

fuck

Speedy turned to see the female with eyes the color of flames and chuckled lightly. Hell yeah, they are, she replied to her second statement, giving the stranger a friendly smile. She walked from the water to sit in front of the silver wolf, momentarily forgetting her previous determination with the prospect of making a new friend.

Do you like to fish? Speedy asked, tilting her head a little. Maybe the other wolf had some pointers, because clearly catching fish wasn't in Speedy's skill set. Not that she really cared. She had mostly taken on the task for lack of something better to do, but now that she had company, she couldn't care less about the elusive creatures.

the corner of her lips tugged upwards, lopsided, at the girl's response and it was with a tilt of head with which she regarded the stranger as she moved toward her. saarthal liked her eyes, she decided, though she'd seen better. in all honesty, she found most wolves' eyes to be beautiful - there was just something about them, she felt, that was intriguing. no, not because they were the window to someone's soul. there was no window to anyone's soul, period. but because, well, the eyes were a window to something. what it was..she couldn't tell you.

"i can fish. dad forced me to learn it when i was..younger. life skill, he says, gonna save your life one day," saarthal laughed, eyes flashing impishly as she leaned forward, closing the distance between them. "spoiler alert, it did not, in fact, save my life. my girlfriend did. well, ex girlfriend. she kissed me." in fact, that hadn't happened. yes, dad did very kindly inform her that fishing was going to save her life when she'd thrown herself into the sea when she was younger to avoid the lesson, but no, she'd never had the need to use the skill of fishing to save her own life, nor did her 'girlfriend' ever save her (they were never girlfriends. it had just been a girl who fucked around with saarthal's heart, and her body, and her brother)

"whether i like fishing or not, however, is another matter entirely," saarthal smiled mischievously. strangers were fun in the sense that she didn't know them, and they didn't know her, so she could make up another persona, be someone she was not and it wouldn't matter. there was a chance it could come back and bite her in the arse, that is, if said stranger came to join saarth's pack or something, but the chances were rare, and saarth wanted to have fun. the fun bit outweighed the consequences. well, at least, this time it did.

Speedy quietly listened to the girl's answer, and tilted her head again when she mentioned her ex girlfriend saving her life. Her kiss saved your life? She asked, intrigued. Was she being serious, or was she figuratively saying her kiss saved her life? Speedy could believe either way, being the hopeless romantic that she was, although, she'd been a little too wayward lately to really consider falling in love and settling down; not that love was something you could plan or anything, but moving around a lot made it harder to find, which she was okay with right now. She just wanted to have fun and meet new wolves.

She got the feeling the interesting stranger didn't like fishing but neither, really, did Speedy. I can't say I care much for it, Speedy replied, shaking her head a little. It takes too long and I don't really like to get wet, she added with a shrug. Most water was usually too cold for her liking, and she really didn't like the way her fur felt when it was wet; it made her feel dirty and cold. But, she would fish if she absolutely had to. So far, though, she had been able to find plenty of rabbits and birds to eat, and she would much rather hunt things that lived on land.

saarthal grinned, a roguish smile tilted at its edges but too soft to be anything but impish mischief. "she's a good kisser," the roman leaned back, amusement dancing in her sunset eyes. "too good, perhaps," she added as an afterthought, voice tinged with regret. there was something about the way her eyes grew a little darker and the way her jaw clenched and unclenched that spoke about something turbulent bubbling underneath. saarth had never been good at hiding emotion, anyway, despite her thinking otherwise. "she's an asshole. it's unfair."

saarthal was thankful that the topic shifted over back to fishing. that was good. ooh, this was something she was good at. "do you not?" the girl's lip quirked, "that's no fun. getting wet is how you get things started." she winked suggestively, laughter punctuating the air as she danced backward to sink down on her forelegs, butt in the air.

Speedy smiled. She wasn't sure anyone could be that good of a kisser, but she would take her word for it. She watched as the pretty female's face went from amused to tense and sad when she said her last two comments. Speedy's eyebrows furrowed in concern, and she lowered her head a little. She always wanted to soothe sadness with affection, but it was something she couldn't really do with strangers. That was one aspect of pack life she missed; the ability to offer affection to familiar wolves without hesitation. But, she had just learned to adjust since taking on the life of a lone wolf and settled with comforting through words and actions. Well, it sounds like you can do way better, Speedy said with a warm smile. 

Speedy did not miss the innuendo of the girls next statement and laughed along with her. Well, I'm not opposed to that kind of wetness, she said with a grin and playful raise of her eyebrow. 

Seeing the female's playful posture, Speedy stood up and wagged her tail excitedly before mimicking the playful position and releasing a playful yip. She loved any form of play.

saarthal craved affection from anyone. it didn't matter to her if that anyone was a stranger she'd met a few minutes ago, who was seemingly terrible at fishing and had golden eyes and wondered about her ex's kissing skills. "probably," saarthal's smile was faint, barely there, and there was an uncharacteristic tightness about it that spoke volumes about her feelings on that matter. yes, her ex had been a terrible person. one of the worsts. and she couldn't even really be considered an ex. they were never really officially together, like that.

"even with girls?" saarthal ditched all thoughts about her past and allowed a flirtatious smile, impish and inviting, to grace her lips. she launched herself forwards a moment later, aiming to pin the stranger down onto the ground.

Before Speedy could answer, she found herself on the ground under the intriguing femle. Um, well, I've never had girl try before, she replied with a nervous chuckle as she shyly looked away. The stranger was pretty, and Speedy felt tingles in her stomach when she thought about what she was implying. She had never been attracted to a girl, but there was something about this one, especially now that she had Speedy pinned to the ground. She was suddenly aware of every place they were touching, and her cheeks heated as she lifted her eyes to look at the girl again. Needing to do something, Speedy lifted her head to softly nuzzle the strangers cheek before pulling back and offering her a timid smile.

"you're cute," saarthal says with a quiet laugh and a tilt of her head, silently pleased when the stranger leaned forwad to nuzzle her cheek. she leaned easily into the other's girl touch, tongue slipping out to lick at her lips. god, she was so desperate for affection that -. there had been perks when she had a girlfriend, not girlfriend - constant affection, albeit only in secret, and with little to no emotions attached, at least, on her ex's part. saarthal had fallen head over heels but- that was a story for another day.

"i've never done it with anyone," saarthal confessed easily, still pinning the stranger down unless she gave any sign of wanting saarth gone, in which case she'd jump away instantly. "what's your name?"

Speedy's smile widened at the compliment. Thanks, she replied, her cheeks heating further. You're pretty cute yourself, she added with another shy chuckle. 

Speedy lifted an eyebrow in surprise at the girl's admission. Speedy was pretty open to sexual advances, which meant there had been a few encounters since she'd been on her own, although it had been a little bit, as she'd been on the move a lot, lately.  Well, I've never been with a girl, so we kind of have that in common, Speedy said shrugging.

Speedy, she replied, a little embarrassed. Here she was being forward with a girl, and she hadn't even properly introduced herself. And yours? she asked a second later, making no move to get up. She was content in her current position for now.

"i know," saarthal teased with an impish smirk, trying not to let how much the compliment actually meant. wow, i'm really fucking desperate, huh? she very nearly laughed out loud, because god, really? she was really starved for any sort of affection, huh? "mhm, i'd like to try, and you're real pretty, babe, but...i probably wouldn't be very good at it," saarthal laughed, leaning down to give the girl a quick kiss on her cheek - if she'd let her - before backing away. it wasn't comfortable to be in that position for long, saarthal would know, and she doubted they'd be doing anything unless...

"you've been with a guy, though? what's it like?" guys were...guys. some were cute, most were meh. it depends. she hasn't really ever met a dude she'd like to date but she was sure one day she might. 'saarthal," the corner of her lip quirked upwards, "speedy, huh? so, you're quick."

Speedy gave a little nervous laugh. Um, well, whatever you're comfortable with. I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help in knowing what to do, though. She looked away, feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious at that particular moment.

A smile returned to her face when she felt the kiss. And when the girl moved away, Speedy stood up and shook out her coat before sitting down. She asked what being with a guy was like. Well, that kind of depended on the guy, although she hadn't been disappointed yet. Well, it's fun, and it..feels really good, she answered with a shrug. She didn't really know how else to describe it. It was kind of something you had to experience for yourself.

Speedy thought the name Saarthal was pretty, and she would definitely never forget it. When Saarthal asked if she was quick, Speedy chuckled. I am, actually. Normally, she met that question with a snarky response, as others frequently asked her that when they heard her name, but she didn't seem to mind it from this wolf; she thought it was cute that she had asked.

"wow," saarthal stared at speedy, almost incredulous yet at the same time, kind of admiring as well, "this is like, the first time a girl has even kind of agreed to, you know, do the sex thing," she said, completely unabashed and unashamed in her words. too bad she'd like her first time to be with someone who knew their shit - she didn't necessarily have to know them personally though that was an added bonus - and knew it really fucking well.

"huh, really...i'll try it out next time," she shrugged, a half-smile dancing across her eyes. next dude she finds who wants to take it further...maybe she'll let them. just that one guy. see what it's like before she decides anything. "woah, really?" aaand back was the incredulous, surprised, awe-struck look, paired with a winsome smile. pretty sure show me? would be inappropriate in this setting, huh..

Um, yeah, I'm pretty open about sex, Speedy said with a shrug. She wasn't shy, and if she was attracted to someone, and they felt the same way, then why not? 

She chuckled at Saarthal's next comment. Yeah, go for it, she replied with a grin. No harm in experimenting a little before settling down. That's what Speedy planned to do while she was out roaming Teekon as a lone wolf. She planned to have all the fun she wanted before she finally joined a pack and had a family. 

I really am, Speedy said before glancing at herself as if to imply that her size should be all the proof she needed. She was a small wolf, which had made her quick and agile; things that were immensely helpful when hunting things like rabbits and birds, which was what she mostly lived off of.

if only this girl was experienced. oh, well. maybe in the future, after she knew what the hell she was supposed to do and she somehow was able to come across speedy, they could try it out - though the chances of that were relatively slim. and there were commitments to think about. saarthal would very much like to be in a proper relationship, if only to try it out...

"so, what are you doing here? got any specific goals or destination?" now that sex was not an option, saarthal moved onto the next best thing about pretty interesting strangers - their stories. everyone, she'd found as she journeyed further into life, was startling different, each having their own unique narrative. saarth loved hearing those, loved knowing which experiences and what events shaped a person and their motives. 

plus, it always came in handy to know about a person's history.

Speedy smiled at the other wolf's question. I just wander around here and sometimes the surrounding territories. No particular goals currently, she answered. She loved being a wanderer; it provided her with a certain kind of freedom she did not have when she was in a pack. I left my family pack a while ago to make my own life. Since coming here, I have kind of just been surviving on my own, she added with a shrug. She missed her family a lot, but she didn't regret her decision to leave home. 

What about you? Speedy asked, a curious smile on her face. What are you doing here?

a typical story, saarthal supposed, a sour taste rising from the back of her throat. she swallowed, pushing it down. everyone had different stories, details which changed the narrative - she shouldn't be so quick to judge, so quick to hate. it was stupid. stupid, stupid stupid. after all, her story, boiled down to the essentials, was basically the same. there was nothing she could say.

"same as you. i'm not doing much. just wandering," saarthal smiled quietly, a quick last second decision made to hide the fact that she was travelling with several other girls. unnecessary details. "are you going to settle anytime soon?"

Speedy shrugged. I hadn't planned on it, but it seems winter is going to make that decision for me eventually, she answered with a small sigh. She wasn't stupid enough to think she could survive winter as a lone wolf. She was so clearly not meant to withstand cold temperatures, and she was sure her best chances at making it through the winter relatively unscathed would be to join a pack. 

What about you? Planning on settling down at any point? Speedy asked with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

winter. it seemed like such a distant thing to her...almost like it was another lifetime away. she remembered a bit of her first winter but it was just a little more than a vague memory, snatches of faces and flurries of snow. a sea of blinding white. father had smiled then as he flung a snowball at her and her siblings, playfighting. grandfather was there, too. saarthal remembered thinking how happy he looked...

"well..." saarthal trailed off, lips tugged upwards absentmindedly. her gaze flickered to focus at somewhere in the distance, recalling a thought. "i'm staying with a group of wolves, right now. just several of us - not a pack. i'll probably stick around with them unless we separate," a mischievous edge sharpened her grin, "i mean, i've got my eye on one of them..." oh, well. "maybe two," saarth amended, "we'll see."

Speedy grinned. Sounds fun, she replied, but paused and added, Well, if they're both into sharing. That could potentially be messy if all parties involved weren't aware of the situation, especially if they were all sticking together. That was another thing that made her shy away from pack life. She could see herself having multiple lovers, and that sometimes got tricky in a pack setting. She could also see herself in a monogamous relationship, though, so maybe she was just thinking too much into the pack situation.

"probably not a good idea," saarthal said with a laugh, "they don't seem like the sharing type." well, not mallaidh, she didn't think. and she was eager to win over that particular girl's heart. for now, at least. saarth drew her tongue across her lips, eyes flicking over to the sky. "sorry — it's been really nice meeting you, speedy girl but, i should probably go.."

No need to apologize, Speedy replied, getting to her feet. It was nice to meet you, Saarthal, she added with a warm smile. And because she missed affection and figured this wolf probably wouldn't mind, Speedy walked forward and kissed her on the cheek. Stepping back a little, she said, I'm usually around here somewhere if you ever need a healer, she said with a bow of her head, Or, if you decide you miss me, she added with a teasing smile.

saarthal laughed. "mhm, i'll definitely miss you," she made a show of checking speedy out, then backed away, still giggling. she should probably get back soon, actually. but. oh, whatever. "see you around, dude."

Speedy grinned and gave a bow of her head. See you around, she replied before turning to leave. She was done fishing for the day but was still hungry and was going to look around and see what else she could find to hunt. The flatlands offered a good variety, which was one of the many reason she spent a good amount of her time here. So, she trotted off, glancing once over her shoulder at Saarthal and smiling before continuing on her way.