Sequoia Coast Now you see me

The dark wolf strolled along the beach, the clouds giving him refuge from the afternoon sun. He hadn’t had a meal in a couple of days, and it showed on his thin body. The beach didn’t seem to be up to offering anything, either. He sniffed here and there, but didn’t find any scraps or snacks.

So, he did as he always did: he kept walking. If he did anything good, it was walking. Rarely would you find him still or in an area for very long. He wouldn’t call it a need to move, it was just something he did.

The beach was quiet, the waves small and somewhat inviting. Dash wasn’t a swimmer, though, so he kept his paws dry. He supposed now would be a good a time as any for a short rest. Strolling over to a washed up log, he sat back on his haunches. After a few moments, he lowered his front legs, as well. His head stayed upright, and he ears turning this way and that, listening for any who might sneak up on him. He faced the water with the log at his back, enjoying the slight breeze that the sea gave. His eyes shut slowly, but he did not sleep. He was always aware of his surroundings. A lone wolf had no other choice. It was wolf eat wolf, and he was always on guard.

Wasn't sure where this is set. Assuming towards the northern coast? Correct me if I'm wrong!

After the pack's hunt, Nochtli decided now was as good a time as any to stretch her legs. Maybe she'd find a food-source to track or even a source of useful plant life for Citali and Reek. Whatever she would  find, she wouldn't be able to do so lurking around the Maplewood. No, today, she turned westward to travel out that way. She had explored the coast there only once before, when Saena had directed her that way. Now, she sought to explore it a little more extensively.

Sooner or later, she arrived on near the coast, a grin on her maw as she surveyed the land. Though the temperature was starting to drop in the months preceding Winter, it made the landscape no less beautiful. The sun warmed her dark pelt and the air held a scent that was unique to the sea water. It was something she enjoyed, though she wasn't sure she'd ever want to live on the coast like another pack had.

She was all ready to explore the coast when she spotted another dark figure marring the pale gold sands of the beach. "Hey there," She called out, unaware that he was resting. Had she noticed sooner, she'd not have called out to him, nor disturbed him further. "Enjoying the su-- Oh, sorry. Didn't realize you were sleeping. I should have been more observant."

That's fine! :-)

Her footsteps were quiet, so quiet that he hadn’t heard her coming- didn’t even know she was there until her voice called out. The first word was uttered and he sprung to his paws, standing tall upon his legs. He wasn’t at his best- had never been- but always put up a good fight.
 
Then, she apologized. His ears swiveled, listening to see if others were around. His nose told him only she was here. At least right now. He wondered if she usually traveled alone, or if she had a pack. He didn’t relax any; he didn’t know how. But, he did respond. I was just resting my eyes, he said. A wolf of few words, it was all he offered up. Just the bare necessities.
 
His entire life consisted of bare necessities. It wasn’t that he wasn’t social. It just wasn’t something he did on a regular basis, so he wasn’t aware of the small talk one usually put into conversations. He wasn’t around enough wolves that wanted to talk to tell him, either. When he had come upon others, it was usually to fight over scraps to a carcass. To him, that was just life.

He was tense, so she gave him space, wary of his reaction to the presence of another wolf. As he stood, Nochtli understood the reason for that tension; he was gaunt, thin, and maybe a little bedraggled. If she hadn't previously noted the lack of a pack scent on him, she'd have known just by looking at him that he was a loner. The long months of being a loner with Cita had been hard enough, but she could see it in this one's eyes that it hadn't been just a few months.

"Enjoying the sun?" She quipped, curious — more than she should have been — as to why he lived like this. Why not just join a pack, under which almost all wolves flourished? She was not privy to his lifestyle choices but that would not stop her from trying to find out. "How're the fish today?" After all, the prospect of a meal might warm him up to her questions.

The like-colored wolf didn’t seem aggressive, and he could tell she was trying to be weary of the space between them. Dash knew he didn’t come off as very friendly, but living the life he did, he was always conscious of the fact other wolves could and would attack simply because he was breathing, and therefore a threat. If asked, the loner probably wouldn’t be able to give a good answer as to why he was alone, wandering. For him, it was just a way of life. A hard one, at best.
 
She questioned his enjoyment of the sun. “Yes, just taking a brief rest,” he responded. If she was worried he would be here too long, she needn’t worry too long. He was generally quick to leave areas that were prone to aggressive wolves. Though, he had to admit. She was the friendliest so far that he had come across.
 
He glanced to the sea when she mentioned fish, before moving his eyes back to her, careful not to meet her gaze too long. It seemed to be a friendly meeting, and while he may be tense and not submissive, he was not dominant or rude, either. He didn’t want to give any reason for aggression. “I can’t swim, so they’re safe from me,” he replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
 
The wind at his back, he had a slight disadvantage. He couldn’t grab her scent. “Do you live around here?” he asked, wondering if she was part of a nearby pack. She looked lean, but not under fed. He noted to himself her frame would have been ideal for hunting.

Resting. Made sense. The nomadic life was a difficult one and she did not envy his lot in life, whether or not he had made efforts to change it. Her question, however, was not to usher him out but purely because she was interested. Some wolves did not enjoy the sunlight and were instead more nocturnal; or perhaps he didn't enjoy it but had simply been too tired to push forward, or — Her own posture relaxed, tail in a neutral position, ears pointed his way to catch his words, and even a smile offered as their gazes met.

If her posture was enough of a peace-treaty, perhaps her offer would be. "You don't have to know how to swim to catch some of them. I'm not the best fisherman, but if you're interested, we could take a look and try, at least." He looked hungry, after all. But if he turned her down, the dark Amazonian shadow would not press the issue. It was his life, after all. Though, looking like that, she wondered if he'd get to keep living that life through Winter.

"Kinda. West, and a little South of here, in the Maplewood." She answered with no misgivings and responded with a question of her own. "What's your name, apprentice fishermen?" She grinned slightly, shifting to a spot of freshly warm sand that hadn't cooled under her pads.

The female visibly relaxed, offering him a smile. A rarity for him. He was even more taken aback when she offered to try and fish with him. There was a flash of shock on his face. He was accustomed to fighting others to keep his food, not hunting with them. He could understand doing that with a pack mate, but he was a stranger to her, and she to him. Still, he was not stupid. He would not turn down the opportunity for food. “Sure,” he said simply. He turned toward the water, but waited for her to lead, ever the leery one.
 
She lived in the general area, it seemed. Maybe not close enough for her pack mates to come looking for her. He would have been worried they would turn on him, and he would be outnumbered. He asked her name. “Dash,” he said. He had been named fittingly. He was nothing if not always on the go. Here one moment, and gone the next. In an effort to return her relaxed conversation, he asked, “What’s your name?” His voice was a little tentative. He wasn't used to asking questions of others, even the simple ones.

His surprise was warranted, of course. Not many pack wolves would help loners, but they were nowhere close to the home of the Phoenix wolves and fish were plentiful in the sea. They would not suffer or feel the threat of Winter any more than they currently were if she assisted him in snagging a sea-faring meal. His acceptance led to her moving forward, closer to the water with the male at her side. "Let's get to it then."

His name was considered for a moment before she responded in kind (I feel like I'm using this phrasing a lot lol let me know if I'm getting repetitive :|). "Nochtli." True to her pleasant nature, she had no qualms giving him such information, though she would not give him anything about the pack or how they were faring, unless he joined their ranks. That was their business and theirs alone.

Water touched her paws now and she halted, eyeing the shallow shore for a moment, looking for like. There was nothing here but a little ways down, she saw the flash of sunlight on scales and led him that way. "You won' t have to swim but you'll still need to be in the water. Have you ever caught a fish before?" Bright eyes focused on him for a moment, waiting for his answer before she went further.

I don't think you're using it too much :-)

He followed her, coming up next to her at the edge of the water. She offered up her name, and he lowered his head in respect and greeting, nothing something he did for many. Not anyone at all, really. "It's nice to meet you, Nochtli," he replied. There weren't many wolves that surprised him, not in a good way, anyways. But, she had. She was friendly, and going out of her way to help him. It was not something he would soon forget. He had never felt like he was in someone's debt, until now, but he would be sure to repay her one day for her kindness. 

The waves seemed low enough, which helped calm his fears of drowning. He shook his head at her question, "I tried a few times, but wasn't successful," he said. He had attempted fishing in a lake once, but wasn't accustomed to the muddy bottom, and it had put him off. He generally stuck to land animals since then. The sand beneath his paws now wasn't quite like the mud, but they still sunk in slightly, and he was weary that they would get stuck. He kept shifting his paws, ensuring they wouldn't sink down too much.

"And the same to you, Dash." Mirroring his gesture, the girl led them to the shore, oblivious to the phobia he held. "It's pretty hit or miss, to be honest. I'm not the best fisher out there but I can snag one ever now and then." She shrugged though, not minding to admit that she sometimes struggled with it. Most wolves preferred the mammalian sustenance types over the aquatic but in times of hunger and neediness, fish would do. He would do well to have a back up plan to hunting, especially in the event that he was not so good at it.

"Alright, so when you fish," One darted away from her paws as she came back to face him, though the shallow area here was teeming with life. "Stay still, let the fish grow accustomed to your presence. Even when they do, you're not going to lunge at them. The water will slow you down, so you have to wait until a fish comes close and..." All the while, she watched as her prey swam close, close, closer unti suddenly she whipped her head down into the water, striking fast, only to yank it up, out of the water.

Success! A fish flopped wildly in her jaws, which she clamped together to kill the thing, tossing it up on the beach so they could continue. "Your turn."

Nochtli admitted she wasn't the best fisherman, but he knew she was still better than him if she knew anything at all. His eyes went to the few fish around them before settling on her as she instructed him on what to do. He watched her hunt as she spoke, staying very still- something that came easy to him. He didn't want to spook the fish and cost her a kill. She grabbed the fish in her jaws, killing it and tossing it to the shore. His eyes never left the fish, even as it lay lifeless in the sand. He was hungry enough that for a split second, he considered foregoing this fishing thing and taking the fish she had just caught.

Thankfully, his manners came through. She was nice enough to teach him some tips on fishing, he would not be rude enough to steal her food. His attention turned back to the water. He nodded when she said it was his turn, and waited for the fish to come closer to him. In his haste, he struck too soon and the fish was well out of harms way as his head came back out of the water. "Be patient," he told himself out loud. He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. He stilled once more, waiting until there were several fish swimming through his legs. He waited until one swam just in front of him, sending his open jaws into the water after it. They clamped down like it would be his last meal and he would never let go. Sure of his grip, he brought the wriggling fish out of the water, turning his body to head to shore. It wasn't as big as the one Nochtli had got, but it was something.

He wasted no time in chowing down on the fish. It was kinda salty, and quite different from land prey, but he found he didn't really mind that. Finishing the fish quickly, he looked over to Nochtli. "I think I'm gonna go for a second," he said, padding back into the water.

Apologies for the short post!

He did exactly what she instructed, going early the first time but corrected himself quickly thereafter. Her tail waved once or twice as he came up with a fish caught between his teeth. "Good job," She encouraged, sloshing through the water as they made their way back up to the shore. While Dash ate his catch, Nochtli left hers alone, not really hungry at the moment. She'd probably end up leaving the catch behind, to be honest. For now though, she stood on the sandy beach to watch him venture back in, his gaunt frame and actions confirming her presumptions that he was a starved thing. A slight smile pulled at her mouth, glad she had been able to help in some way.

No worries!

His tail wagged at her praise, chomping down into his first fish before going back for seconds. It took him several tries, but eventually he got another one. Sinking his teeth into it, he padded out of the water and back to shore, his fear of not being able to swim pushed to the back of his head in favor of catching a meal. He finished his second fish, licking his maw as he looked over to Nochtli. "Not eating?" he asked, a little surprised. She had caught it, and he assumed she would have eaten it, too.

With his belly much happier, he laid down in the sand. Looking over to the female wolf, he said, "Thank you for me teaching me how to do that. I really appreciate it." His voice was soft, earnest. He had not met a kinder wolf yet.

He stayed for a little while, hanging out with her until it was time to move on. He said his goodbyes, adding the maybe he would make his way toward her pack in a couple of days. Little did he know that would turn out to be a bad decision on his part. For now, he left and headed south along the beach.

Edited an ending to this thread since Nochtli is no longer being played. Ok per Gina