The Large brute meandered the pack territory slowly, taking each sight and committing it to memory. He marked each previously marked spot as he came by, adding to the scent of the pack's continued presence here.
He still carried the alpha's scent upon him and it drove him nuts, having not been around another wolf for months and then to be marked. Even still to be left to his own devices, Oh how he wanted just a simple conversation, He'd behave this time, no 'testing the waters' just companionship.
The Alpha's smell upon his pelt marked him in more ways the one, it let others know he was here to stay and it marked the moment he left his lone wolf status behind and tread upon new and yet old domain in a pack setting.
In his travels he found no game to take on; but his task was to add to the food stores. He frowned at himself as he came to the edge of a small river. He almost seemed to glare at the water as if it mocked him, a wet pelt was unnecessarily hard to groom. But he had to prove his worth here. His resolve drawn in he entered the cold water and stared below the surface waiting for a fish to come.
15 minutes pass and he had not moved, only tiny things had passed by nothing worth his time, but wet now; he was not going to give up, he continued to wait.
Finally a medium sized river fish drew close, He fairly trembled but held himself. As it drew closer to him inspecting the bubbles that his pelt emitted Ferdie squinted his eyes shut, drove his head into the water and snapped his jaws. The fish evaded the teeth and swam off almost with a casual pace. Ferdie growled and pounced at the fish landing completely under the waters surfaced having miscalculated a hole behind the rock under the water surface. With a sputter, he flailed and got his head up out of the water. The brute stood up as casually as he could, the water only to his chest in every spot but the one he landed in. The fish was gone and he stood there looking drenched and foolish.
If another wolf saw that it would be his second horrible first impression in one day. Way to go Ferdie Von Pelt He muttered aloud to himself glancing around.
The light rain which pitter-pattered across the terrain also dripped across his pelt as he moseyed along, heading down the river with a lazy stride. Njal cast a glance towards the water as it trembled at the touch of each raindrop; he reflected upon recent activity in the pack, of the swelling ranks and the oncoming spring. He was in high spirits after meeting Tyr and talking with him about the north. It made Njal quite pleased to think that wolves still thrived there; that the old ways had not died out, as he had sometimes feared.
The man did not linger long in one place. He was moving again, trailing along the wet stones and basking in the damp scent that the rain provided them. His body passed by the mound he had built for Lethe - still remarkably ursine in shape, but a bit weathered by time. Njal reminded himself to return at another time, when the earth was far less wet, and clean it up. He looked across the rugged, abstract figure of the bear's face for a moment longer, before turning and continuing along the river. The wolf trekked along for a handful of minutes; the time passing slowly with the dull sounds of rainfall around him. The peace was broken by a flurry of movement in the river, though. A spasm of splashing and sputtering.
Njal's head lifted, his attention locking upon the silhouette of a stranger in the water. At first the man bristled (or he would have, if the rain had not tempered his spine), but reconsidered. If someone was this far inland without an escort, they were probably one of the creek wolves. An ally. With a grunt he approached the boy, hearing him mumble something under his breath - and no doubt showing signs of frustration. "Hello," the Delta bellowed as he reached with his nose over the rocks, "Do you need any help?" It looked as if the other wolf was trying to fish - but his form was atrocious. What had he thought, that diving in to the water would earn him something to eat? The older man mentally chided the other, but said nothing to expose his inner thoughts.
And there is was... Another wolf, whom asked if he need help. He could pull his own weight, He was useful dammit! Well, he was going to make himself useful if it killed him. "No!" His first reaction sprang forth from his maw unstopped by his brain.
He rolled his eyes at himself. and been to speak his voice a slightly higher octave then normal Gah, no... sorry, um.... Yes, grrr If he were human he would have put his head in his hands and moaned but he was not instead; His head dropped toward the water his sopping tail hug limp pulled along by the current.
He drew himself up, took a deep breath and collected his thoughts, His voice calmer now soft and yet masculine, held it's slight canadian accent "I apologize, I have not had any expectations placed on me in a long time, I'm slightly over whelmed. I am Ferdie Von Pelt, I was told to help with the food stores and to practice my fishing in the interim so I figured I'd do both at the same time, and I'm also failing miserably at both"
The male talked... a lot. it would seem he loved the sound of his own voice. Don't suppose you know where I could find something other then fish? I don't know the land very well yet and so I have not had time to study where the deer or ram might congregate
It wouldn't be cheating if he worked on one task then the other would it? Suddenly he noticed the males wounds and his ears perked forward. He was no healer and he didn't know if it was his place to ask. One eye brown lifted in silent question of the other males marred head.
The first thing the boy did when caught in the river, was refuse help. His voice lurched from him and berated Njal's senses, bringing a low rumble to his chest, but that was quickly cut off when the stranger apologized. The silver man's tail lashed once across the stones behind him before settling against his hocks. There was a moment where the stranger sank in posture, and all Njal did was watch. He couldn't think of anything to say in this situation - especially when he had been so riled.
Ferdie Von Pelt introduced himself in the next breath, explaining his situation. Njal gave him a little leeway when his exasperation became apparent; but not much.
"Well, Ferdie," Njal's voice rumbled as he took a step away from the wet rocks, "The deer are in the plains, and are just returning after the winter. Rams are found in the mountains which are at least a days trek away from here. If you follow the river you can reach the mountain range, or Apikuni." With that explained, Njal sank to his haunches. He did not wish to move just yet, even if the boy was embarrassed by his obvious display of ineptitude. "So fishing is your best bet if you want to fill the caches." That would no doubt temper his behaviour, or so Njal expected.
After a quick breath, the Delta came up with a proposition.
"If you would like, I can teach you to fish these waters." It was his duty to make the pack a strong and cohesive unit; if that meant being friendly with a new recruit and helping to ease the strain of their transition in to the ranks, so be it. Njal was a bit put-off by what he had witnessed though; there was no avoiding that. He left the offer hanging, and absently began to clean the fur of his foreleg while he waited. If the boy refused then he'd be on his way - but, Njal hoped he would accept.
WoW I had a horrible case of writer block, gah that was like pulling my own teeth...
Better but far from my best
Ferdie Von Pelt listened aptly, but his face fell when you came to the realization that fishing was still the best way to fulfill his task. He sighed sadly and glanced up river his posture dropping.
He hated the thought of being schooled, He felt he was too old to be trained like a yearling.
However a wise wolf would never turn away fresh ideas, he would have to listen and learn if he wanted to get anywhere in this pack life. Beside what was the best way to learn each members strength and weaknesses if not by interacting. He could not turn this wolf away if he wanted to learn both about the wolf and truly about himself as well.
He wanted to seem like he wasn't totally useless at fishing so he carefully chose his words.
"I would be appreciative if you taught me to fish these waters"
He wanted to continue and say something like,
these waters were not like other waters he's fished in, But he held his tongue.
In the past, truth be told, he'd starved nearly a week before he found prey other then fish. Even though the fish had been plentiful he had wasted way to much energy trying futilely to catch them. He was clearly like a weeks old pup in his attempt to fish and he had no idea how to make himself better.
He jealously watched the other wolf groom, he was going to have his grooming cut out for himself later. A wet pelt was a matted mess if not properly attended too. The water continued to skim past him and his feet began to feel to frigidness of the water as it took his body heat and washed it away. Bound and determined he refused to get out of the water until he had a fish.
He drew himself of and waited intently for instructions, he may have been an pack leader in a past life but here he was not and he was going to learn this pack from all angles.
The boy took on the posture of utter defeat. Njal wasn't so hard of heart that he would begrudge this wolf his moment of wallowing; but that was all. Only the briefest of moments. With the river slushing around him he looked like a drowned rat - but Njal would fix that. It would take time and patience, but the older wolf would help.
"Then get out of the water." He stated firmly, before raising to full height upon his burly limbs. Njal waited for the boy to exit the river, and watched as rivulets of fluid dripped as soggy tendrils from his coat. The first thing to do was dry Ferdie off, but that was something he could do himself. Njal wasted little time for he was currently lacking patience, feeling somewhat irritated, although the reason why eluded him. Perhaps it was the way this stranger was standing in the river, as if expecting the fish to react to his intrusive presence by leaping clear of the depths.
Njal paced along the river's edge for a few minutes in silence, peering in to the shallows or pausing along the bank. He sniffed at the rocks and regarded the current's pulse with a sort of reverence, a warmth that did not extend to this other wolf quite yet. Then, rather suddenly, Njal lifted his head and regarded Ferdie again. "We will fish from this ledge." He stated flatly. With a sudden stride forward the man took to the natural ledge formation made of wet stone, and peered in to the water. "The fish are not stupid. You cannot stand in their world and expect them not to notice you. They are simple creatures, but they have senses just like us." Njal monotonously rumbled, with his words tapering off near the end of his words - and he watched a narrow shine slip by the corner of the ledge. "It is best to find a spot and root yourself there for a period of time. Hours, days, so the fish become accustomed to you." Ferdie was lucky though. Njal had been fishing this river for many months now, so the creatures had become used to his smell. It would take some time for them to adapt to the slightly earthier scent of Ferdie.
"Now, try to catch one." They were not as plentiful now, but it was swiftly becoming spring. Soon the fish would be migrating up the rivers and they would be full and heavy with eggs. Njal pulled back from the ledge to give the boy room, and in the meantime observed while the other wolf showed off his skills.
Ferdie drew himself from the water as commanded, he kept his tail limp, he was not about to test ranks while he was being trained. He just let the water drip from his pelt, also not wanting to rudely shake water upon the other brute.
As other male moved upriver somewhat, Ferdie took the opportunity to shake the bulk of the water out, He followed frowning when they stopped on a ledge. He never thought of a fish as a real creature, not a smart being that had a desire to live anyway.
Ferdie’s skin trembled as the cold air made him even colder. Fishing without getting thoroughly wet was definitely a tempting prospect. However he just couldn’t wrap his mind around it.
Ferdie peered over the edge of the ledge and down “How am I supposed to catch one if I can’t pounce it? I can’t get beside it or in front of it from here” His voice was distant though as he prepped himself for his next attack, He crouched down like he was getting ready to pounce upon the next fish that got close. The tips of his toes entering the water. His tail waved as it looked to balance him from falling in.
When prompted to act, Ferdie refused. He looked to Njal and the man felt like he was dealing with an insolent child; so the chuff of a sigh brought forth his minor frustration. The boy looked in to the water but did little else. A question lingered on the air, which Njal did not feel inclined to answer (at least verbally). With a rolling stride he took a step across the ledge so that his face loomed over the rushing water - and then, after a few moments of watching, he dived in. Teeth passed through the cold water and though he resisted the urge to snap them shut, the presence of the foreign body spooked what fish there were. He drew back with a dripping face, his maw empty of any potential meal.
But he would not be dissuaded. Njal reached in again. This time he loomed over the water for longer, waiting, patient and prone, until something slithered beneath him. He launched his fangs at the thing, and rose up afterwards with a fish wriggling unhappily within his mouth. Njal beamed through his gritted and bloodied teeth, tasting the life of the fish as it drained. Incisors were sunken in to the fish's head, just after the gills - nearly a perfect lock. The fish wriggled a few more times and then, gasping and dying, life fled from it. Njal tossed it aside, over Ferdie's waiting body and on to the soil of the bank. "You watch for fish, then grab at them." The man explained, with his tongue intermittently slicking the fur of his lips and the blood that sat between his gums; "If you still have trouble, you can try positioning yourself with your front limbs in the water," To explain this better, Njal reached over the ledge and descended front-wise with his paws placed upon the stones. The water was just reaching his shoulders, but his rear was safe and dry. "Like this." He looked to Ferdie to make sure he understood, but did not linger there for long. It was dangerous, and Njal was caught thinking about Lethe and her death.
"You will practice. Come to me again when you think you can learn more." Njal stated blandly, clearly out of patience. With his front end dripping and wet, he was eager to dry off and get back to his patrol - but he lingered, easing to a position behind Ferdie in order to observe. Ears cupped at the air for anything Ferdie may say, but it was clear by the distant look in his eyes - and the roaming gaze that Njal held, as his attention waned from the river - that he had other priorities.
Ferdie Von Pelt definitely felt schooled, and frowned at himself and at this past interaction, truly the male had not been much help, He had always watched for fish and tried to grab them how else was one to fish, learning that the creature had a thought process though that was new, that gave him pause.
The brute gritted his teeth as he stared at the water, he would catch something if it killed him. His skin twitched below his pelt and the cold sunk in deep to his core. an hour may have past and he had not moved, finally a fish came toward him looking for food probably not know it’s fate. Ferdie carefully slipped his jaw in the water as he seen the male do, still he had not know the other’s name. the moment the tip touched his teeth Ferdie snapped his jaws shut and dove backward away from the water HE HAD IT albeit preciously by the tail but he caught one!. This chest swelled with pride, and he tossed his body to the river bank, Fish in tow. it was large and managed to slip away but upon the earth it could not get away. Ferdie stood and scooped the fish, running a victory lap he brought the fish to the creeks side cache. He had fulfilled the request placed upon him, Though the alpha probably meant more food then this, no other wolf had likely put forth this much effort.
Ferdie moved away from the river content the for not his job was done
Perhaps he should have lingered. There were many things on Njal's mind though, and it was difficult to focus upon the task of teaching the young man to fish. He lingered long enough to witness a few of Ferdie's attempts and, when the boy brought out a fat morsel of fish flesh, the warden grunted in surprise. There seemed to be hope for the oddball after all. But he said nothing. Instead, Njal turned and began to stride away - picking up the pace so that he'd be back on track with his patrol.
Late exit post, lol!