@Kaskara
Beric had traveled from the lake on top of the mountain to a lake that seemed to be swimming with salmon. No better time than to try his paw at fishing. He had tried a few times in the past, but he hadn't been that great at it then, and wasn't expecting miracles now.
Still, might as well give it a try. He waded into the water until it was almost to his elbows, and waited. It took some time but the fish finally began to come a little closer. His head dove into the water after one, but came back up empty. He shook the water off, and waited a while longer. Again, he tried to snap up a fish, but they seemed to elude him. His burly size was no match for these quick swimmers, but he was too determine to give up. So, he began to wait again.
Yay! :)
Having settled in as well as could be expected after a few days, Kaskara decided to take a tour of the nearby neutral territories. She found a river and followed it southwest, through a small wood, and took the right fork to continue to a lake. It took most of the morning to travel that distance. When she arrived at the lake, her tongue was already lolling from the midday heat.
Taking a sip of water from the lake, Kas took a moment to survey the area while she cooled off in the shade. As her eyes traveled around the lake, she spotted another wolf some distance away, occasionally stabbing at the water. It looked like he was fishing. Padding over to him, she stopped a few yards from the shore, and called, "No luck with the fish today?"
He heard the soft padding of pawsteps on the earth and lifted his head to see what or who was coming his way. It was another wolf. A rather pretty wolf, at that, too. He immediately abandoned his fishing, since he wasn't having any luck anyways, and hoped up onto the bank. Nope, no fish for me today, it seems. He might have better luck on land, though, if she was any indication of his luck now.
He refrained from giving her a once-over, knowing it would be rude of him. Instead, he let his gaze wander just a moment before turning to her. My name is Beric. I'm from Wheeling Gull Isle, he said, hoping she would introduce herself in turn. He wasn't a player, and it was very rare that he had the chance to flirt with a female- not that he had the moves to do so anyway.
The wolf turned toward her and hopped onto the bank to speak with her. "That's too bad," she remarked quietly. Fish was one of her favorite meals, but if they weren't biting today, there was no reason to waste time trying.
When he introduced himself, Kaskara nodded her greeting. She didn't deal in small talk, so she saved the niceties for someone who would appreciate them--alphas and betas who needed flattering. "I'm Kaskara, newly of Blacktail Deer Plateau." She seated herself a few yards from him, wrapping her tail around her paws. "Isle, as in island? What's it like living on an island?"
He shrugged, Maybe, but I'm not too good at fishing, so I won't hold my breath, he replied with a smile. Did she see what he did there? He chuckled, a little nervously, at his attempt at a joke.
His ears perked when she mentioned her pack. Oh, I recently met a young girl from there- Amelie, I believe her name was. She was... having some boy trouble, he replied. It had been interesting coming upon her in the tall grass. He was surprised she had been out and about instead of within her pack lands. But, he was not her father, so he had no place to tell her to go home. He shrugged a little before answering her question, Well, the game isn't as abundant, though they do cross the sandbar from time to time. It's nice in that there aren't many spots a wolf can sneak onto the island, so security is easy. The crabs are crabby, though. His tongue briefly ran over the spot the crab had pinched him. It had heeled well, though the memory was still there.
Sorry for the delay! <3
Kaskara filed away the new name, Amelie, and decided to check on her soon. Kas needed any excuse to meet her fellow pack mates more formally. Beric answered her about living on an island, and she listened raptly. She had never even been on a real island before, just small one in a river, and she wondered what it would be like.
It seemed peaceful, somehow, because of its remoteness. "That sounds nice, living on an island." Something he said piqued her interest. "What's a crab?" she asked softly, not sure if she had seen one before.
No problem <3
She commented that it sounded nice living on an island. He nodded in agreement. It was rather nice, if it wasn't for the fact that the Ridge wolves hated their current location. Yes, it was easy to patrol borders, but sometimes it could be tedious, knowing other wolves out there hated you because you represented competition, and always having to watch your back. It was no way to live. He wanted, needed a place he felt safe. The Isle was turning out not to be that place.
She asked what a crab was, and he took a moment to think how to describe it. It's a creature that likes to live on the beach. It varies in size, but usually just a little bigger than my paw, he said, holding it up for her to see. They have a hard shell, and usually one or two big claws, with six thin legs that they scurry around with. The claws hurt when they pinch you, but their meat is juicy if you're looking for something different to eat. For him, they really weren't worth the trouble of catching. He preferred his land-dwellers, ditching kicks to the head, and the thrill of bringing something down so much larger than himself.
I'm so sorry for this horribly short post. Please forgive me? <3
"It sounds familiar, but I'd have to see it to be sure," Kas said, wondering if this crab creature he described was the same she was used to. Probably not, she wagered, but there was always the possibility. "What does it taste like?" She was used to fish, but not anything with a hard shell or six legs. But perhaps she had seen something like this before, though she certainly hadn't eaten one.
Of course! <3
She asked about the taste, and his head cocked to the side as he thought a moment. Have you had fish? He asked. He thought he might be able to compare it to that. Well, it could be likened to a fishy flavor, but it's... sweeter, I guess. The meat is pretty tender and easy to chew, though crabs are small, so there's not a lot of it. It certainly wouldn't fill him up like a deer would, or even satisfy him like a rabbit would. He supposed it could make a nice if someone was looking for something a little different, though.
Even if they tasted to his liken more, he would still stick with his land dwellers. Crabs were slippery little suckers, and it hurt when they pinched. He may get kicked by a deer every once in a while, but at least he could say he was hurting from something bigger than he was, instead of infinitely smaller. At least his pride would hurt less.
Could we wrap this up in the next few posts? <3 We could have another in a few days/weeks! Once Kas gets settled in SC :)
When asked if she had fish, Kaskara nodded. She listened to him explain how crab tasted, and she wondered even more if she had ever tasted the sweet, juicy meat of a crab. "If I ever get out your way, maybe we can catch one and I'll get to taste it," she suggested with a small grin.
Kaskara didn't know if she ever would get to Wheeling Gull Isle or anywhere near Beric's home, but it never hurt to have a friendly connection in another pack. She looked up toward the sky and noted the sun's descent. Sighing, she stood and shook out her fur. "I should probably head back. I've got quite a trek ahead of me before I reach my pack lands."
Sure :-)
She offered up hunting crabs with him, if she ever got out to the shore. With a smile, he nodded. Sounds fun! So long as he steered clear of any crab claws. Those hurt.
Beric followed her gaze, nodding with her assessment. I should get back, too, he replied, standing to go. Take care. It was nice meeting you, he said with a smile. Turning to go, he made his way back home with a brisk trot. He needed to reach the water before the tide came up, or else he'd have to swim across.
"It was nice to meet you too, Beric," she replied, smiling slightly as she stretched out her limbs, readying herself for the long trek home. Their paths would diverge soon, but they walked in companionable silence for a few short minutes, until Beric headed one way and Kaskara another.