Julooke had trotted over to Totoka River, planning on doing some fishing. It was dusk, which was the perfect time to go. The sun was set far enough that her body wouldn't cast a shadow on the water, and thus she wouldn't scare the fish away. She approached the river's edge, watching the water as it flowed. The water wasn't rushing here, and it was kind of narrow, so it would be a good spot to fish.

She waded into the water slowly and positioned herself in the middle of the river, facing upstream, the water almost reaching her elbows. She stood as still as possible, watching a few fish swim by here and there, none of them close enough for her to think about going for. The minutes ticked by, and still she stood. She was nothing if not determined, and this was about the only time anyone could catch Julooke being still.

Finally, she caught sight of a fish heading straight for her. When it got close enough, her head darted into the river, jaws opening and closing quickly. She struggled for a moment, but the fish slipped through her teeth, though not without a slit to its tail. If she had just been a bit faster, it would have been hers. She lifted her head out of the stream, shaking the water off before returning to her statue-like stance.

Julooke had been so focused on her fishing that she hadn't been listening to her surroundings, or potential wolves coming up on her. The voice that reached her ears made her head jerk up. Immediately, his body language told her he was no threat. Her tail wagged, and she smiled. Yes, I'm good. Just fishing, she responded.

I'm Julooke, from Horizon Ridge, she offered, hoping he would introduce himself. Want to fish with me? she asked. Two heads were always better than one!

Julooke had always been the friendly type, so long as the wolf in front of her was, as well. Even then, she did her best not to be rude, even if they were. So, when the male appeared, submissive and not aggressive, it never occurred to her to be anything but welcoming and nice.

He didn't offer his name, and she didn't ask for it, figuring maybe he was the private type. He seemed unsure about fishing, though. It was obvious he had never done it, but Julooke was no stranger to fishing or to teaching. Not a problem! she said confidently. Come on in, I'll show you how to do it. She stepped to the side, offering him some room beside her in the river.

One of the hardest things for me to learn about fishing was being still. I'm always hyper and being still isn't easy for me, she said, smiling to him. So, one of the first things you want to do is find a good position. Ideally, you want to be facing upstream, with the sun in front of you so your shadow doesn't scare the fish. The sun is already set enough that shadows aren't an issue today, she added. She planted her paws in the silt of the bed of the river. Next, you want to make sure that you have a sturdy stance, that way when you go for a fish, you won't slip and fall. She waited to see if he needed to get comfortable. And, then, you just wait for the right fish to come along. They're super fast, you just have to be faster. Don't go for ones that are too far away. It may take a little time and patients, but one will come along. She turned her face towards the water, watching the fish swim along the banks. They were making too much noise and moving too much for the fish to want to swim near them. Go ahead and try, she said, giving him the lead. She would make sure to keep still, not going for any fish that came her way, and instead letting him try his paw at it.

Julooke smiled when he offered his name, Nice to meet you, Dante, she replied. He said he had just arrived here, but didn't offer more details. The white female sensed he was on the private side of the openness spectrum, and didn't prod him any more, at least right then. She figured there would be time after fishing, if he felt like talking.

He admitted to having patients. There were still some days when Julooke felt like a three month old pup who just couldn't contemplate waiting for anything. It was a conscious effort for her practice patients, and sometimes she still failed. As patient as Dante was, he missed his catch. The fish had just been out of reach. She motioned toward the water, Try again, she encouraged him. Eventually, one will come really close. You should wait for that one, she recommended. When he asked if she did this often, she shook her head. Not these days. I did when I was a yearling, though. The pack I was born in was fond of fish, and my big sister taught be how to catch them. There was plenty of deer and small land prey, but fishing was always... fun to me, she said with a smile. She loved diving her head into the water. It was just a plus that sometimes she came out with a fish.

He admitted he had never tasted fish. It was quite different from their usual meals, and not every wolf necessarily liked the taste. She wondered if he would. Maybe you'll get to try it today, she said hopefully. It took some trial and error, but she was confident he'd be able to catch a fish. The moment seemed to have come for him to get one, but the fish struggled and Dante didn't have a good grip on it. He lost it, and not without proof. Oh! Looks like he got a little piece of you there, she said, looking at the cut. She giggled, smiling at his 'slippery devils' comment.

She nodded to his suggestion about he going next. Alright, but you have to take a bite of one if I catch it! she countered. She wanted him to have the chance to try a new food today. She turned her head towards the water, and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, a fish swam close enough. Her head shot into the water, and her teeth sunk into the head of the fish. Bringing herself and it out of the water, it struggled furiously, almost knocking her off balance. She moved to shore and climbed onto the bank, fish still struggling to get free. She went several feet away from the river, not wanting it to flip itself back in the water. Holding it down with a paw, she lifted her head with a smile to Dante, panting slightly.

Once the fish "calmed down," Julooke took a few step back and sat down on her haunches, catching her breath. She motioned toward the fish, Go ahead and try it, she offered. If you like it, it'll give you more determination to catch the next one, she added. After all, why waste energy hunting something you didn't like, especially when there was plenty of meat around you did like?

Once the excitement had called down, she ventured to ask him about himself. He had been a little closed up before the fishing lesson, but maybe know he was feeling a little bit more trusting. So, are you looking to join a local pack? It was possible he was just passing through, or looking to find a home here. She wasn't exactly recruiting for her pack, but she always liked to make new friends. It would still be a plus if it was with another pack, as it would encourage alliances.

Julooke sat on her haunches, her ears perked and her tail wagging a bit, waiting to see his reaction to his first bite of fish. It really wouldn't matter to her whether he liked it or not. However, if he did, it would be one more kind of prey he could eat if others were scarce. She smiled when he exclaimed it was good, nodding to him. Yeah, red meat is preferred, but this is a nice change from time to time, she said. I just had crab for the first time the other day, and it was really good! It had been so tender and juicy, and she was anxious to get back to the beach soon and catch a few.

When he had taken what he wanted of the fish, she dove it, chomping down on the rest. She was careful about the bones, crunching on them a little longer to make sure none got stuck in her throat. It probably wouldn't hurt her, but it would be really uncomfortable. He seemed much more open to speaking about himself. She shook her head quickly, No, no, it's fine, she said. I haven't been here too long, either. My friend and I, Verrine, joined Horizon Ridge. I like it a lot. Ragnar, the Beta, can be a bit tough, but he's taught me so much. Pump, the Alpha, is really cool. They're both big on the pack members pulling their own weight. They're fair, but they definitely expect everyone to do their share. She couldn't see any wrong in that, that's for sure. She figured every Alpha expected that of their followers. I'm not sure about any other packs. I did meet one wolf, named Majesty, who was about to leave his current pack to start his own, but I don't know if he did or not. She was thinking about paying him a visit soon. In a few days time, she would, only she would find it would be with Ragnar and Verrine, and it most likely would not be pleasant.

She nodded, Yeah, she said. We should meet up at the beach some time. I'll teach you to get them. I'm not at all that great at it myself, but it's not too hard. If she could at least catch one, she could show him how it's done.

She smiled, Yeah, it is nice, she agreed. You're welcome to come check it out. I may not be able to get you inside the borders without the leader's permission, but if I ask, maybe they'll let me show you around. She wasn't sure how strict Pump would be about letting in a potential member. Ragnar would... rip his head off, maybe? He was extremely protective right now because of his children. Even with Pump's permission, it would likely be a good idea to let him know before hand. If you ever feel like it, she added, letting him know there was no pressure. She had never been a recruiter for any pack, but she would at least know there was one friendly face in the crows.

She thought about it a moment, and decided Dante was right. Yeah, he didn't speak positively about his leader, so I doubt they'll get any warning that he's leaving, or that he has plans to make his own pack. In the coming days, she would understand just how dangerous it could be, not just for Majesty, but for Horizon Ridge, as well.I have no desire to be an Alpha. There are so many pressure on Alphas and in so many ways. I like to be able to relax sometimes, she said with a smile. After a moment, she added, Speaking of, I think I should start heading back before they begin to wonder where I am. Her head turned in the direction of Horizon Ridge before looking back to Dante.

Julooke laugh, Yeah, I'm hoping we'll have the upper paw. If they win, I think I'll stick to fish, she replied. Getting beat by such a tiny little creature would be laughable, and likely turn Julooke away from trying to hunt them anymore. She had a good teacher, though, and retained information pretty well, so she was hopeful she could at least catch one crab. Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find us, she replied with a smile.

She nodded in agreement, Yeah, nature is nice that way. It seems to give us what we need, even if we don't realize we need it. He was making his goodbyes, and she smiled, It was a pleasure meet you, Dante. I hope we get to fish again someday. He was a very nice wolf, one to easily befriend, and she hoped she ran into him again soon. Standing, she smiled at him before turning and heading back to Horizon Ridge.