Redhawk Caldera a scratch, a lump; it is nothing at all

The searches he'd done for Ponyboy had ended up fruitless. He returned to the caldera each time after departure, despondent. He knew the boy was approaching his first year—but it didn't stop him from worrying.

Heck, he barely felt past a year or two, himself, most days.

One day, he came across @Teya, and gave her a friendly chuff. I hear you're a good fisher, he said, smiling gently. Do you want to fish with me? Or at least point out the best catches?

He'd yet to ingratiate himself with his father's widow; he wasn't sure if she'd even want the company, given all that was happening.

But he wanted the company—and he thought she could use a friend.

teya was preparing for another excursion of her own. years of grief and terror had muted her response to ponyboy's disappearance. she knew that she should appear more panicked than she was, but it was not from lack of care — teya's helplessness around motherhood had become so ingrained that she was desperately pleased not to be having more.
when killdeer found her, she was pulling birds from a cache for a meal and looked up, nodding toward bronco's son. 
and while she truly wasn't supposed to think such things, teya for a moment responded to the masculine handsomeness, not lingering to explore it but continuing along their path. "i teach you. what kind of fish you want?" she asked killdeer, clearing her throat and setting her eyes to hard-packed snow. "important for where we choose to fish."

He'd interrupted her doing something else, and felt bad about it—but they were on their way, Teya questioning them about his suggested task at hand.

I don't know, honestly, he remarked, chuckling a little nervously. I don't know much about fish. What's easiest to catch around here? Or tastiest to eat?

Land animals were more his game—but Killdeer was always happy to learn.

"all tasty," teya answered, warming to the subject. "we have trout. bass. ah, bluegill. grayling. pike. shad." she shrugged. "you tell me what sounds best. i tell you where to find."
fish provided meat in most seasons and their eggs could not be beat for the vitamins, fat, and general richness added to a meat-eating diet. she supposed it kept one glossy, after a time, not that she any longer paid attention. "fishing means lots of waiting, splashing, and swimming. good exercise."

shad, he replied, drawing the word out slightly. i don't know what it is, but i like the sound of it. lead the way, teacher, killer said amiably, nodding toward the path ahead and smiling.

they hadn't gotten to know each other much since he'd been here—understandable, under the circumstances.

he still wasn't sure how she felt about him, as her deceased husband's child by another woman.

but this could be a start to a bond, he thought. as long as he didn't stick his paw in his mouth somehow and fuck it up.

one time, caracal dragged me into the ocean, trying to get to this island, killdeer remarked. he snorted softly, shaking his head. i dunno—apparently it was shallow, or there was a sandbar or something. . .but i couldn't swim. motherfucker nearly drowned my ass.

shad, then. teya led killdeer southward, wanting to follow the streams running to the lake. they would go backward along these paths, however, searching for a point more narrow, though not so much that it reduced the depth of the water.
killdeer told an amusing story, and a pinch grabbed at her heart to think of caracal and his friend together. wasn't it they who had found she and reyes together so long ago on the lake?
good warm loam touched their paws as the grass thinned down to the cool water. for a moment, teya watched between the sparkles of sunlight, looking for the shadow flickering of fish.
"did you get better at swimming after?" the raven teased in a low voice.

I haven't really tried again, Killdeer replied, his voice playful. He watched the water dance and stir, looking, as Teya did, for fish below.

He tried to make himself still as the trunk of a tree, hoping not to disturb whatever lay beneath the surface.

All right, Teya, he murmured, smiling. Time to learn from your skills.

the raven moved carefully to the ice in the point she had chosen. keeping hindlegs upon the bank, she broke a small hole with one forepaw, widened it with both, and then forced her body into the fissure until the surface upon the lake there splintered and broke.
the fish jerked, leapt.
shad were small, silvery. teya pointed them out as they began to writhe, and dove her muzzle among them.