Totoka River we're out of soy milk

Anyone can join but tagging @Lasher for fun. :)

With fire in her paws, Tuulikki made her way down the coast.  She’d been following it for weeks now, breaking away in long spurts where it wasn’t safe or she had to find food.  But when she could, she remained close by.  Running into others were few and far between and she didn’t like to venture far enough to run into another pack.  The girl missed companionship and a better chance at hunting but for now she was content on her own.

Her fur was soaked as she tried to cross the river, the water fresh as it bursts into the sea at the coast.  It only had hints of salt, perhaps the remaining residue left from the inside of her mouth, but Tuulikki drank into she swore her sides were swollen.  It was enough to tide her over for the time being.

Tuulikki shook out her fur as she steadies herself, looking to head back toward the coast again with a belly fully of water and a new determination in her steps.

donnelaith called his name, and lasher heeded, departing the plateau with the intention of catching a fat fish for blue willow's meal. he had ceased in his attempts to persuade her home -- dante knew the reason for her refusal, and now the pack knew she waited for them to arrive. he had gazed upon the whelping den with warm budding in his heart, and now the feeling of goodwill arrived again with a deeper intensity.

the river lulled his thirst into his throat, and he followed it for a series of steps before he paused to drink and to remain there until he caught his intended prey. the small grey wolfess he noticed, but she went unaddressed as the druid crouched over the waters, tense with the coiled anticipation of the strike.

Tuulikki slows when she’s seen another, crouched into the bank of the river.  She doesn’t get a second look from the other canine.  Either she wasn’t a threat to him or he really wasn’t paying that much attention.  She turned her nose to look the way she’d been headed, taking in a long breath for another wolf that might accompany this one.  She came up empty handed and waited.

She could go around him, making an effort to not disturb him but she wondered if that would cause too much distraction.  Instead, Tuulikki hung back.  Her tail waved back and forth idly a few times, watching the river for whatever he was focusing on.

the river brought him a trout -- lasher landed in onto the bank and licked the water from his jaws before turning back to the female wolf. she had not budged; indeed she stood with watchful eye and friendly plume, and lasher looked upon her for a long moment before raising his own in affable gesture. if she drew near, they would speak, but if something kept her from such, he would continue on his way to donnelaith.

Well this was fun!  Hahaha.

Tuulikki watches the male spring to action, catching himself a decently sized fish.  It had been too quick of an action to learn anything from it but she could feel the need to mimic what he’d done.  He looks her way and she considers asking him to teach her but she bites her tongue, only nodding her head in recognition.  He turns to leave and Tuulikki doesn’t make an attempt to stop him.  Instead, she continues along her trek.

lolol

he halted in his step to turn and call after the loner. he had been mistaken in leaving her behind; donnelaith would need hardy bodies when the snows arrived. parting his jaws, he gave a howl of invitation to the wolfess, indicating the fish at his paws. he would able to catch another.

The wolfess halts when she hears his call, ears cupping forward at the invitation.  She turns her lithe body around to face him.  He points to the fish and Tuulikki takes a few hesitant steps forward.  She remains a good distance away for the moment, scanning the area for some kind of set up.  Even if she’d checked moments ago, she needs to be careful.  Tuulikki finally closes more of the distance, stepping a safe distance away but not so that it was too awkward.  

She doesn’t go for the fish right away, narrowing her eyes for his expression and intention for giving a strange a meal he’d just worked hard for.  

Why?

hesitantly she crept forth, closing the distance betwixt them, and he watched her with a warm expression. but she did not partake of his gift -- the woman questioned, which he had expected. not with words but with gestures he answered, canting his head with flared nostrils at her lack of pack odor.

to the fish he dipped his muzzle, then backed away to invite the wolfess closer. adopting a vaguely dominant stance, lasher glanced in the direction of the coastline before returning his attentions to the woman.

home.

With a rumble in her stomach, she watches Lasher unfold his story.  His intentions.  It hadn’t been the first time the idea was presented to her.  She wonders if she could take the fish and run; Tuulikki’s thin, muscled form could outrun the wolf in short burst.  A long pursuit might not be in her favor.  The smaller canine exhales a heavy breath and not before she balances on the tips of her toes, shakes her head in rejection.

“Rauha Sydamen,” she announces, breaking the silence between them, “on hiekkaa minun luut.”

"peace of the heart" and "there is sand in my bones."

poised, he waited, but she did not accept. an eartip flicked in acknowledgement of this fact -- he would not press her again -- but a push of his paw confirmed that the scaled thing remained in her possession. to feed a lone wolf was an act of kindness, but perhaps beneath the warm the ulterior purpose was to welcome her into his ranks. no matter.

he shook his head at her foreign words, for he could not understand them. but he spoke nevertheless one of his own: "donnelaith." he motioned toward the coast as he revealed its name.

The other wolf didn’t take back the fish and, instead, pushes it forward.  Still hers.  Her mouth waters and she wants to sink her teeth into it then and devour but Tuulikki is better than that.  She resists the urge, swallows, and focuses once more on the older wolf.  He points down the coast, speaking a name.  

“Donnelaith?” she questions.  Home?

She bites her tongue on other questions, for the time being:  “I am Tuulikki.”

lasher nodded, a bow wreathing his mouth. in this he was a far removed creature from the half-spirited bestial entity he had been upon meeting the earth with his paws. she did not partake of the fish, but gave her name. "tuulikki," he repeated. "i am lasher, also called taltos. eat."

settling himself, he laid a watchful gaze upon her.

Lasher.

Tuulikki mentally hums his name, but offers a second one.  Taltos.  She narrows her eyes at the introduction, It reminds her of her father’s name.  The thought of her father, even minuscule, made her nose wrinkle.

Following his instruction to take the fish, even if she’d turn the offer down the original offer, she drops her head to take the kill between her teeth.  She’s gentle at first, pulling it close, before she snaps her teeth around it quickly and gobbling down half of it in one bite.  

There’s hesitation with the second half as she lifts her head, licking her lips of the mess she’d suddenly made.

“Thank you, Taltos.”

Tuulikki doesn’t wait for a reply before she devours the remainder of trout, straining to divide it in two bites.

she fell upon the fish, pausing once to thank him. "it is a small kindness i am happy to spare," he rejoined gently as the lone wolfess consumed the last of the trout. he made no move to join her, nor dissuade her -- lasher rather expected that tuulikki would trek off upon her way shortly following her meal. he waited to keep her company until that time, having no true urgency due to the sun's high position.

There’s a bitter taste of guilt creeping up her throat, acid lashing out and burning her sensitive flesh.  She’d taken his meal, albeit him offering it, and eaten it selfishly in front of him.  Tuulikki hadn’t been thinking too clearly when her stomach lurched its reply to devour it.  Her chance at finding peace would be prolonged and she’d need to repent.  How she would repay the kindness, she isn’t sure just yet, but she smiles.  Wide, genuine.

Thank you.

“Voi tapaamme jälleen,” she says in departure.  “I will see you again.”

"may we meet again"

he watched quietly as she smiled, nodding once but saying nothing as she spoke more foreign words. his murkwater eyes followed the woman as she departed, and when her form had faded from view, he too turned to make his way home, detouring once to catch another fish for the willow.