Whitebark Stream Her namesake

@Sunny !!!

The snowfield entered these wilds by following alongside a river, as rivers were a familiarity. Her raven companion flew ahead of her, peering behind himself every now and again to ensure she was still in sight. Eventually, the river branched off into a stream, and Fisher began to follow it until she found a shallow spot. Perfect, she thought, stepping into the cool water.

Gilded eyes quickly spotted numerous fish, which were alarmed by her presence and dashed away. Expecting this, the wraith locked onto one and pursued it, easily catching it in her jaws and lifting it out of the water. It was a cutthroat trout of decent size, and it wriggled desperately in her grasp. Fisher brought her prize to land before dropping it on the ground where it flopped helplessly. A paw held it still so her teeth could sever its spine, ending the creature's struggle. Pesi swooped down to begin feeding on its carcass, and Fisher returned to the water to repeat the ritual several more times, accumulating a pile on the shore. 

He had decided to go out of borders today to locate some food, mainly searching for large flocks of birds or a herd of deer that he could lead a couple of pack members toward in hopes of bringing back a good meal for the mothers of the pack. So far he had seen nothing and he hadn't even managed to catch a solo hunt that day.

His travels lead him along the banks of a river that eventually lead to a stream where he spotted a female on the shores with a pile of fish that seemed to be too much for just one wolf. On that train of thought he thought about how much the pack needed food, so much more then this healthy female did and he bolted for the pile eyeing the female from the corners of his gaze nervously, ears tucked back against his skull and tail drooped as well looking extremely guilty over what he was doing.

Fisher's back was turned on her pile, and she had been convinced Pesi was the only scavenger around, but that was due to the wind not being in her favor. Pesi, however, noticed the unfamiliar wolf as soon as he made a dash for the fish pile. Displeased with the stranger's thieving intentions, he let out a series of alarm cries, alerting the wolfess of an unwelcome presence. Her slender ears swiveled backwards—having been broken from her trance—and she immediately whirled around to face who caused the commotion. It was a young male a bit below her age, and he already looked incredibly guilty with his low posture and flattned ears despite not yet having taken a thing. It was clear what he was trying to do, nonetheless, and Fisher was having none of it.

A low growl bubbled up from her throat in warning, dark lips parting just enough to reveal a hint of the teeth beneath. He didn't even look famished. Why would he resort to stealing? Upon nearing the male, feet still submerged at the water's edge, his scent hit her. Other scents lingered on him, and it was clear now what he was. Pack wolf, Fisher stated, accent heavily laced in her simple words as realization overcame her. Explain yourself, She demanded, wanting an answer. He had the privilege of still having others to rely on for food and protection, yet he dared try and steal from her? His ungratefulness and audacity was quickly bringing her blood to a boil. Still, she did not like to put herself in danger and would not attack him—unless he made a foolish move.

The cawing from the raven startled him and he looked up with wide eyes. The female turned to look at him and he froze, only a few feet away from the pile of fish. He eyed it and groaned before the growl of warning made him turn back to her and he hunched down, averting his eyes away from her and the pile of food. "My name is Sunny. I'm from Morningside. I'm..I'm sorry. There's a food shortage quite suddenly and we have three nursing mothers plus not enough adults to hunt properly off territory. I...I suck at fishing and I saw you had more than enough... I knew I shouldn't ..Im sorry" he babbled off the explanation, muscles tensing as he was tempted to just bolt off. He was ashamed and mortified and disappointed all at once.

I hope you don't mind the change of plan. Sunny's response wouldn't make Fisher want to fight him. :'^) If he tries to steal again she will give chase, though.

Her expression became less hardened at his ashamed demeanor and the offered apology. A softness was even elicited from her intense eyes for just a moment when he explained his pack's dilemma. Morningside, Sunny... the names reminded Fisher of her natal pack, which southerners would have called Sunbeam. Perhaps it all struck close to home for her, swaying her from treating the stranger icily.

Though the wraith was still displeased with this adolescent named Sunny, she decided that she would help him. It was for the children, she told herself. Her eyes narrowed, and she said, Call me Fisher. Then, she turned back towards the stream, peering over her shoulder at Sunny. Come. You will learn to fish today. Fisher could have just given him a fish and had him be on his way, but this would be more helpful in the long run. Besides—she was stubbornly opposed to gifting him anything after his little stunt. The northerner wasn't quite that generous.

That's fine! I honestly ended up having a "he wrote himself" moment lol.

Sunny kept his eyes downward until she spoke giving her name. He risked a tentative glance upward ears slowly rising from their flattened position as he noticed the hardness fading from her expression. When she turned around he rose up slowly, brows furrowing curiously before she looked at him and gave him instructions. He gave a breath of relief and nodded, silently following her to the stream without even a quick glance toward the pile of fish. Part of him expected her to have given him a fish but he was glad he got to work for the food instead. Plus Morningside had water nearby and he was sure that if he learned how, he could provide Pema, Aviana, and Cat steady meals of fish if nothing else could be caught. When they reached the stream he paused, turning to look at her for further instructions, his eyes bright and hopeful "Thank you fisher." he said gratefully.

Smartly, Sunny listened to her demand, and now they both stood adjacent to one another in the stream. There was light in his eyes when he looked to her, and he thanked her. The youngster had good manners, and Fisher began to feel that he wasn't a bad wolf but had simply acted out of misguided desperation. The thought made it difficult for her to be mad at him, especially when he was so eager to learn.

Instructing an English-speaker would be more difficult than an Inuit, but actions spoke louder than words. Besides, Fishing is simple. No unneeded moving―every move has meaning and must be quick. No loud sounds. Fisher turned back towards the fish, which had moved further away due to her loud, unecessary movements from when she was alerted of his presence. Pick a target, then grab behind the head. To demonstrate, the fisherwoman waded towards a fish, ensuring she never lifted her feet too high to reduce splashing. Then, she launched herself at the fish, sinking her teeth into the space just behind the head. It wriggled vigorously, but because she held it at the broadest part of its body, it could not free itself from her jaws.

Fisher moved for the shore and dropped her catch there, holding it down with a foot. To kill, hold it under your foot. Break the spine with your fangs. She did just that, lapping at the blood that stained her pale snout. Demonstration over, she nodded towards the fish―which had scattered due to her intrusion―to say your turn.

He listened to her focused on her words as his eyes studied her actions. The careful way she moved, the patience in her actions and then the quick burst of speed she used to grab the fish were way way different than what he had been doing. No wonder he always fell in, he never even thought to wade into the water! His mouth watered and he licked his lips at the sight of the dead fish, hesitating when she motioned for him to try.

Slowly he entered the water, lifting each foot high so that he didn't cause ripples that disturbed the water and the fish. He spotted a group of silver beneath the surface a few feet away and moved toward it. He waited until one fish drew in closer to him and then he lunged, aiming for the back of the head. The fish moved faster than him and he ended up snagging it by the back of the tail. He lifted it out anyway and it flapped around, slapping the sides of his face. He yipped and held tight, stumbling toward the bank and climbing out. He dropped the fish and then pounced on it as it tried to flop back to the water. He quickly broke the spine and stood there panting, eyes wide as he slowly looked up at her. Suddenly he grinned and looked proud of himself despite the embarrassing events of the past few minutes. "I actually got one! The first time! Wow...thanks Fisher" he said happily, tail wagging.

Fisher silently observed the boy and would not intervene in his attempt, despite the mistakes surely to be made on the way. Though it was a struggle, he managed to grab a fish by the tail, comically carry it to land, and kill it. With practice, he would become a skilled fisherman. Sunny appeared overjoyed, and he thanked her again. A small smile graced the fisherwoman's face. Her heart had been completely softened now, and she gave up on trying to stay irritated.

Against her previous stubbornness, Fisher batted the fresh fish at Sunny, and it flopped at his feet. Carry them by the tail. Keeps the mouth from getting tired, The northerner explained with her last piece of advice. For the children, she echoed internally.

Sunny wagged even harder when he saw her smile, eyes sparkling with mirth. He always had liked to laugh at his own embarrassments. When she kicked a second fish toward him he looked down, surprised and then looked up his eyes wide with a big grin. He nodded at the advice and stood up, bending to pick them up before pausing  "If...you ever need a home, Morningside is really great. Everyone is family and we all care for one another. It's to the west through the maplewood and past the herb cache. We own the plains." he said warmly and then picked the fish up by the tails. One for Pema and one for Catori. He'd go back out for Aviana again before resting a while. Unless she said anything that needed a repsonse, he would head home before the fish sat out too long.

This thread is wholesome, I love it. To think we wanted them to fight, lmao.

Before he went to pick the fish up, he offered her a place in Morningside. It sounded like a lovely pack, though she wasn't sure how well she would be able to integrate with southerners. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Fisher filed its location away for safekeeping, but she would stay on the move for now. Thank you. Be safe, She bid with one last smile.

After Sunny left, she returned to her intact pile of fish. It would be enough to keep her filled for a while. Pesi openly stared at her, having expected the fisherwoman to chase the boy off. She sensed that the bird was judging her, and she snorted. What are you looking at?