Swiftcurrent Creek from out of the smoke

she left the dark forest with a heavy heart - not for good, though there was a mental insistence willing her to do so - and headed north. that too was not her immediate goal, but hosannah saw the state of the meadow and knew she would have to go far afield to find anything. she marched across the land with great purpose. as the day wore on, and as she worked her way across the dead expanse left in the wake of the locust invasion, her gait lagged. eventually she had to stop due to her own hunger and the ache in her limbs, and she did so alongside a fast moving creek. she could see some tiny bodies of the bugs within the water — this did not detract from her thirst in any way, so she dipped her snout towards the creek and drank.

there was nothing here either. some grass was struggling to grow alongside the bank, but it would be many days before it reached its proper height; hosannah was seeking other things, much more specific things, and while surveying the creekside she came to the understanding that this disaster had made all things difficult. this was a trial, she mused. a test sent by raas, but for what reason?

The young wolf had lost track of how far she'd traveled. She'd been driven by her curiosity to explore her surroundings, though the creek she found herself by was a few days travel from where she'd started. Her brown coat stuck out against the grey of the stones around her. She looked down at the water and bent to drink.
She lifted her head to check her surroundings, though she should've done this before drinking. Noticing the almost red coat of another animal, she tried to focuse on them to see what they would do.

the only thing to withstand the onslaught of bugs was the water, she mused. there were weathered husks floating in clumps through the creek, some being pecked at by curious fish; so that was one way out, at least until the rivers emptied of their bounty. hosannah thought of testing her luck with such a skill despite having no training. as she approached the creek's bank again and craned her head over it, a flash of movement in the water spelled disaster: the fish, seeing her red face poised so near to their realm, fled from her shadow before she could fully eclipse them. with a sigh the woman withdrew and sank to her haunches. her ears fell back upon her head in a wonton display of frustration, and she turned to survey the bank some more, wondering if there was something else she could gather from this place — in doing so she noticed a hidden silhouette among the shadows of the hollowed trees, and squinted towards the shape, but did not do much else.

She waited a few more moments before carefully making her way over the rocks towards the wolf, staying fairly close to the bank of the creek. Her ears were focused forwards, listening for the faintest sound. She stopped far enough away that she would have time to react if this stranger decided to charge at her. After another few moments, she turned her attention to the bare ground on the other side of the creek. However, she kept her ears focused in the direction of the stranger.

hope its ok i pp just a tiny smidge with this next bit, to go along with her hunt roll (4 - catch). i left it open-ended in case you wanted mella to also chase after it! maybe fight her for it. up to you!

there was movement. in the manner of a cat which had just spotted its first bird, hosannah's head bowed and her pupils dilated, and she watched with great anticipation to see if this was a stray thing she could strip of its flesh. her hunger was great — as was the hunger of her pack — and to bring home this prize would surely ease their struggle.

when the creature was close enough hosannah realized her mistake, and felt her adrenaline begin to peter out. she breathed a small sigh as her body relaxed, seeing that this was no prey but another predator. a rival. when the stranger paused she did too, and things settled in to a tense calm. but before either wolf could speak, something shot out from the shadows by the stranger's paws, careening at first for hosannah and then diving for cover a few feet away.

the movement sparked a new reaction in the woman. she felt the rise of adrenaline once again, a spike of it, and was instantly taking off after the mouse as it bolted from one safe haven to the other. there was no time to think. hosannah acted with only her own belly in mind, her instinct showing her what needed to be done.

That's fine, and of course she'll go after it. There is a famine after all.

She'd noticed the small movement of the other wolf as she moved closer, but wasn't extreamly worried. She knew there was a possibility of being seen as something else, but was sure there wouldn't be a reason to attack. When she looked away after stopping, she could feel the tension and quickly turned her full attention back to the red wolf just in time to see her race off after a small blur. Her own instincts kicked in as she gave chase to the two animals.

she had seen it first, and had reacted quickly; yet as soon as hosannah was moving, so too was the stranger. they vied for the same prize and ran together, hosannah just barely in front, until finally she descended with her jaws and plucked the mouse from the ground. with a squeeze of her teeth the creature was dead, and the taste of sweet blood coated her tongue.

the woman continued to run for a few minutes, letting her speed peter out, and rounded upon the location of her rival. her sunlit eyes were narrowed as they landed upon the other wolf, and she held the mouse even tighter, then dropped it to the earth in order to eat. triumphant in her pursuit, hosannah now had a tiny morsel with which to assuage her hunger — while the stranger was left with an empty belly.

a mouse could only do so much to curb hunger, and she was not about to share.

She continued running for a moment after the mouse had been caught, not noticing that it had been. Skidding to a stop she watched the other wolf continue to run ahead. Once the other female had stopped, she risked talking a step forward. When Mella noticed the wolf had turned around to face her, she stepped back again.
"Nice catch." She thought it would be best to leave it there, not wanting to start a fight over what she realized was a mouse. Early on she'd decided to never fight over something so small, though anything would help with hunger. Besides, she hated fighting.

it was not dainty in any manner, but hosannah was eager to get the mouse in to her gut. she did not drop it or tear in to it as one might a rabbit (there wasn't enough meat on the creature for that), nor did she try to clean the creature before consuming it. with the rodent between her teeth, she simply began to chew. the bones of the body were easily broken, while the head and part of the vertebrae hung from her molars and dripped with blood. when only the head remained, hosannah dropped it to her feet, finally, and then bowed her head to set her front teeth upon it. the skull gave a sickening little pop with enough pressure, and she tasted the sweet warmth of the tissue within. 

when she raised her head from this morbid display, she ran her tongue across her lips; the stranger was speaking, and briefly hosannah let her eyes stray to the stranger, studying them. her own heart still raced from the thrill of the chase, and she wondered if perhaps the two of them could find something bigger together. there were no herds here, and the mouse had been a moment of spontaneous fortune; but she looked to the stranger now and levied a far more kind gaze — an unspoken question hanging in there in her eyes.

you are quick. she commented lightly, as if appraising a fine horse for a race. she watched the stranger expectantly and then turned to survey the area around them both, and caught sight once more of the creek. are you quicker than a fish?

Her ears lower as the mouse disappeared, then pinned her ears at the popping sound of the skull. She met her eyes, but missed the small details that would convay the unspoken. Even if she could pick out these small details, her mind was preoccupied by her thoughts, which drifted to the hunger she felt.
"Not really, I'm just getting desperate." She looked at the creek when asked about fishing.
"Fish aren't my favorite, but I can catch them if I focus." She looked back to the female and smiled. Fishing was really the only way she'd survived this long, despite being able to run fast enough to catch the small prey that remained. Running took a lot of energy from her, so she avoided it when possible.

they had both spent quite a lot of energy for that tiny morsel, and while hosannah had enjoyed the sweet and sour flavors of it, she knew it would not keep her satisfied. she finished licking the bits of bone and fluid from her snout and turned to regard the creek, and as she moved towards it she let her tongue hang out from her mouth for a moment or two - the equivalent of wiping her brow after such exercise. 

after panting for a moment longer - and listening to the other wolf - she closed her mouth, gathered her thoughts, and introduced a new idea. that was the first meal i have had in a number of days. the life upon the land is not the same as it was, the locusts had done a lot of damage, and only now was hosannah noticing the subtle differences. they would become great in time. she glanced briefly to the stranger then. one must ignore preference in order to survive. come, try. perhaps one of us will be lucky. 

mentally hosannah slipped a prayer to her lord of light, hoping to gain something from this venture rather than an empty stomach and a worn out body. even if she did not succeed in fishing, perhaps hosannah would come out of this experience with one more soul saved in his name.

Rolled 1

"That's how I've gotten this far." She turned to the creek and sighed. It couldn't hurt to try, since she'd need to eat soon. She turned and sat, staring into the rushing water to watch the fish as they passed. As each fish passed, she watched it's movements and tried to predict the next one's path. Each time she tried, she failed at mapping them in her mind.
She waited for a few more to pass before standing and leaned over the creek. The next fish that swam by caused Mella's head to drop as she stuck her muzzle into the water in an attempt to catch the scally prey. Her timing was off by a second, with the fish making a quick get a way after receiving a rush of water behind it.

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though the other boasted of their skill, it was evident after watching them fail that they were not so gifted; or perhaps the fish were smarter than they looked. hosannah did not make a comment as she observed. it was not her place to judge, as she only wished to eat her fill and perhaps return to the rose-wolves with something to show for her adventure.

she too bowed before the rushing creek, propping herself over the flowing water and stiffening her limbs against the pull. it was strong, this current. strong enough to perhaps catch her if she were not careful and pull her along. the chill was refreshing at first, but the longer she waited and watched, the less inclined hosannah was to be there.

then, a glimmer. she struck out with her long snout and snapped her teeth --- only to hear and feel the clack of her teeth against the river stones, as her target slipped by. the water chilled her further once it was in her mouth, and the sensation worked through her dark gums and in to her head, causing a brain-freezing discomfort.

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The brown female took a step away from the creek and looked to the redish female. When she noticed the missed fish, she let out a sigh. At least she wasn't the only one who struggled with the scally creatures.
Once again, she took the step forward to bring her to the edge of the creek. She stood the same way as before, but didn't take the time to wait. When a flash of silver caught her attention her head plunged into the cool water. This time she got closer, but not by much. Her jaws had closed around the very edge of the tail, not enough to drag her prey out of the water but enough to draw the smallest bit of blood. Pulling her head up, she bared her fangs and growled lowly at the water in frustration.

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it seemed as if the fish were going to outsmart them both. but hosannah wasn't about to give up, even if she had to use every ounce of her energy to get one measly little fish. her hope of forging a tiny friendship with this stranger was put aside for the time being; if she was fortunate enough to gather enough to share, she would.

sputtering softly, hosannah felt her teeth begin to chatter because of the cold, but tried to force herself to linger among the cold creek water for as long as she could. she dove towards another fish, then another, but lifted her heat in defeat soon after, flustered and damp.

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Still keeping up her low growl, Mella risked stepping into the fast moving current and was almost swept away. She managed to keep herself firm in place because of her paws against jutting rocks. Multiple fish swam by before she felt confident enough to focuse on them. One of the scally creatures tried to swim between her legs, but she lowered her head and closed her jaws firmly around her prey.
Carefully but quickly, she climbed up and out of the creek with her prize. The fish was small, but at least it was something. She layed down with a plop from her soaked legs and belly.

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hosannah began to slosh her way out of the creek, and was on the bank when she spotted her companion grappling with something. the woman shook due to the cold, but then she shook purposefully - spraying drops. the stranger had something small but substantial enough, and while she was happy for her new friend, she was also vehemently jealous. without thought hosannah plunged back in to the water and with her withers trembling, began to snap at the rushing creek with the hope that something would meet her teeth. when nothing but water met her muzzle, she let out an exasperated, frustrated noise; then, pulled herself free and stood soggy on the bank once more.

Mella looked over at the red wolf, but her attention was quckly brought back to the fish she'd caught. Her stomach growled, and she didn't argue. Ignoring the scales, she dug into the fish's side as her tail swayed. If not for being close to starvation, she would've abandoned the fish after a few bites, but she quickly finished her small meal.

the red woman was too frustrated by her failed attempts along the creekside, and while she usually would have been quite persistent in her attempts, the cold was too much for her. she sank to her belly in a patch of blunted grass and coiled in to a bundle, hoping that with rest and time she would warm up; her head remained up and alert though, making her look like some kind of crimson'd loaf of bread, and she watched the stranger pick at her meal. perhaps it was only fair that they each find one thing of value -- she the rodent, and the stranger the fish.

Mella finished quickly, leaving some of the bones laying between her paws both shattered and whole. She had some of the silver scales clinging to her bloodied muzzle. The brown female turned again to Hosannah.
"Don't be so down, catching these little suckers is based on luck." She offered a smile before cleaning her muzzle.

you are right, she muse aloud, uncoiling her front limbs so as to sit sphinx-like before the stranger. she had not meant to pout or wallow, but rather had wanted to dry off and warm up. the wallowing occurred as an after-thought, which the stranger seemed to zero in on, and try to abate. hosannah passed the stranger a small smile, and dropped her chin across her toes. i only wish i had fetched more. i have many bellies to fill.

Mella thought for a moment before standing and stretching. Her legs had started to shiver while she ate, but the cold hadn't bothered her until then. Hunger had made it easier, however, she was starting to register the cold and layed back down to cover her legs.
"Others? Surly you can't be the only one who can catch prey." The young female tilted her head. It only made sense to her that every wolf would be doing everything they could to take care of themselves before others. This was due to how she was raised, everyone had been forced to take care of themselves at nine months for a year without help.

hosannah shook her head, her ears fanning to either side. no, i am not. but i had hoped to find herbs, and couldn't. now i try to fish, and i grasp nothing but the water. it was disheartening to be faced with so many failings at once. one could hear it in her voice, equal parts sorrowful and tired. she licked her lips and gradually, with some effort and stretching, got back to her feet. but there is no time to sulk. i will find something soon, i am sure of it. but whether that meant lingering here or trying her luck elsewhere, hosannah was not sure. so she did not leave the other wolf quite yet - instead, watching her surroundings, and listening to the creek as it flowed hastily by.

"It doesn't look like you'll be finding herbs here for awhile, even with the water. I'm sure there's still something around." She licked her muzzle again, double checking that she got every last bit of her meal. Soon she rose again to her paws and shook out her fur. Catching the eagerness of the other female, and decided she should leave soon. First, she thought she should say a farewell.
"Anyways, I think I'll continue on my way. There's nothing else here that's catching my attention... Oh! And my name's Mella, by the way."

she smiled, though it was a thin thing. i am hosannah, of the rosings pack. she dipped her muzzle then, and turned as if to leave - but after a few steps, she paused and looked back. if you are ever venturing south from here, you may find us. perhaps if the famine gets bad enough you could come to us, and we will keep you safe. in thanks for helping me to fish, although she had not really been of help. but it had been a fine afternoon spent in an attempt to feed many. hosannah turned then and began to saunter off, following the creekside further north.