Totoka River can you picture, my lady, this empty scene?

02/18 - Hoping for some fishing.

Knowing what she knew did not put her heart at ease. Ying had gotten closure, but was that enough? She wanted to know more about what Aningan had been up to. Had he asked about her? Thought to visit? It was frustrating to not have the answers that she wanted.

Before returning to the island, Ying would have to clear her mind. She stopped beside the same river from the day prior and settled onto her belly, content to watch the fish swim for the time being.

At least a few times since starting out, Bridget had wondered if this was the right call for her to make.  She'd never known life without the court around her and the wider world was a little... emptier... than she'd imagined.  She was psyched to see it, but the quiet kind of got to her if she spent too long alone.

Which was why, when she spotted another wolf, she made an immediate beeline to introduce herself.

Hey!  Do you live around here?  If she did, or even if she didn't, she might have an idea of where she could find some of the others.  They'd all left around the same time, but like an idiot, she'd decided to try and take the trip herself.  She was totally capable... but a girl could only talk to herself for so long, yeah?

Another stranger approached, but with a much more agreeable disposition. Ying turned and faced her, taking a moment to admire the unique patterns which made up her coat. I do, she answered, a small smile creeping onto her maw, Do you? Her grammar was improving slowly with each conversation and simultaneously becoming a source of great pride.

The huntress's tail beat excitedly at her hocks as she looked between the woman and the water. Would she be interested in a game? Ying saw no problem with asking. I am Ying, she said, You fish?

Bridget was just opening her mouth to ask if she'd seen any of the wolves from the Court, but instead Ying asked a question.  Do I fish? She asked, and was well and truly distracted as the clearly put challenge (....) lit competition in her lavender gaze.  Does a bird fly?  Course I fish!  She flashed her teeth in a cocky grin.  Bring it!

Fishing wasn't the most showy of sports, but she didn't mind.  Bridget picked a spot a little to the side and watched the water carefully for any sign of something to snap up.  Oh! Name's Bridget, by the way.  She added, though she didn't take her eyes off of her target.  She was so going to catch one first, watch.

It was difficult to maintain her harsh facade when in the presence of such a bright character. Ying laughed and replied, You are weird, but is' good. She walked down the icy bank to dip an apprehensive toe in the water. The current kept the water flowing through winter, unlike the frozen pond she'd struggled over with Clementine.

First one to three is winner. We will talk over food. Ying would wait for Bridget to confirm before beginning to look for her first catch.

Weird?. She might have taken offense, but the way Ying said it made her laugh instead.  Speak for yourself!  But you are on. She threw back with a wink, breaking contact and then honing in just as a shadow flashed by.  There!

She lunged forward with a snap, but she was off mark. Distraction!  Shit, she cursed, under her breath.  She was still smiling, but she could feel her competitive edge rising up.  She wasn't a particularly great loser.

The huntress found herself with similar (un)success. She cursed under her breath, sending a cautious side-eye in Bridget's direction. This hunt would have to be better than the others, for the sake of her own sanity! Another fish swam over her paws and continued downstream, swimming too fast for Ying to react. Bèn yú! she whispered, then paused to look for her third target.

Try two, she tried to be patient.  Bridget took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, letting her frustration ebb away a bit.  Instead of lunging right away, she let the fish swim close, and she snagged it up before it could disappear.  Success!

The fins gave her a nice smack on the cheek but she grinned around her catch.  O-e she mumbled around it before spitting it out next to her.  Two to go!

She let herself get cocky, but it was to her detriment.  As she waded back in, a fish broke the surface right in front of her nose, but she wasn't ready.  Slippery little devils.

Admitting that she'd lost some of her skill was too difficult. Ying chose to believe that the cause of her bad luck was the frigid water and thin layer of frost, but definitely not her lack of practice. Still, she made a mental note to ask Orochi for more patrols, so that she might be able to spend more time at the fishing hole.

While distracted by her own misfortune, Ying missed the perfect opportunity to try for another catch. The fish swam over her paws, fins brushing fur as it went, but her attention remained elsewhere. By the time she realized what had happened, it was too late.

An eye was turned to Bridget. I suck, she whined, and turned to walk back onto shore.

Bridget was going to make a boastful comment, and fully prepared to revel in her single victory.... but she wasn't a mean wolf.  Ying sounded way too dejected for her to want to rub it in.  No way.  If the water wasn't so cold I bet we'd be catching twice this, she said as she made her way out.  She'd thought about catching a second if she could, but the fish were either avoiding her now or flashing by too fast to nab.  She was at her limit for the cold.

We can still talk over food.  Heads or tails?  The fish she'd caught wasn't huge, but it was enough for a snack for them both.  Call it payment for a question.  Pride had kept her from food once or twice, and she didn't want it to keep Ying from sticking around a bit.

Bridget's offer was declined with a polite headshake. It felt wrong to eat something that she had not caught, much less the spoils of her victor. Ying settled onto her haunches and smiled for the sake of maintaining their cordial setting. What is the ques-tion? she asked. The syllables felt strange as they rolled from her mouth, so while awaiting Bridget's response, she quietly practiced under her breath. 

Que...que-s-ti...hm...

Bridget shrugged when her offer was rebuked.  Suit yourself, I'm going to ask anyway. It was extremely odd that she didn't know what a question was, but that only threw her a moment.  This is a question - have you seen any wolves who come from a place called the Court?

It was a long shot, but she knew at least one was this direction.  She didn't recall the name right now, but she knew she was in the right area.  She'd followed the path directly.

She understood the question but did not have an answer. Ying normally stayed closed to her own territories, neither of which had been known as the "Court". She offered an apologetic headshake and a shrug of her shoulders, replying: No, I not know this place. Sorry. Ironically, the anti-social sisters would have been the better Jiangs to catch. What is it? Ying hadn't heard of this place, but thought that it might be good to keep an eye out for any new settlements.

Bridget sighed a little in disappointment, but she hadn't really been hoping much.  It would have been a stretch to have thought she might know.  It is a place a ways from here.  I left, but I know a few others have come this way too.  It would have been nice to meet up, but she shrugged a little ruefully.  Suppose I'll have to keep looking.

She took the last vestige of fish and, with a playful toss, caught and snapped it up.  Mmmf, that hits the spot.  Don't want to keep you, thanks for the game.  She grinned, and tossed her tail.  We'll have to rematch sometime, eh?

She shrugged. It was unfortunate that Ying hadn't been able to help, but what could she do? The huntress stood and nodded her head. Next time, she agreed, And I will win. She winked, and without awaiting a response, turned and continued on her way.