Gilded Bay this is our party, we can do what we want

Dash reached down into the tidepool, mouth agape. From the look of its shimmering image on the surface of the water, he was convinced that he was about to fish up the biggest oyster known to wolfkind. This was what he had come for. The was why he had gotten up at the buttcrack of dawn. The early bird catches the worm, and all that.

He brought his head back to the surface, his prize triumphantly clutched in his jaws. Oceanwater streamed down his neck and chest. He spat his prize into the sand, and then he cocked in head in question. It looked like no living thing he had ever seen. It was almost perfectly round, and sort of hard on the outside, except that it was all wrapped up in long, sodden fur. It looked like some weird hybrid between a rock and.. like a beaver, or something. 

Dash nudged the coconut, and it rolled down the beach a ways. Maybe it was some kind of shellfish? Should he try to crack it open?

the bay wasn't part of the plateau, just adjacent, and he knew that he never would have the numbers to claim both territories. still, aditya knew there was no one settled there (for now) and so he enjoyed taking strolls along the bright beach. the weather had yet to turn for the better, but at least the endless snows had ceased.

a figure ahead caught his attention, and he smiled, amused, to see the man observing a coconut. he, too, had been similarly perplexed by the things when he'd first encountered them in the grove. it took him back, and he looked on wistfully for a second before moving forward.

it's a fruit, yaar, adi explained, after giving a chuff of greeting above the susurrus of waves. it's called a coco-nut. if it cracks against a rock, there's a kind of meat inside. he'd never cared for it himself, having tried it once or twice, but food was food after all. and the coconut was a diversion, at least.

he cocked his head. passing through? he asked, trying to gauge the stranger's purpose here.

Another early bird joined Dash, providing an explanation. A fruit with meat inside? Now that was a new one. Also, Dash was pretty sure that fruits were supposed to grow on trees, not down in holes. But on the other paw, this guy seemed pretty seasoned. He probably knew what he was talking about. 

So you were supposed to crack it against a rock? Was this guy kidding? That sounded like a great way to scramble your brains and break your teeth to pieces. There was once a time when Dash wouldn't have thought twice; he would have clutched the coconut in his jaws and gone to town on the nearest rock, beating the thing until it cracked or his own brains leaked out of his ears. He was a little smarter now though. Granted, not a whole lot more so, but enough. 

Dash took a few steps toward the nearest rock spire, and he wedged the coconut down into a crack that seemed to be about the right size. It met resistance about halfway down into the crack. Good. Dash pushed a little harder, and he felt the shell warp a little under pressure. It was working. 

Oh wait. The old-timer had asked a question, hadn't he? 

"Uh, not exactly. I planned on staying," Dash answered. After a beat, realization dawned, and he turned away from his work with the coconut to face the man. "Wait. Is this your beach? Sorry, my bad." Beaches were the worst for scent-markers. Once the tide came in and washed them away, what was to keep the unknowing beachcomber from walking into claimed territory? Surely this guy would understand.

that was a smart way to do it. aditya watched him work at the fruit, still smiling faintly. heard a small crack and knew that if the stranger kept pressing, he soon would have a snack. but the other man was talking again, answering his question, and his ears canted forward again to catch each word.

no, no, adi assured him, gently shaking his head. i live on the plateau just that way, he continued, canting his chin in the direction from which he'd came. to my knowledge, no one has settled here. . .at least not long-term.

there once had been wolves nearby—or had that been another bay? god, it had been too long; his memories were becoming hazy, scrambled together. too many names and faces to keep track of, and now here was another one to add to the collection.

still, he was genial. my name is aditya, he introduced himself, then blinked in inquiry. yours?

Dash relaxed when the stranger reassured him that the beach was-- to his knowledge-- unclaimed. He turned back to the coconut, which was still firmly lodged in the crevice of the rock spire. 

Before he could make his next move, Aditya introduced himself. Dash forgot the name instantly, of course. He had stopped trying with names ages ago. "Dash," he answered, since names were still important to some people. 

Dash reared up, bringing his two front paws and all of his weight down onto the coconut. With a satisfying crack, it fell apart, it's two halves tumbling into the sand at their feet. 

"Hey!" Dash barked triumphantly. He glanced to Aditya to see if the man shared his excitement.

dash, he repeated, smiling broader. before he could say anything else, the young man had returned his attention to the coconut. soon, his efforts were rewarded; aditya's tail wagged at the sound of the crack, and trotted forward a bit to examine the fruit. he brought his nose closer, nostrils flaring, picking up the sweet scent of it.

just as i remembered, he murmured, caught briefly in another time, and then looked at dash. shabash! try it, you might like it. after all, coconut had only given him the runs once, and that might well have been the fish he'd had beforehand that was a little past its prime.

but ah. . .it brought him back to the grove. he wondered why he hadn't settled there instead, but it was a place for the past. it was govinda's, not his. though he could still visit. . .

Aditya seemed to share Dash's enthusiasm, which was heartening. 

"Cheers." Dash nudged one of the halves toward Aditya in offering. 

He pushed his paw down on his own half, pressing it into the packed sand to steady it. He took a curious sniff. What an odd meat-- it smelled savory, sure, but also a bit fruity. It was also a strange color for meat: a bright, glossy white, like fresh snow. 

Dash licked. It was most definitely not meat, and he reared back a little bit in distaste. After a moment though, when he had a chance to adjust to the disappointment, he realized that the aftertaste on his tongue really wasn't all that bad. He leaned forward and took another lick. He then took another, and then a small, nibbling bite. 

"Doesn't suck," Dash noted after he swallowed, bringing his gaze back up to Aditya. His tongue flicked in and out of his mouth, still reacting to the flavor. "Pretty good, I guess, for meat that I don't have to chase down." That was definitely an upside.

aditya let out a chuckle at the 'doesn't suck,' enjoying the young man's carefree nature. that's the spirit, he teased softly, lapping at his own half. he lifted his head after a moment, chewing thoughtfully upon a piece of pulp. examining the wolf before him, who was in fairly good shape and seemed amiable enough.

dash, he said, his face humble. if you were planning on staying here, why not come join my daughter and me on the plateau? three bodies are better than one for hunting. you wouldn't have to rely on coconuts for your meals, tasty as they are, he noted, giving the brown semi-circle a slow spin of his paw.

he watched it rotate for a heartbeat or two, then returned his eyes to dash. what say you?

Speaking of chasing down prey, Aditya came back with a surprising proposal. Dash glanced between the coconut and Aditya, intending to weigh the options but quickly coming to the conclusion that there was no comparison. Companionship and warm meat in his belly would beat out coconuts every single time. Dash had never been one to spend a long time thinking over a decision anyway. 

"That's an easy choice," he said, smiling broadly. His tail waved behind him happily; he was pleased with his fortune. The early bird really does catch the worm, huh?

"So what are we, then? Just a hunting party? Or are you putting together a pack?" Dash had spent enough time wandering the Teekons to know that the wolves here didn't usually just recruit companions just for fun. Aditya likely had some master plan, and apparently something about the way Dash cracked open that coconut had convinced Aditya that Dash somehow fit into that plan.

his eyes creased as he smiled broadly. you didn't have to think much about it, aditya responded, chuckling. i'm glad to have you, dash. it will be a pack, if we can get the numbers—and i hope we can.

adi was not an insufferably proud man. if they had to band with another group to not only survive but thrive, he would do so. he would prefer the group be settled along the sea just like his own pack, but if they traveled inland. . .so be it. as long as brook was happy and healthy. as long as he had provided her a home.

for now, things were looking up.

do you have any particular skills that would be of use? he asked, gently prying. he remembered how morningside had put heavy emphasis on the usefulness of wolves, particularly those who could hunt, scout and fight. and here, others—healers, sitters, storytellers—were certainly welcome as well.

That's true, he hadn't thought much about it. Dash smiled and shrugged a bit sheepishly. He rarely thought long over decisions, just because it seemed like a waste of time. His gut knew a good decision when he heard it. 

"Been lookin' for a change in scenery," he offered by way of an explanation, not that it was really much of one. 

"Oh sure," Dash answered. He had learned during his travels that it was common for wolves to ask this question. People, for some reason, always wanted you to be something. So he had come up with a little title all his own, and Aditya had the pleasure of being the first wolf to hear it. 

"I'm a survivalist," he stated proudly. Surviving-- staying alive-- was truly the only thing he did really well. Staying alive was sort of the bare minimum for existence, and pretty much anyone who was self-sufficient could probably claim survivalism as a trade, but Dash was incredibly proud that he was the first one to think of it. 

Dash bent down for another lap at the coconut. Aditya had already gotten to experience firsthand a little bit of Dash's survivalism in action. Dash had gotten that coconut open, hadn't he? 

"I kinda made it up," he admitted. "It starts with hunting and gathering, with plant and animal and natural knowledge added, all mixed up with some creativity and instinct thrown in, too." 

Dash could see Aditya had some years under his belt (or collar, or whatever that thing was) and so the young man naturally respected the older man who was likely something of a survivalist himself. 

Editing in a fade.

With all the pack-related business settled, the two companions would depart for their home upon the Plateau, with the younger of the two chatting up a storm, hammering his older counterpart with (what he imagined) were enthralling tales of bravery and survivalism.