Duck Lake I stand to my feet

you and being rusty do not fit in a sentence together! very excited to be threading with you again :D

It was as if the birds were taunting her, those that remained still well within her sight but floating out beyond her reach. Kovette was not incapable of swimming—she was actually a fairly strong swimmer, albeit utterly graceless in the water—but she knew the ducks to be more at home in the lake than herself. There was no doubt in her mind that, should she attempt to swim after them, they would easily leave her behind. And although she had not held out much hope in regards to catching one to begin with, she was still disappointed by the failed hunt—disappointment that she shook off and, in the process, reminded herself that where there is a lake, surely there should also be fish.

Kovette rose to her feet as she cast one last look at the ducks—only to freeze when movement drew her gaze instead towards another wolf. A step back was taken, putting a short distance between herself and the water, as she watched the other approach; she noticed the wave of her tail and relaxed, however, her father’s words of caution far from her mind. Besides, thus far, the inhabitants of these lands had met her with nothing other than kindness—it was for this reason that she continued to remind herself to not be so quick to assume, despite Xan’s warnings.

With her hunger momentarily forgotten, the northerner called out, “Salutitsinik,” tail wagging amicably. It was only after the word had left her mouth that she corrected herself with a quick, “Ah... hello,” instead; she was accustomed to switching back and forth between the two tongues with ease, as her father preferred the common speech whilst her mother was more inclined to use the language of the North. What she found most difficult was remembering that she could not flip-flop in these lands—not if she wanted to be understood and not looked at as if she’d sprouted a whole other head. It was with that reminder fresh in her mind that she asked next, “Are you here for the birds?”

The stranger seemed friendly thus far but Kovette was not so bold on her own, and would opt to move along over competing for a hunting spot, if necessary—especially if the other might not be alone, which she was not yet certain of; the wind was not in her favour and the distance great enough that she was limited on what for scent-formation she could readily acquire.