Whitefish River Talk about backseat fishing

@Chai ( @Morgan, @Kukutux & @Liri also welcomed ❤ )
I'm assuming Liri might be traveling with Evergreen after their thread, but keeping it vague and can edit if need be! Following the river north, on the edge of Blacktail Deer Plateau.

Lunging forward, Evergreen is fortunate enough to land his mark. His jaws clasp around a slippery fish, sinking down just in time before it could make a smooth escape. Alas, the large fish meets his fate swiftly, and Evergreen's stomach roars in appreciative victory. It's been awhile since he's felt in his element. Here at the River's side, he is able to focus on his favorite hobby and getting enough to fill two empty stomachs.

The bearish wolf feels less alone out here, maybe it's because these lands are more similar to what he and Thistle grew up with. Easthollow has it's own charm for sure, but it isn't the home he thought it might become. Despite his best efforts, the bear never stopped feeling like an outsider.

Removing his forearms from the River's grasp, Evergreen flicks the cold water from his limbs as he trots a short distance away. A pleased grin curves across his lips, holding his prize with pride.

this may possibly be a cameo?

The tundrian readily follows; since the fall Evergreen is the only face she remembers with clarity. The grizzly-esque male has been kind; it is not a difficult choice giving him her loyalty. 

The dove watches from her perch in the trees, dark gaze intent as it locks upon the predatory movements of her companion. 

Fish, supplies an inner whisper, Fishing, a correction. 

Three paws pace to the edge of the water - as if tugged by some unseen magnetic force - and the white femme slipped into the creek's cool embrace. It penetrated her arctic coat - a welcome relief on a summer day.

Inky nose hovered centimeters over the creekwater, breathing the soothing freshwater scent deeply into her lungs - wet and mossy, a tad fishy. 

Silver forms flickered between her forepaws, undulating vaguely beneath the surface as the fish considered whether the wolf was safe to investigate. Her pale crown cocked as a fish darted forward to nibble at her fur. 

The fae lunged, face plunging into the water and jaws snapping shut around the slimy creature. She withdrew from the liquid, shaking her head and snorting softly. 

Her eyes widened, once she had blinked the water from them, at the sight of the fish resting belly-up atop the stream's surface. Gingerly, she took it in her jaws and padded back to the bank. 

The sylph shook the water from her drenched pelt before resting her catch upon the ground - eyeing it as if still shocked that she'd caught it. 

Some time had passed since the trio consisting of Chai, Morgan and Kukutux had left Shadewood Keep, putting plenty of distance between themselves and their former pack. Though she was now free of the constraints that tied her down in that place, she was also homeless again. But in her mind that was better than staying there. This time it was different; she wasn't alone. She had two companions to watch over her and vice versa. 

Though she took comfort in the security of their little group, Chai found that she couldn't stop herself from looking back over her shoulder. Surely Cry had noticed their absence by now. Would he send someone after them to dish out his anger themselves? Even with Morgan by her side for protection (who she trusted), she still took some measures to minimize her scent. She immersed her coat in water often in hopes of washing away any last traces of the woods from which she had came. Lightly, she had brushed the scent of lavender and pine upon her, to mask her more natural odor. Maybe she was being a little paranoid, or maybe not. Either way, she played it safe.

The commotion of splashing bodies in water drew her closer to the source. Her steps were slow, tense. Understandably so given her recent cautious behavior. She didn't look back to see if Morgan and Kukutux were following. Once she caught a familiar whiff, she almost wanted to smile. As she crept closer, now into plain view, her hopes were confirmed. There was no way she could forget that hulking, brown figure. Evergreen wasn't alone either. A white female with just three legs was also with him. Both with a slick silver prize of fish. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "E-evergreen? What a surprise..." She said in her usual soft tone, though her posture remained slightly tense. By gods did she hope he remembered her.

With the white wolf at his side, Evergreen no longer feels out of place. It's a quiet, comforting companionship. And while her true identity remains a mystery, it pleases the bearish wolf that they can share moments like this. He is bias in a way, for fishing always reminds him of his mother, Oki.

Keeping a tight grasp on his fish, Evergreen lights up with surprise when he hears a familiar voice. Not one he has heard for quite some time, and their meeting in the past was short. Yet he remembers her name, if only because she was one of the first friendly faces he met in the Wilds. The bear's tail goes wagging like mad behind him, and he leans his head down to drop his fish at his massive paws.

Chai! He exclaims with a broad grin. What are you doing out here? Surprise seems like an understatement, since he didn't expect to run into her on the road like this. Alas, the bear couldn't be happier to do so.

Her heart fluttered. He did remember her! Oh how silly she had been to think he wouldn't have! She took a small step towards him, but paused once, mindful of the white female nearby. She didn't want to offend her in case they were in the middle of something. Once she got the cue that Liri didn't mind, or was preoccupied in enjoying her fishy meal, Chai bounded forward to meet Evergreen happily.

He even smelled the same, just like before. Rich and earthy. "It's...it's so good to see you!" She chirped, bumping up under his chin and against his chest. Her mannerisms were entirely innocent and playful. Nothing suggestive or flirtatious. That was Chai for ya - when she trusted someone wholly, she did not hold back in her warm affection when greeting them, male or female. 

Her eyes had lit up with a smile to match, though it faltered slightly. The waving of her tail, which had been so violent as to stir up the hairs along her rump, slowed a fraction. "Well you see....that is a bit of a long story." A small lump started to form in her throat, which she pushed back down. The memory of Shadewood and her misguidance still troubled her. "You see, shortly after we parted ways, this fellow and I teamed up. He spoke highly of a fledgling pack, to the west..." She was careful not to mention Shadewood's name. "And well...it just wasn't all that it was made out to be..." She said with a little squint, looking to the side, at the ground. It went so much deeper than that, but Chai wasn't sure if she could afford to discuss the details. For the sake of her safety.

Aww… his heart melts!

Watching Chai happily come towards him, the bear welcomes her with open arms. A smile wide, tag wagging and posture relaxed. If anything, he resists meeting her half way, instead enjoying the comforting greeting she gave him. Evergreen leans into her touches, and particularly twists his head to press his cheek to her when she bumps underneath his chin.

“It’s good to see you, too,” he says, “I’m glad you seem well.” For the most part, that is… until he asks her why she’s hear. Immediately, it seems like Chai’s joyous disposition drops. Her tail no longer waves as fast it once did. Although Evergreen is oblivious to the falter in her smile, he notices that something… is wrong.

She explains the situation vaguely, enough so that Evergreen is curious to press for details. His eyebrows furrow in thought; torn between respecting the boundaries Chai has laid and requesting more information about this… pack that ended up a falsehood. “Are you in danger?” He whispers, keeping close enough to Chai that even Liri would not be able to hear.

The three-legged fisher would be of no threat to them, but Evergreen assumes Chai might be more comfortable answering him truthfully if there are not prying ears and eyes.

A frown pulled at her lips and she cast a look over her shoulder. As if wary that someone she didn't want to see would appear in that void of space at any moment. Morgan and Kukutux, she noticed, were nowhere in sight. Maybe they had decided to stay behind, near the pale fae's sanctuary after all. 

Glancing back at Evergreen, who was expressing a blend of concern and curiosity, Chai regarded him in silence. Then, with a tip of her muzzle, gestured for him to step away with her, if only a few steps. What should she tell him, and how much? She had tried once, to open up to Cry before. She very nearly did, teetering on the edge. But the reception she received from the inky male had been enough to make her furl back in on herself. With Evergreen it was different. They may have only met once before, but she trusted him wholly. She would not question the direction her gut instinct steered her in. 

Bowing her head down slightly, she peeked at him from upturned eyes. "Well...I don't think I am. Not now." She never had been in danger in the first place. But one mistake and that could change. One wolf from the Keep upon their doorstep could potentially alter her circumstances, if she were discovered. Deciding to proceed carefully, the cappuccino female would offer the full story so Evergreen best understood her situation, and if her arrival here might have any impact on his forming pack. Though, some minute details such as the exact location of Shadewood and Cry's own name, she decided, would have to be left out. The last thing she wanted was one of the bearish wolf's friends seeking out those true to her ex-pack, possibly resulting in an unintentional stirring of conflict.

She sat down, tail curled over her paws. "I left of my own will. I...had been wanting to for some time. I didn't leave alone..." She added. "I was accompanied with two others from the same pack. Our...reason for leaving was the same..." Now here is where it would get interesting. The skin around her eyes crinkled in thought, of the memory. "We...had all seen a change in our leader for some time. And not for the better... He was...welcoming when I first arrived. Then...his whole demeanor just shifted. Seemed to darken. Especially after a newer male joined the ranks...he seemed to idolize him..." As she has promised herself, she did not give out Reiner or Cry's names or descriptions. "After that...the place felt more like a confinement than a pack...a home. I was even encouraged, as a female to stay away from the borders...closer to the interior of the territory. It was...so restrictive. Something...told me I had to leave. I wasn't comfortable." She looked up fully, meeting Evergreen's mismatched eyes. She should probably go into more detail about Shadewood's specific traditions and rules regarding deserters. But she had just said a mouthful. She'd let him absorb it, rather than dump it on him all at once.

Concern continues to consume him, especially when Chai’s happy mood seems to deflate before him. With one glance towards his three-legged companion, Evergreen steps further away from the river’s side with Chai. His ears flicking forward to her expectantly. Silence stretches, however, and these are one of the moments were Evergreen wishes he had the superpower of reading minds. An internal debate is certainly going on for the agouti woman.

“Well… I don’t think I am. Not now.”

He releases a breath he is unaware he was holding in, and quietly he nods his head—prompting her for details. Fortunately she made up her mind to tell him some of them. Evergreen sits, mirroring her posture and keeping close to Chai so their conversation could remain truly private between the both of them. With how she acts, he wants to make sure she knows he won’t be spilling anything to anyone else.

A frown pulls on Eve’s lips as Chai explains the sudden shift in personality in her former leader, assumedly influenced by a newer member. Mismatched green eyes narrow in thought. Rightfully so, she and two other members that had similar thoughts disappeared from the pack. Probably the best way to go about it, if he’s honest. It causes the least amount of conflict, and with any hope they would not be able to find any of them.

“I think you made the right choice,” he whispers, “If you weren’t comfortable with the change you were seeing… yeah, I would’ve left too, if I was you. It’s good that you weren’t alone, however. And uhm, you and your friends are welcome to stay here? I… I’ll help protect you guys if anyone comes around.”

Chai knew that Evergreen would understand her desire to leave. Any rational wolf of sound mind likely would have done the same. As he agreed with her way of thinking and added that she was welcome to stay...along with her friends, her heart leapt. Gratefulness was written all over her face. But, she didn't jump at his offer. She felt that first, she caution him.

"He is too busy with fatherhood to be bothered coming after us ourselves, I imagine." She began, leveling her gaze with his. "But you need to know...he doesn't take kindly to his own passing out private information to others. They keep to themselves. I...can't be sure if he'll send someone out looking for us." Shifting gears slightly, she got back to her friends. "My friends...I haven't seen them in days. I believe they may have chosen to stay by the Tooka River." The tension in her body eased, a smile coming back to her eyes. "We can trust them. He is a big burly fellow with a rich earthen coat..champagne eyes. She is smaller, downy colored. Green eyes." Chai wore a thoughtful look. "I think she was affected the most...said he had become too possessive...of her."

“Hm,” Evergreen flicks his ears, taking in the information Chai gives. Fortunately it seems the pack likely keeps to themselves, and so long as they keep it that way, the bearish wolf will have no issues. He is far from the hunting type, else he would have gone after Thistle’s murderer long ago.

“We’ll keep an eye out for them, and your friends, too. For now, you’re welcome to stay with us, if you like, or traverse back to them. Regardless, we have your back, and if you need any help, howl for me and I’ll be here.” He finishes with a broad smile, keeping everyone safe is his top priority, really.

Relief flooded her when Evergreen said that she was more than welcome to stay with him and his group. And that of course, they would keep an eye out for any suspicious wolves and her friends. "I-I'd rather stay here, with you guys. Thank you...Evergreen." This would be a new start for her, just what she needed.

She stepped closer to rest her chin against the side of his neck in a gesture of gratefulness. Withdrawing after a moment, she shook her head and sighed. "I didn't think I'd see you again...but I'm glad I did. Maybe...it was a sign." That this was where she was meant to be, in the company of her friend. Time would tell how she flourished in his growing pack. With a tired smile she turned and let him lead her back to Liri, where they had been fishing at the riverside.

Eve is surprised when Chai announces she would like to stay with them instead, but honestly relieved. Not that he does not trust she will do well with her friends, but... this way he can help out more! He gives her a soft grin, leaning close and returning her gesture with a gentle one of his own.

Yeah, I'm glad we were able to run into each other like this. I'm sure everything will work out, Evergreen reassures. With that decision made, he follows Chai's lead and returns to the white wolf's side. Fishing has always been a huge passion of his, and to do so alongside two friends makes him even happier!