Northstar Vale fish food

To be a member of Courtfall was to be free of restriction and oppression. Until the Nereides tore him away from this cushiony and carefree lifestyle, he could both take advantage of it and cherish it. His emotions with being with the Neredies or not was torn: Aiolos was conflicted. After all, when he lived as a consort he did not escape the sanction of men for to long and for too often. Now he was able to venture the lands where he pleased and when he pleased and as a young wolf, eager to explore the world, Olo took great pleasure in this.

It was with a carefree stride did he slip through the borders of their territory and back into the protection of the Vale. Though alas, as he did always, his leave from the pack did not mean a return empty-jawed. A fish was clutched in his mouth, brought out from the waters of the Greatwater Lake. There was little to nothing when it came land animals in the fields or forests but Aiolos found yet life still within the waters. His packmates were starving and they needed it greatly. 

Landing the plump fish down on the rocky slopes at the edge of their territory, he sang out for any nearby wolves of the pack who needed this most to come and feed.

A cold winter wind brushed her grey fur as Agana padded through the woods of the vale. Oh but how much she missed the snow, the soothing coldness of the ground and the snowflakes fall. Winter was not all good however; ever since the grounds shakes have stopped, she was unable to find anything to feed herself with. She barely ate some meat stored by the pearl, but after the events, she needed to find something quickly to fill her belly with.
 
As she padded around, Agana heard the call of one of her packmates. The sound was both familiar and unfamiliar, but the Quetelhtë went to investigate nonetheless. An auburn male was in front of her as she slowly came out of the woods. He had a fish held tight in his jaws, and it made her wonder, where did he find it?
 
“Good day,” she greeted, keeping a safe distance between them. “I see your hunt has been successful, unlike mine.” He was a good hunter as it seems a valuable member of the Court. Golden gaze examined him from head to toe; she did not see this male before, and was curious to find out more about him whereabouts (if he was willing to speak about them).

These lands were plentiful, with wolf, at least. The pack had grown and grown still with members joining over the winter. Mostly females, it reminded Aiolos of his life on the island amongst the women. Though he was not forced into a lower placement amongst the women as before, he still felt it only natural to put their needs before his own. Thus, it did not take long for a fae to come forth from the spotted forestry of their home along his way. The fish would be settled down before him and he watched her approach with curious regard. 

He had met quite a few of his pack thus far but not this lady in particular. She held a body type similar to his own - lean and quite  tall. She even matched his own height and her eyes were a bright, beautifully lit gold. She greets politely, mentioning his success against her own. Winter always made finding food much harder, but with the quakes, the herds had left much earlier the usual, making it even worst on the predators. 

I've always found more success hunting in the waters then land. Olo admits and lowers his head between his legs, nudging the fish into her direction and then, takes a step back. Your welcome to it, ma'am. That is why he called out, of course.

“I see,” silence, “I would have considered hunting in the water, but after some peculiar event,” she shook her head, the memory of drowning fresh in her mind. “I avoided them as much as I could.” She was not shy to talk about it, it marked her to some extent, but the weather wasn’t in their favor lately, so she would surely freeze to death.
 
But this male before her; he was polite, maybe too polite for her. “Please call me ‘Agana’,” ‘Ma’am’ made her feel old, like she has lived for a thousand years, and has aged quite nice. Golden gaze watched the fish, then the male behind. It was rude to take it all for her, especially in times of need, and maybe he won’t be able to eat for the next few days, so why not share it?
 
“Would you like to share it with me? I cannot eat it all on my own,” It was half of truth; even in her childhood, her belly couldn’t digest too much meat, or else she would hurt for the rest of the day. And now it wasn’t any different.

She didn't favor the waters, at least, recently so due to some event. Oh? He questioned mildly. It was enough of a reply to allow her to know he would listen to her if she wished to explain and yet, did not prod her. Aiolos of course loved the waters as he had always grown around them, the seaside even more particularly so. 

Agana it is then. I am Aiolos. He introduced and then dipped his cream and gingered muzzle to her. Though a first go-to and common courtesy, Aiolos did not try and proceed if the ladies did not care for the formalities. 

Of course. It wouldn't be wise to deny a meal in the winter when offered. Especially on these particularly hard times. He mentions, creamly lips pulling in a slight frown. Aiolos would settle down before her then in a lay and he reaches out, jaws and paws on the fish as he begins biting, pulling and ripping at the fish. He does not bite down the middle, but starts at the head of the fish and rips off large slices of the fish down to the tail and lays them down. Ripping off another strip, he takes it for himself and gulps it down.

“As I child I loved to swim,” she began, “But recently, a dear friend fell into the rapids of the Gorge,” oh but what a dear friend she was! “And I attempted to save her. The fact I was close to drowning at that point limited my encounters with the water; At least for now.” She finished without revealing much, which was a relief.
 
“Pleased to meet you, Aiolos,” What a strange name he had. Who was she to judge? The name ‘Agana’ wasn’t common here either, and sounded a little bit male-ish, but she did not mind it all. Golden gaze stood on him for a while before moving to the fish.
 
Agana took a strip he laid down in front of her; how tasty it was! How long has it been since she had a decent meal?  She took another strip, and another. When her belly was filled enough, she sat down, golden gaze focused on him once more. “Thank you for this meal.”

Ginger ears would perk as the grey agouti colored woman began to explain her lack for nearing the waters as an option for hunting. Were you able to save her? He asks delicately and then, I think if you were able to, it would have been worth the risk of drowning. She could live with herself, or even die with herself, knowing she had been brave enough to do the right thing. 

The same to you. He spoke with a smile in between having paused at slicing up the fish for them. His fiery eyes met her golden narrowed gaze, holding an expression that seemed to both study and judge, almost. But she seemed kinder then her regal features allowed and after they both were finished gulping down their slices of fish, she thanked him for his kill. But of course. We're pack, after all. I scratch your back, you scratch mine.  He spoke with a bit of a chuckle,  his tail giving a few thumps on the cool earth.

A faint trace of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips and thought if she hadn’t jump to her rescue, she wouldn’t be able to call her ‘companion’ now. “Yes, I was able to save her. And true, it was worth the jump.” The grey female giggled into her chest, but suddenly stopped and raised her muzzle, the faint smile gone from her face in a split second.
 
“This is a rather strange way to put it,” And the soft giggle returned; she then shook her head, tail twitching to her side. “But yes, we are community and we help each other when needed.” Agana shifted her weight, and then glanced to her right side, admiring the majestic vale covered in a thick white layer of snow.

He smiles to her laugh, however brief it may have been. I'm glad... His words spoke only soothingly and serious. Good friends, worth risking your own life like that... they're hard to come by. The only one Olo could remotely think of as such was Ovid, who had raised him up and trained him like a mentor and older brother would do. Although with the Nereides wolves on the move, who knew where Ovid was now. 

She laughs yet again, a tone which he heard little of on the island while most women kept a hard face before the men amongst them. He enjoyed it and as she relaxed to look out over the landscape of her home, he too stretched out his legs and looked to the Vale, fitted with everything they needed: the protection of the mountains to help ward off trespassers and to hunt off of, spots of small lakes around, a river running straight through, forested areas between stretches of meadow. It was quite a catch, this was certain. 

Its been quite nice here so far, peaceful, inviting... Aiolos speaks, drifting off as he looked yet still beyond. I do miss living by the Sea but this place sure does bring some competition.

“What’s it like?” The grey female eyed him with interest, “The Sea; I have no memory seeing it.” Memories of how the duck told her about the seals with good fat played in her mind, and she could only imagine what a seal looks like. She figured the sea was some sort of really large lake with salt water; an ocean, yes, that’s the word.
 
“Did you eat a seal before?” She sounded childish; as someone who never tasted one before, she needed to know; “Does it taste good?” Was it like a deer, or maybe a fish? Golden gaze remained on him; only now she noticed his eyes were similar to hers; but his pelt was completely different from hers. Agana blends in her surroundings quite well during winter, but maybe he had his own hunting tactic that advantages his auburn pelt.

It's unlike any other. As far as the eye can see, wild, unpredictable, unrelenting. Both dangerous and beautiful. He spoke, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile as his eyes brightened at the thought. They turned back to her, he of fire and she of ash.

Its delicious. A heavy meal, fatty. It can fill you up quicker then deer, making it go further for the pack. He explains. Living directly on the beach can be dangerous. The tides rise and fall,  storms occur and flood, its open and exposing. But if you live just off the beach where there is tropical forests and fresh water, it's a perfect home for seafarers. After all, they had the cover and dry land of the forest. They could hunt land animals there and make for dens and then just walk to the beach for sea food. The options were plentiful. I can take you there to see it sometime, if you'd like?

apologies for late response !

Agana listened quietly, as she could only imagine a dark blue horizon meeting the pale blue sky. She knew the sea was prone to storms because of the winds; and she wondered: was the sea wind different than the mountain one? The smell maybe was different. “Is the smell different there?”
 
Her lower jaw almost dropped, and thought what her life would be if she were to be a seafarer. “Oh!” she was taken aback by his suggestion and immediately fixed her golden gaze on him. “Yes, I would love to.” The grey female smiled then; she would love to see what was known as ‘sea’. How much she would love to see it with the pearl by her side! If only.

It is. Aiolos spoke with a nod and paused as he lifted a paw to toy with the remains of the fish. A furrowed brow rose and head tilted, as he was trying to determine how to explain. Its a moist air, cause of the water you know,  but the scent is sharp... salty. The water tastes salty too, ans bitter. Like blood does. Not good for drinking, however. It will dehydrate you very quickly.  

An excitement took the womam then, as he offered to take her there one day. She agrees and his gingered tail slides over the ground behind him happily. I will then, promise. He smiled. And while we are out there, we can catch something to eat. Something you've not had before. Crab, gull, crawfish, sea lion or even the delicious seal she mentioned.

Creating an ending for this one.

Aiolos had thoroughly enjeyed this time with Agana. She was a polite and curious woman. He was excited to show her the coast someday and hey, it would be an excuse to rejoin Mother Sea again. I'll see you later, Agana. I should be getting back to it. He had been doing some hunting for the pack and when not doing that was trying to secure their borders, keeping himself busy and all. Letting up he would offer her a respectful dip of his muzzle before heading off.