Neverwinter Forest so there he was...

That rabbit had to taunt him, didn't it? It sat there, rubbing its face with its paws, just over the border of a wolf pack he'd heard of. He looked at it with a silent snarl, wishing it'd hop to where the wolf sat. Bark, however, knew a lot better than to go sticking his paws where they didn't belong. He'd come across this border earlier in the day, and had decided to wait it out. Sooner or later, a pack wolf would come around on a patrol or something of the sort. Since he technically wasn't over the borders, nor was his scent directly on the grass seperating Neverwinter from... not Neverwinter... surely they couldn't act negatively. He had not tresspassed. Judging by other wolves he'd known, a wolf wanting a fight would find offense in anything just to satisfy that desire.

He lay down, head on his paws, continuing his waiting and watching the rabbit hop - carefree and safe from the brown wolf. Did that make it safe from all wolves? No. Only the one that would avoid a fight if he could.

She had been on her normal patrol when she was hit with the scent of rabbit; it wasn't an uncommon scent in the forest, so she wasn't immediately excited by it, although she had planned to try and catch it if she found it just to add more food to the caches. They had a lot of pups right now, and there could never be too much food. 

But as her route sent her closer to said rabbit, the scent of a stranger became intertwined with it, reminding her of the dumb guy who had rushed across their borders while hunting a weasel. And then after they had been nice enough to give him a chance to prove himself anyway had taken off without a word. Instantly she was irritated and her steps became more deliberate as she quickened her pace to investigate this possible intruder. 

The brown of his coat stood out near the borders ahead, and she continued her march forward. At least he seemed to have enough sense to not trespass after the rabbit if that was even why he was here. Speaking of, the creature dashed off as she approached, but she paid it no mind; she stopped in front of the stranger, her fiery gaze landing on his face as she studied him with her usual suspicion. You're at the borders of Neverwinter Forest, she told him. Is there a reason for that? Was he searching for a new pack? did he have a death wish? Maybe he was just curious? She needed this question answered before they could continue this interaction any further.

He hadn't expected a wolf to appear this soon and sat up, ears lowered to show he didn't want a fight. Laying down when confronted was, in his opinion, quite rude. I chased that rabbit here. But it went over the border and I didn't want my pelt torn to bits for tresspassing. Didn't have much better to do that wait around and see what became of it. When he went to point his nose in its direction, he noticed it was gone. 

Oh well, with any luck, he'd be eating rabbit later.

She liked his answer, and it showed in the way her expression relaxed some. Good decision, she said first, raising an eyebrow. She glanced to where the rabbit had been and then back to the stranger. I'm Simmik, Beta of this pack, she offered with a dip of her head. 

Were you just wanting a meal? Or does your interest in our borders go further than that? she asked. They could use more adults in the ranks. With the birth of the newest litter, the pup numbers rivaled the adults, and more capable hunters and protectors would be helpful. Maybe this stranger was in search of a new place to call home.

He introduced himself with a simple, and to the point, I am Bark.

He thought on that last question. At first, when he began his journey as a loner, he had no interest in becoming a pack wolf. The borders of any pack were to be avoided at all times, he vowed not to step one paw over the thin line between neutrality and an almost certain death. Even if he would have survived a patrol happening at that exact time, there was no way he'd live more than a few days with the injuries he knew were lurking behind the muzzles of wolves protecting their territory.

As time wore on for him, and his body grew thin on his ironically consistant diet of rabbit and nothing, in that order, he began longing once more for the compansionship of others. The feeling of being a part of something greater than himself alone... and... he couldn't stand the taste of rabbit at the moment, and he didn't like his chances of trying to catch something bigger than a deer on his own.

I've grown fond of the idea of joining in my time spend staring at that stupid rabbit, if that's what you're referring to.

He introduced himself as Bark; it was an odd name, but then others probably thought the same of hers too. She offered a curt nod in return.

He looked like he had been on his own for a while, something that made her a bit suspicious that he might ditch them later on once stability and consistent meals but more weight on his frame. Despite her doubts, she was willing to give him a chance, though. He could clearly take care of himself, but could he help take care of more than that? He had already proven to have some common sense. But could he apply that to more than just self preservation? What are you good at? she asked, her gaze drifting over his form before settling back on his face. Before she made a decision, she needed all the information.

He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering a red she-wolf that looked after him and his littermates while the rest of the pack hunted. She taught him his most vital skills - the ones he had used quite often when he journeyed until this point. The basics of tracking, which plants could help and which would hurt, and things along those lines. But the one skill she lacked the knowledge to teach him was the one he'd discovered he could do by accident when he stumbled into a lake. I'd say my best skill lies in fishing, but I'd be willing to learn whatever a wolf would be willing to teach me, even pupsitting.

Bark's silent dream was to be a sitter. He had always looked up to the one his old pack had. She had been his closest friend, outside his litter. Her name was lost to him, but her scent and her kind words were always a part of him.

He closed his eyes for a few moments—thinking probably, and she waited quietly for him to answer. When he did, her eyebrows raised some in interest. Fishing? she asked and nodded. Food is always helpful. She had never done it before, but more variety in their meals could never hurt. And maybe he could teach her if this continued to go well. 

As for the pups: Watching the pups would also be helpful, but that's something you would have to wait to do until you prove that we can trust you, Simmik offered. She wouldn't just okay a new wolf being around the children, and she was sure Mal would agree. 

I'm willing to let you join us, she added after a few moments of considering. But first, you have to give me a fishing lesson; show me how skilled you are at it, so I know if I can trust your word. She thought it was a fair condition. She would allow him across the borders temporarily; there was a stream nearby and if he caused any problems, the pack was just a call away. Plus she was confident in her own protection abilities.

He was rather excited for the opportunity, but kept a calm demeanor about him. Going in to fish excited would not bode well for his chances of actually catching one. It was especially important to catch a fish... and... teach this white she-wolf how to fish? Bark wasn't exactly an expert enough to teach another wolf, but he did have one thing - common sense. He learned to fish, though through different tactics, by watching other creatures fish. Bears, cougars, fish-eating birds...

Your consideration is appreciated. I assume there are fish in that stream? he asked because he heard a stream nearby and was curious if that was the place he was going to give his lesson.

Simmik nodded. Yes. Then she turned and headed from the borders, a lift of her head sent his way to invite him to come with her. Follow me, she added, just in case. 

It didn't take them long to make their way through the tall evergreens. Soon they arrived at the cool, clear stream. She paused at the water's edge and peered into the stream. The water flowed quickly over the rocks that lined the floor of the stream and occasionally, a fish could be seen. Sometimes, it was just a flip of a tail in the distance and other times, one moved directly in front of them. 

What do we do first? she asked, turning her attention to him. Now was his time to prove himself.

He went to the very edge of the stream, looked down and saw his reflection ripple in the water as it moved. Every so often, he'd see a small fish's scale shine in the light, but those tiny little things weren't the kind of fish that would feed a wolf. He needed a bigger fish, one that'd be a lot more impressive to the one that could deny him entry to the pack, and would give more than a light snack for a pup. The hardest part is finding a good fish and not scaring it off before you get in a position to catch it.

Bark sat at attention, ears angled toward the stream and eyes scanning the water as if he were scanning the horizon for land-based prey. This was definitely how other creatures fished, except bears. They tended to wait on a ledge and let fish jump into their mouths. He'd tried that and found he didn't have the bulk of an actual bear to pull that kind of fishing off, so he stuck to more a more... direct and focused approach. It was more certain he'd actually catch something.

In a hushed voice, he mused, I like to think of it as similar to catching a rabbit. He planned on explaining that thought afterwards, as he was hunting and fish were not the kind of creatures that would let a wolf explain his actions until after he had killed it.

He'd often lose track of time fishing, and sometimes he forgot where he was or what he was doing before. Now was one of those times, and he completely lost the fact he was with another wolf. The water flowing, the feeling of having something to do that was relatively unique in his world - and he found his fish. A large one. Setting it firmly in his sights, he started to move.

For a small bit, he followed it, just to get a feel for how and where it moved and when to go in for the kill. A split second desision was the heart of this kind of hunt. If he waited too long, the fish would notice his movements. Just when he thought it had realized it was a target, he jumped into the stream, sending water flying. His paw landed sqaure in the middle of the fish's slender body and it wriggled in protest. His muzzle dived into the water and his jaw opened wide, grabbing it by the spine and biting down as hard as he could. 

While the water was being stained red, he returned to dry land, putting the fish under his two front paws and releasing his hold on it. As he expected, it flopped around under him, but he really needed it to die quickly. So he did the only thing he knew to do in that instance... put his teeth just under its head and started to pull. He spit out the unwanted portion for the ants or some other creature who didn't mind the head of a fish. It stopped moving soon after that, and he licked his muzzle.

That was his best fish-hunt yet - normally, it took him half a day or more to catch something half as big. He tilted his head.

Questions?

His first words of advice seemed logical enough, and she followed his gaze to the water to try and see what he was seeing. 

Her expression became skeptical, though, when he compared fishing to hunting a rabbit; a rabbit was on land and could be chased. How were they supposed to do that with a fish in water? She kept her questions to herself for now, willing to let him show her what he meant.

He suddenly became very focused on the water, and so she followed suit, her eyes locking on the fish just as his did. She wondered what he would do next? There were a few silent, tension-filled minutes immediately following his spotting of his target, and then he jumped into the stream. Simmik shuffled restlessly on her paws as she watched. His muzzle disappeared into the water and then red spread out from the area, making her tail sway excitedly behind her. 

When he jumped from the water and plopped the wriggling fish down on the ground, she lurched forward just a few inches, her eyes glued to its movements. And then in a wonderfully savage move, he reached down and pulled the things head off, quieting its flopping. 

When he finally spoke, a grin spread across her face. Many, she answered with a raised eyebrow; she was a wealth of questions always. How did you know when to strike? That was her most pressing question. What cues did he watch for? That was important with all hunting right? Perfect timing.

He nudged the fish toward her, as if inviting her to taste his kill. His tail wagged excitedly as he gazed from her grin to the fish and back again. Though he didn't quite know if it was the ecxitement of catching a big fish on the first attempt of the day or how pleased Simmik appeared to be. It started to swim a tad faster. Not a whole lot, but enough to give the hint it knew I was there and didn't know if I was going to kill it or not. That's the best time to strike. 

Maybe she'd ask him about the similarities between rabbit hunting and fishing next. That one really needed to be explained, but he wanted her to ask.

She dipped her head, thanking him for the food he offered, and then she took a large bite from the fleshy part of the fish's stomach. She chewed and swallowed before continuing. 

So when the fish is panicked, it's easier to predict its path? she asked, licking the fish remnants from her lips. It made sense, but she knew very little about fishing. It also made sense that it was the time to strike also because you risked losing the fish if you waited any longer. 

And as if she were reading his mind, she offered her next question. I was wondering—you said before that fishing was similar to hunting a rabbit, she started as her curiosity filled her expression. How so? One was in the water and one was on land. So how were they similar?

Almost panicked but not quite there yet. His tail wagged a bit faster for a moment when she asked the question he'd been waiting for, but finished his prior statement first. It's similar to how a rabbit looks around frantically when it hears something moving near it. It doesn't yet know it's in danger and almost freezes in place. That moment, from the opposite direction the rabbit is looking, is your best opportunity to kill it. 

They're both highly finicky, and not hunting either right the first time can result in a loss of time and energy. If you lose a fish, it's almost impossible to regain sight of it again, and by then, it knows it's being hunted. Rabbits tend to blend into the land around them, and it's easier to track them if you lose the sight of them, but that same blending aspect makes them similar to fish, to me. They can both dart very quickly into places a wolf cannot follow.

So he took advantage of its moment of indecision right before the panic; it was a good strategy, one she wasn't sure she applied when she was hunting rabbits, or anything really, but she would have to try it next time. She was definitely interested in more fishing lessons for sure. 

And the rabbit to fish analogy made way more sense when he explained himself. They were both finicky and could get places a wolf could not. But most importantly, you really only had one shot at catching them before you were out of luck. Like he said: it could be a waste of time and energy and often was when you were still learning and sometimes even when you knew what you were doing. I see the similarities now that you point them out, Simmik told him with a nod. You really seem to know what you're doing.

Well, you have certainly proven yourself, Bark, so you're welcome to join our ranks, she offered with a dip of her head. I'll want more fishing lessons from you soon, she added. Maybe next time, I can give it a try. She might have tried now if she didn't have things to do. @Mal is the Alpha, she told him next. I'll tell him about you, but you should also formally introduce yourself. She smiled. He's nice; you'll like him. Well she supposed she couldn't speak to what their new member did and didn't like in other wolves, but most seemed to get along with Mal unless they were troublemakers or something. 

I can show you around if you'd like, or you're welcome to explore on your own. She waited then, to see if they would venture into the trees together or go their separate ways.

It didn't take long before he made a decision, thinking out loud a bit as he did so. It'd be a bit more fitting if I were shown around versus if I took the chance on another Neverwinter wolf crossing my path, unaware of what has happened and have rightful hostility directed toward me. 

Having the Beta show him around, rather than letting the above situation have a chance at coming true, was his safer option. Plus, he'd have another wolf to converse with, instead of talking to himself like he had been doing.

Simmik gave him a nod. Not a problem, she told him. She had only offered a choice in case he was the type that preferred to figure things out on his own.  She figured had he wanted a solo tour, her scent would have been fresh enough on him to inform the others that he was supposed to be here. Or at least give them enough pause to ask questions. 

I'll show you the cache's first, she explained. Then she headed in the direction of the closest one. It seemed like the best place to start since he would need to eat more than anything else. She would avoid any too close to the dens where pups were housed, choosing to just tell him about them instead, of course with a warning to avoid them for now. 

Then, she would probably show him the northern part of the forest where the caves were in case he wanted to make a den there. She was still actively avoiding the glacier, so she would leave that part out of the tour. 

we can continue or archive here. up to you <3