Whitefish River Pale Underbelly

Wicken

His travels led him far from the cold and harsh territories of the north, and now Marcus found himself lounging along the banks of a rather impressive river. With a gleaming fish under paw, the wanderer took in a deep breath, glad to be in the sun with nothing to do but enjoy the day ahead of him. It was still early morning and so the rays were not at their peak strength, so shade would not be needed for a few hours still. 

The red brute nosed his catch to flip it over before starting into it again. It was sweet, and he made note of its white scales. He would seek out this sort of fish in the future, it was delicious.

Wicken had traversed through the new lands until he happened upon the shining river he now resided upon. It had been several days since he first walked the banks and soaked in the cool water to soothe the aching wounds on him. They had healed to the point they no longer burned with his sweat, but they still caused a considerable amount of pain with any movement. Eventually, he decided his strategy would be to starve and drink water like a fish to try and ease the hunger that was slowly consuming him. His thin figure was already considerably more emaciated than when his journey had started.

Wicken now laid beneath some foliage he had cleared and watched the shore line with groggy yellow eyes. He had spent much of his time near the water asleep, and he was not surprised that a wolf had managed to appear while he rested unawares. The talent of the stranger showed through with the wolf he seemed to have caught being consumed. He found himself more aware as he observed him. How had he caught one? He pondered as he looked to the water once again. Any attempts to catch fish had been fruitless thus far in his short life, but he doubted it would be easy. 

Wicken refused to address the other soul on the river bank. A stranger was always a fearful foe in the eyes of a broken wolf, and Wicken was by far the broken one.

I'm having some troubles with his tags! If I don't answer in a few days, please feel free to poke me in PM's! ^^

As Marcus finished his snack, he took a moment to revel in the warmth by stretching tired limbs by the shore. He began methodically rubbing his face against the soft, wet grass. First one side and then the other. The ruddy brute then allowed himself to be completely vulnerable by rolling over to his side. Pushing off with all four paws, the loner enjoyed sliding himself against the damp earth a few times before righting himself with a brisk shake of his pelt. The coolness of the grass in contrast with the warmth of the sun felt divine. 

Might as well set up camp here.

Sunny gaze peered carefully among the brush in the distance, as his idea was to settle among some of the well covered bramble for the night. He hadn't expected to rest his attention on another wolf, so when he happened upon a strange face poking from the shadows he bristled. As much as the stranger looming under the brush shocked him, Marcus had yet to decide whether this wolf be a threat or not. The fact that this wolf had likely been there the entire time he was relaxing and hadn't bothered him, told Marcus that he could probably lower his hackles. But he would not fully lower his guard.

"Do you live here?" He called to the ghostly figure, his tone more concerned as he was able to better see the shape of the wolf before him. They looked starved.

Wicken felt a small pit in his stomach build up beside the ball of hunger that already resided there. It became a lead ball rooting him beneath the foliage with a conviction that even a mountain could not move in that moment lest he himself move from underneath the bush. Ever since he had received his wounds, the gaze of another was enough to send him into a fearful spiral, and this occasion was no different. 

His dark ears pinned tightly to his head, and he cast his yellow gaze to the dirt just as soon as it met the strangers own yellow eyes. He moved them away quickly enough that he missed the strangers stature, and he found himself unsure of their intentions. Wicken had not expected to be addressed, but it encouraged him to curl in on himself in a tight ring. His muscles ached with the small effort it took to maintain, but he kept up the tensed position in the event he needed to flee. Although life was hard, he was not yet ready to die. An optimistic pessimist until the very end.

He also found the position uncomfortable with his ribs jabbing into his hind haunches. Had he really lost that much weight? No... His tone was polite and curt, but it easily gave away his youthful age. Although there was much to be desired, Wicken left it at that. He had only been on the river for a handful of days to regain his strength before he would set off again. He willed that perhaps this stranger would leave him to his devices to do just that, but he knew it was a fools game to assume a wolf could read his mind.

He's just a kid.

Marcus felt himself fully give way to a relaxed state, understanding what was going on here. Well, understanding as much as an outsider could gather from what presented itself. This young man was thin, recoiled and tired. There was no energy left for him to strike, and he felt his mouth turn downwards at the thought of what this kid might've been through. "What's your name? I was going to grab another fish for myself, would you like one?" 

It was a lie. He was done eating the moment he tossed the scraps of the last fish to the side, but Marcus was always sure to take into account a person's pride. Someone battered and on the rocks may still turn down help if they had too much of an ego.

Although his eyes remained cast aside, he found himself unfurling the tight ring he had created at the prospect of a meal. Wicken wanted to trust the stranger, but it was difficult given his circumstances. His already diminished pride would be taking another blow today, and it would surprise him if it ever was to recover with all of the abuse it had faced. He had very minimal knowledge in the realms of hunting, and the bulk of his food intake was scavenging or getting lucky to happen upon a sickly creature he could overpower. A fish sounded... good.

I'm named Wicken. What is your name? He tried his best to not sound nervous, but there was a wavering in his polite tone that gave him away. He rose to a standing position to reveal a lanky figure with too long legs. Patchy scabs littered his back left leg that gave slightly as he moved closer to the stranger. His tail waved behind him. If you could teach me how you catch them, I would be forever grateful.

He was just a kid but man was he tall. The stockier male took a polite step back as the youth uncoiled himself and stepped from the underbrush. The loner could then get a better look at the shape Wicken was in, and it wasn't great. His eyes didn't linger on the scabs and protruding ribs though, but instead focused on the grey wolf in his entirety. "I'm Marcus, nice to meet you Wicken." He validated the kid with a nod of approval and a smile, then began to lead him to the river from where he came, looking back every so often both to show he was still listening and also to make sure the newcomer didn't pass out on him.

"Yeah, I can teach you. I've got your back kid." Brow furrowed as he looked forward once more, his own words tugging at his heart. The bank of the river became malleable as Marcus left solid earth covered with lush green grass to position himself directly next to the water. He hated the feeling of sediment between his claws. "Come up next to me and I'll show you what to do." 

Wicken hesitantly trailed behind the lighter colored male. He nodded his head in acknowledgment as he learned the strangers name. A strong name for a strong wolf, even if he was smaller than Wicken's height. He appeared to be much healthier with knowledge only age could bring, and the kindness that Marcus exuded did not go unnoticed by the lanky wolf. 

 

His tail waved behind him lightly while they walked. An indication of his excitement at the opportunity to learn how to catch a new prey item. He had been limited thus far and fresh food was exciting.

He watched as the russet male settled by the edge of the water. His paws carried him to the edge of the water with a space between them to leave a respectful amount of room, but he turned to watch what he was doing all the same. Wicken's yellow eyes avoided his while he watched the water and waited. Thank you... for being willing, I mean. I appreciate it. He spoke to him in a whisper before they began, nervous to scare the fish away with the volume of his voice.

Marcus melted at how polite and ready to learn this kid was. The melt was a symptom of paternal instincts kicking in. He knew that these were moments he had looked forward to with his own son, and although they had been ripped away from him, the man felt grateful that he would be able to live out some version of his dream today. Whatever Gods there were above that pulled his strings, they were kind on this afternoon.

His broad red head lowered as his own yellow eyes searched to meet Wicken's down cast ones, a silent encouragement for the boy to lift his head and meet his gaze. "What else am I going to do with all of this knowledge." A wide grin reflected how proud Marcus was of that awful joke. Dad humor. It was good medicine for a broken heart.

Craning his head now over the water, he watched as naturally all of the fish in the vicinity scattered. "You want to position yourself over the water first. The less distance you have to lunge, the more likely you will get to the fish before it swims away. Give yourself about this far away from the surface." Making sure the lanky boy was still watching, Marcus looked back to him, then flicked his snout back to it's previous position to show how far he was hanging his head over the river. "The current is usually weaker nearest the shore, so you'll get some pretty slow stragglers floating around here. Be as still as possible and try not to make a sound. They will return, and when they do, find one you can focus on." As foretold, they returned. "Go fish." He parted his maw first to ready the catch, then not a second later lunged into the cool water. It was always a shock, no matter the season, to get a face full of water. Invigorating. 

Turning to Wicken with his catch, the man gestured to the water in front of him. You're turn.

Sorry for the mismatch in posts! Currently working on writing style/post style here! Also love the go fish reference

Despite the encouragement from Marcus, the dark wolf kept his head even with his shoulder blades and refused to meet them. The scar on his mind was too fresh to raise them just yet, but he followed him dutifully nonetheless. Perhaps a newfound ally in the darkness of the world as it was now viewed through the younger ones eyes. He watched him with a clinical perspective as the russet wolf went through his routine, and his shorter tail lightly waved behind him to keep his balance as he moved closer to the water as instructed.

Wicken's head now hung over the water as he watched Marcus throughout his instruction; he was careful to absorb everything he was saying. He mulled it over with a small sliver of confidence while watching the older male succeed. Wicken loomed over the water himself, but all that faced him was a reflection he could not recognize. He bypassed it with a grimace, focusing on the fish in the river. They swirled back in slowly after the other fish was just snatched, but they did not meander for long.

His front paws were picked up, put down, and shuffled repeatedly as he tried to get a good angle, almost loosing his grip on the edge of the river several times. Frustration began to mount as well as anticipation when he finally saw the one he wanted. Yellow eyes zeroed in on the larger fish with complete concentration. He opened his maw in anticipation as he had seen his teacher do, prepared to lunge. It swam directly in front of the predator lying in wait, unaware of the danger it was in until it was too late.

Wicken lunged from the edge of the river into the chilly waters. The spring melt had definitely run off from the mountains giving the river a frigid temperature. The fish was quickly secured, but he had also jumped completely into the river to catch it rather than just his head. The young wolf cursed himself as he jumped quickly back onto the bank. If he had not been before, he was wide awake now. His tail wiggled behind him in the left over adrenaline from the hunt and cold chill of the river. The fish in his jaws jerked his head from side to side occasionally as he proudly brought it back to his teacher.

He rested it on the bank between them once it had stopped moving, assured it was now a carcass. Was that okay? Gleaming yellow eyes now looked to his newfound companions eyes for a mere moment before they dropped away again. He had almost forgotten.

No worries and no apology necessary! The post was great, I felt like I was there :)

There was a moment of worry as Marcus observed his student. Wicken splashed around with his head submerged, and the last thing he wanted was for him to come up empty maw. The older wolf knew that in the state the boy was in, a moment of failure would likely be difficult to recover from. C'mon kid, c'mon...

Victory! The usually reserved man was unable to contain the jubilant bound and wiggle his body took, bowing his chest to the bank as his forepaws slid further into the mush. He didn't care, he was proud and relieved and felt the energy of the young man course through his veins. It was good to see a win, even if it wasn't his own. And yet, the fire pelted wolf took a little bit of credit.

"It was great. You're a natural, kid. Go ahead and eat, you deserve it." It was good to see eyes staring back at him, and although they sat dull and weary, Marcus could see the brightness deep within. He knew it would shine again. He wanted to help bring this kid's spark back. "Hey, you can have my fish, too. I'll catch another one here in a bit." Carefully as to avoid the razor dorsal fin, the gent nosed his catch to the hungry youth while offering a reassuring smile.

As the excitement died down, the conflict inside Wicken still remained. His eyes drifted between the two fish, but the prompt from his russet companion was all the push he needed. The meal in front of him was more than the young male had eaten in a week. He tried to carefully pace himself, but the two carcasses were soon stripped to minimal piles of bones at their paws. Wicken was teetering on the edge of being too full with his emaciated sides cramping at the unfamiliar feeling of nourishment as his stomach settled. 

His tongue licked his maw clean from the essence of the fish before he got to nudging the fish bones into the river with his nose. A precautionary measure that Wicken took whenever he ate to ensure that another soul would not happen upon it and decide to make quick work of the wolf that still smelled of a delicious morsel. He watched the fish from earlier swim about, nibbling on the bones. Cannibals, the lot of them.

Wicken's attention shifted from the fish back to Marcus with a hesitant expression clouding his features despite the lack of eye contact as his eyes were focused on the older males paws. Thank you, Marcus... Are you sure you're not hungry? I can catch you one as well. I probably need the practice. The soft spoken, silvery tone he beheld was accompanied with concern. His hinderance centered around the idea of his new found teacher seeing him as less than. An insecurity held deep that Wicken hoped to redeem himself by returning the favor.

The hesitation to take on two fish as an entree was steamrolled quickly by Wicken’s primal instinct. Marcus pressed his lips together and looked away as to not make the situation awkward. His eyes easily found a few other things to focus on instead. There were now more fish gathering at ground zero, already forgetting the massacre that happened only moments before. A turtle was telescoping its head above water in the distance, floating along with the river with no say as to where he would end up. Marcus especially focused on the turtle for a second. Same.

In the corner of his eye he noticed the fish bones, tossed into the current by the boy, floating away with their family and friends close behind… eating them. Can’t relate to that one. 

It was then the men both turned to each other once more, and the teacher submitted to the student's offer. "I won't stand in the way of a free meal. Plus, practice will be good." Looking around, Marcus wanted to ensure that there was no other predator in the area. Wicken was right to dispose of the fish carcasses, but the stench of seafood still hung heavy on the shore and on their pelts. There seemed to be no one, so the brute took a moment to work out his aching limbs. His dramatic stretch was promptly followed by a grunt as he reached full extension, and then a release which sent him flopping comfortably onto his side. Lifting his head to crane his neck back to Wicken, Marcus nodded for him to go ahead.

Wicken offered a curt nod of his dark head before he was off again. A dark shadow once again hovering over the pristine flowing water despite the damp reminder of his coat lingering, but it was used as a lesson. The confidence a prior meal had given the youngster allowed him to retain a vast amount of focus as he watched them swimming below once again. There were his own dark thoughts swirling there in the silence as he finally allowed himself to fully observe his own appearance in the reflection. The distance between them made it appear that yellow eyes were observing the fish in the water, but they were far, far away in the recesses of his own mind. The wolf in front of them was not the one he remembered.

The killing blow was swift and without a familiar dip into the water.

The apprentice brought his catch back to his teacher with a slow wag of his tail. He deposited it directly next to the russet head of a splayed out Marcus with gusto. A bow filled with humor was elicited before Wicken slinked a few steps away to seat himself, licking the remaining fishy taste from his maw. He watched the new acquaintance out of the corner of his eyes for a few moments before gaining the courage to speak. Where are you from, Marcus?

Wicken was already improving, and this development elicited a heavy thump of his tail. Marcus lifted to rest on his belly, taking in the salty aroma of the fine meal that was presented to him. "Thanks, kid." His gruff voice laced with softness as he began to gnaw on it's tail. 

"I'm from a place not too far from here." A single paw lazily gestured to his right, although he wasn't 100% sure if it was the right way. "What about yourself? Have anywhere you're off to?" Marcus's voice didn't showcase it, but there was immediate regret with what he had just asked to half starving youth he had found curled up alone underneath a tree. Obviously, where he came from was worth roughing it on his own, so not very good. On top of that, he was sure he had no where to be. Still, Marcus feigned genuine curiosity with a tilt of his broad head, as if he didn't already know the answer.

Wicken settled himself into a laying position with a smoky head resting upon paws that mirrored the same coloration. Their amber eyes held enlarged pupils that took in his surroundings with a childlike gusto. They observed the river before shifting to the building thunderheads in the vast expanse of the sky that had just surpassed the mountains from the east. Perhaps a symbolic image of how Wicken had outrun his very own storm from the same direction. The entire time he appeared disinterested to those unfamiliar with the intricate workings of his mind, but he was thoroughly exploring how he could answer Marcus. A question was only fair after he had pried himself.

I am from the east, but there is nothing left for me there. I think I will be heading as far west as the wind carries me until I am forced back, or perhaps I will run across others that might enjoy some company. The trip will be easier now that I will not have to travel hungry. The silvery words were one more tip of the hat to the appreciation he felt for the hunting lessons. They had never been taught self sustaining qualities in their birth pack, and it had been a major point of fear for Wicken until he was forced to leave. He felt the independence now. Relished in the feel of the cold wind from the storm rolling in from the mountain with a full stomach to keep him warm.

fading for Marcus here!

Marcus took note of the Wicken's proverbial tip of the hat and offered in return a curt nod as he finished his meal. He was glad to have been of some help to this youth, even if it was just for a day. The warm agouti male looked over his ward, bright yellow eyes following the boy's gaze outward towards the eastern mountains he had not yet explored. It was then he realized when he had pointed from which he came, he had pointed west. 

"It looks like destiny has us going our separate ways then. I think you'll find the terrain easy enough to navigate along with plenty of other spots to fish where you're headed." Getting up, Marcus bowed into a glorious stretch that elicited a satisfied grunt. "I hope you find what you are looking for. If you need me, look for me around here. I don't plan on going too much farther than this." Taking a chance, the loner lifted a single paw to playfully pat at the boy's shoulder, offering a chuff in support or the kid's endeavors. "I'm sure we will see each other again. Be safe, Wicken." With this wish bestowed upon his greyscale friend, Marcus was off to continue his journey.