Otter Creek Outside tripping in the broken city

AW

Pallas worked excitedly up and down the bank, her nose pulled to the damp earth and her tail swaying wildly like the tail end of a whip's lash. The earth, muddled by her tracks, bore the scent of a muskrat. She had traced the meandering trail to this creek, where the thing had slipped into the water without any further mark. Disgruntled but not dismayed, the white-furred wolf parted through the reeds and sunk into the water. Gentle ripples emanated from her and about her feet the detritus in the water rose until all the water around her was a dark bloom of rippling amber.

Hi there! Really really rusty, please forgive me D:

Koda too was at the creek that day, up to his hocks in the cool water as he lapped up a long drink. His ears perked up at the sound of rustling leaves in the reeds just upstream. Moments later, a plump muskrat emerged and plopped into the water. Koda licked his chops hungrily as he watched the varmint crawl up onto the opposite bank to nibble on some roots. He was only mildly hungry, a nice fat muskrat would do him just fine. But before he could make a move, something bigger pushed it's way through the weeds. Startled, Koda's lunch slipped back into the water and disappeared below the surface.

A white she-wolf emerged from the reeds, hot on it's trail and apparently too focused on the hunt to notice him standing quietly a few yards downstream. Koda observed her from where he stood. She was a bit bigger than him, and a couple years older from the looks of it. Koda tried to make his presence known to her with a soft chuff. "He went that way," he told her, gesturing further upstream with his muzzle.

Dark lurks deep within the reeds of the pond for about four hours now. Then he starts to hear some type of weasel or whatever but he did not care what is was he just wanted a nice meal. So Dark was just about to swim over to get it when he smelled another wolf already coming after it. Darks face saddened as he watched a beautiful white wolf start swimming in the pond after the thing. Dark hid himself deep within the pond so she could not smell him, but wolfs can not hold their breaths forever so at some point Dark had to swim back up to take a breath of air. 

As Dark did so he smelled another wolf coming as well. The other wolf was male and spoke something. Dark could not make out what he said so all he heard was "Er ver". Dark looked towards the shore seeing the two wolfs. Then Dark decided to swim up to shore and take a break from being in the water. As he did so he decided that these wolfs don't look like they would harm him. "Hmm maybe I should look before I hide in the water" Dark murmured to himself. 

After that he turned to the wolfs and spoke "Um... Hello there I was just hunting in the waters for some fish please do not harm me". Dark looked shy as he looked down at the ground slightly embarrassed. Dark hasn't seen much wolfs in his life so he is not the best at socializing.

If there was one thing Pallas appreciated, it was transparency. As she lapped the water she heard a chuff: sharply her eyes fixated on the agouti male that had uttered it. He was saved any verbal whiplash, for it was obvious he had strained to make his presence noticed. He even offered a helpful direction -- for this, Pallas afforded him a rare and fleeting smile. She dipped her muzzle into the water and when she lifted her head a torrent of water rushed from her slack jaws. "Thanks, but I'm no match for a muskrat in its element." It was true -- if the muskrat was close to water, her chances of success were slim. She was content to lap at the water until she heard very faintly the voice of another; she could not smell him, but the ripple and splash of water betrayed his presence in the pond. Before long he appeared, soggy and sodden. Pallas had little patience for the timorous, and she looked at Koda pointedly to see if this was a companion of his.

Koda nodded. Muskrats were easy enough to catch out of water, but the slippery varmints were frustratingly difficult to catch in their element. Koda preferred rigging up traps for them. Little buggers weren't so fast if you flattened em first. "It would be kinda funny to watch ya try though," he said with a lighthearted chuckle.

Something a lot bigger than a muskrat was splashing around in the water behind him. Koda turned to see a second wolf cautiously approaching. At first he assumed he was with the she-wolf, until he glanced at her face and saw her looking expectantly at him. He shot her a puzzled look as if to say, 'you mean he's not with you?'

The dark male shyly explained he was just doing some fishing. "Probably not gunna have much luck 'round here," Koda told him. "Nuthin' but minnows in water this shallow."

Dark looked down at the ground for a while as if he did not know what to say or do. Then he spoke "Well... ok if you say so. Could I maybe hunt with you a bit?" Dark asks hoping that they would say yes. They are obviously better hunters then I am thought Dark. Dark sipped some water and thought that if the wolf were to say yes he could probably stay with them. But would staying with them cause danger? Maybe it was worth while staying with them for the food but tube it would be better of leaving them if they said no and returning to his normal life.

Pallas' furtive glance was met with an equally confused glance from Koda; dubiously, she trailed her gaze to the male that was in the reeds. He seemed cowed, uncertain, and for that, Pallas would have dismissed him then and there were it not for the mention of a hunt. Her ears cupped forward in interest, but Koda was right -- there was not much here but tadpole and minnows for a meal. Her tail swayed in the water, which produced a small rivulet of ripples that emanated out from her in small circles. "That depends. Are you useful?"

The dark wolf looked down at his paws and was quiet for a long moment, then he mumbled something about hunting. Koda almost didn't hear him, his voice was so soft. He studied Dark thoughtfully. He had the build to be a good hunter, but he seemed much too timid and unsure of himself to be helpful in a hunt. 

"I dunno, he don't really look the huntin' type," he said to Pallas. Koda advanced on the other male, head and tail raised in a dominant posture. If Dark could stand up to him, well, maybe he'd be more useful than he looked. "You look more like frightened prey, to be honest."

Dark looked up at him. Dark didn't know what to say. Dark was horrified he didn't want to fight but he could not refuse a fight to a wolf just because he's scared. So Dark just stood there and sputtered "Fine I will admit it I am not good at locating good hunting locations but I am good at attacking I never asked for a fight with a pear to be tested on my skills. You can decide if Im a good hunter once I try catching something so once again, please no fight".

Dark said this with no crack of terror in his voice and he stood his ground but all he was really hoping deep down inside was for the male to say fine. Dark stood there waiting for a response as he gulped quietly.

The water, refreshing at first, was beginning to bite at the tip of Pallas' toes. She regarded Dark silently, and it was clear from her expression she was going through the full ranges of inward judgment. He looked like a liability, and Pallas hated liabilities. In the abstract, she did love an easy meal and he looked like the type that would be easily discouraged or chased off of any catch he made.

With a final swish of her tail that sent ripples up the creek she heaved herself upward, puling up the bank in a sopping and sodden mess. The water outpoured from her fur and lent her a somewhat gaunt aspect, dribbling down her splayed legs and pooling by her webbed feet. "Fine, but you go in front." She conceded, casting Koda a furtive glance to see if he was coming.

But he was not -- and neither was the other wolf. With a shrug Pallas continued down the riverbank, savoring the cool lap of water that tickled between her toes.

wrapping up bc both inactive but feel free to PM me if you want to thread later