Dragoncrest Cliffs there's nothing in this world i wouldn't do.

Artaax was nearly silent as he crept along the banks of the lake, his gaze flickering between his path and his prey. The ducks glided across the surface of the water, barely making a ripple. The young wolf on the shore attempted to do the same, barely moving a single rock or blade of grass as he moved past. The ducks were having an easier time of it, of course. There was just so much to avoid on the shoreline, and to avoid it while keeping an eye on his quarry was maddeningly difficult. But Artaax was a patient creature, and also a determined one. He would get this down and would continue to practice at it long after he'd mastered it.

But there still was the problem of his prey being so far from the shore. He'd already long ago determined that he would never catch them in the water. They were simply too fast there in a way he could never hope to be. They saw him coming from a mile away and could evade him effortlessly even when they didn't. He needed to lure them onto land where they were far slower and more bumbling. They were fairly easy to pick off on the land where he was quieter and quicker. But, how to get them over here...

That was about as far as Artaax ever got in his duck hunting ventures. He contented himself with learning to move silently on the land as they did on the water, but he was hungry for more. He was also just plain hungry. For duck.

hey brudder <3

Bobby was getting more and more restless day by day. When he wasn't training to be a hunter, he was thinking about all the things he would explore when he was older. He wanted to go so many places, like his moms had. He wished he could've gone exploring with Wildfire, but he'd promised himself that when she returned he would ask her and Nomi to take him out exploring. He hoped she got back soon, she'd been gone far too long for his liking. 

Today he was fishing by the lake, using those fishing skills that Arlo had taught him. He stared into the water, his eyes fixated on a fish that hovered in the murky shallows. He stood perfectly still until finally he couldn't hold his excitement. He dove his head into the water, his teeth closing on the fish's tail. He pulled back, yanking it out of the water faster than ever. He bit it, and it was already dead, but he slammed it onto the ground for good measure. It was then that he realized the size of his game; smaller than a mouse and enough for maybe three swallows (if he ate the whole thing). 

While it wasn't as big and impressive as he'd thought, he was still proud of his morsel of a catch. He didn't think it big enough to take back to a cache, so he ate it right then and there, and satisfied his hunger. As he was finishing his meal, he noticed his brother's scent nearby. He decided to follow him, and he even saved him the tail of his fish. When he found Artaax, the male was silently stalking... water? Holding the tail of the small fish in his jaws he spoke, Wha oo doo'n?

Artaax heard his brother coming before he saw him, and that typical irritation at being interrupted while hunting began to stir within him. The scent of food distracted him from his annoyance, partly because he wanted to know what Bobby had caught and partly because he wanted some. The pale goufa stood, turning to watch Bobby approach while gazing with interest at the fish in his mouth. Artaax had never gotten the hang of fishing in spite of Arlo's efforts. He could manage it when he needed to, but it simply didn't interest him like the more difficult prey animals. Still, he could appreciate a good meal in any form.

"Hunting ducks," Artaax answered, glancing at the birds as they floated about on the lake with a frown, "Or trying to anyway. Where'd ya get that?" The less gracious part of him hoped someone had given it to his brother - that he hadn't caught it himself. He wanted to be the greatest hunter ever, and that was more easily accomplished when he had no competition.

Hunting ducks? Could that be done? Bobby didn't often see ducks in the caches, they were always just floating on the lake. But maybe it was possible, he wouldn't mind trying. Artaax asked him where he got the fish, and Bobbin went ahead and threw what was left of it at his bro. I caught it. He said, as if proving a point. I saved that bit for you, if you're hungry. He said, then looked out at the ducks on the lake.

How'd you plan on catching? He asked, a thoughtful expression on his face as he tried to think of how this stunt could be pulled off. They could try swimming out there, but he could already hear Nomi telling him that it was a bad idea and wouldn't work. But how else could they do it?

Of course he'd caught it himself. Artaax turned to set his gaze back on the ducks as they skimmed across the surface of the water to keep Bobby from seeing his expression. "Thanks, I might eat it in a bit," he replied in spite of himself. He was hungry after all, so he wouldn't decline it entirely. But he wasn't going to jump at it either and give his brother the satisfaction of... Well, I'm not entirely sure, but Artaax was going to prevent it for kid/brother reasons.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, once again distracted by the hunt, "They swim too fast to be caught on the water. They're a lot slower on land, so I was just trying to think of how to lure them to the shore." He frowned as he considered them. Wildfire would probably have known what to do, considering her hunting talents were specifically in trapping. But she hadn't come home yet from her latest scouting trip, and truth be told, he probably wouldn't have gone to her anyway. Artaax much preferred to figure things out on his own whenever he could, as it was more impressive and gave him an extra boost of pride for his accomplishments. Asking Bobby didn't count, of course. Again, for kid/brother reasons.

Bobbin beamed at the appreciated that Artie gave him. It wasn't everyday that the boy got a thank you from his brother. His up high and wagging happily, he placed the remains of the fish on the ground, so Artie could eat it later. Artaax explained how they were good fast on water, and that he wanted to lure them to land. Bobby remembered what his Nomi had told him, when he'd been hunting the squirrel. Well don't bark at them, Nomi taught me that barking only makes it worse, even if you feel like it'll help. He offered his advice, his sunny yellow eyes still locked on the ducks.

The coal and copper pup had a feeling that they wouldn't be catching the ducks anytime soon, so he returned to the lake to try and fish again. I don't think you're gonna get the ducks Artie. He said, half as a brotherly taunt and the other half was the cold hard facts. He stared into the surface of the lake, hoping to catch sight of a silver sliver swimming through.

Bobby offered some advice, and fortunately, Artaax was too preoccupied with solving the problem at hand to be annoyed at how obvious a comment it was. "Yeah, sound scares prey away," the pale goufa commented, still staring at the ducks, "Not just ducks, but all of them." He had learned that lesson on his own long ago as a much tinier pup, chasing after squirrels and yowling obnoxiously as he did so. Prey animals were naturally designed to run from noise, just as hunters were naturally designed to chase them. That was why Artaax spent so much of his time trying to achieve silence with every step of his paws.

He was distracted by his thoughts by Bobby's next comment. He looked at his brother, tilting his head and frowning slightly. "Yes I will," he replied confidently, finding it surprising that the other boy thought there was even a possibility that he wouldn't. "There's gotta be a way. We just have to think of it," he said, turning back again as his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

Bobby, meanwhile, rolled his eyes at his brother - determining that this would be another of Artaax's failed bird hunts and he didn't have the energy for it today. He wished the pale goufa good luck before departing. Artaax barely noticed as he began to prowl across the shoreline again. In the end, it would indeed be another failed bird hunt to add to his record, but any chance he had to study and develop potential tactics was not entirely a waste to the aspiring hunter. It did still feel crappy to head back to hougeda with nothing to offer his packmates, but he resolved to do better tomorrow with what he had learned today.