Duck Lake duck hunting

@Aria

Grezig could not remember if she had ever hunted duck before. She tended to avoid hunting waterfowl, as they were masters of their natural element, and she was not. She could swim, of course. Was a strong swimmer, in fact. But she was not faster in deep water than a duck. Today, however, she stood at the edge of Duck Lake — aptly named — and studied the birds as they happily ignored her, safe in the center of the water. She wondered if it was worth a try to do a bit of hunting. Alone, she would probably get nothing out of it but a soaking pelt and some exercise. She was not against this, and so began to wade into the water, keeping her gaze locked firmly on the nearest duck. She’d see how this went.

the january woman approached the lake curiously, coming for just a drink but being drawn in by the sight of a stranger. she appeared to be swimming-- or wading, more like. and the more aria watched, the more she realized she was contemplating hunting. of course, the idea was stupid. alone, water was not the most convenient hunting terrain-- but hunger brought about a certain kind of determination that sometimes overrode this. 

aria was out of the way, so she merely stood at the waters edge, head dipping to lap at the water, pale gaze locked on the scene unfolding before her.

aria ur being useless

Grezig did not hear the wolf’s approach. The sound of splashing water and increasingly alarmed quacks was too loud to be overcome by pawsteps. The ducks began to move as a single unit farther away from her as she paddled out towards them. She thought for sure that she’d be unable to catch one, as they were so much faster than her, but luck was on her side that day. One duck was too slow, perhaps cocky because he thought he was safe with the rest of the flock. But he was on the outer ring of ducks with no protection. He protested loudly as she chomped down, and then his calls were cut short.

She turned in the water, lifting her head a little higher as she brought her kill back to the shoreline. It wasn’t until she was in shallow water again and wading out of the lake that she saw the other wolf. Immediately food-territorial, she growled, the sound muffled by the duck carcass in her mouth. Her ears pushed forward aggressively and her guard hairs, had they not been soaking wet, would have stood on end.

aria's head hadn't lifted, even after the woman caught the duck. she still stood, lapping at the water, trying to get her fill. it was, after all, the middle of the summer, and she preferred not to be dehydrated. of course, when the stranger realized she was around and became immediately aggressive, aria raised herself up and her brows furrowed. 

"i don't want your food," she called over, her tail still but low. her body language suggested nothing hostile or intimidating, and even the scars on her shoulders looked rather pitiful. aria was not a lady with a mercenary trade-- no, her skills were far more lax and passive than that. she was more heal than she was hurt. "just wanted some water."

Grezig studied the white-furred woman for a moment, decided she was not a threat, and nodded. Her aggressive body stance became neutral and she made her way onto dry land to eat her kill. Out here, being food-territorial was important, to an extent, unless you wanted all your food stolen by others. But if another wolf was not showing aggression, then there was no reason to be an asshole about it. At least, that was how Grezig saw things. 

As she tore into into the waterfowl, she kept one eye on the female by the water. After a few bites, she said, “Hello,” out of a sense of awkwardness. Being around her band of wolves (those pledged to create a pack together) had taught her better manners. Normally, she would not have cared about ignoring another wolf if she was eating, but it seemed strange now. “I’m Grezig.”

"i'm aria," returned the pale dove, glad to see less hostility in the woman. her tongue swiped over her muzzle as she collected the last few water droplets that clung to here chin and whiskers. she hesitated, her social skills rusty. but, of course, aria was typically personable, and that shown through. "do you live around here?" she asked with a gentle cant of her head, pale, moonlight eyes watched her curiously, one paw held daintily up to her chest as she observed. "i just returned," she continued, "i used to live on the coast." 

Grezig grunted when Aria offered her name, focusing more on eating, though there wasn’t much duck left now. When asked if she lived around here, she said, “No. My group is over in the meadow east of here, but we don’t live there either.” She paused to swallow another hunk of fatty meat and continued. “We’re gathering together a group to make an official pack somewhere in the mountains… We could use more numbers, if you’re looking.” She gazed at Aria, then, curiosity and invitation clear in her expression. She was sure Liri and Kavik would be grateful if she managed to recruit another wolf to their cause.

the woman hesitated, her lifted foot slowly stepping back down into the shallow water. "i... appreciate it, but i am looking for a friend, i couldn't settle anywhere without him," she replied with a soft smile, ears flicking, "i wish you and your pack luck though." not that the sentiment meant anything. words were not numbers and no numbers was not a pack-- was not food or safety. but it was all she could offer. aria's gaze travelled to where the other wolf had mentioned, committing it to memory.

Grezig took the rejection in stride, shrugging. It did not matter to her if Aria refused her invitation. They had quite a few members now, anyways. But she had put it out there just in case. Having finished her duck, and with nothing else to say, she stood up and dipped her head. “I hope you find your friend. If there is nothing else…” She turned and began making her way back towards Overture Downs. Since Aria had refused her invitation there wasn’t really any reason to get to know the girl. Best to let her get a move on finding her friend, and Grezig had other things she could be doing.

Will exit unless stopped.

aria nodded quietly at the wolf's comment-- she appreciated it. "me too," she said softly, to herself-- she had nothing more to say to the stranger. and so when the wolf left, aria stood quietly for a moment before doing the same, moving in the opposite direction.