Stone Circle Lost and found

Open fishing thread! Takes place at Marino River, and preferably a spree?

The river was his favorite spot in Easthollow. As a fisher, it's hard not to be lured in by water; it was only a matter of time before this area became his new love. Evergreen sat at the shore's egde. Green eyes flickered across the water's surface, enjoying the peace and reflective colors from the dawn sky. If only it were spring, then the day would be perfect.

The bearish wolf rotated his shoulders, and leaned forward to spy on the river's conditions more closely. There were signs of a healthy habitat within from what he could tell. Fish must thrive here.

if you mean spree like a fight spree ira's ya gal ;0 I need threads for my merc

Ira's paws carried her along the riverside. It was not unusual to see the female here as she made her patrol trips. She liked to be thorough and the forest calmed her. She never really did like sitting out in the open, but that was likely due to the mountainous terrain and forests that covered her homelands. The plains were just...too plain.

A scent only vaguely familiar filled her nose as the wolf that rivaled her size came into view gazing into the water. The grey female recalled seeing his face once before, he was new, but she never got a name. Ira trotted a few paces past the male before stopping to look back. There's no need to stare so intensely, you'll scare off your own reflection.

Ah sorry! Quick-post spree, but Evergreen is also going for merc so I'd love to help Ira out next thread? ;D They could also do a quick patrol of the borders in this thread once Evergreen tries to catch some fish if that helps!

Now if only he saw the flourishing river inhabitants. While the habitat seemed pristine for fish, the bearish wolf did not spy any of the slippery creatures yet. Alas, he knew fishing was always a waiting game. The patience it required was one reason why Evergreen excelled at the task. He just now had the pressure of proving such talents to his new packmates. So focused on the river, he did not hear the approach of one such packmates until she spoke. A surprised shiver ran up his spine, fur bristling briefly before the tension shuddered out of him.

That'd probably be a good thing, Evergreen said with a grin, voice evidently amused. He glanced over his shoulder, surprised to see the roan female even though he knew she was there. Their meetings were kept to short greetings or quick glances in the past, and Evergreen would be lying if he didn't think she was gorgeous. Averting his gaze just as heat brushed his cheeks, Evergreen continued; It would be one less thing that might startle the fish.

I'm Evergreen. He figured at this point, it would be good to introduce himself.

That works too haha!

The female quirked a brow as Evergreen replied and introduced himself. Was he fishing in this weather? Truthfully she never had fish nor was she specialized in hunting so this might not be as unusual as she thinks. Ira tipped her head to the side and padded closer trying to observe his actions. If he was going to fish, it would certainly be a spectacle, perhaps even a learning moment. However, when she looked into the river, it was just her usual reflection and not much more. Ira... do you normally hunt fish?

It wasn't until now that she really got a good look at the bearish-wolf's face thanks to the river reflection. He was large much like her father, but his fur hung differently. Almost rounder in a way. His green eyes stood out amongst the dark patches of brown, shining as he focused. Perhaps he came from a land like hers? Either way he wasn't bad looking which likely explained the female he arrived with in Easthollow.

Ira. Finally, Evergreen had a name for the tall female. His grin widened a touch, growing broader as he gave a few sways of his tail. It was nice to meet others in the pack; Valette was right when she advised him to get to know others. Maybe next time he saw someone, he'll be the one to approach instead.

Nice to meet you, Ira. He shifted his green eyes towards her for a moment before he returned to observe Marino River. But uh, yeah... I do. I'm not... very fast so my mother taught me how. It's pretty easy in the winter! The fish are sluggish due to the cold, but most move down south for warmer waters. That much was likely obvious due to the lack of fish in their current vicinity. If it was a pond or lake—Duck Lake, for example!—they wouldn't have anywhere to go. With his pudgy weight, though, it was just as obvious that Evergreen was no speed demon. Patience was key.

Ah, The bearish wolf exclaimed. His green eyes locked on the area across the river where he spotted movement in the shallows. There is a small school there. Evergreen lifted his left paw, and gestured forward. Right now, they were too far, and even if it was winter, they would be able to flee if he went for them now.

As always, the mammoth of a man made his evening rounds through the territory with a head held high and a tail softly swaying. He enjoyed such patrols for the sounds of birds and insects, the sweet smell of the breeze, and even the sparse sightings of his pack mates—some of them chatting and playing among the leaves or grass; but today he was paused by the sight of Evergreen chatting with his daughter, both of them smiling and talking happily.

Perhaps it was the season, or maybe just his parental instincts, but something in the patriarch wanted him to approach the male, assert himself, and scare him far away from his daughter. "Hmm," he inwardly hummed as he gazed at them before shaking off the feeling and going on his way

begone THOT father

The female squinted in the direction Evergreen was pointing. It was hard to notice at first but there was indeed a school of fish. It was interesting to hear the fish grew slower in the winter, but then again she supposed it could make sense. I see... She too was not the fastest with her size. She had some speed thanks to her long legs, but she had always been known for her endurance. That's why she took up fighting instead of hunting. Why bother when there were others who were better built to hunt? But maybe that only applied to land creatures.

So how do you catch one? She was intrigued now. Perhaps she would be able to learn fishing if it was as easy as the male said. Knowing another way to provide food never hurt, especially in the winter. Ira sat at the riverbank waiting for the next step, although she'd rather watch first so she did not scare off the wolf-bear's game.

If it were possible, Evergreen would suddenly be sweating bullets under the heat of an unknown gaze. Ira’s presence was enough to fluster him, but when he felt a second pair of eyes upon the duo, he grew all the more nervous. Green eyes dared to dart away from the water’s surface just to see who was giving him the stink eye.

What he saw was… unexpected to say the least. He made sure to keep from meeting the Patriarch's eyes, but definitely spotted him. Fortunately(?), Greyback didn’t stick around. Evergreen wasn’t sure what caused him to be in a bad mood, but he’d prefer to stay on the titan’s good side.

“Oh, right, uh,” Evergreen stammered, snapping his lost focus back to the task at hand; fishing. He turned to Ira with a sheepish smile. “You gotta… be patient. Fish are a lot quicker in the water than we are. When it’s warmer, I like to stand in the shallows. After awhile, the fish get curious and swim over to your legs. Since it’s too cold for that, the… shore also works where we are.” The bearish wolf tended to talk too much when he’s anxious.

“Uh, so once a fish comes over towards us. You… basically gotta react quickly? All it takes is moving at the right second. Uhm, you… take your paw like this”—Evergreen lifted his right forepaw, and made a motion to cup the air—“And try to grab around it. You gotta make sure your head is low enough to catch it though since they’re really slippery.” The male nodded his head.

“Wanna… try?” He asked Ira, shifting back towards the small school of fish, and hoping to somehow will the group closer to them with his mind.

She blinked twice, off-put by the male's sudden change in demeanor. Was he not expecting her to inquire on his hunting skills? Maybe he was just not use to teaching others. It's not for everyone after all, but at least his explanation made some sense. Ira watched as he hooked his paw in the air and tried mimicking the motion, although she was still not too confident in her abilities to actually do anything with the knowledge.

I'll pass, but perhaps after you show me I'll take a shot. The grey-scaled wolf was always an observer. Perhaps even too analytical for some, but if she was going to try this she wanted to see it done properly first.

'Calm down,' he thought. 'Focus.'

Evergreen nodded, if Ira wanted to see the action in motion first, he would do his best to give her a decent example. Of course, taken off-guard by the previous situation with Greyback and unused to having an audience, the bearish wolf feared he would mess up under the spotlight.

Fortunately, muscle memory took over for him. He laid in wait until a small fish swam close enough to the duo. Keeping close to the water's surface with his head bowed, Evergreen struck out with his right paw once he saw his opening. The movement was enough to bring the small fish closer to his agape jaws. With one gentle snap, the fish was now caught; flailing in its best attempt to escape the predator.

Evergreen exhaled a deep breath from his nose, grinning the best a wolf could with a mouth full. Now soaked from legs to chest to head, the Newcomer shimmed back a bit further onto solid ground. Once the fish finally ceased smacking its tail in Evergreen's face, he dropped it on the ground in front of him. Something like that, he said. If it were possible, he would have nervously scratched the back of his head. Oh, uh, have you tried fish before?

The mountain wolf observed carefully as Evergreen moved in a flash. If she wasn't watching so close she might have missed the whole thing. Water splashed up from the initial hit causing her to back up avoiding the freezing liquid. It seemed a bit awkward to her as the fish slapped the male in the face, but the attack, in general, seemed very effective. Soon the fish laid dead in the snow, drawing her near as she inspected the creature.

Evergreen inquired if she had ever tasted the scaley thing that laid before her and she had to give a shake of her head in response. It did not have the most appealing smell, but she knew of other wolves who ate water creatures. No, where I'm from we mostly feasted upon moose, elk, and the like. Is it more appealing than the smell? You would think that a creature that never left the water would smell better.

His youth was spent feasting and catching fish to the point Evergreen became immune to the smell. It was funny, in a way, how Ira reacted to it, because he was pretty sure his child self thought the same. Fish was not his favorite meal by any means, yet it was the first skill he did well and he prided himself for it.

Fish isn't for everyone, Evergreen chuckled. I think it tastes better than it smells, though. Wanna try it? He was interested to know more of the place Ira spoke of, if only because the male was curious by nature and he sought to get along with his packmates better. (Totally not because he enjoyed her company so far, or thought she was pretty. Nope.) Cough. The bearish wolf bowed his head down, and used his large nose to nudge the fish in the roan woman's direction.

Evergreen was quick to assure her the smelly creature usually tasted better than it appeared. While his words did not exactly put her disgust at ease, she was not one to let food go to waste. She quickly scanned the males face making sure he wasn't just trying to pull something over her head before turning her attention back to the morsel to take a bite.

Sure enough, the texture alone was different from the meals she was used to, but the flavor was actually not too bad. It was still a bit too strong in some flavor she couldn't put a name on for her tastes, but she could stomach it. If she was ever starving Ira would be sure to keep the slimy creatures in mind if there were no other options around.

The mountain wolf swallowed, licking her lips clean as her nose scrunched up a tad. I suppose it is not entirely horrible-- Golden eyes flicked back up to the bearish wolf's face with a questioning look. Is this really the diet your old pack survived on?

Evergreen found himself torn between calming the laughter that threatened to spill from his lips and disheartened at the expressions Ira wore. As he said; fish really wasn't for everyone (Mista sure didn't like it). Nonetheless, the activity itself reminded him of home; of his mother, who despite her disability, mastered the trade and took him on as her apprentice. He sat, grinning ear to ear, as Ira "savored" the taste.

See? They taste differently depending on their environment and kind, too, the bearish wolf hummed, ears perked. There were only a handful of times he ever fished in the sea, but the shellfish and fish there had a unique salty flavor; unlike the rivers and lakes. Oh, nah. My ma... taught me how to fish since I wasn't very good at hunting small land prey. Uncle Kaisyn liked to hunt birds and rabbits. Sometimes together we'd down a deer, but we never had enough wolves to try going after moose. Bucks were a danger themselves, and the small family unit was down a member in those situations as is. Thistle and Kaisyn weren't bulky like Evergreen, either.

Mr... uh, Greyback, mentioned Easthollow hunts bison, he paused, glancing curiously at Ira this time. Have you hunted them? What's it like?

The female listened contently as she stared at the lifeless body by her paws. She still did not want the creature to go to waste, so she nudged it closer to the bear in hopes that he might finish it. If not she would stomach it for the sake of the life taken.

When her father was mentioned an icy gaze hardened over her face. It was slight, but if Evergreen was watching he would likely notice. Usually, she was better about putting her issues to the side, but she was actually enjoying a moment without thoughts of the towering man intruding her thoughts. I usually side with those who use formalities, but I assure you Greyback is not a name you must worry yourself on when it comes to proper titles.

The rowan female paused before inhaling sharply to bring her focus back to the question posed to her. But yes...I have assisted with taking down one of those beasts. The process is much like any other large game. Focus on a weakling and drive it away from the rest of the heard. Ira was never a hunter and as such did not bother with excruciating detail. In a sense, it was like any other hunt that required a pack, but there were larger dangers at stake. She also failed to mention how those dangers actually arose when a packmate was injured, but in a sense, the childish wolf deserved it for trying to be cocky instead of careful.

At Greyback's name, the mood turned unexpectedly frosty. A cold chill ran up Evergreen's spine, eyebrows raising as the bearish wolf found himself startled by the abrupt change in attitude. Perhaps now he knew why the Patriarch's temperament flared enough to glare them down; unused to family units as they were, Evergreen remaind ignorant to their obvious relation. Ira held little respect for the leader, that's for sure. (Where Greyback's anger mirrored a dormant volcano, he imagined Ira's to be an endless blizzard—neither were to be trifled with.)

But he is... our leader, the bearish wolf spoke up sheepishly, ears folded down and green eyes peering up submissively towards the roan woman. Hunting stories be damned, for now Evergreen's interest wrapped around the conflict between his packmates. Though he was not close to either, so it was safe to say this was no business of his. Did... something happen between you guys? It was obvious, but Evergreen allowed Ira room to dodge the conversation if she wished. He, uh, was here a moment ago. The bearish wolf glanced in the direction the Patriach had gone.

The female should not have been shocked at Evergreen's reaction, yet somehow she had hoped to avoid this conversation. In all honesty, she would still try to. The male seemed to shirk away with a submissive glance, her eyebrows knitting together in response. Did she frighten him? It would not be the first time she had caused a reaction like his. Leader or not though, her opinions still stood...but this was not the place nor the time to rub off her thoughts on newcomers.

No...let me rephrase. A small huff shook her ribs as she glanced where the Patriarch had apparently been a few moments back. Of course, he had been here, he couldn't seem to leave her alone even when he "was". Greyback always seemed to follow. The reason formalities are not required is because this is a tight-knit family group. Yes, he is in an alpha position here, but Valette would rather us be on equal grounds in most aspects. Her eyes darted back to Evergreen hoping her excuse was enough and that the male would understand. He did not need to know about her family drama if it wasn't obvious yet. It was nice to have a conversation with someone who did not know yet.

He ought to know it's rude to poke his nose into other people's business, but he did so anyway. It was thus that Evergreen reaked of guilt, peering at Ira with silent apology after apology. Really, he thought he recovered from his flustered mood, but it appeared the Newcomer, too, had little grip on his tongue. Ears perked, Evergreen tilted his head to one side while Ira sought to explain.

Oh, he exclaimed; an eyebrow arched. Uh, sorry I misunderstood... he just— Evergreen dropped his gaze to the partly eaten fish. Was it wise to tell another packmate their Alpha was glaring at him? Probably not. Maybe another misunderstanding. Yeah. Uh, nevermind. Evergreen lifted his head with a grin—ever expressive and all too quick to mask whatever worries clouded the back of his mind.

It's nice to see they're willing to take in others like that, Evergreen settled on continuing the conversation about the pack's structure. Thistle, my sister, and I were raised in a small group consisting of just our family, too. That's part of what lured us to Easthollow, since we figured it would be similar. It's unexpectedly difficult to drop the titles though. The bearish wolf ended with a laugh.

Thankful. She was very thankful Evergreen took her bullshit backtracking. She sighed silently and let a small smile grace her features as the man laughed and moved the conversation to a more positive light. Did your old pack consist of only family members? Or was it family in the sense that there were wolves who were considered family even if you did not share the same blood? The question more or less on her mind was if he too came from a pureblooded pack. Perhaps they both shared more of a common background that Ira once thought? Easthollow definitely was different from most pack structures, but there was a charming aspect to it too. It did not hold the same strictness she was used to, but it was still fairly tight-knit and made sense that it appealed to someone used to that closeness.

Use them or not, I suppose excessive use is better than no title when one should be required. Gods know a few wolves around here could learn some proper manners. She didn't openly laugh, but the playful roll of her eyes and growing smile suggested she was amused. Perhaps again it was only Ira's upbringing that caused this view, but she was pleased to hear the brute had a good head on his shoulders. It was respectable at the very least, even if Valette really did find no need for their formalities.

The flow of their conversation returned to a positive light which Evergreen, too, was grateful for. His eyes lit with warm, and smile wide as Ira wore one herself, although small and subtle. If Evergreen weren't the observant type, it would've been easy to gloss over. Fortunately, he was lucky enough to notice.

I'm not sure if you could count it as a "pack", Evergreen paused, thinking about the numbers. They did sort of claim a plot of land themselves but they had no official name, nor a ranking system. It was just... family. My uncle Kaisyn, my mother, Oki, and my sister. Sometimes we got visited by a few friends that stayed a moon cycle, but they never stuck around for long.

I was, uh... adopted though, He said, somewhat sheepish. Despite how open Oki was—she never once tried to make him believe they were related by blood, Evergreen always found it odd to mention his biological parents. Oki always mentioned how heroic they were to lead him to their family, and that they loved him very much but had a destiny elsewhere. So maybe it was more similar to Easthollow than even he assumed. Hm.

Heh, Evergreen chuckled, cheeks heated with a blush at Ira's obvious amusement. Uncle would whipped them into shape right away. He's such a stickler for rules and respecting your elders. Totally that one person that starts all conversations with—Evergreen puffed his chest out, sitting at his full height and looking akin to a crabby old woman—"When I was your age...!"

While Evergreen insisted his family was only that, Ira couldn't help but grin inside that Evergreen had also come from a pack similar to hers. Sure his sounded much more...lax, it was still all blood in a sense...minus Evergreen, but she could not really fault him for that when she too was adopted. The roan woman's attention was dragged back to the conversation as the bearish wolf continued about his uncle. For some reason, the male's impression of the older wolf struck her as absolutely ridiculous. Perhaps it was just the atmosphere, or something more, but the act evoked a surprised snort followed by a light laugh from the mountain wolf. Please-- that must have been so tiresome to hear with every passing word. I was only lectured like that during my training.

Her laugh hit him unexpectedly; eyes lit in surprise, but soon enough, Evergreen was grinning wide all the same. His act dropped to join her soft laugh with a boisterous chuckle, vibrating deep within his chest. It was,,, nice to have someone to chat with like this again.

“Yeah, Uncle liked to make everyone think he was this… grumpy asshole,” Evergreen rolled his eyes, but glanced at the roan woman’s reaction—hoping she did not take offense to the “insulting” word. “He didn’t want anyone to know he was secretly soft.”

In a way, he wondered if some Easthollow wolves were the same. “What was your former pack like?”

The woman did not mind the cursing, in fact, she seemed to be staring out at the river now, head tilted just a bit in thought. I see. I knew a few wolves like that. It was then that the bear-like man questioned about her past. Ira shook her head lightly as she thought back. It was much more intense than here, but it was tight-knit. We were not open to outsiders so those within the pack were fairly friendly with one another. I suppose it was pleasant overall, but I did have to prove my worth more within their ranks than I ever will have to here.

Evergreen peered curiously at the roan wolf, listening quietly to Ira describe her former home. Interesting enough it was intense, and the bearish wolf wondered if there were any packs within the Wilds that were similar to her description. He assumed there were many that held militaristic ideals, and required their members to pour more blood, sweat and tears into their work. Easthollow seemed easy, if you were willing to at least pull your own weight and get along well with the rest of the pack. It sounds motivating, in a way. I mean, I really want to help Easthollow as is, but it's nice to have a goal to work towards? Evergreen turned towards the riverbed. His own family pack was more about survival and fun than anything, so he couldn't help think how he'd fare in a pack that ran differently.

I lost my post halfway into writing it ushfksdfs sorry this one is a bit BSed from rewriting

Ira gave a curt nod. She was always goal-oriented, which only reminded her she needed to travel outside of their territory once more to further her scouting skills. Perhaps she should visit the neighboring packs and see how they were fairing since winter had passed. That's a good attitude to have. It is nice to have goals, feels like you accomplish more once you reach them. I should probably visit our neighboring packs soon, I'm aiming to build up a scouting trade. If you're interested, maybe you should join me? She was not sure if the trade would interest Evergreen, but she fully meant what she said. She could see the trip being more enjoyable with someone she did not mind the company of. Maybe it would give him a way to prove himself to Easthollow too while learning more about the wolves around them?