close your eyes for this

Sure, he'd been accepted by Bazi but that made him no less nervous about being alone in a pack full of strangers. He knew he needed it. He needed the companionship, and the support of his fellows, but he also knew the hole Carolina left would not be easily mended. She was needed at home, he knew. Her father had passed and she needed to be present for whatever came next. She'd promised to return, and join him. Maybe then they could pursue whatever this was between them. That sure would make his dad proud.

Maybe. But probably not.

Rainier sighs and plops down beside the pack's namesake creek, ears set back, and eyes unfocused. Beyond his paws, a few stragglers of the summer run wiggle ferociously upstream, and he observes with a passing interest until one splash gets him right in the face. A snort, followed quickly by a whine of frustration escapes him and he rises only to wade into the water. He snaps at the nearest fish and misses as it darts away and into the depths. He whirls, and then spots another, bounding recklessly after it.

The ashen male poked his muzzle out of the den and got up, wandering slowly to the creek. Hoping for some breakfast of white meat and noticed a wolf that he did not know bounding through the waters. What was he doing? Didn't he know by doing that he was disturbing the fish? The silver male scowled, was he an intruder? No, his scent was distinctly Creek, a newcomer then. Newcomers kept flooding into the Creek, it was as if everytime he took a step out of his den, he was greeted by one.

"Hey you!" he shouted over to the wolf and he too bounded into the Creek's waters, scooping the fish out of the waters and biting at its spine, it went limp in his jaws. "Who are you to go disturbing every fish in this creek," he mumbled with the fish in his jaws, a playful tone to it.

He himself waded out of the Creek and waited for an answer.

Rainier catches movement to his right. He lunges at another silver fish and manages to get his teeth around the tail, and the creature immediately writhes in a panic at being out of the water. The male shakes his head quickly and ferociously, slapping himself in the face with his catch in the process. He drops the fish and it lands with a splash, and a sudden skitter (do fish skitter?) into the deeper water.

He huffs and turns, only to be greeted by a voice tickling his ears and the sound of paws entering the water. Eyes lock onto the other wolf, and he instantly crouches down a bit under the weight of the steely gaze and the barked greeting. Rainier watches cautiously as the male scoops a fish up out of the water and finishes it with a quick bite; something he could only hope to master.

However, the voice, and its owner, come off as friendly enough and soon Rainier replies with an airy laugh, "Some dumb nerd like me, I guess." He offers softly. "I'm new. Uh, Rainier. Sorry, my name is Rainier. I'm not, uh... you get it. I hope."

"Some dumb nerd like me, I guess." the ashen male smiled slightly and his grin grew even wider at the next sentence. "I'm new. Uh, Rainier. Sorry, my name is Rainier. I'm not, uh... you get it. I hope." for some reason the stutterings of newcomers always brought a smile to the Kappa's face. "Rainer," he said testing his name out. "I can see you're a newcomer."

Shadow placed the fish on the creek's shore, waded into the water again. Silver eyes intent on the water, a fish darted by. Quickly his paw shot out and once again scooped it out of the water. He would have loved to eat it himself, he was hungry but decided to offer it to his subordinate, a smile on his face, after all it was usually the subordinate that gave his superior not the other way round.

He turned his steely gaze onto Rainer, "Want some?"

Rainier straightened a bit more at the sight of the other wolf's grin, but kept his tail limp between his ankles out of respect. His black-rimmed ears swivel forward as Shadow deposits his own catch on the shore, only to take up position in the river again. True to form, it wasn't long before yet another fish was swiped right out of the creek and, surprisingly, offered to him!

He gawps a second only to snap his jaws shut and nod. "That's kind of you... uh--" He blinks, tilts his head, and squints curiously at the other wolf. "I didn't catch your name." Rainier remarks with a warm smile. "Unless you want me to come up with some sort of nickname. Or 'Sir'. I can do 'Sir'."

"I didn't catch your name."Rainier smiled "Unless you want me to come up with some sort of nickname. Or 'Sir'. I can do 'Sir'." The silver prince chuckled softly, "I'm Shadow, though 'Sir' is rather nice." he trotted towards the shore and motioned for Rainier to the same. The two fish lay on the ground, Shadow took one and began chewing on the white flesh.

Swallowing, he turned his gaze to Rainier. "I hope we aren't being too rude or unfriendly to you, Rainer. But you did come in a rather difficult time." He took another bite out of the fish, "What brought you here to Swiftcurrent Creek?"

Rainier followed with a bit of a skip in his step. It was nice someone friendly and familiar with the pack to talk to, and the free meal certainly was appealing. He tilts his head when Shadow motions, and then lowers his teeth to his own fish to tear a chunk out. Taking a moment to contemplate the taste, he swallows it down, repeats, and then takes a moment to regard the other wolf with a sad smile. "No, heh," One ear kicks backwards, and he gives a shake of his head. "I kinda got the feeling things aren't all sunshine and rainbows right now. Y'all have been quite nice, though, despite the eh, well, you know." He pauses, and then looks at Shadow with a sympathetic frown, "Sorry about whatever it is. It isn't much now, but I hope I can maybe be of more help soon."

"Eh, truthfully? No reason. You have a young Alpha, and I guess I thought maybe I might fit in a bit better here than elsewhere." He admits, lifting his gaze to the sky in a thoughtful gesture only to return it to Shadow's chest with a smile.

"Young Alpha, huh?" the ashen male stared into the horizon, remembering how things had turned out with the last young Alphess they had. "The last time we had a young Alpha, it did not turn out well. She provoked our rival pack in the mountains and ran away leaving two of our members captive. And then she left our pack alone in the crisis and joined another." he sighed. "Bazi would be a better leader, I hope."

He tore another chunk of flesh from the fish and swallows, repeats and turns his gaze onto Rainier, studying him. If he remained loyal and stayed, he would be a good asset to the pack but many just stayed for a short amount of time and left. Hopefully he would not turn out to be one of them.

Rainier pauses midway to a bite when Shadow replies, and his eyes dart back up to the greyscale male. They go a bit wide after a few seconds; 'Provoked'? 'Captives?' It didn't sound like a good situation at all. In fact, it sounded dire. Fish momentarily forgotten, Rainier whines, "Are they still there?! We should go talk to them and tell them what happened!" He implores. "I don't think they'd be unreasonable now that the aggressor is gone, right?"

When he catches Shadow's gaze, he is sure not to look the other directly in the eye. Though he knows his outburst could be considered pushing the limit, he is certain disrespecting Shadow's rank would be completely out of line. He doesn't know what the other is thinking, or that the subject is about him.

"Are they still there?! We should go talk to them and tell them what happened!" Tell the Sunspire wolves what happened? Not a chance. "I don't think they'd be unreasonable now that the aggressor is gone, right?" Wow, this wolf sure had guts and though Shadow was a bit irritated, he did not show it. At least Rainier had the sense not to look him directly in the eye.

The humor gone from his gaze, he replied "No, Rainier, we got them back before you joined and they don't know that she's gone. At least I don't think they do." his tone though calm was edged with annoyance. The silver Kappa took another bite out of the fish and swallowed, awaiting the younger wolf's reply.

Rainier wilts as Shadow replies, the humor gone from his voice and expression. He frowns and flattens his ears, feeling a bit reprimanded, but mostly embarrassed. It was frustrating; he didn't understand why wolves couldn't just get along, regardless of creed. But he knew he should hold his tongue from now on. This wasn't his fight or, really, his business.

"I'm sorry," He says for a second time, "You're right I just--I hope they don't come back." Rainier inhales, and then adds quickly, "I'm glad they're home, though."

He stoops and rips off another chunk of fish. "...You guys have been through a lot."

The silver wanderer nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yep, you're right Rainier. Trouble seems to follow us everywhere." his tone, amused. He rips another chunk of fish and swallows, eyes on the newcomer. "I hope you plan on staying at the Creek, we've lost a lot of wolves." he said.

"What trades are you going for? Gamekeeper, Outrider, Warrior, Warden...." he asked, wondering what would he go for. Another explorer or hunter? Fighter or defender? He waited for a response.