Redhawk Caldera opalwood

for nala! iris, feel free to join if u want <3

while tavina argued a place for @Nala in akashingo, teya had set out to find the woman. she knew that maia would have told @Eljay about their guest, but she stopped by to mention it to the auspex all the same. 
her coolwater eyes settled on the odd, not unpleasant features of the doggish creature. "hello," she said gently, though teya maintained her usual wariness.

she was carefully tending to a collection of plants when the voice caught her.

head over shoulder, mismatched eyes landed upon her.

nala could see her for the beautiful woman she was and thought how she might have once cowed and fumbled for it. now her thoughts were of nothing but tavina when faced with beauty.

hello, she offered soft and respectful. a dip of her body. i'm nala.

and she suddenly wondered what the rights words to follow were. here on a visit? here for sanctuary?

she was cute. teya did not allow her thoughts to linger on the looks of others, not lately, fearing she would be drawn into another kind of distraction.
and it did not help that nala seemed to share her proclivities.
"i teya. do you want to help me fish?"

teya.

a pretty name, it seemed to fit the whimsical feeling of brecheliant.

i would love to, she beamed with honesty. working took her mind off the time and distance between her and the doctor. are you a skilled fisher?

"i am." it did not feel vain to say. "i fish every day and every time i travel. i learn a lot not only about fish, but otter. frogs. moose."
waterways provided meat when the land did not.
teya hunted along until she came to one of her favoured fishing-spots, where bluegill lazily drifted.

she was skilled beyond what nala could ever experience.

this she had learned time and time again in the gaze of wolves, though. they constantly seemed to outmatch her in every single way.

she had learned to accept this, make the most of it.

will you teach me how to fish?

tavina had given her some lessons at the lake, nala had done her best to learn. maybe she could better.

"i will."
nala was fascinating. she seemed to wholeheartedly accept what was given to her. teya was not sure if this was only inexperience, or directly who nala was.
"big fish? small fish? medium?" her voice was light.

perhaps...smaller ones? her eyes crinkled with a smile of some humor. i fear one too big may catch me instead!

she moved, light steps, closer to teya. prepared to watch the woman work under a thoughtful gaze.

she did her best to not distract herself with tavina.

teya grinned. "they big here. not so big."
bluegill would be manageable for a beginner. it was why she often started with this fishing spot. 
she slid her paws into the warm mud, then down into the water. a school of finned individuals stirred not far off.

she was unexperienced with all things fishing.

but she followed each move teya made. the sinking into the water, whatever stance she took. nala imagined she would never forgive herself if she ruined this for the other woman!

when did you first fish?

her voice hushed, as if she might startle them off with her talking.

"in the place i born. a fjord." teya inhaled to remember what little of it she could. and until the faces of her aunt and her uncle invaded her mind, the memories were muted and pleasant.
"a rainbow trout," the raven said of her first catch, smiling toward nala.

she had never heard the word!

a fjord?

she watched. a fish. rainbow trout. somehow nala had forgotten to try her own hand at this! yet still she found a great deal of comfort in watching the fired woman fish, while they discussed things.

"it is like, tall rocks. much ice. barren." why the glintcreek wolves had ever chosen it for their home was beyond her, now that she had been a leader and understood the requirements of the terrain.
she smiled back at nala, enjoying the woman's placid attention.

was it pretty?

a question that felt briefly dumb to ask, considering teya had just said it was barren. but...tavina lived in sandy stones. not everything that seemed barren was devoid of beauty as well.

her face was flushed.

her eyes watched the water further out, where a fish lightly broke the surface before diving low once more.

teya nodded. "yes. but cold. beautiful but not warm."
like she and reyes.
was that even fair? the raven sucked in a breath. "okay, now watch. when it come closer, the fish, you strike hard."