Swiftcurrent Creek Frostfall

Hunger had motivated young Nicodem from his den and into the open air of the creek. His gaze shifted in search of a familiar shape, perhaps Akavir’s. The dark young wolf had grown accustomed to the pack leader’s presence. He was far better company than the surly wolf who watched them - Shardik. 

Plodding forward on large paws, Nicodem huffed into the air. His nose sought a scent trail that he picked up near his feet. On confident steps, he ventured forth.

Now that Eshe's season had ended, she found herself out and about more often than she had been the week prior. There was a lightness about her, and she felt though she had been unteathered from a heaviness that had been weighing her down.

She had been outside of the territory for most of the morning, and now she had returned with a small bouquet of marigold and carefully walked towards her blossoming (haha get it??? Blossoms??? Garden????) garden. On her way there, she spotted a confident looking figure out of the corner of her eye, and she looked at him.

Eshe felt a pang in her stomach the moment she saw Nicodem.

He looked just like Akavir. She stalled her steps momentarily, awkwardly watching as the child continued to stroll.

It was not long before the dark boy lifted his head to find the figure of an unfamiliar woman. She gazed at him with surprise. Nicodem traced lines through the freckles that adorned her face. His expression lacked curiosity, but the inky child felt it stir in the pit of his belly.

Fearless, he marched toward the stranger. No, he had not come across this wolf before. She carried kindness in her eyes. It was curious to notice this. Jakoul had not been a woman with a kind face. Her features were sharp and watchful. The darkness of her coat aided such wildness.

Lifting his head, Nicodem sniffed at the woman. His dark tail wavered.

Nicodem marched towards Eshe with a confidence that she lacked—especially in the presence of a stranger—and she couldn't help but admire his fearlessness.

"Hey there," she greeted, her voice soft as she lowered her head to sniff him, realizing his scent was familiar. His scent was fresh, untouched by the world's harshness, and she felt a maternal stirring in the pit of her stomach; she would do what she could to protect him.

"What're you doing?" she asked, lifting her head.

The woman's voice was soft. The sound of it reminded him of butterfly wings. Maybe stronger - a flutter of bird feathers in flight. Nicodem was certain that he had never met someone like her. She was so unlike his mother that he found it surprising.

The question she had asked would never know an answer. The dark boy closed the space between them and inspected her legs with a prod of his nose and a few snorts. She smelled of the creek. He knew that she would be safe to be with, belonging to Akavir's claim.

Nicodem moved away from her legs and placed himself where he could see her face. His eyelashes fluttered as he tested her scent on the air.

Eshe found it odd that Nicodem wasn't responding. But, given that she was a stranger to him, she rationalized that he might be shy with those he just met.

"It's alright," she said as she sat. "I'm a and a pack member. It's okay if you want to talk to me."

"But, I understand your dad might have told you not to talk to strangers, and that is the right thing to do when you meet somebody who isn't a part of the pack." Stranger danger and whatnot; she didn't want to teach him anything that conflicted with what he'd already been taught.

The freckled woman continued to talk to him, mentioning that it would make sense if he held his tongue when faced with a stranger. She tried to assure him that she was a friend. After all, she carried the scent of the pack on her coat - Nicodem knew this much.

The dark boy was not worried about an unfamiliar face. She wore kindness in her eyes. She spoke softly to him, gentle in her tone and mannerisms. It was clear that she was making an effort to prove herself friendly. Nico did not have a reason to doubt her intentions.

Instead of talking, the young wolf waved his tail. He took a spot at her side and glanced expectantly toward her. Where are we going? his face asked.

Even without speaking, Eshe understood the intention behind Nicodem's expression. "I haven't explored too much since I joined the pack," she admitted. "Is there anywhere neat you could show me?"

She could introduce him to the garden, but she figured that wasn't the most exciting place for a child to go.

Nico was certain that he could find a place that would please the freckled woman. There were many in the pack. Their grounds were beautiful. The mountains ran at their backs, stretching up to the skies with imposing stone faces. The lands between them stirred with life, lured from the trees by the warm summer sun.

The dark young wolf thought that he would show her where the creek ran quickest. He had seen fish swimming beneath the surface of the water there. Some of them were colorful. And some of them were foolish enough to draw too close to the edge where Nico had seen the grumpy pup-sitter snap them up in his teeth.

There was a large tree near the creek where the freckled woman could sit and observe the water. Nicodem waved his tail, pointing his snout to their destination.

There was still a lot of the pack's territory that Eshe hadn't explored yet, and Nicodem's choice was new to her. She looked around, slowing as he pointed towards the tree and smiled. He'd done a wonderful job; it was picturesque in every way.

There was a large tree that overlooked the rushing creek. The grass was worn around the roots, but it seemed like there was still enough of a cushion to sit comfortbly. She quickly scanned the area to see if there was anything she could collect for her medicine stock, but nothing stuck out to her. Although she was sure she could find something she could use, she knew that she could come back another time to look.

"It's lovely," Eshe complimented, motioning towards the tree with her forepaw before heading in that direction. "You did a great job! I'm sure theres lots to see—especially in the water." She sat and curled her tail around her forepaws as she watched the water. Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, a fish jumped out of the water and tried to catch a dragonfly that'd been hovering above the surface. Eshe couldn't tell if the fish had been successful, as she'd lost track of the bug, but she turned towards Nicodem as it dove back in.

"Did you see that?!" she asked.

The compliment warmed him, filling him with sunlight praise that resembled a hug from someone safe. The dark young wolf thought that he had done well to show his new friend the shaded place beside the creek. She would be able to bask in the cool shadows from the tree and watch the waters pass through the land.

When she sat, so did Nicodem. His round puppy butt plopped to the ground with a small thump. The wavering of his tail created a cloud of dust that lingered on the dark hairs of his coat. The young man's mismatched eyes watched the dragonflies hover over the creek. A bold fish burst from the surface of the water and snatched at the flying bug.

Nicodem couldn't contain his excitement. He bowed his chest toward the ground, tail swaying so swiftly behind him that his rump nearly spun him in circles.

She relished in his enthusiasm—smiling to herself as he bowed and twirled his tail spinning ‘round like a propeller.

”Do you want to try and catch a fish?” she asked, hoping to keep his spirit alive with a fun and engaging activity. ”We can use berries to lure them over here, and then pounce when they‘re distracted!” She pulled back to study and interpret his reaction.

Nicodem wished to catch a fish. He’d never found the right skills in himself to achieve this goal. 

With the premise she’d suggested, he thought it might work. 

The dark boy watched her, contemplating the hunter’s skills that would be necessary to catch their prey. Would she be pleased if he could capture a fish for them to feast on? He felt this would be a good challenge. A fitting task for a boy who wanted to prove himself. 

Nico nodded eagerly. 

Where would they find the berries they’d need?

She grinned. ”We’ll look for raspberries,” she paused, wondering if he had ever learned what they were. ”They’re bright, red berries that grow on bushes. Fish like things that’re colorful.” They had some bushes in the territory, in a sunny field about a thirty minute walk from where they were. ”The berries grow on bushes that like to grow in the sunshine—have you ever seen these bushes?” She wouldn’t have been surprised if he had. They were located in a high-traffic area of the territory, along a worn path that lead to the creek.

Nicodem was wide-eyed as she explained that fish liked colorful things. He hadn’t considered this. Though the bugs that fluttered above the surface of the water did gleam with a curious shiny color. Perhaps this was what made them ideal fish prey. 

Raspberries were familiar, he felt. Nico scrunched his features thoughtfully. He turned his snout toward the well-worn path where he had seen the bright red she referenced. 

Nico nudged her leg, hoping to lead them to their berry treasure.

When he nudged her leg, she nodded encouragingly. ”Lead the way!” she prompted. ”I’ll follow you!”

They set off from there, straying occasionally as he worked through what he could remember. She was impressed with how well he’d led the way, as they really didn’t stray too far from the way she would have taken, and they arrived no more than fourty minutes later.

The bushes were scattered on a hill that basked in the sun, and they were ripe with berries. ”Great job!” she praised as they walked to the nearest shrub. ”We’ll pick a few, but we’ll make sure we leave some behind so other wolves can use them,” she explained. ”You have to be suuuuuper careful when you pick them—they’re very squishy.” But if he happened to squish a few, there’d be no harm done.

”While you pick the berries, I’m going to pick some leaves. They can be used as medicine—did you know that?”

Their lesson spanned for many hours—from learning about the native berries, to trying to catch fish, and eventually they caught one for dinner. They enjoyed it together as the sun began to set, and then Eshe put him to bed and stayed until @Akavir returned.