Having stumbled up the river earlier, the young mother led her growing pup back towards its edge. Having spent some time in its waters, she knew it to be healthy and thriving. There would be plenty of fish for Aegir to try his jaws at fishing! The area itself wouldn't be as conducive to learning, she knew. Her mate had an easier venue on his first time, she remembered. The memory had her smiling with fondness; Kjell was so bad at fishing initially! But he tried hard for her, her dear heart. He tried.

But this place didn't have many still pools for the boy to stand in and wait patiently. He wouldn't have the opportunity to stand and let his prey come to him. She supposed it was just as well; sitting still was far from Aegir's strength! Even if nothing came of the fishing trip, at least he would be worn tired by the end of it! Pip had to consider that a plus; it meant he wasn't as likely to stray in his misadventures and leave her struggling to follow tonight.

Trial and error would have to be his teachers just as much as she was. Pip turned to ensure he was following and wagged her tail in encouragement. Approaching the river's edge, she perched on a moss-covered boulder and stared at the rushing water with scrutiny. When she spotted what she was looking for, Pip nudged Aegir to capture his attention and pointed with her muzzle at the spot. Did he see the flash of color?

Kjell had his Mother, but Pip had her sea gods. She knew it was they who gifted her with Aegir. It was they who allowed him to live where the others had died; her nameless babes. Pip watched the way he observed the water, how he swallowed up the details like a otter did clams. While he lacked experience, the mute saw he had natural born talent. Now, she knew well that talent wasn't everything. But it surely helped.

At the pup's bold proclamation, Pip smiled and nodded in encouragement. While other mothers would have feared the current would be too strong, the she-wolf knew Aegir would not be swept up by it. He was stronger than most and he had the blessing of the sea gods. Water would not claim him. But on the off chance he lost his footing or became disoriented by the crash beneath the water, Pip was fully prepared to leap in and rescue him. She may be small, but for her son, she could move mountains.

She watched the way his coiled to spring and could imagine the dragons Kjell was fond of describing to her. So many different shapes depending on the story. Pip liked to imagine Aegir as one of the rather serpentine ones. Yes, with flaring fins like the deep sea fish and thick coils like a strong boa and sharp talons like the wolves of the sky. The mute eyed the fish with a narrowed gaze, tense alongside the growing boy. She saw the flash of shimmering scales as the fish made to turn underwater and chirped; a sharp noise meant to tell him now, now, go while it is distracted! Even if he didn't catch it, there would be more times. It was a bit deep - he would need to learn to dive, too and hold his breath until air escaped in small bubbles from his nose. That, he would learn through doing it. Even if she could explain, he wouldn't understand until he was in the moment.

Honestly, she didn't expect perfection from him on the first try. But Pip hadn't expected a graceless belly flop either. The wolf bent double as she gasped for breath in laughter. What a ridiculous pup she had! He looked half-mad with the way he flailed around and snapped at the water. Did he honestly expect to catch anything like that? There was no finesse at all! Not even aim! That had to come into play with fishing. He would learn, she told herself. In time. He wasn't going to get it first—

Try...

The mute's mouth fell open in shock, orange eyes blinking with disbelief. He caught it. He actually caught it. The damnable thing was so disoriented it practically swam right into the path of his snapping jaws.

Pip shook her head and looked again. Sure enough, it was still there wiggling in his mouth.

Coming back to herself, Pip noticed the pup's trouble with his new load. Was he even breathing? Of course a male couldn't do two things at once! Apparently breathing and swimming were impossible to do at the same time. She snorted with amusement, but didn't leave him to struggle. The young mother stood on a boulder that was closest to him and reached out to snag him by his scruff to help yank him back ashore. Another month older and she would find the task nearly impossible! Soaking wet, he was pretty heavy!

As soon as he was safely back on solid ground, she licked his muzzle and cheeks and forehead and ears with her tail wagging excitedly. Gifted by the sea gods, most assuredly! Talent and plain dumb luck would be his friends! But still, Pip was determined to teach him technique at some point!

Undeterred by Aegir's pouting - what else could it be called, this reaction to being saved? - Pip continued to lavish praise upon him. Even if the technique had been the worst she'd ever seen, that he had made a fearless attempt was alone enough to earn her approval. How many pups his age would fling themselves into a fast moving river the way he did? Pip wouldn't have; she would have been cowering at the edge of the bank and yearning for calmer waters. Of course, she had since overcome many of her puphood fears, but they were viable fears. Perhaps she should be more concerned for Aegir's lack of fear than anything. But she could only find pride.

She waited out his tantrum with endless patience, amused by the way his cheeks puffed out and he huffed like a fish out of water. He and his prey wore similar expressions. Thankfully, his tantrum seemed short-lived and he was requesting she show him how it was really done.

Pip was far from a micro-manager. If Aegir found a method that worked for him consistently, she was more than happy to encourage that behavior. But experience warned that his flailing method was far from an actual technique. With an amused nod, she turned to trot a little ways down the river, moving away from the spot where he'd surely startled everything away. On sure paws, the little mute stepped across the slippery terrain without so much as a stumble, toes splaying wide to help with balance while her claws dug hard against the sleek rocks. Orange eyes speared the water in her search for another fish.

A suitable distance away, she spotted a young trout struggling to remain in place against the current. His brown spotted body blended in with the riverbed, but Pip was a keen observer and the barest flash of scale caught her eye. With her prey chosen, the little female stepped to the closest rock gently. Fish were easily spooked, so quiet and easy movements were best. None of this flailing around silliness!

Without preamble, Pip dove nose first into the river, her angle similar to that of a pelican in its own descent into ocean waves. Every angle of her body was meant to allow water to sluice readily by her and grant her speed beneath the surface. Her jaws clamped hard around her prey at the last moment and bubbles floated up in a sudden torrent as she turned back to the surface and broke out of the water. The fish in her mouth managed only one weak flop before it no longer resisted as she swam strongly back to shore.

She set her fish down beside Aegir's with satisfaction. That was how it was done with finesse!

Her son's awe brought no small matter of pride. Before Kjell and @Aegir, it had been rare for any to marvel at her feats. Then again, she'd rarely felt the want to show off. But her boy brought out all manner of showmanship in her, for she longed to have him have reason to feel the awe he showed her each and every day. Still, she could not reason what she'd done to deserve him. The sea gods had been kind indeed by allowing him to live where his siblings had not. She doubted she would ever quite get over it. He was a marvel, through and through. Her own little miracle.

Delight thrummed through her veins as she watched him dance in place - careful not to allow his own catch slip back into the water. He was too cute for words that it was handy she couldn't speak any. If she could, she would likely embarrass him with such tellings. Pip could imagine the way he would ease away from her and whine in front of friends as she cooed over him.

His question earned a pleased nod. Yes, she supposed he'd earned the meal. After all, he'd caught it himself! Pip was simply pleased to know that - even so young - he could already care for himself. Perhaps not enough to live on his own just yet and that suited her just fine. She longed for him to never leave her side, but feared it would come sooner than she wished it. Birds always fledged the nest eventually.