It's not PINK! It's Salmon

For @Borlla

With the onset of spring and the melting of the ice, while frigid, it was no longer impossible to immerse himself chest deep in the creek that flowed so close to their home. He had been unable to track down any herds within relative proximity to the pack and having recently met his niece and nephew he was loath to travel too far from them, convinced this time that the children shared a blood connection to him. It had been a long time since he had attempted to fish and while his instincts were telling him to find a shallow ford, the writhing pink and purple masses below the water hardly provided a difficult target, and surely such a location would be crawling with newly awoken grizzlies... A challenge he would rather not face on his own.

Pushing his head under the water only caused the fish, traveling as if in some sort of trance, deeper down and out of the reach of his jaws. Pulling his sodden head up and giving it a good shake to rid the water from his ears he made his way back closer to the bank. Finally maneuvering himself into a position where he could pin the next salmon to swim his way against the gravelly creek bed all he could do was wait. Fiery eyes peered down through the crystalline waters until finally... Splash! Smack!

It was with some effort that he pulled his head from the water, jaws clamping down on the flailing fish as it’s tail continued to beat at the left side of his skull in a desperate attempt to stun him into releasing it. Closing his left eye he pulled himself from the water, shivering momentarily and unable to shake his fur unless he put his prize down he chose to wait until after his delivery was made. Even he was amazed at how naturally he picked a path straight to the den. They had only been here a short while but he had spent so much time trapezing the terrain, checking borders and searching for prey that it was all second nature to him now, and before he knew it the familiar den came into sight.

Slowing his steps to quiet his approach, lest the children be sleeping, he placed the salmon, fresh but now still, at the entrance to the den for his brothers mate. Tip-toeing away far enough that his spray would not shower those within the safety of the den, he allowed himself a violent shake, sending water spraying in all directions. His head perked back up, ready to take his leave again. But something held him in place for just a moment longer.

It had taken a bit of cajoling, but she'd managed to coax her children off to sleep. She wasn't sure how long it would last, but she made her way out of the den to give them a bit of quiet. Not tired at all, Borlla actually had intentions to do a bit of hunting, making herself useful. Since Spring was here now, wildlife would certainly be active and she was more than happy to catch a rabbit or two and maybe set them aside for Phineas. He'd done an awful lot of hunting for her...She felt as though she needed to repay him. Or at least it was something they could all share. As she edged towards the entrance of the den, the smell of fish hit her nose. It was a pleasant smell, nothing rotting, and she edged towards the mouth, spotting the salmon. The scent of Phineas's brother, Erebos, was strong around it, and she came out just as he shook off. It had been her intention to find him and thank him.

However, Borlla was greeted with a bit of a rain shower, and stood there damp and startled when it was over. <b style="color:#32527a">"Good afternoon, Erebos," She said, her voice rather strained. <b style="color:#32527a">"Thank you for the uh...Salmon, and for sharing the creek." Her voice cracked as she held back laughed, ears pinned back. This had been an unexpected development, and she gave a slight shake herself, though she wasn't doused enough to do much damage, if any, those within the den. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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*Kicks Erebos*

I apologise. I really do.

A moment too late, he heard her voice behind him and his heart skipped a beat at the realisation. Shit. His still damp ears pinned back to his skull and his head dropped low before he turned to meet her gaze, a sheepish grin pulling at the corners of his mouth somewhere between an apology and outright mirth. He struggled to contain the laughter that welled within his chest, knowing full well that her untimely departure from the den had showered her with the excess of his earlier activities. It was a great relief to hear her voice strained with contained laughter as she thanked him for sharing not just his catch, but the creek from which it came as well. With her words he could no longer contain his laughter and a harsh, but quiet bark left his chest as his body shook with the result of trying to maintain some quiet for the sleeping children - his tail wagging behind himself happy in the knowledge that she found their predicament as amusing as he did.

"You’re welcome." He responded with a smile, choosing to take her thanks at face value. "Nothing like a midday shower to help shake the sleep from your bones."

He regarded the pale tawny woman for a moment almost hungrily, realising it was possibly the first time he had allowed himself to truly look at her. When @Phineas was about it was his brother who held his attention and up until recently the woman before him had been seen as little more than an accessory, a means to an end. Since the emergence of the pups however, he found himself inextricably drawn to her, and the feeling of protectiveness that came over him at the sight of young Hypatia and Kyros was something completely unexpected. All his life the most reliable aspect of his nature was how entirely unreliable he was, and after days, perhaps even weeks of battling with himself he had finally caved, half hoping he could manage his escape from her proximity unnoticed. But luck had not been on his side today.

"The uh- salmon are spawning. No shortage of them... we might have to keep an eye out for bears though..." he finished with a forced smile, not wanting to dwell on the reasoning for his complete avoidance of the woman before him up until this point.

(This post was last modified: Jun 10, 2013, 06:01 AM by Erebos.)

She hadn't seen much of the other Argyris brother, and had really been intending to say hello to him, maybe engage him in some friendly conversation. They were family now, she supposed, and well...It usually helped to get to know the members of your family. But their paths never seemed to cross, whether this was merely coincidence, or some act of intention, Borlla didn't know, but wouldn't take it personally either way. She'd never been the social sort herself, and when she was, she tended to get into trouble. But here they both were now, so it was as good a time as any. A sputter of a laugh wormed its way through her clenched teeth, finally allowing her some respite from the pressure, and her body quietly shook the rest of it out. Her shoulders bounced quietly, until she looked up again, ears twisted to the sides as Erebos let out his own noise of humor.

<b style="color:#32527a">"I'll remember that next time I wake up from a nap." Clearing her throat, the woman shifted back on her haunches. <b style="color:#32527a">"Bears?" She said, all traces of humor gone from her voice now. Well, it made sense. But she was glad to have it brought to the forefront of her mind. <b style="color:#32527a">"Thank you." Borlla nodded, before shooting the smallest of glances back into the darkness of the den. She prayed that their curiosity wouldn't push them outside of the view of the den as her own had done all those years ago. Swallowing, she turned her eyes upon Erebos again, smiling again. Leaning forward slightly, she looked up at him curiously, <b style="color:#32527a">"So, Erebos Argyris, tell me why I know nothing of you." She huffed a faint little laugh again, trying to push the thought of bears to the side for now. To be honest, she could have said the same to either brother, but she'd spent far much more time with Phineas than she'd ever spent with Erebos. In fact, she'd hardly shared a word with him. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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This was happening. Whether he wanted it to happen or not. He couldn’t pull away now if he tried. Finally caving to the situation and turning so he wasn’t addressing his lady leader over his shoulder. He allowed himself a moment to remind himself of his own standing as he did so, this was his brothers mate, the mother of his niece and nephew, whatever rampant thoughts decided to batter at his brain, he had to push them back. He had to try to be better. To do the right thing for once. He shifted uncomfortably at the thought of changing but knew it had to be done.

He forced his fluffy butt to the ground so that he wouldn’t flee, focusing instead on the trees just over her shoulder as he tried to decide exactly what he was feeling, but her voice dragged his attention back to her and her alone, and the words she spoke brought the smile back to his face. “Probably because there isn’t a lot to know.” he responded with a hint of a chuckle to his tone. “Younger brother from a place I’m sure Phineas would rather forget... One in a litter of four...” he shrugged considering what else he could add. The trouble maker? Unreliable and selfish? Deserter? (but then again, his noble brother had deserted as well). Unless she probed further he was happy to leave it at that, but it did raise the question, “And why do I know nothing of you?”

Borlla got the distinct feeling that Erebos was trying to avoid her. Initially, it had been something of an inkling, and she thought that, perhaps she was just being paranoid. But now she could almost feel the strange tension in the air. Borlla could only imagine what she'd done to offend the man, though he seemed to be kind enough to her now. Maybe she was just imagining it...Her ears flicked as he sat before her and she joined him, her own hindquarters meeting the damp earth. It felt like a faceoff, and Borlla had to will herself not to laugh and shoved that thought into the back of her head. She regained her composure and her ears focused forward, intent on him and his short little biography.

<b style="color:#32527a">"You sound a bit like me," Borlla chuckled, and her ears tipped back in mild embarrassment. She was certain there was more to hear, but before she could pry further, he hit her with her own question. <b style="color:#32527a">"I like to think of myself as an enigma," The woman smirked, and narrowed her eyes in an attempt to look mysterious. <b style="color:#32527a">"Or at least someone who would rather keep their past in the past. I'm sure some of my past exploits would be frowned upon." Pulling herself out of her little joking posture, she shrugged, frowning slightly. Her eyes pulled away from him for a moment, and she seemed thoughtful. <b style="color:#32527a">"How about, you tell me something, and then I tell you something. Because I think you're holding back and I know that I am." Borlla looked back to him, wondering if he would indulge her in this little game. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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