Cold Water Creek steelhead

To be set at a date most convenient for @Noble's timeline :)

Sorry it's so long. It's what this family does to me.

They had come across the small trickle together in the very early hours of the morning, worthy of note only because mother had admitted that she didn't remember it. Having quickly gotten used to the idea that she was more familiar with the mountain, and everything in and on it, than he was with his own paws, the revelation had been quite the novelty. In a moment of calm and contentment, they decided to follow it together, to see where the water took them as it picked an eons-carved passage down the mountain. Bella made her second confession to her youngest that day, that she had never really stepped foot on the ground to the east of the mountain, though she had spent many, many hours watching it from above. Duck took pleasure in knowing that it would be an adventure for both of them - and only them. Leaving the other two behind, to get up to whatever cruel people got up to, mother and son chatted idly as they followed the stream, laughing at each other's stubborn attempts to stick as closely to the water's edge as possible even when it was difficult.

The water grew wider as they moved, and the instant they ducked behind a rocky ledge and the ground was laid below them clearly, they both realised that what had been an easily missed trickle would turn into the winding creek that could be faintly seen from their high home. Such a notion filled Bella with an excitement that Duck recognised but did not understand, for why was it so fun that they stumble across some random creek's feeder stream? It was just water, who cared where it came from?

The idea of walking along the creek didn't put a smile on Duck's face because of the trickle, no - he was keen to see what kind of beasties swam in the waters down here.

Together they left the mountain behind in the west, and as his mother grew quiet as she absorbed the flora, the air, the earth she had never trod upon, Duck's attentions drew towards the creek's surface, to any sign of movement beneath it. It wasn't long before he caught glimpses of rainbow scales, and growled softly at the shimmering fish swimming obliviously past. Bella chuckled at him and told him that the steelheads wouldn't make it easy on him - they were strong animals, and would put up a fight. When Duckweed laughed and boldly declared that he was stronger than any fish, he didn't see the small, proud, hopeful smile on his mother's face.

Before long, Duck decided that he had found an ideal fishing spot, a bend in the creek which gave him excellent access to the water and plenty of solid ground to brace himself and throw a flailing fish. There was even a large stone with an upright point he could use to try and smack his catch against for a quick finish! While Bella sat and watched him for a time, Duck's game was one of patience, and when neither moved for many long moments she decided to give him privacy. Absorbed in his task, the boy acknowledged this with a grunt, and when she laughed and told him she loved him he grunted again, softer.

Soon he was alone. The ripples of creek and fluid bodies reflected in his wide eyes, as he watched and waited, studying their size, their routes, the way they moved. Sometimes none came past for minutes, and other times the creek seemed to be full of them, and he marveled at his fortune and their abundance. Why could they not live down here, in these bluish trees, rather than the grey rocks of the mountain? He'd lived high up his whole life, maybe change would be good...

After much contemplation, he struck. When the fish were at their most abundant, occasionally one would fly free of the water for a brief moment, and it was one of those moments of exposure that he tried to exploit. His mother hadn't been wrong, though; despite smacking one of the airborne fish right in its face, all it did was change the beast's trajectory a little, and it fell back into the water harmlessly. Huffing at his failure, but accepting that it was all a part of the learning process, Duck huddled down and waited for another opportunity. It came much quicker than the last one, though with as little apparent success; the fish slipped back under the stream, but Duck's understanding of their reactions and weight was growing.

An hour passed in similar fashion. Patient, for a wolf like Duck had no responsibility beyond his own goals - and his single, solitary goal was to catch one of these shining-bright fish - the boy sat and smacked fish, either from the air or from the water when he thought a chance presented itself. One fish was brought slamming onto dry ground, but when he tried to pounce on it, it thrashed wildly and smacked him right in the cheek. When he recoiled in pain, it found its way back to the creek, lost among the others as though nothing had happened. Though he grumbled at the loss, Duck also knew that was the closest he had gotten with these large fish - and if he could get that close, he could go the whole way.

A tired and wet but determined paw snagged one right under its mouth, and with a jerk lifted it into the air, bringing it slamming face-down onto the splashed and muddy earth - instantly he jumped upon it, the thing almost as long as one of his legs, but he bit down into it, desperate to weaken it, not to let it escape - when it convulsed, propelling itself into the air again, he leaped at it and shoved it towards the stone he had yet to use effectively, and by some miracle (or pure skill) the sharp edge drove through the shimmering scales, and blood spattered across the ground, but its thick body twisted again and he pushed on it, using all of his body weight to drive it down, to squeeze the fight out of it - its body slapped against his chest, his face, any part of him that the flailing fish happened to reach, but he had won.

Panting, the smell of blood thick in his nose, he pulled back once the trout had given up. Lifeless it lay on his stone, like some sacrifice, and for a moment he couldn't believe he had succeeded. The thing was huge, bigger than any fish he had caught before, and the reality of his overwhelming victory hit him. "I did it," he whispered, exhausted, nudging the fish from the rock onto the ground, watching how the blood seeped from its jagged wounds, how it mixed with the water which ran from its scales, how those scales still looked so alive.

He chose not to call for his mother. This was his personal victory, and he didn't need to gloat about it - he had won, he knew it, and that was enough. Settling down, he began to lick the blood from the fish, cleaning it ready for a hard-earned breakfast.

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

re: the wait? i suck... and don't apologize about the length: I love your writing!

She had heard the sound of their conversation without catching any other the words. The young girl had drawn away from the water resentfully, thinking they were strangers of the dangerous sort and not realizing they were a family. Not hearing the easy familiarity as they conversed was a small blessing to a yearling had nothing of the sort and believed it to be lost forever.

As they drew closer Noble receded into the forest and watched them. Dark gold eyes flicked from one to the other, lush foliage both hiding her form and obscuring her sight of them. They lingered and she fidgeted. Noble didn't particularly want to leave this area. It was quiet and isolated and interwoven with enough waterways that she could quickly and easily lose a pursuing wolf. Noble was not quite sure if this was a situation that called for such means. She hoped it wasn't, but the pair seemed to have no intentions of leaving anytime soon. She pitched back dark ears and settled to her haunches to wait.

Her eyes were drooping when something finally happened. The girl rose, stretching a bit, and pushed her muzzle to peer through a patch in the forest. There was only one wolf now, or rather, still one wolf now. At least it was the smaller, slighter one. Noble hesitated a moment, tail twitching like an irate cats. She wanted him gone. The girl moved herself closer, arrogantly moving through the forest she likened to be hers. Her eyes stared down his back for a long while, long enough to realize he was not simply resting. He was fishing, just like Desideria on that fateful day. Noble was mesmerized despite herself; tensing when he did and following the surge of water with fascination. It was the striking of the salmon upon a stone that broke the spell.

Noble blinked as the action quieted and then her eyes narrowed. She did not share his wonderment. He whispered down to the fish and she was already moving forward. He had caught it, but that was only half the battle. She hesitated in the last shadow of the forest -letting the smell of blood bolster her nerves- and darted forward. This had to be quick and dirty; that other wolf might still be nearby. There was no hesitation and her hackles were dark spikes swaying over ebony shoulders. She snapped rapidly at Duckweed, edging sideways and closer with the hope of snatching the salmon away.

@Noble <3

He had barely had time to swipe his tongue across his mighty catch before sudden movement caught his eye, and the moment his brain realised that it was sudden movement coming right at him all his gears shifted from elation to panic. Why would anything be charging at him right at that moment? It was supposed to be a good moment! He'd done something skillful all by himself! Why did the world hate him so damn much?!

It didn't matter that she was just a young wolf like himself, for wolves his own age were one of Duck's greatest terrors, and plus she was way larger than him and all dark-coloured and teeth and hostile eyes. Instinct took over, Duck's brand of instinct, and rather than stay to defend the fish he had worked so hard to catch he scampered back in fear, tail tucked between his legs and his skin crawling with shame and disgust and just why.

He whined high and long, staring at her now from a few further feet away, his precious salmon totally undefended. His stomach growled in hunger but it would have to stay that way now. He was still confused, taken totally by surprise, snapped out of his glorious victory so abruptly that he was still trying to adjust to what had just happened. "Why?" he whined, unable to vocalise anything else less pathetic, unable to summon the strength for any kind of stronger defense. Just... why. It was so indecent. Everything hated him. Why did he even bother.

hmm, Noble says she ready to escape with the salmon now (she has such bad table manners xD). If we need Bella do stretch it into 10 posts, I'm game!

Before she knew it, Noble was standing triumphantly over the steelhead -both surprised and elated with her success. Now it was her paws that the salmon's blood was running into. She didn't bother glancing down at it, the fishy and oily waft was all the reassurance she needed. It was the other youth that Noble was more concerned with. Duckweed had scrambled away and she rotated from her spot directly over the fish to watch him. The success had come so quickly that she hadn't prepared for the next step. Somehow she needed to get away with this salmon and, from it's weight against her paw, the thing was heavier than it looked.

When he whined her lips pulled back to give him an aggravated, silent snarl. Really? Her tail froze, then lashed. Did she really have to explain how this worked to him? What a lucky he was to be so sheltered for so late in life. "Because I'm hungry and I want it more than you do." She hissed at him. That was just the way it worked, life hadn't been fair to Noble and she saw no reason to be fair to anyone else. Still watching him, she began rolling the salmon with her front legs as she backed away. The creek was her best chance for escape and she didn't have to worry about this dead salmon swimming away. Once she was far enough away to get a good grip on it, Noble planned to make her escape.

@Noble Duck shouldn't always be rescued c: so feel free to have her leave! But I'd like for Bella to come in too late and post with myself for a round or two, so don't archive please <3 Sorry for the wait, too.

The flash of teeth was completely unnecessary, though it did quash any minute inclinations of retaliation that Duck might have been considering. He recognised her irritation at his question but couldn't know the reason behind it; from his point of view, he had already known the answer, and it had just been a knee-jerk reaction, a plea for no hostility. It was just because she was a bully. He knew bullies, and he recognised it in her face, in how she had barged in here and taken his hard-won prize. He almost found it hard to believe that this wolf was a stranger, for it seemed just like something that his brother or sister would do to help break his spirit just that little bit more. Maybe one of them had put this nasty woman up to it. Maybe they were watching and laughing. Maybe they simply couldn't bear the idea of him having a peaceful walk with their mother, so they just had to ruin it, and oh man, they'd been successful.

So of course she wouldn't say the real reason, but it didn't matter because he knew it anyway. He very much doubted that she wanted it more than him; there was no way she could understand how much that stupid fish had meant to him... in the few minutes he'd been allowed to enjoy it. His fur was still wet from the task.

"Whatever," he grunted, slinking back a little further, wanting to put as much space between his siblings' minion and himself. "G-g-go tell them th-they win. I hope, hope y-you all ch-ch-choke on it."