Chinook Coulee onwards

Several days of north maintaining a northerly heading had led to the discovery of a place that Alarick had not seen when he had been venturing south originally. Sticking close to the water had brought him and Isomne to a rather impressive valley of sorts. Evergreen trees lined each side of the canyon that the two of them had progressed through, while vegetation that was turning greener and thicker after the stretch of cold lined either side of the creek they had been loosely following. The creek itself had broadened a fair bit, as well as deepened, and more than a few times the hunter had found himself pausing to observe it, finding it quite well populated with various types of fish.

In just a few more weeks, the area would be lush and likely teeming with life. But already, it seemed to be one of the most abundant sections of land he’d seen so far, and he wondered if it might be worth proposing they remain for a short while. Besides fish, prey trails of various sorts were also plentiful around the area.  Already, it appeared that doubling back to the north had been worthwhile, for who knew how many other places there were like this, that he might’ve passed by before, simply due to choosing a different heading.

A section in the creek where water seemed to pool appeared to be a good stopping point, and Alarick headed towards it. Although it was impossible to track the stream too far in either direction thanks to its meandering and the plethora of trees populating the area, by no means did the area feel small. At that, he sought the gaze of his company.

”How would you feel about pausing in this area for a time. Perhaps, a few days?” Alarick suggested, with a slightly inquisitive tip of his head. He’d rather enjoyed having someone else around to converse and share ideas with. Though Alarick believed they’d do well to slow a bit, perhaps study this area further, he didn’t want to propose as much without mutual agreement. It seemed like the sort of area that others of their kind would frequent as well, so perhaps lingering would afford the two of them an opportunity to meet anyone else in the area.


--- for @Isomne - takes place "several days" after this thread

The landscape here held a tangible sense of vitality that the previous areas she had passed through, in Isomne's opinon at least, had lacked. Perhaps it was just the passage of days, the casting off of the last of winter's grip and the inklings of true spring that were the source of the improvement, but this place seemed somehow less ominous and more welcoming. It reminded her of her home, too, in a bittersweet kind of way that she didn't exaclty mind.

At first as the two wolves had travelled together, the travelling bard had tried to keep up some thread of conversation, or even share a song or two, but as they'd gone on, she had let Alarick take the lead and taken to studying the landscape as they went and the things he pointed out. It was becoming woefully clear to the young lady that, for all her education, she was hardly experienced when it came to hunting by more than just sheer dumb luck. Currently she was loping along, not far behind the tawny man, her muzzle tilted into the breeze. She was eager to spot more signs of prey in the area, or good weather to come, or more good omens in general - perhaps a bird-of-prey or scavenger who could lead them to another good meal, or another new friend. Although, she'd prefer not to run into anyone too cold-shouldered, or worse yet....

Her gaze was pulled downward as she heard her companion's question, and she came to stand shoulder-to-shoulder at the water's edge, dipping her head to drink. Sated, she raised her head and gazed out across the wide, rushing shallows. Isomne had to admit she was a bit footsore, and this place appealed to her. "I wouldn't mind that at all," she replied.

"Are you much good at fishing?" she asked brightly, placing her mind firmly on more pressing matters at hand, namely, their stomachs. Is and her siblings had spent quite a few summer's days splashing around in the river back home, even scaring up dinner now and then, but once again she had the feeling her experiences probably added up to little more than amateur's luck - it had always been half a game to them, never life or death, or so it seemed. The last several days had been a bit less daunting than going it alone, and she appreciated Alarick's lessons. Perhaps she could even show him a trick or two here? Who knew, though it would be quite lovely to dine on fish again one way or another.

(This post was last modified: Jul 08, 2021, 12:05 AM by Isomne.)

Isomne arrived at the water’s edge shortly after his question, and unlike he, lowered her head to drink from it. The hunter allowed his gaze to follow her actions, and then to transition to the water beyond. At this bend in the creek, the water flow seemed to ebb, creating a pool area of sorts. Within it, he could see all sorts of fish of various sizes darting this way and that, as if tempting him to go wading out there to try and snag one.

It appeared he’d have time to practice the art, as well, with his companion voicing her agreement to the idea of resting for a while. Alarick smiled a little at the question that followed, shifting his gaze back to the white female - it was almost as if she’d read his mind. Perhaps she had, at this point. Surely she hadn’t been oblivious to where most of his attention had been going.

”I’ve tried a few times and gotten lucky before, but I won’t claim to be proficient. We were always able to count on other sources of prey, back home,” he offered, shifting his focus back to the stream at that. It hadn’t been something taught or practiced commonly back home because of that, and as such, the hunter hadn’t been able to come up with any particularly good strategies.

It occurred to him, though, that perhaps his companion had asked that question for a different reason. ”Are you?” he questioned keenly, wondering if Isomne knew something he did not. Alarick certainly hoped so, and if she did, he was eager to learn it.

"I'm a fair shake better at fishing than chasing down deer," Isomne admitted to Al with a touch of pride, casting her gaze up and down the stretch of the water. She had grown up next to a river, after all. The thought of fresh brook-trout or salmon left her not just hungry, but craving a taste of home. If she had been able to stay longer, perhaps she could have really mastered it, but at least she had the rudimentary lessons down.

This spot was shallower than the one she was accustomed to, rushing swiftly across the relatively flat, rocky bed. That wasn't a bad thing at all, where fishing was concerned. She searched her memories for an old rhyme sung by the pups back home in the grotto. Fish liked edges, she had been taught. Not necessarily the banks of the river, but the more subtle borders within the river itself. Where fast water met slow, that was where they would be, nine times out of ten.

"Ah, right, I remember now! There's a rhyme for it," She exclaimed as the words at last fell into place in her mind.

"Where the river runs its swiftest pace,
Look behind the stones that create still space.
Each quiet spot where rapids pause, and clear-surfaced eddy pool,
Fish there and your larder will be full!"

Her voice had taken on a sing-song quality, and she smiled wistfully. She had promised Alarick singing lessons, had she not? Of course too much noise at the moment might scare off their potential lunch, but perhaps it might make for a nice diversion afterwards.

(This post was last modified: Jul 08, 2021, 12:05 AM by Isomne.)

As it turned out, his traveling companion did in fact claim to have more experience at catching fish than she was deer. And that got his attention. The hunter focused on Isomne, noting how her gaze turned to study the river in greater detail, while he awaited further tutorial on how to better go about hunting aquatic prey. On that front, the other did not disappoint, either.

She went on to explain the tactics, which were contained within a catchy rhyme. Intrigued by this, Alarick had a hard time focusing on both the nature of the tune and the words themselves, so the pragmatic portion of his mind won out. According to the tune.. it seemed the best spots to fish were behind the areas where the water current was broken.

”Where the river runs its swiftest pace, look behind the stones that create still space…” he repeated, attempting to mirror the particular tones and pitches Isomne had used previously. Examining the river with this new information, he did indeed begin to spot such areas, and at that, a small smile crossed his face. ”Each quiet spot where rapids pause, and eddy’s pool, fish there and your larder will be full. Huh,” he finished, albeit with less confidence than he’d begun.

”A catchy tune, and useful.” He mused, thoroughly fascinated by it. ”Did I.. get it right?” He inquired with a slight tilt of his head. The tune was indeed equal parts memorable and practical, which made Alarick wonder about the efficacy of using such rhymes to train younger wolves, or pups, in the tactics of hunting. Or in anything, really. If he were back home, he’d have been curious to test it.

"Yeah, that's right, you've got it," Isomne smiled merrily at Alarick, her tail wagging in time with the tune. She was glad to have more to contribute to this venture than their previous hunting missions, and equally pleased to hear her friend's singing. On days like this, she was happy to be a  traveler, on this adventure together. They still had to catch something to eat, though.

She had no catchy tune for this next bit; every fisher seemed to have their own technique.  "Let's each pick a spot, and then you just kind of wait and strike when the moment feels right," she offered with a bit of a shrug.

Isomne had always preferred to wade in, her mother had always found a log or stone to perch on - her brother did much the same, but rather than swiftly grab and retreat, he would leap into the water, splashing and snapping wildly. That was perhaps not the best technique, to her mind, but it wasn't entirely unsuccessful either. She had even seen an old pack-mate stand there with their nose in the water for what seemed like ages, using some kind of breathing technique she had never had the chance to ask to learn. Perhaps she could still figure it out someday if she gave it a try now, though.

Is paused for a moment, waiting for Al's response, planning to choose a spot not too far off from wherever he wanted to try fishing.

Thankfully, Isomne did not cringe or appear repulsed by his attempt to mimic the particular notes of the tune. In fact - quite the opposite. Perhaps he was not too bad at the singing thing, after all. Alarick surely did not have the skill of his companion, but it was impossible not to smile back at her. The idea of using singing and rhymes to help others was rather intriguing. It felt good to be learning new things, himself, and even better to be sharing them with someone else.

Isomne proposed that they each pick a spot, stating all that was left to do was wait and strike at the right moment. ”Right. Let’s give it a try,” he agreed, eager to try fishing with this new knowledge. Before, he'd tended to just wander into the water and choose a spot. Sometimes, that led to him getting lucky, but knowing where fish liked to congregate would presumably eliminate some of that.

Deciding upon an area, the hunter looked back to his company, nodding. "May fortune be with both of us," the hunter spoke. He did not waste a moment after that, beginning to wade into the water. The chilly current soaked through his fur almost instantly, a feeling he ignored, ducking down to submerge the entirety of his body in the water once it’d reached chest height. The action allowing him to acclimate to the cooler temperature, to a degree. The warmer weather brought about today rendered cold less of a concern than it might’ve been not long ago, a fact he was grateful for. Drying off and warming back up wouldn't be too difficult, he thought.

Reaching his decided upon spot, the waters around did seem to slow, the current not quite tickling the underside of his chin. It was there he’d wait, casting a look back to see where Isomne had decided to go before focusing on the water.