Nightingale Palisade you go down the longest road to nowhere

Although subtle hints of Spring fill the air, the cruel and biting cold of Winter is still ever present. Emra lifts his nose to the sky, pulling in whatever scent the breeze might carry with it. As expected, there were no signs of any canine life in this area, at least none that he could detect through sight or smell. It has been some weeks since he has seen any other wolf besides his friend Sigmund, and their travels have begun to wear difficult on the both of them.

Another deep breath fills his lungs, and it is exhaled just as quickly as it was breathed in. His claws bore into the moist dirt below, sliding ever so slightly down the slope he finds himself descending. His tail swings carefully behind him, aiding his in balance as he takes a small leap forward, finally landing on solid ground. At last, he has come upon the source of the sweet sound his ears picked up minutes earlier - a river. He lowers his head to the surface, quickly lapping at the rushing water until he is satiated.

As he lifts his head, his eyes quickly begin to scan below the depths of the stream, searching for any unfortunate creatures that might come into view. Being raised near a lake certainly had its advantages - and quickly mastering the art of hunting fish was one of them. His front paws delve into the frigid water, allowing him to go slightly further into the lake without fully submerging himself. He is perfectly still for several minutes, simply allowing the fish to grow comfortable and float ever nearer to him. At last, one skirts past his left paw and his muzzle dives down, teeth splitting through scales and bone until the fish is firmly in his grasp.

(This post was last modified: Feb 27, 2022, 12:50 AM by Emra.)

Apparently, going too far south meant heading towards the very sort of damned forests she loathed. So, Colette intended to turn around and head north again very soon. But, it was important to scout around, to learn the layout of the land, and all that. Not to mention an ever-present need for food.

The ghost surmised that she might find something near this river, so she had taken to wandering along the top edges of the ravine it ran through, for a while. Because, like her, other creatures needed to drink too. Her focus remained on the landscape surrounding her, steps quiet as she crested the next gentle slope.

And to her mild surprise, she did indeed see something. Colette paused, focusing her good eye on the figure below. To her displeasure, however, it was not prey, but another of her kind. Standing in the water, too, and probably scaring all of the prey away. Until suddenly the figure moved, and in the figure’s jaws, she was pretty sure she could see a fish.

Huh. That was.. rather smart. Credit where it was due. And not something she’d ever really considered doing. She far preferred land animals, but, desparate times, and all that. With a sigh to herself, the ghost set about beginning to descend the ravine. She let out a short woof to alert the other as she slowly picked her way down, hoping this stranger might be in the mood to teach, and demonstrate that technique, again.

Colette didn’t stop to consider the alternative, for, at this point in her life, there wasn’t much to be feared if the stranger was hostile.

I saw in her profile it says that she's undernourished so I included that in Emra's observation of her - if that's not ok just let me know!

The call of another echoes from the distance and his dark ears immediately twist backwards to face the sound. His eyes narrow and his head turns to face the approaching wolf as she descends the hillside. His gaze quickly tracing over her frame, taking into observation the ribs that protrude slightly from her white coat and the slightly visible curvature of her spine. Her situation isn't dire, but she certainly appears to be more malnourished than Emra is himself.

Taking several steps backwards so that he is no longer within the water's depths, he relaxes his jaw, allowing the barely-alive fish to thud softly against the grasses below. It writhes every few seconds, its sides heaving for oxygen but to no avail. It certainly doesn't have the strength to squirm itself back to the river. "Are you hungry?" he asks, dipping his head and neck slightly in a form of greeting. He extends his paw, sliding his toes slightly under the body of the fish to push it closer to her. He is hungry, sure, but he could always catch another.

The darker figure turned pretty quickly as soon as she’d called out, and it almost seemed she could feel his eyes on her, studying - taking note of her current form. This man was youthful, like the last encounter she’d had, and in a rather decent state of health, at that. As he exited the water and dropped something to the ground, Colette was able to confirm that it was indeed a fish he’d had.

Still writhing, so not dead yet, but powerless to do anything to save itself. It could only lie there, struggling in vain, while it waited for death. Kinda like you, huh, that voice in her mind commented. Pretty much true, and the motivator for her initiating this encounter.

The young man seemed the respectful sort, if a little reserved, asking first if she was hungry. He also offered a dip of his head, something Colette returned as she finally reached the bottom of the incline and halted a dozen or so paces away. He then pushed forth his fish without so much as an answer. Or maybe it’s his way of telling you to get lost, that cynical portion of her mind offered again.

”I am, but I don’t want your food. I’d rather see how you did that.” She spoke, tipping her head curiously. The fish would feed her for a day, but if he could demonstrate again and she could learn it, there was at least a chance the ghost could feed herself for longer. ”If.. you don’t mind tryin’ to teach a grumpy, half-blind old lady, anyway,” she added with a wry grin. Maybe to lighten things up a little.  

-yes! his observation is accurate, all good ^^

(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2022, 10:31 PM by Colette.)

A nearby creek is full to the brim with fish. +3 Health