Pip felt at peace for the first time in a while. She had everything she could ever need. @Kjell was back and consistently visiting with her and teaching her all kinds of things she never thought she would learn being as meek as she was. The pair would hunt together and spend what felt like hours doing nothing more important than snuggling and enjoying each others' company. And life in the pack had settled as well. Since that time with Kjell, the frightful feeling under her skin had dissipated and the small female now knew it to be a heat cycle. She honestly never thought she would experience one considering the history of females in Bella Coola. Those who were in the lower ranks were always suppressed by the more dominant females to prevent an excess of puppies that the pack could not support. But, Pip realized, the ranks within the Hollow had been changing so much lately there was no true consistency on the female leadership of late.
Understanding it now made her feel even more silly for not having known what was happening at the time. But Kjell had been kind as ever and gentle in his teachings. Her thoughts strayed to him now even as she stood waist deep in Cut Rock River. Her tail floated behind her on the surface of the river, waving from side to side as she smiled absently. Though several fish had come within striking range, it took a focused effort to leave her thoughts behind and pay attention to her fishing.
Despite the snow still falling, the first of the chum salmon were starting to migrate back out to sea. It occurred to her in that moment that if her siblings wished to return back to Bella Coola, they need only follow the migrations. The revelation was too little, too late, and it wasn't like she could have told them so anyway. Putting that to rest, she plunged forward to grab one of the larger smolts and dealt with its trashing like a champ. Lifting her head high to keep the fish out of the water, Pip trudged towards the river bank and lay in the snow eat her catch.
Upon hearing approaching pawsteps, the little wolf paused and looked over to spot @Veho. Sweetly, she wagged her tail and smiled in welcoming before nudging her recent catch towards him in open invitation for him to take it before she waddled back into the shallows to try her teeth at catching another for herself.