Iridescent Lagoon goliath

Open for anyone! :)

She had never seen quite so many foxes in her entire life.

They gathered along the rocky shore of the lake, not just one or two but several. Everything Miskwaa had ever learned had told her that foxes, like herself, were pack animals... But from where she stood, there looked to be at least six adults hovering in front of a small den just by the shore. From within that den there echoed a single, sickly cry, the weakest she had ever heard — what misfortune had befallen the group? Golden eyes blinked, studying the dawn gathering with what was best described as complete and utter confusion. The foxes seemed to be conversing, though none too politely: it seemed to be a gainsay, punctuated by guttural snarls, raised hackles, and lashing tails. 

Slowly, carefully, Miskwaa advanced closer to the group. All around, the creatures of this land seemed to be waking up as the sun climbed over the horizon and ever higher into the sky. The sound of songbirds joined the bickering of the pack of foxes, who seemed unfettered by the disturbance they were causing as well as her approach. Miskwaa was near silent in her movements, ears trained forward with molten gaze steadily watching the family. One misstep over a lose stone, however, gave away her position and the group turned with fiery eyes now trained on her. Unwilling to pick a fight for the sole purpose of sating her curiosity, Miskwaa backpedaled until the irritable group shifted their gazes from her and back to each other. Questions remained but, for the time being, the wolf was not quite willing to obtain answers. 

(This post was last modified: Jun 28, 2015, 02:32 AM by Miskwaa.)

In searching for his sister, it seemed Veho had overshot his destination entirely. The Lost Lake remained just that, lost to him among the pass. While Serpent's Pass had provided him with safe passage over the mountain he'd previously failed to surmount, it brought him no closer to the mystery of Namid near the Lake. Whether it was his littermate of not remained to be seen – for now, the loner had other problems. Namely, filing his empty belly. Most days, the grey wolf scavenged, able to get by on carcasses abandoned by packs or coyotes. It mattered little to him what it was, only that he didn't have to waste undo energy obtaining something to eat. Instead, he was able to focus on more important this, such as his travels, and learning the plant life of his new home. Today, curiously, his attention had been caught by pelts of wildfire. It was very rare to see more than one fox in the same place, lest a vixen had kits, but these were all grown. Perhaps they had something to eat? Unwilling to actually chase someone away from their rightful kill, Veho thought he might sit and wait should they leave anything when they all turned at once, alerting him to another wolf nearby. Ears perking forward, he quickly trailed the loner as she retreated to safer grounds, offering a small chuff to announce his presence. "Hello," he murmured quietly, not unaware of the unusual venom in the foxes' gaze. "Are you alright? Did you – do you know those foxes?"

thanks for joining! :D

"Hello." Ears rotated in the stranger's direction, muzzle swinging to the left so she could assess him with great care. The stranger in question was a fair shake bigger than she with a coat colored just like the rocks along the lake shore. He was civil enough in his approach and Miskwaa supposed she should have been thankful that he voiced his approach. She supposed she was, albeit minimally: she remained suspicious of him, taking a small step sideways to create a greater distance between them. It was nothing personal, not really — but were he the sensitive sort, he might have found himself offended by her misanthropic ways. Were he a loner like herself (and he did not smell like other wolves), however, he might appreciate her wariness.

“No.” A simple answer for a simple question. She did not move her golden eyes from him as she spoke, though spared a glance in the direction of the russet creatures as something of an afterthought. The arrival of another wolf had apparently caught their attention and they took a few steps back. The mouth of the den was now exposed with the small canines nearby, growling and yapping in apparently hushed tones. Deciding that the stranger deserved a better explanation, Miskwaa amended, “They seem to be bickering about something. If I had to guess, it probably has something to do with the den.” She jerked her muzzle in the direction of the den, from which there still echoed the strangled cries; they were more sporadic now but they persisted, audible even with the noise of the adults' fighting. Pondering for a moment, Miskwaa decided this stranger could help her solve the mystery and sate her curiosity — or sate her hunger, depending on the type of man he was. Settling her sights on the foxes now, apparently intent to trust the ashen wolf for the time being, Miskwaa asked, “Would you like to chase them off or try to see if we can make a meal out of their stupidity?” Or both, she amended mentally, but seemed unwilling to push the subject of her own hunger in the presence of a potentially dangerous stranger. 

Once it became obvious the stranger's space bubble had a wider girth than his own, Veho stopped his approach. A brief nod was given respectfully, and the man only flicked his ears forward. Behind him, his tail hung freely – he was no threat, he did not wish to be a threat. Were there not so many foxes about (and had the other loner not looked like she might need assistance), he might not have bothered her at all. After all, help was not help if forced upon those who wished to make their own way. Following the female's gaze, he turned his attention back to the foxes, clearly chattering amongst themselves. They may have felt threatened, but the medicine man currently felt no ill will towards them. Unless they had harmed or stolen from his new acquaintance, he saw no reason not to go on their separate ways. Ear flicking towards the woman, he directed his full attention back to her as she finally spoke, divulging a little more about the foxes – and her condition. Tipping his head to on side, he glanced back towards the group. "I might imagine they may have kits in the den, though I haven't a notion why they'd be squabbling like that," he hummed, tipping his head to one side. "It may not be a meal at all. If you're hungry-" and this was a sensation he could empathize with, his own hollow stomach growling in a grim reminder of the last time he ate, "-we might have better luck hunting ourselves. But I suppose it is up to you. It was your suggestion – and they are your foxes, I suppose."

:)

At his response, Miskwaa pondered the situation for a moment. It was hard to draw any definite conclusions based solely on what she witnessed, but she supposed that someone must have failed their duty. It was such responsibility that had brought her to these lands alone, free of the burden of the makeshift family she had created for herself some months ago... A burden, the rusty creature reminded herself; a burden that she had willingly freed herself of.

It had not been a well-liked decision, but it certainly was the smart one.

“They're hardly my foxes... But perhaps we should come back later then and investigate” The invitation was uncharacteristic of her, but the weeks spent on her own had made her weak: she craved intelligent interaction more than she might like to admit. Besides, if they were to hunt together, returning to the den and solving the mystery would be the least of her worries. She spent a moment studying his features after her suggestion, before deciding that her own hunger was far more important than the trivial squabble of the copper-hued canines.

Sweeping her gaze over the lake and its not-too-distant shores, Miskwaa pondered the possibilities. It seemed as if the lake brought prey from all around, the cool water coaxing even the most skittish beasts out of the shadowed forests to the stony shores... Or it may have, but the cacophony of the foxes seemed to have deterred potential victims to this watering hole. Of course, there remained the possibility that they could collect something in the lake... “What are your thoughts on beaver meat?” Her words were idle and curious, marked by a snort to voice her own distaste.

"Well, you found them first," the male deferred, tipping his head. While he knew some wolves who had a problem taking any sort of advice or order from the fairer sex, even the veritable queens of their respective lands, Veho had never taken much issue with listening to anyone. Their ancestors were of all sex and gender, after all, and they were all wise and worthy of respect. "But I think that sounds like a solid plan. We will come back in a bit." Following her gaze back out towards the lake, the loner was content to lapse into an amicable silence. While the medic had a great deal of words and enjoyed the art of the woven story, he was not often proven to unquiet behavior or speaking only to hear the sound of his voice. His ear swiveled to the side, weighing what Miskaa said and did not say in turn, acknowledging her with a brief hum. He'd experienced that particular prey a pawful of times, and while not a delicacy, it would certainly sate his current hunger. Tail sweeping the ground behind him once, he inclined is head back towards his current companion. "Perhaps not the most tender meat I've had," the male replied, voice considering, "but if the ancestors would allow me such a kill, I'd not turn it away. A meal is a meal, after all, and with an empty belly, I have little room to be picky. However, if you find it unpalatable, we may be able to find a duck…or perhaps we will get lucky and find a fawn or some less pungent rodent at the watering hole." After a moment of silence, the male spoke back up. "I am Veho, by the way. Veho Macieo."

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

sorry for the wait, was on vacation! ^^'

At his response, Miskwaa merely shrugged, not caring to correct him for a second time. It was mere politeness on his part, though she wished to stubbornly tell him that a whole band of foxes could not possibly be hers. If she were honest, the man's insistence may have been flattering... It was not often that Miskwaa found herself in control of much of anything, after all; she preferred to fly under the radar whenever possible as it seemed the best possible way to avoid unfriendly competition. In this instance, however, it seemed as if there would be no rivalry — for the time being. Though he was polite, the stern set of her face betrayed her unwillingness to be too trusting of strangers.

All the same, a bit of civility couldn't hurt the situation. “Nice to meet you, Veho. Call me Miskwaa.” She gave a slight dip of her muzzle in greeting, deciding to perhaps not be quite so formal — his introduction had made it seem as though he preferred it this way. For a moment, she allowed her eyes to flicker and meet his own as she remarked rather dryly, “Beggars can't be choosers, as they say — and, like yourself, I'm not in the position to be choosy.” It was perhaps unwise to be so candid with the stranger, but she supposed that he seemed pleasant enough for now. If anything, the man would view her weakness as something he must remedy — kind people had a tendency to think that way, after all... And if not, she assured herself as she averted her gaze, she could surely hold her own if he revealed himself to be an unsavory character.

With introductions taken care of, Miskwaa turned so as to make her way to the opposite shore of the lake, trotting briskly along the pebbled shore. Every so often, she'd spare a glance over her shoulder to ensure that her new comrade was keeping time and maintaining the distance they had silently agreed upon some minutes before. There seemed more possibilities than she had been originally aware: to their left, a small pool jutting from the lake's edge, within which wiggled a few fish; straight ahead, a beaver meandered about the shore, apparently gathering something of import. Stopping shortly, Miskwaa tilting her mug in his direction and said with the smallest beginnings of a smirk, “Guess it's your lucky day: fish or beaver?” The beaver would provide a bigger share of food, but would no doubt prove more difficult; conversely, the fish would be simple enough to catch, but could they really sate the two wolves' hunger? If he was to help her, Miskwaa decided it was only right that he have some input.

"It is my pleasure, Miskwaa," the male rumbled, a small smile in his eyes as he dipped his head.  Such a unique name – it reminded him a bit of his younger sister.  Idly, he wondered if it meant anything as grand as 'star dancer' – it would be impolite to ask, however.  If names came up later, he might broach the subject, but they had truly more important discussions to have, and his hollow gut would not allow him to forget the state he was currently in.   Happy enough to allow his companion to take the lead, the midsized male picked up pace a moment or two afterwards.  He kept a few lengths of distance – not only did he not wish to crowd his new hunting companion, but it was not particularly safe to be right on another wolf's tail while traveling, especially in new territory.  If she slipped, he would not want to tumble down with her – what use could he be if he sprained a paw or twisted an ankle?  Veho was meant to assist others, not himself become a burden on those who did not ask for it. Halting behind her, he returned the sly look with amusement of his own. "I suppose it is time I admit to being a bit of a tenderfoot when it comes to fishing.  It was not something I was raised doing, and I'm not sure I wouldn't be more hindrance in help.  I suggest we go after the beaver.  Perhaps if one of us herds it away from the water, the other could spring upon it?"

No worries, mate! RL always comes first. Besides, I'm being a slowpoke myself...and I have no good excuse. x _ x

(This post was last modified: Jun 26, 2015, 11:41 AM by Veho.)

pfff, hardly! no worries about posting super fast, i really don't care :D

The mention of his weakness was met with a short snort of laughter, eyes bright with the glimmer of amusement. The first year of her life had been spent essentially surrounded by water in some form or another: winding rivers, massive lakes, shallow ponds. The past year of her life had been spent travelling more barren terrain, but fishing had once been such a quintessential skill that she found it odd for one to be incapable. And as pleasant as the stranger may have been, Miskwaa hardly obliged to actually teach the man how to do so; it was a burden that she was unwilling to bear for one who could not offer her something equally as useful.

“Beaver it is then,” she responded brusquely and paused but a moment to consider his suggestion with a preprandial rumble of her stomach. The issue at hand lie in how much she trusted the stranger: was he capable of actually intercepting the creature, slow as lond-ridden beavers were? And when he did that, would he still be content to share when he had the carcass in his jowls? No, this was indeed not a risk she was willing to take. “I'll kill it. When I give you the signal, go ahead, alright?”

That said, Miskwaa waited but a moment for the man's agreement before turning slightly, trotting easily along the bank in a wide arc that gave the beaver plenty of room so as not to spook it. Not a minute later she had doubled back so as to face him, the forest not far behind her. The beaver seemed unaware of Miskwaa's movements as she readied herself, legs spreading slightly so she could spring upon the creature when Veho took action. She spared the male a glance and jerked her chin upwards, signalling her preparedness before focusing her attention on the bulky mammal with slightly parted jaws.