OOC: Okay! So I'm starting this off with fishing because it's an easy Level 1 item so we'll only need four rounds. Because there is no reward if you do not meet you round requirement, please be ready to see it through if you jump in!!

I good gathering thread will have a bit of research behind it to ensure that you get the most points possible, and the most yield for your efforts! You might even choose to link web pages you source your information from, especially for higher level threads. To earn maximum points, try to do several different tasks over the course of your thread. And be wary!!! Gathering more items than is reasonable for it's rarity is considered powerplay, and will deduct from your final score. To take a peak at the Beta Judging Rubric, click here. (Edit: Added 8:26AM O.A.T)

GATHERING: Fish (Level 1; Trout) ROUND 1 Seraphim waded in the cool waters. His legs had long ago gone numb, and perhaps soon he would need to take another break, but the season so far had been surprisingly mild and he was deep in the south; winter had gripped them too tightly. It was bearable for now. And besides, he had never seen better conditions for catch trout. Sure, up north maybe, but the comfortable chill had driven their numbers in greater abundance than he'd ever seen in these otherwise sparse climes, and he planned to take full advantage of it. So around he waded, occasionally retreating to the shore to dry off, warm up, and watch the surface of the river for leaping fish. He hoped to find brown, brook, or perhaps even rainbow trout. Even one would be nice! But it had been so long since he'd tried his hand at hunting them thanks to that blasted illness. He sighed, staring down at the moving stream below him, and the smooth pebbles beside and beneath his massive paws. He wished Angel or Vana were there to hunt along with him, but he pushed the loneliness back down in his throat. It would do no good to get distracted from the task at hand. "Talk" "You" Think

GATHERING: Fish (Level 1; Trout, Catfish) ROUND 1 When Solveiga was younger and her brother was still with her, the two of them had hunted together all the time. It was almost a game for them, dependent on both strategy and physical skill. Solveiga was very small, and could not therefore be expected to take down an elk or anything like that. But her quickness made her nearly an expert at catching mice, rabbits, and fish. And today she was going to catch some fish. She had left the boundaries of Celestial a couple of days ago, originally seeking to collect some herbs for Kavdaya. But today she had stumbled upon a wide, yet briskly moving river in the south of the continent. Immediately a feeling of excitement churned in her belly, and she set down the big, waxy leaf she had been using to carry the herbs she had collected. Seeing a river like this brought back memories of fishing with her brother, and she really wanted to try her hand at it again. But not here, she decided. The river was too wide and probably too deep in this location. So the woman bent to pick up her waxy leaf bundle and from there she followed the path of the river. About an hour later she found a section of the river that was more narrow, thanks to some large rocks embedded in the bank which redirected the current and sped it up considerably. The water seemed to dimple in some places, tumbling over hidden rocks stuck in the bed. These, she recalled, were good conditions for trout. And upstream a bit, in the direction from which she had come, there had been a bend in the river. River bends meant hollows in the water, where she also knew catfish might be present. Solveiga set her bundle of herbs down for good this time, at least until this little fishing trip was over. She would try here first, where the water was fast and cold. She might be lucky — and quick — enough to catch a trout or two. And if not, she could go back upstream and see if the catfish were where she believed they would be. However, she was not alone. Great minds thought alike, she supposed, because wading in the water nearby was another wolf, with dark fur and piercing blue eyes that scanned the water. She hoped he wouldn't be too much competition, but with her easy going nature she wasn't about to let it upset her either way. This would be fun, and if she caught a fish, good. If she didn't, she might have better luck finding a mouse or a rabbit somewhere. The sand colored woman licked her lips and turned her attention to the water. She stayed as alert as possible, trying to see past the movement of the current to any fish that may be underneath. She waded in slowly, taking easy and cautious steps to ensure that she did not frighten away any potential prey. Yes, this would be fun. Already the adrenaline of the hunt was beginning to course through her veins. — — — NOTES: For the locations of the two species (rainbow trout and catfish) I relied on personal knowledge. I do some fishing myself and know that both trout and catfish can be found in freshwater rivers and streams. Trout is, of course, more common in bodies of water with rapids and small waterfalls, which is why they often jump during migration. The two can be found in the same river, but the catfish will prefer bends, river holes, and generally stiller waters like I mentioned above. Click here for a link that verifies my knowledge on catfish. I guess being a country girl comes in handy here! PICTURE OF CATFISH RANGE and PICTURE OF TROUT RANGE just for more verification that the two can be found in the same locations.

Cause we're counting on stars Gathering Fish - Level 1 Trout Round 1/? These lands were very odd to the two beasts, brand new and totally up for exploration. But Oleander and Cedar had been walking for quite some time, hunger gnawed at their bellies. Even though it was winter, a mild one at that, Ollie had a craving for fish. "Insanis Scitis quoniam iudicium Estis in fluvio morientur frigidam." said the jackal, standing back as his wolf brother examined the water below them. They were at too high a point at the moment to just leap in, but the monotone wolf already had his eye out for a flash of silver. He looked up at Cedar and grinned, a smile that the smaller canine knew all too well. He was going to do this no matter what he said, so with a sigh he followed behind him. Ollie's dark teal eyes hardly strayed from the water, Cedar had to pull on his tail to set him straight a few times. Maybe he should just let him fall into the river... maybe then the wolf would learn to watch where he was walking. But there was nothing he could do for his brother, and if he did fall in, he would most likely be the one that had to pull him out. The jackal had no intentions of getting wet, the water was most likely ice cold. Oleander looked over his shoulder a few times when his tail got tugged on, but he was too focused on finding them some food. Cedar may think that it was a bad idea, but fish sounded so good right now. The two of them walked on the shoreline, heading for lower ground. When they got close he saw not one, but two other wolves already at it. Well, it would seem that he was not the only one who had a craving for freshwater fish! His tail wagged a few times behind him, and Cedar poked out behind his companion to eye the two of them. One wolf was massive, probably one of the largest wolves he had ever seen. Back in their family and all surrounding packs, wolves never usually got larger than 34 inches. This young man put them all to shame, stopping Ollie in his tracks. Not given enough warning, the black backed jackal slammed into his brother's hindquarters. "Heus! Quid agis?" But the wolf ignored him, walking forward again like nothing had even happened. "Salve est!" Oleander called, a rare moment when he actually started the conversation. Usually he left all the talking up to Cedar, he was usually pretty bad with words. He enjoyed to observe more than interact, but because of these strange lands, he knew that they would need some assistance. He gazed between the sandy woman and the slate blue male, his head tilting to the side. His face was absent of a smile, but his gray tail gave a few wags behind him. "What fish can be found here?" He asked in a more common tongue, unsure what the majority of the wolves spoke here. Most trade wolves spoke a huge number of languages, but Latin was the go-to back home. His accent was slight, but still there. English was spoken just as much, and both boys grew up speaking both. Cedar came out from behind Oleander, standing at his brother's side. He was more wary of the strangers, which was uncommon. It would seem that the two of them had switched positions for the moment. But they knew nothing of this land or the wolves that inhabited it. For all he knew they could be all terrors, dark wolves who wanted to rip at his flesh. Not wishing to be too rude, the jackal dipped his head at the strangers. "SPEAK" -- "CEDAR SPEAKS" "---"

GATHERING: Fish (Level 1; Trout) ROUND 2 It was not long before Phim found himself with company. At first came a sandy young fae, much smaller than he, who gave the river a practiced eye, wading through the water downstream with ease. She had placed herself among a collection of rapids, seeking out cool and quick moving water as a likely place to find fish. Seraphim considered her for a long moment, weighing whether a greeting would scare off the fish or not when another male appeared too. Seraphim allowed a low chuckled, pleased that he seemed to have had such a popular idea for the day. The second arrival would speak, clearing up the decision for him. He asked about the fish that could be found in these waters and Phim smiled. "I'm hoping for a fat juicy trout, personally. Suppose you might also find catfish, bass, maybe even gar." Granted, the season had been finicky, and he was certain that would have some sort of effect. A flash of movement by his left front ankle caught his attention. He froze, waiting to see if he could make sense of the murk beneath the surface. He saw a flash of silver and suddenly the fish appeared to him. It seemed curious about the waving tendrils of his fur being brushed about in the current. Phim would wait for it to swim forward and try a nibble before thrusting his head beneath the surface and sinking his jaws into its flank. He flung it towards the shore then bounded out after it. The creature gasped about amongst the stones and mud until finally Seraphim was able to pin it and crush its head between his jaws. He looked up to see what had become of the other two, casting another look at the female as well. He realized belatedly that all of his mucking about either flushed more fish her way or sent them all scattering for cover. Oh well, he thought. They had all day, the fish would would return! He turned back to the curious male and smiled. "Have you done much fishing? Between the three of us," he said, tossing his words towards the fae as well, "we could probably do quite well. Want to strike a deal, split whatever we can rustle up?" Fish made for a good meal, after all, and he was of a mind to try something new. He'd once met a wanderer who would dry slivers of shredded meat on rocks until they were tough, and store them for long periods of time. If he caught enough extra, Seraphim was of a mind to give that a try himself, if only to see if he could. "Talk" "You" Think

GATHERING: Fish (Level 1; Trout, Catfish) ROUND 2 Solveiga continued to peer into the water for a while, seeing a fish flit by now and then but none close enough for her to take a snap at. For a few minutes all was silent between the two wolves fishing in the river. But then a third came along, calling out to ask what kind of fish could be found here. Solveiga looked up, a bit surprised by the sudden sound, and then listened as the dark male in the water with her responded to the question. He mentioned trout and catfish, and the small woman nodded a bit in agreement because she thought the same. Somehow, though, she had completely forgotten about gar. Those could certainly be found today as well. The woman was about to turn her attention back to the water around her when suddenly her fishing partner of sorts tensed in anticipation. Moments later he had captured a fish and flung it ashore, bounding out after it a bit carelessly. His splashing disturbed the flow of the water and ended up sending several fish her way, but the one or two that came within her reach were moving too quickly in their panic and could not be caught. She snapped at empty water a couple of times and then sighed, coming to shore to take a break from the icy water. She shook her legs out lightly and looked at the man as he offered a deal, saying that the three of them could split whatever they managed to catch. She thought it was generous of the man to make such a deal when he was the only one with a fish so far. The sand colored girl smiled warmly. "Good idea, that way we all benefit," she said with a nod. "My name is Solveiga Derus, by the way, what may I call each of you?" After introductions had been taken care of, the small woman looked out at the river once more, brow furrowing in thought. She could stand in the middle of those icy waters again, waiting for an indefinite amount of time for a fish to come by, or she could take advantage of what trout did best. Her mind made up, she made her way into the water again and headed for the place where the water moved fastest. At a narrow point in the river, several large rocks chopped up the current, nearly turning them into rapids. On occasion, a trout would leap through the tumbling water in order to avoid the rocks obstructing its path. Perfect. With a little luck, one might leap right into her waiting jaws. But it would take patience, as all methods of fishing did. She jumped up on one of the large, flat rocks, shaking herself dry. Then she waited, concentrating as hard as she could. Granted, it took a while, but after several minutes an average sized trout came flying out of the water. She tried to time it right and lunged forward to trap the fish in her jaws, but was a beat late and only snagged a bit of fin before it disappeared into the water again. Solveiga stomped her foot a bit and growled under her breath. She wouldn't give up. Patience and concentration. That was all it took. Fortunately, the woman was given a second chance as a larger, juicer looking trout leapt from the rapids in front of her. This time it was a little out of reach, but Solveiga wasn't going to let that stop her. She jumped, leaving the rock behind and diving into the water, her jaws opening wide for the fish. And this time it worked; she felt a surge of victory as her teeth sunk into slippery flesh and she bit down hard enough to keep her grip as she plunged into the water. Once she had resurfaced, she came to shore and dropped the fish beside the first one Seraphim had caught. Hers was just a bit bigger and meatier than his, and she allowed herself a small, proud smile. If this was the only fish she caught today, she was proud of it. Even if she was totally drenched.