She'd been in the east for almost an entire season, and she was glad to be coming south now that it was getting colder. The midnight she-wolf had hoped to visit the Weeping Woods, but since her last trek to the south, it had become occupied. She supposed one day she would go to find out who resided in her favourite territory, but for now she didn't mind checking out the rest of the south. And so it was that she found herself at the Sea's Plains, enjoying the salty air and cool breeze off the water. She was also fascinated by the wide-based trees that dotted the shore - she hadn't seen trees like that before, they looked quite sturdy and almost welcoming as a place to rest. But before any dozing, she needed to get a bite to eat. With winter coming, she needed to keep up her strength. She knew that the sea was plentiful, and she'd been shown how to seek out small prey that lived in the water and on the beach. She was even a good fisher, though she was more interested in the bounty hiding beneath the sand right now. Esarosa trotted down to the beach, careful to keep her paws away from the barnacle-ridden rocks. She came to a small, shallow pool, sloshing through partially dried out seaweed until she stood ankle-deep in the water. Tiny fish skittered away, and a baby crab nipped at her toes. She'd have to keep looking for something edible - a stream of bubbles rising from the pool's edge caught her attention. She stalked over to the bubbles, then started digging vigorously, water and sand splashing everywhere. Within seconds, she saw her prey, and her jaws shot forward to snatch up the clam. She tossed it away from the water and pounced on it, laying down on the sand with the clam between her claws. Tilting her head so she could get the shell between her molars, she bit down, cracking it open so she could pick away the pieces of shell and expose the flesh. She hungrily plucked the clam's body out from its shell and swallowed it quickly, licking her lips with satisfaction. I could definitely use a few more, she thought, her belly rumbling for more. A craggy, barnacle-infested rock nearby looked promising, so she crawled closer to it on her belly. Then with sudden haste, she'd push the rock over with her nose, revealing a fair-sized crab which tried to scuttle away. Her paw would come down on its back, and she picked it up in her teeth by the back end before smashing it on a rock. Immobilizing it, she picked it up again, no longer worried about its claws, and carried it across the beach to the base of a tree. When she dropped it, she noticed the scent of a wolf carried on the humid breeze. Was somebody else nearby? "Speak" "Listen" Think

Note: set in Sea's Plain

What the hell was he supposed to do now? As far as Steel knew, he had three viable options. One - stay with Faria, as he had been for nearly a year. She was due to have Mithras's babies, a fact that displeased him more than he let on. Her attention was divided now, between him and Mithras and whoever else wandered through, and soon would be on her children. Still, he thought of her fondly and the thought of leaving her behind was upsetting. Two - return with Ara and Novel, if he would even be accepted back into their pack, though Ara had promised he would be.  At least there he'd be around Psalm and Hymn, his nephews despite being nearly the same age as him, who he'd grown up alongside. Three - leave everyone and go off on his own. This was the least favorable option, but the other two had so many pros and cons he figured he ought to consider it, at the very least. His head spun was he splashed absently along the shoreline. The water lapped at the shore in waves, and he couldn't help but wish it might drag him back with each pull outward. How much easier his decision might be, if all of his choices were taken away from him - if one day he simply woke up, in an unfamiliar land, alone and unburdened. God, was he angsty; but hadn't he always been? A slight scowl painted his features as he splashed forward, without  a care as to how much water soaked his pelt as he padded through the shallow water. His gaze focused on the turbulent surface of the sea as he trudged onward. It look him a long moment to catch the scent of another, and slowly his sharp crimson stare would scan his surroundings before he saw her. A woman stood at the shore, and it seemed like she was eating something? Steel's brows pulled together as he watched her, thinking back on the man he'd met when he'd first gone to the Southern continent with his parents, who'd been eating seafood too. Grumbling softly to himself, he'd move away from the water, further inland - shaking some of the moisture from his pelt as he approached the stranger. "That any good?" he'd ask as he eyed the food at her forepaws.

She looked up from gnawing on the crab's shell when the wolf she'd scented finally came into view along the shoreline. He looked like a dark and brooding fellow, though his expression was somewhat hard to read. He was looking her way; was he curious about she had? But then why did he look so sullen? As he approached her, she could see him eyeing her food, so she placed a paw over it protectively - she was sure there was lots more on this beach, but she wasn't about to let anyone push her around for something she'd dug up herself. Still, she gave a friendly wag of her tail when he got closer, offering a smile that was somewhat mischievous. Emerald green eyes searched his face, trying to figure out his intentions, but for now it was unclear. He asked about the seafood she'd rustled up. Oh, it was good, her favourite type of cuisine, in fact. But it didn't mean he would like it. She remembered having to grow accustomed to the strange, watery flavors when she'd been taught to fish and dig up clams as a pup. "I happen to think it's the very best," she stated, licking her lips, "But I think it's an acquired taste, y'know, if you're not used to it. If you're curious... I guess I could let you try some." She would then tilt her head and quirk a brow, wondering why he'd come over here. Had he been alone for some time, as she had? It was hard to just pass someone by when you'd been traveling alone for weeks at a time. But maybe he was just hungry and wanted to give this salty, seawater food a try. "Speak" "Listen" Think

He was getting no closer to his solution, despite the days that passed. He was beginning to think he would not come closer to an answer by looking outward - but introspection was far too painful these days. A stranger to converse with, however uncomfortable it might make the introvert feel, might prove a temporary distraction. Faria had always said he needed to be more social, anyway. His expression stiffened a bit as he watched the woman pull her food closer. He hadn't even realized he was hungry until he considered it, and he certainly didn't want whatever she was eating. Well, not enough to take it from her by force. Despite his sometimes off-putting demeanor, he wasn't interested in fighting others for resources. Still, the stranger lightened when she realized he was no threat - his posture wavered somewhere in the middle, not at all aggressive, nor entirely submissive either. He just.. stood, and watched. "Hmm," he made a noise when she said it was her favorite. He thought of the wolf he'd met that had expressed a rather passionate interest in all things related to the ocean, including the creatures within it. "Sure," he'd agree a bit dismissively, not wanting her to think he was begging. He didn't even know if he'd like it.. though food suddenly sounded quite appealing. "You live around here?"

Esarosa grinned as the male tensed at her defensiveness over the food. She was glad to see he didn't seem interested in robbing her. In fact, he seemed maybe even a little bit apprehensive, a little reserved. A smug look gleamed in her emerald eyes as he agreed with some obvious resistance to try the crab she'd caught. She hoped he would end up liking it. But first, she'd answer his question. "I don't live around here," she replied, shaking her head, "Actually, I don't really live anywhere. I'm a traveler." With a slight chuckle, she narrowed her eyes, the mischief on her face growing - she was feeling a little sassy today, and he seemed too quiet. He'd be easy to make uncomfortable. Before she'd hand over the crab, she had to give him a hard time. "Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself before you eat my food?" she questioned with a tilt of her head, her nails scraping the crab's shell as her paw pressed down over it. She wondered if he'd be able to tell she was just bugging him. She was in a bit of a mood, and she wasn't sure why. She was curious as to who this mysterious looking guy was, and where he'd come from. If he hadn't tried seafood before, surely he couldn't be from around here. Perhaps he was a traveler as well, or maybe he was settled in a nearby territory. Either way, she hoped he wouldn't be too bothered by her annoying attitude, and maybe she'd get a chance to know him. He was a handsome wolf, and his aloof demeanor reminded her of a childhood friend, someone she'd admired greatly. But that had been so long ago - she'd always hoped to find Ajax, but he'd left the pack moons before her, and the world was too vast to track down a single wolf. She'd given up on him some time ago, realizing she needed to focus on making a life for herself on this very hospitable continent. Chuckling again, she nudged the crab closer to the red-eyed drake with her paw. "I'm just kidding, if you're hungry go ahead," she said, smiling slightly to encourage him, "Anyways, my name's Esarosa." She seated herself, her bushy black tail brushing over the sand. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Stealing food was the last thing on his mind right now. He was wary around this stranger, and had no issue in showing it - what kind of fool would be comfortable, walking up on someone enjoying a meal? She admitted she didn't live here; she was a traveler.  "I am too, I guess," Steel would admit with a fair bit of uncertainty.   "Used to live up north, but crossed that big sand bridge awhile ago and I've been wandering here since." He would shrug, adding to his explanation, if it really mattered at all. He tried to smile when she asked if he was going to introduce himself.  "Didn't mean to be rude," he said quietly, his nose wrinkling. Still, she admitted she was joking, but it did seem rude to accept an offer of food without at least introducing himself. "My name is Steel," he would offer, tentatively still, nodding as she gave her own name. Esarosa. Grateful for the meal, he'd lock his gaze with her own and nod. Figuring he ought to at least try it, since she'd been nice enough to offer, he would take the creature between his jaws tenderly, gnawing at the middle of it, feeling the shell crack between his teeth. The juice wasn't terrible, and he felt it running over his tongue. He'd set it on the ground, using his paws to hold it down as he began to tear at the shell, trying to get a bit of meat. When he finally was able to conjure up some, he ate it gladly, suddenly aware of how hungry he'd been.. and though this wasn't the ideal meal, it certainly was better than nothing.

Esarosa could see the discomfort written all over his expression. Why was it so amusing to her? She just knew it would be easy to bug him. She perked curiously as he stated that he, too, was a traveler, though he didn't seem too thrilled to be sharing the information. Still, he mentioned where he'd come from and how he'd ended up here. For a moment her thoughts drifted as he mentioned the sand bridge. Could that be the same thing, the land bridge, that Val had been telling her about? The man... no, the woman, had promised to show her it one day, to go to the Southern continent. But then, if he was from the north, he must have crossed some other bridge, it couldn't be the same thing. She shook her head, tossing aside the thoughts for now and trying to focus on the current scenario. She saw his awkward facials when she teased him, pointing out his manners in a joking way. He apologized quietly in his own way, and Esa merely wagged her tail in response, blinking emerald green eyes. At last, he would offer his name. Steel. She would instantly record it within her memory. If things went well today, she was sure she'd want to remember him. "Glad to meet you Steel," she said, "I think we've met on an interesting day." She would raise one brow but say no more, hoping to leave him wondering. Without any other words, just an intriguing gaze, he would finally bend toward the meal offered to him and give it a try. She watched as his jaws cracked open the shell and he tore pieces of it away to get to the juicy meat inside. She was trying to gauge his reaction, but his expression was once again difficult to read. The only thing that was obvious was his hunger, as he dug into the crab faster once he'd gotten a taste. Esa was satisfied - she knew the best way to acquire a taste for something was to eat when you were starving. At this rate, she figured she ought to find more. "You go ahead and enjoy that, I'll be right back," she said as she crouched down to where he was eating. Standing back up, she would dash away over the sand and rocks, her paws carrying her closer to the water again. Once more, she would find a bubbling stream rising up from the sand just below the surface of sea water, and her paws would get to work busily digging up the clam. She crunched the hard shell, then pounced onto the next bubble stream, quickly digging through the sand to yank up another clam. With two in her jaws, she returned to where she'd left Steel and dropped the strange, shelled creatures. With her nose, she pointed to the remains of the crab. "That there's a crab," she informed him, then aimed her nose at the crunched shells of the clams she'd rustled up, "These are clams. A little different, but all sea creatures share a similar flavor." She'd lift an ebony paw and nudge one of the clams toward him. Why was she being so generous? She supposed she was just a little excited to share with someone who'd never tried this oceany cuisine before. "Speak" "Listen" Think

The guarded, slightly detached expression he wore was much more than a simple look; it was a mask he wore most of the time. His childhood hadn't been terribly traumatic, but he'd been forced to leave his siblings behind and he'd found his parents dead when he was little more than a yearling. He hadn't let go of that pain, and it was far easier for him to mask it than let anyone know that he was weak. Being strong was something he had never learned how to do; he just knew how to pretend. His new acquaintance seemed amused at his presence, perhaps even happy now that he had joined her - and he would slowly offer a half-smile in return to her own. "Why's it an interesting day?" he'd ask her carefully between a bite of his food, a single brow raising in question as he gulped it down. He would lift his gaze back up to her as she announced she'd be right back. His reply was a simple nod, though his crimson gaze trailed after her as she moved, watching her from a distance. He didn't know exactly what she was doing.. probably something regarding food, which seemed to be the theme of their meeting. He'd gulp down the last of the crab before she came back, eyeing the newest thing she dropped at his paws. They were called clams. Definitely not something he'd encountered before. He frowned a bit, eyeing them skeptically. But she'd gotten them for him.. he might as well try them, he figured. He leaned forward from his position to grasp one, finally flopping to his belly as he gnawed at the shell. It was much harder than the crab shell, though with a bit more pressure he felt the shell give way beneath his jaws with a satisfying crack. The juice wasn't nearly as delicious, though it had that same briny seafood flavor that the crab did. Finally he got to the meat of the clam, chewing it quickly before swallowing it. He definitely preferred the first thing he'd eaten to this, but the clam wasn't terrible at all. "Thanks," he replied after a moment, realizing he'd been silent for awhile now. "Why're you doing this for me anyway?"

Esarosa smiled more widely when he offered a tiny little smile of his own. Was she starting to break through his walls? She hoped so. Though she was quite outgoing by nature, and somewhat of a blabber-mouth, she still tended to notice the little things. The significance of facial expression, eye contact and other subtle gestures were not lost to her. And she was not inexperienced at getting through to the more quiet individuals. Her most precious friends so far had all been quiet, distant individuals, until she'd been able to break through and discover their deeper, more open selves. When he asked why it was an interesting day, she would merely grin and wink at him before going on the hunt further down the beach. When she returned to him, he had already hungrily gobbled up the crab she'd left him with, and was looking with grim interest at the clams she'd dropped. Esa watched with fascination as he settled down with one of the clams, trying to crunch it between his jaws. The ebony-coated female took the other clam and lay in the sand as well, placing the hard-shelled creature between her paws so that she could get a good hold if it with her teeth. She'd place her molars carefully over the hard shell and bite down, cracking the shell so that she could get to the meat inside. She was still quite hungry, so she slurped down the small morsel quickly. Emerald eyes would glance up at Steel, meeting his crimson gaze as he finally looked up from his meal and thanked her. Why was she doing this for him? She tilted her head, then shrugged, her paws scuffling the sand lightly. "I guess I was just excited to share with someone, and you seem nice enough," she began, distractedly looking to the rough waves of the sea, "I mean, not like I really know you at all. But it's always worth a try, getting to know someone." Her words trailed off in a slightly wistful tone, as though her thoughts had taken her elsewhere. She was trying to keep memories of old friends from invading her mind. "I can't seem to keep company very long..." she admitted after several moments of silence, "I guess I was hoping you'd like me. Maybe... you'd stay a while if I made it worth your time." She glanced over at Steel again, her tail flipping from one side to the other. She'd suddenly gotten a little too deep; she hadn't meant to burden him with anything, and hoped he wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Chances were, she'd done just that, though. "Uhm... nevermind that," she said, shaking her head, "If you're still hungry, I can show you how to snatch up these weird sea creatures." Smirking awkwardly, she just wanted to shut her mouth and stop talking - maybe give him a chance to get a word in. "Speak" "Listen" Think

He hadn't been raised to be a bad person. No.. on the contrary, his parents had instilled some good values in him. But he wasn't naturally altruistic either. Survival came first for him - he preferred keeping to himself, and staying out of others' problems, most of the time. Why this stranger was sharing her food with him, or hell, even sitting and talking to him, was beyond him. She even ignored his question, instead going to get him something else to eat. Interesting. She watched him as he ate, and her gaze on him felt piercing. She seemed much more skilled at eating these sea-creatures than him, which.. wasn't really saying much, as he rarely ate them, if ever. His brows pulled together tightly as she spoke, explaining herself. "Thanks, I guess," he said, not in regards to the meal, but her saying he seemed nice enough. It was a hard judgement to make upon first meeting a wolf, but she seemed pretty decent herself. She spoke a lot though.. much more than he did. He lapped at his lips as she continued on, briefly going on a tangent about wanting to make him like her? "I can stay a bit longer." If anything was worth staying for, it was this. Someone to chat with, even if he didn't really know her at all, and a meal. How long, though, was another story entirely. Still, he knew a thing or two about feeling lonely, and though he didn't respond directly to her words.. he nodded somberly. "I'd like that," he said finally, after a moment, and after clearing his throat. Steel didn't know if he'd actively seek to eat those things on his own accord, unless he was starving, but it could be fun, right?

She'd been so flustered, chattering with so little pause and unable to sit still, that it kind of surprised her when she finally heard his voice. She blinked, perking her ears toward him, but he was done speaking so quickly. He was definitely on the quiet side. Oops, she'd forgotten how overwhelming she could be for someone who didn't talk much. So she would merely smile at him when he thanked her for her brief assessment of him, well, her first impression of him anyways. Then, oh gosh, he said he'd stay a little longer, right after she'd finished her rambling tangent, nodding somberly at her. Did he understand her loneliness? But, did he feel like he had to stay now? "Oh, only if you want to," she said with a shrug, paws shifting awkwardly in the sand, "No pressure or anything." Esa hoped she hadn't ruined this meeting with her overbearing nature. Standing, she took a few steps away from Steel and shook the sand out of her coat, looking to the sea. Her ears tilted in the man's direction when she heard him clear his throat, and agree that he'd like to learn how to find and gather sea food. She glanced at him with an amused grin spreading across her face, tail waving eagerly - he didn't seem overly enthused, but she would do her best to show him how she dug up the clams and found the crab. "Alright, let's go find some more clams," she said, then turned toward the rocky beach, strewn with soft, sandy pools of water left behind from the tide. It was perfect for finding shellfish and small crustaceans. Finding fish big enough to eat in the small pools was unlikely, but there were plenty of smaller critters to snack on. She trotted to the nearest pool, edged with rocks, and let her emerald gaze skim over the water's surface. She was looking for those telltale streams of bubbles, and saw several of them, knowing she would find clams below the surface of seawater and sand. Satisfied with what she saw, she looked back toward Steel, waiting for him to catch up before she started rooting around. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Steel didn't know what it felt like for people to want him to like them. To actively try to seek his approval, to seek his company, even if only momentarily. As far as he was concerned, he was simply another face in the crowd. He knew his company was not exactly thrilling, his conversation far from compelling and he had no real skills to offer anyone. Hell, he didn't even know how to catch and eat these sea-creatures she was teaching him about. The mere thought that she wanted to hang out with him right now was bewildering, and he found his expression tightening as he considered it. "It's fine, really," he'd offer, his own gaze shifting away toward the ocean. "I don't have anywhere else to be."  Not that she knew that. All she knew was his name, that he came from further North, and that he was prone to wandering. He was slightly enthused about her offering, even if it wasn't the tastiest thing ever, but god was he bad at showing it. Steel wasn't prone to smiling, and certainly not laughter - but the mere fact that he was sitting here listening to her spoke volumes for a wolf like himself. Slowly he lifted himself up, shaking some of the fur from his dark coat as she moved along the shore. He didn't waste much time in following her, his tail hanging lazily behind his frame as he eyed his paws as they left impressions in the damp sand. Steel wove between the small pools of water that she navigated around, finally coming to stand at her side and lifting his gaze to seek her own. "Do they move?" he'd ask, his nose wrinkling slightly. "Or do you just grab them? He didn't know if they opened their shells either. Maybe they'd try to bite his tongue or something, he didn't know.

Esa was glad when he agreed to stick around, saying he had nowhere else to be. She believed him - though not seemingly enthused about digging up sea creatures, he was in no rush to be anywhere else. Sometimes it was better to pass the time doing something weird with someone you didn't know, than to just keep wandering alone with nothing better to do. If he had somewhere to be, he certainly wouldn't be wasting his time learning to catch clams. She felt him come up beside her while her eyes busily scanned the water. Do they move? Or do you just grab them? The pools here were bustling with life and she wasn't worried that she'd lose any opportunities, so she took a moment to look over at him with a glimmer of amusement in her eyes and answer his question. But first she'd have to stifle a burst of laughter. "Of course they move!" she burst out, a chuckle accompanying her tone. He really hadn't seen anything from the sea, had he? She supposed she shouldn't have laughed at him though; if one had never seen the shelled creatures before, one might assume they were just a motionless rock. After all, they kinda looked like rocks. Strange, flat, edible rocks, but rocks nonetheless. "I'm sorry," she said, hoping he wouldn't be offended, "They're weird. They're like flat rocks, with a mouth, and this funny little tongue that sticks out. And they don't look like it, but they're pretty good at digging." Okay, they were pretty strange, and who would ever know these things about a clam? "Maybe I should just show you," she said, flattening her ears and looking back to the pool. Her nose pointed to one of the streams of bubbles, then leapt toward it and began digging furiously. Chaotic waves of sand and water splashed from her paws, soaking her belly and flying up behind her. Maybe she should have warned him that it was going to get a little messy. Too late now. Her claws pulled up the sand quickly, and the second she felt her claw hit the hard shell she dunked her face and clasped the strange creature before it could dig away from her grasp. She lifted her head and turned to Steel to present the large clam. Considering he'd seem barely interested in agreeing to learn how to dig them up, she wondered if he'd be interested in getting this wet over a clam. "Wanna try?" she mumbled around the shell, tilting her head. "Speak" "Listen" Think

This was all a bit disgusting to him. Just a bit though.. not enough to make him withdraw his participation entirely. Catching food in puddles, digging for these shelled creatures in the mud.. it wasn't the sort of thing he had in mind when he was hungry. He'd much rather go scrounge up a couple rodents any day. But he wouldn't complain, because as he'd told her, he didn't have anywhere else to be. Not a single place in the world. The way Esarosa spoke made this all seem very obvious. A slight frown touched his lips at her laughter, though he'd stay quiet for a long moment. "Oh," he'd breath softly, falling quickly silent again. "It's fine. This is just new to me." And.. yes.. weird. His brows furrowed, features tightening in focus as he watched the clams as she explained them. They just looked like rocks. He couldn't spot a mouth - though they had a crack down the middle that looked promising - and they didn't look capable of movement at all. Definitely not quick enough movement to make them difficult prey to hunt, but what did he know? His frown grew a bit deeper as she started to demonstrate. She began to dig into the mud and water, sending it splashing behind her, and he would back away slightly to not get messy. But.. she invited him to try. Steel knew his parents would've wanted him to participate, even if just slightly. Anything more than muttering a few words and listening to her. They probably wouldn't have anticipated the mud, though. "I guess I'll try," he sighed, facing the pool, watching the dirt as it began to settle, water and mud quickly separating into two again. With that, he'd begin to slip one paw, and then both, into the mud and begin digging. He felt the cool dirt and water splashing against his chest and face, but he continued going until he felt his paws collide with a shell. With that, he'd thrust his muzzle into the swampy puddle as he grasped for it, coming up with a satisfied gasp and not just one, but two clams. He nearly smiled as he dropped them at his paws, eyeing them as though they might try to wriggle away.

Esarosa couldn't help but to smirk and snicker as he looked a little disgusted by all that had just happened. Digging for clams, splashing sandy water all over the place, just for this weird piece of prey. Surely for him, it wasn't all worth it. But, he was still willing, and that made Esa happy. She had to feel a little bad for it as well, asking him to do all these weird things and then finding amusement in it all, but he didn't leave. In fact, when she asked if he wanted to give it a go, he moved toward the water with intention to mimic what she'd done. And he did it well, digging furiously, splashing up filthy water just as she had. When he lifted his head, he had two clams trapped between his teeth, which he dropped on the sand near the clam she'd caught. Her eyes widened, and an excited smile spread across her face as he dropped his catch. She wasn't sure if she'd ever plucked two clams from the sand at once. She was impressed, and a little jealous at his catch. Beginners luck! she thought, though not in contempt. "Nice catch!" she exclaimed, unable to help herself, "You're a natural!" She offered him a smile, wagging her tail enthusiastically. Now she looked to the clams again. One of them was already trying to wriggle away, its shell parting and its little muscles moving around to start digging at the sand. "You might want to crush them, before they try to get away," she said with an amused laugh, reaching forward to place a paw on the sneaky clam. Looking up to his face, she noticed the smallest change in his expression. Was that a smile? Was this melancholy wolf actually smiling after all of this? Esarosa couldn't help but to be surprised, and quite delighted. It was nice to know she'd played some sort of role in that. After all, he hadn't been smiling when they'd first met, but that seemed to have changed. Maybe he was actually having a little fun - she couldn't really tell, but that was her guess. She knew she was having fun. It was also hard work, and she could feel the muscles in her forelegs burning, and her pads felt pretty worn from digging through the gritty sand. "Well, that's it for clam digging - pretty fun, right?" she said with a huff, then a big yawn overcame her, "Whew, I think I'm just about ready for a nap. But I need more snacks, first." Her eyes looked further up the shore where the strange, wide-based trees were. If she could find the right one, it might be perfect for resting. But first, she'd spend a little more time finding crabs under the rocks. They'd be more filling than the clams. "Finding crabs is even easier," she mentioned, turning back to Steel after looking toward the trees, "They hide under rocks. If you want to find the bigger ones, they're usually under bigger rocks. Just watch your nose and paws around the barnacles, they're really sharp!" She'd picked up her clam then and take it along with her as she began seeking out promising looking rocks. She carefully tipped back one rock after the other, only to find tiny little crabs that went skittering away. They weren't really worth catching, they were mostly all shell. Sighing, she looked to Steel. "Maybe you can find a good one," she hinted, waiting to see if he'd give it a try. His luck had been pretty good when he'd caught the clams. Hopefully he'd find a big, juicy crab; her mouth watered at just the thought of it. She knew she wouldn't sleep until she filled her belly a little more. Tilting her head, she wondered what Steel would do once they'd finished digging up sea creatures. Where had he come from, and where was he going? He said he had nowhere to be, so he really must be roaming just like she was. It could be a lonesome existence, but there was something freeing about it as well. They could go anywhere, anytime, but most of the time, that path was walked alone. Well, whenever they would part ways, it didn't really matter, it was the present moment that was worth while. "Speak" "Listen" Think

It was pretty gross, but not out of the question entirely. Obviously, because otherwise he would've been out of here a long time ago. He'd done worse things in his life, though not for the purpose of getting a quick meal, but this temporary distraction was proving to be quite entertaining, even if a bit bizarre. Not something he'd come to regret, he was sure of that. "Uh, thanks," he said a bit warily, though he cracked the faintest smile at her enthusiasm. Steel would follow her instruction, moving one of his paws to grab the one she'd held for him, crushing its shell under his weight. He'd do one first, then finally move to crush the second. It seemed weird to just leave them sitting there, so he'd grasp one between his jaws, using his tongue to move the cracked shells aside to slurp down the meat and juice of the clam before dropping it back on the sand. The other one went down just as easily, and finally he eyed the small pile of crushed shells at his front paws. "It's not bad," Steel would admit with a slight nod. That was as good as it got for him, and even him saying it wasn't bad was quite a stretch for him. He did realize, though, that he was quite exhausted now. And full. "More snacks?" he asked, sounding a bit exasperated at the mere mention. "Am I too scrawny for you?" He let an air of playfulness creep into his voice, another smile creeping onto his lips momentarily. Two in just a few moments - that was probably a record for him. He wasn't particularly small; he was slightly taller than her, and though he was not gaunt from starvation, he certainly did not look well-fed. He was a rogue, and how he looked on the outside only further proved that point. He was pretty full, but she seemed insistent on getting some crabs before.. something. Before she left, before he left. He wasn't sure what happened after the next part of their hunt. "Alright," he said quietly as he trailed after her, away from the puddles of water toward the rockier part of the beach. He liked the crabs a lot more than the clams, so he wasn't at all opposed to eating a bit more.. despite the fact that he was full and he'd probably sleep for a full day after all these snacks. Unsure of where to look, he'd trail close by her, occasionally using his nose to push a small rock aside and look underneath for these elusive crabs. Finally he found one, wedged under a small rock, and once it saw the light of day it tried to wriggle free and burrow down into the sand. He'd move quickly to grab it, but not before it reached out to snag him with one of his claws, grasping onto his nose - he hadn't expected it and he let out a loud yelp of surprise, jerking away and sending it flying with one fierce jerk of his head to the side. "Shit," he grumbled, sighing outwardly. "Maybe I'm not so good at this after all."