It was a nice day - just a slight breeze to take away from the heat the sun on a midnight black pelt. The wind coursed through his fur, relieving him so much that he was able to ignore the fact that it would be ruffled and tangled after all of his hard work. He made his way slowly toward the river, right on schedule as his stomach began to gently rumble. There was always food near the river, always. And if he couldn't find small game at least there were fish in abundance. Erebos padded carefully to the water's edge, glancing around him to see if any other animals were in view. None. He sighed, bothered that there wasn't easy prey available. Fishing was not his forte. As he peered through the surface of the shallows, the distortion of the water made it difficult for him to tell whether the fish swimming around were real or not. He glanced up at the shark that rose from the gloom and engulfed the fish in his mouth, only to watch them reappear when the beast dove down again. Yep, they were real. The brute waded in, letting the water engulf his legs below the knee. He focused on one sizable swimmer, and watched it for several long minutes. Memories of fishing with his father attempted to creep back into his mind in the lull, but he forced them out. There was no good reason to think of his family now, after so long. He didn't need them. He never would. Ice blue eyes zeroed in as soon as the fish ceased moving. This was the time. He swiftly snatched the fish up in his teeth and tossed it onto the shore, following it out a moment after. Patiently he waited for it to still before proceeding to peel the outer layer off little by little. Once this one was ready, he would go back for another. Erebos knew the process would likely take hours, but it would be good to have a store of ready food for the day. If only he had someone to share it with... "normal. talk. think. you"

With today's weather being nicer than usual, Loccian thought it would be a good time to go out hunting. Reficul was a growing child, she needed food a bit more than her new mother. So here she was, paws carrying her through the land, passing the borders of Seracia. She already knew what was within the pack lands, and that wasn't very much, so she thought it would be a good idea to try past the borders. With stomach grumbling the shewolf had more of a drive. Normally should would have a biteful of something small every now and then, which would be a reason to why she was thin most of the time. She still had trouble with her appetite, but slowly it was getting better. Her body was growing, ribs no longer visible, becoming lean. A shiver ran across her left shoulder, paws coming to a stop, head reaching around to rub her cheek against the scar. She hated winters, no matter how warm the rest of her body was, a single breeze could change that when it passed over the bare flesh. She managed though, someone covering it with some herbs and plants to keep the warmth, but most of the time was unable to due to the low resources when the land froze over. With a flick of her tail the shewolf moved on, dull grey orbs running over the changing terrain. The land went from crops and large cows to open land with little trees, and rivers, big and small cutting through the land. An ear perked up as she lifted her head, listening for others nearby, nose sniffing the air. Nothing, then again, the wind was blowing away from her. Continuing on Loccian came upon a river, stopping a few inches from the edge of the bank, head down, looking below the surface at the creatures swimming around. Her head tilted to the side in curiosity, tail slowly swaying behind her. For now the depression was low, her attention on the small things swimming around in the water. "normal. talk. think. you" Will you help me?

In his fish prepping reverie, Erebos almost allowed the female to go unnoticed. He was so engrossed in peeling small even pieces and placing them in a neat, organized pile, removing the bones and cleaning them entirely. His habits were mind-consuming at all times, he often failed to notice anything in the world around him. But this... This he did notice. A strange scent hit his nostrils as he was completing his handiwork. Another wolf, but with the clear mark of a pack on her. He lifted his head to see that she was merely a few feet away from him, completely oblivious to his standing there. It was like his thoughts had been spoken aloud and answered by some higher power. Here was another wolf, apparently looking for food, just when he was hoping he had one to share with. Whoever you are, thank you, he thought with a grin and a glance toward the sky. He wanted to approach her, but he wasn't sure what to do with his neat little pile. He couldn't leave it unattended. He sighed, then let his voice flow with enough power to grab the female's attention without startling her. Hi there, stranger! Hungry? A grin plastered on his maw showed his honest friendliness. He didn't want to miss out on such a great opportunity. Erebos needed some friends here to keep himself "sane". "normal. talk. think. you"

Loccian watched the creatures closely, their bodies seeming to shimmer beneath the surface. Her head tilted to the other side, a paw reaching out slowly, dipping into the water but the moment it made contact the creatures darted. She jumped at this, head pulling back and tail going up. These things were interesting. Loccian had never seen such a thing before, most of the time she came by a water source she didn't seem them. Perhaps it was because the water was too shallow? Whatever it was the shewolf didn't know. And instead of thinking about it she moved forward carefully, crouching low to the ground and stopping at the edge. Her tail swayed form side to side behind her, storm grey orbs searching the water for the creatures. Hi there, stranger! Hungry? A voice suddenly pierced the air, causing Loccian's head to snap to the side. Eyes went wide for a moment, her brain not properly telling her if his tone was friendly or holding a sarcastic aggression of a wolf looking to mess with her. There had been an increase of those kind lately. She quickly looked him over though, checking for any signs of aggression. Ears up, genuine smile on hi face, no bristling or movement towards her. So far... okay. Clearing her throat the young woman pushed herself up, tail slightly tucking between her hind legs. Um.. hi there. Her voice was soft, a leg crossing over the other, covering up the grumbling of her stomach. I'm not really hungry. She lied, not wanting to rely on him catching something for her or sharing what he had worked for. Prey was already hard to come by in Winter. "normal. talk. think. you" Will you help me?

Erebos hadn't had someone to share anything with in a long time. Not food, not words, nothing. Most wolves were turned away by the idea of a stranger wanting their company and being so friendly. They didn't understand that he needed them, more than anything. He needed company and happiness to keep the nightmares at bay, to keep him sane enough to function in daily life. The obsessiveness could only do so much for so long. Whether or not this wolf wanted it, Erebos was intent on gaining her attention. She claimed that she wasn't hungry, but his intuition told him otherwise. The way she tucked her tail and crossed her legs, she was either trying to hide it or was intensely afraid of him, but nothing else showed him fear. Her ears remained raised, her eyes unwavering. Erebos chuckled and his voice floated across the air between them once more. You say you aren't hungry, and yet... I get the feeling that you are. He gave her a toothy, almost insane looking grin. You can have this pile if you want. I caught this one so quickly, I have a lot more time left before my evening clean up. He spoke non-nonchalantly, despite how clear it was that his habits were well established. And his words were honest. The brute could never make something like that up, because that would be a setback. He didn't have time to run late to help another wolf, so he never would. "normal. talk. think. you"

Ears twitched as the male chuckled, planting her leg back into place, standing straight up but with her head low. He called her out, causing her head to turn to the side embarrassed. Loccian was not a good liar, but that was because she did not like being lied to or having to lie to somebody else. It just wasn't right. He even grinned, and even if it was a bit creepy she gave a small nod of her head. He offered the pile before him, her ears going back at him just being so willing to give up the prey he had just caught. Are you sure? I don't wanna be given something you worked to catch... She asked, wanting to make sure he was sure he wanted her to have it... whatever it was. Waiting for his answer the young shewolf perked up her ears, clearing her throat. I'm Loccian. "normal. talk. think. you" Will you help me?

The she-wolf reacted almost immediately when he called her out on her fib. She straightened out but looked completely embarrassed. His grin transformed to a faint smile, guilt washing over him. He hadn't meant to embarrass her, only to help. He absolutely had to share his catch with her now, in the hopes of cheering her up. Erebos took a few steps back, hoping to look a little more welcoming. Of course I'm sure. It wasn't that hard. He paused, his tail swaying gently behind him. It's a pleasure to meet you, Loccian. He truly meant it. To Erebos, meeting a new wolf was one of the greatest pleasures of all. He was happier than he had been in a long time just to be able to stand in the presence of this female. My name is Erebos "normal. talk. think. you"

With a small smile the shewolf dipped her head in thanks to the male when he confirmed that he was sure that he wanted her to have his pile of... something. Her grey gaze dropped from him and to the food, head tilting to the side as she tried to remember whether or not she had come across such an animal before in her life. But after a few moments she couldn't thin of it, and so it was new to her and she wanted to ask this male about it. His voice reached her ears again, causing her head to lift, grey gaze refocusing on him. He said it was a pleasure to meet her, a shy look came across her while dipping her head to him. A pleasure indeed... Erebos. You are very kind for offering me your meal, most would have tried scaring me off thinking that I was here to take it. She said with a light laugh, taking a few small steps forward and stopping just before his pile. She sat back on her haunches, tail curling over her paws. Please don't think of me as... an idiot, but, what is this? I have see it a few times since being in these lands but never knew what they were exactly. She asked him, hoping he wouldn't think she was stupid for not knowing what this stuff was, a fish. In her homeland the shewolf did not live by a deep enough water source to have such things, the water was always shallow. "normal. talk. think. you" Will you help me?

It made him glad that this woman had finally accepted his offer. In fact, it made him so happy that his happiness at meeting another wolf was all he could think about. It was the obsession keeping him in check for the time being. When was the last time he had spoken with another wolf like this? It had to have been months ago - it was the only way to explain how much his sanity and control had been slipping lately. The female's words brought him back into reality. He grinned his crazy grin again. Oh believe me miss, it's no trouble at all. I enjoy sharing... ... And if you had tried to take it I would've ripped your throat out. Erebos shook his head. He really needed to shut that voice in the back of his head up. He refocused his attention on Loccian in time to hear her question. He was unable to contain the friendly laughter. It's a fish! I believe their only purpose is food. They don't seem to do much that's useful. His voice changed from excited to thoughtful as he spoke. How did one explain something like a fish to another? "normal. talk. think. you"

Ooc: crappy phone post

She was embarrassed for asking, even more when the man had laughed, not because of her lack of knowledge though. If he was laughing at her because she was an idiot, then she could tell. At the moment though she just chuckled at his comments, giving a nod of her head when he said they were only good for food. Carefully she lowered her head and picked up a piece, munched it then swallowed. Right away she could feel and taste the difference from what she usually ate. Different texture, broke up, didnt have to chew too much. It was alright.

"Its different but good." She finally said, looking over to Erebos. "Could you possibly show me how to catch them?" She asked curiously, giving a small smile.

Erebos carefully observed the female as she took her first bite of the fish, curious to see what she thought of it. Reluctantly, he thought back to the first time he had tasted one. He thought of them as strange beings - they tasted much different than the prey he found on land and the texture had been displeasing, but they were easy to eat and in the absence of other food, they were always abundant. If only they were simpler to catch. He had struggled while learning from his father, always missing and becoming frustrated to the point of exciting his depression. His father would become irritated with him for hours just to get his paws on one. It was just one of many disappointments in his childhood. I'm glad you like it! He gave her a wild grin as he spoke. He would've felt bad if he had recommended a food to her that she wouldn't enjoy. Her request took him by surprise and he began to stumble over his words. Well, I... I might... Time... Was there time for him to teach her? It was hard enough for him to catch them on his own, he'd never tried to show anyone else. He looked frantically around before setting his eyes on the sun. There was still some time... And it felt so good to have the company. He shook his head vigorously, then planted his icy gaze on hers, a smile on his lips. I think I can do that. Come here. He padded to the water's edge, then wadded in to where the water barely covered his paws. "normal. talk. think. you"