Well she looked like she'd managed to swallow a bison whole and was now letting it ruminate in her stomach. Pyralis frowned as she gazed at her reflection in the waters of the Swallet Ring. What made her think this was a good idea again? She could see fish swimming and sparkling in the water, the sun reflecting off their colored scales and she just knew they were mocking. Hahahaha poor fat wolf can't catch dinner hahahhahaa…. she snorted and waded just a little ways in but stopped. She was getting hungry again but she was so dam close to popping she didn't really want to risk slipping into the deep. Then again maybe she'd float and could just roll her way on home like bloated duck. "Talk" "You" Think

Hugo's days had been filled with wandering, idle strolls as he took in the landscape of his new environment. He hadn't seen another wolf in some time, though he knew he was not alone in these lands from the abundant stale remnants of their scents. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he crossed paths with one of these locals, so he enjoyed his strolls during the meantime.

Now he found himself at the beach, enjoying the breeze which ruffled his ivory pelt and carried the salty spray of the waves. He had noticed an odd formation in the distance a short while ago as he walked the sand with his paws barely within the water's reach, and he was finally at the land bridge to what appeared to be an enclosed circle of water; what was more interesting than the land formation was the fact that he was not alone.

Traversing the sandbar which separated the beach and the sandy ring, he quickly took in the other wolf: a massive woman, easily several inches taller than himself, and very obviously pregnant. She was standing a short way into the shallow pool, her posture pensive and mildly irritated at once. Hugo wondered if she was hungry, as in her current state, catching a slippery fish would be troublesome. He approached so that she might see him before he came too close; stopping a few feet away, he remained on the land for now and cleared his throat softly to announce his presence.

"Good afternoon," he greeted. Glancing between the fish and the dame, he allowed a small smile before he asked, "Would you like to join me for lunch?" He realized he hadn't eaten in a while, and the longer he watched the fish, the more appetizing they became. While she seemed perfectly capable of snaring her own meals, he was prepared to offer to catch both his and hers as a polite gesture, depending on her response. Hugo understood that immediately extending such an offer could be taken as patronizing, and he was not looking for his first acquaintance in weeks—or was it months?—to turn into an enemy within five minutes.

"speak."
 "speak."
"speak."

Pyralis continued to eye the fish, her mind stringing out between desperate longing and stubborn indifference.  Perhaps she'd have better luck digging out clams and eggs on the beach.  That would certainly be safer but then when had she cared about being safe?  Oh right… before she decided on becoming a mother.  There were some significant downsides to this but she hoped the positives would outweigh the negatives and having her own personal mess of malevolent munchkins had a nice ring to it.  Pyralis dipped her head slowly toward the water, nose almost touching as she plotted her next move.  Some of the fish were growing bolder.  In her stillness she was becoming naught to them but a new piece of scenery.  Poising herself carefully, jaws agape she lunged forward, fangs spearing a small fish but it was not a wholly complete victory.  She shook her head violently.  Stinging saltwater had gone up her nose and it burned terribly! Pyralis bit back a cry and instead munched violently on her small snack before growling in irritation.  Well… she got one.   Shaking out her coat she shifted her position and stood still once more.  Still and irritated as she glared at the water, waiting for the fish to work up the nerve to come close again.  Ugh!  This was a truly infuriating way to hunt!  Pyralis could not believe there were hunters out there that just stood around and waited all day without actively doing what she would describe as hunting. A voice spoke and Pyralis jerked her head up to see a pale-coated man with brilliant blue eyes.  He glanced between her and the fish before asking if she'd join him for lunch.  She gazed at the man skeptically for a moment and grinned. "That depends good sir, is there a catch?  And by that I mean something other than the fish." "Talk" "You" Think

Immediately following his words, the woman's head snapped up, his own eyes locking with a pair of striking gold ones. The first thing he noticed was her unique marking, a bold streak of white surrounding one eye, in stark contrast to the dark earthy hues covering the rest of her. As Hugo quickly took stock of her, he noted that she had a pleasant face, feminine with a certain hardness that alluded to a strong personality beneath. He noticed the layer of lean muscle covering her body. She was clearly suited to (and experienced in) combat.

When her lips split into a grin and she responded to his invitation, his smile broadened and warmed to cover his features as he answered, "No, ma'am, nothing but fish and the company of a traveler." He moved a bit closer and waded into the water himself, scattering the fish which had returned to their normal activities after she captured her morsel. He watched them, perfectly still, as they swam back around him, the fish not noticing the subtle shift as he readied his muscles to strike. When one of the larger fish ventured near, his head plunged into the water in an instant, jaws snapping shut and holding tight to his slippery prey. He whipped his head violently once to break the fish's spine and end its struggle, placing it on the sand near the larger wolf, before turning to wait for his own, snout hovering inches above the surface as the fish gathered their courage again. "I hope you don't mind my fishing for the both of us," he said in soft tones to avoid startling the fish. "I have very little doubt about your capabilities, but I feel inclined to assist an expecting mother out of respect."

Once Hugo had a meal of his own, he exited the water and quickly shook himself dry before shifting into a sitting position on the sand ring facing her. "My apologies; I haven't introduced myself. I am Hugo Glass. To whom do I owe the pleasure?" He kept his expression set to a placid mask, his face open and amicable, presenting the casual interest expected when meeting someone new as his mind analyzed what he could gather from merely seeing her. She was strong, possibly had a mate (she didn't become pregnant by herself), most likely not completely alone since most mothers required some help in successfully rearing a litter. His impression on her could affect his relations with anyone she associated with, so he would do his best to leave a good one.

"speak."


"speak."


"speak."

Pyralis let her head tilt lightly to the side in a smooth, easy motion as she took stock of the man, the grin never leaving her face.  Fish and the company of a traveler, hm?  Sounded like a good deal, almost a little too good but she wasn't overly concerned despite being heavily pregnant.  After all, she was bound to have family lurking somewhere nearby being this far along. As much as Pyralis insisted she was fine it would be just like her brother to have her on surveillance during such a delicate time. "Well, then I accept your offer.  Where are you from Hugo? What brings you to the tip of this land?"   He moved closer and waded into the water.  Pyralis let the man take the lead and remained still as he began to fish.  As fun as it would be to splash the man and get a game going she had more than one mouth to feed and the promise of dinner kept her well behaved and quiet while he hunted.  She watched with rapt attention as a larger fish swam nearer and nearer to the man until, with a well aimed strike, he had the wriggling creature in his jaws and soon dead.   Pyralis let out a cheer. "Excellent techinque, and no I don't mind.  You seem to be quite skilled at this.  Are you a hunter by profession?"  Pyralis greedily snatched up the fish and took it with her to dry land where she immediately started her feasting.  She could get used to this.  Being pregnant was far from fun and she'd already vowed that this would be the one and only time she ever would be, but she did enjoy being waited on. "Talk" "You" Think

I'd rather be dead than live a lie
BURN THE WHITE FLAG!

Natha decided that the southern continent just wasn't for her. It was far to hot and humid though the warmth of the beach was certainly nice. She lay stretched out in the sand, the warmth and the sound of the ocean lulling her into a deep nap until the sound of voices caught her attention. She looked up to see a pair of wolves talking and…. fishing? Her ears twitched as she watched. They didn't seem to notice her, the wind being in her favor, but one never knew when the wind would shift. Quietly and smoothly she got to her feet and slipped away into the brush.

-exit-

Pyralis stretched and fidgeted uncomfortable as the sun beat down on her. The pups were squirming in her belly and making a terrible fuss. She sighed heavily decided it was high time that she get back to the rest of her family. Food would have to wait and she knew for certain that there was bound to be some kill scraps in the canyon that she could pilfer off the rest of the family. "Alas, I think it's time I get back to the family, but it's been a real slice. Maybe we'll run into each other some time." She winked at the man and began making her way back to her canyon home. -exit- "Talk" "You" Think