Brandr couldn't have asked for a better night to go fishing. The nice was warm but not sweltering and the swarm of fireflies looked so beautiful. It eased his mind. He paused in his journey, coughing lightly before he continued his way to the lake shore to try his luck at fishing with other festival attendees. He had some experience in catching fish but it had been a long while since he'd tried again. Fish were fine for a change of pace but not when one had a whole pack to feed. He found his energy was best expended with higher risk, higher reward targets. Settling in at the lake, Brandr carefully waded in up to his belly and then a bit farther until the water was a few inches below his back. He let his mind and body mellow into stillness, enjoying the feeling of the water as it moved around his body. When a fish came close he dove his head down seeking to grasp it, pushing air out of his nose as he did in hopes of not getting to much water up his nose. "Talk" "You" Think

Fished!

Such a strange land…back home they had games but it was for the community not…everyone. The cave wolf would wander through the crowds of wolves, all seeming to have a good time until he drew closer to the lake. There were wolves wading into the water and then…grabbing fish. Brows rose at such an interesting sight. Curious, he would draw closer to the waters edge as he watched a particularly large wolf watching the water before darting forth and submerging his head to grab a fish. Carefully, Thoren entered the water, looking at the water as he came to a stop several feet away from the much larger wolf. For a moment he just stood there…unsure of what to do and then he saw it. A flash of silver from the scales of a fish. Sharp eyes followed it, excitement flashing in his eyes before he dived for it, jaws open trying to grasp the fish. Mimicking the other wolf in all ways except blowing air out of his nose. Thoren is fishing, copying Brandr. Hope its ok I joined in, if not let me know and I'll have the post deleted.

ooc: No worries, thanks for joining in! :)

Success! Brandr hauled a large fish out of the water and quickly tossed it to shore where he scooted it into a little pit he'd dug. It looked to be a largemouth bass. He was glad, they were good eating. He had a tendency to catch carp and while they were tasty in their own right they were particularly bony. Satisfied that he was off to a good start the large wolf returned once again to the water, sliding in and waiting for his next chance. He wasn't quite sure yet how he'd manage to get all these fish home but he was down to try. Eyeing a bit of movement he dove his head back down into the water, seeking to multiply his catch. At one point Brandr glanced over and noticed that not too far away was an earthen colored male. He smiled gently and dipped his head in greeting. "It's a beautiful night for fishing. Are you new to the area?" A little conversation probably wouldn't hurt. After each catch the splash would startle the other fish and chatting helped pass the time. "Talk" "You" Think

Fished!

It seemed the other wolf was not the only one with luck tonight, as the other went to put his fish on the bank Thoren grabbed his own. It was a large fish, one that wiggled and flailed trying to get loose. Nostrils flaring as he sucked in air, he hurriedly took the fish to shore. Lowering his skull he placed a firm paw on the fishes gills and then released the fish, only to bite it again on the head- hard. A crunch would echo and the fish would go still (minus muscle spasms). Grinning he stepped back to admire his catch, his first time and he had caught a massive fish! Well…massive to him. Turning he moved back towards the water, pausing as he heard the other speak. For a moment he was hesitant, but if it wasn’t painfully obvious now- he was sure it would be in the future…no sense in hiding it. “Indeed, I’ve lived underground all my life...this is my first time fishing.” He’d add the last bit sheepishly before glancing down to search for another fish. The silver scales would flash and copying the same technique as before he dived down once again in hopes of grabbing hold and pulling another big fish to shore. Thoren is fishing, copying Brandr.

Brandr's head dove once more into the water. He sought to keep building his inventory despite missing his last fish. Shaking his head he let the water fly loose from his fur as he reached up to scratch at an ear. He'd been trying to keep his ears back and pinned to avoid too much water getting into them but with each successive dive it started to seep in. Brandr turned to gaze curiously at the man. "Underground?" Brandr couldn't imagine living underground. Of course he denned there but if he wasn't sleeping or ill he was almost cetainly out in the open air. "Oh, I'm Brandr Scylding by the way, of Abaven." "Talk" "You" Think

Thoren once more grasped onto a really large fish, heavier than the last, he could barely hold it above water as he hurried it to the shore. Its feisty flails would cause him to drop it and panic. Jaws attempting to snap shut on it mid air while paws lifted him up off the ground before coming down hard on it as it flopped on the ground. Pinned, he would once more chomp its head to make the fish go still. Pleased with his so far success he would turn back to the water, intent on trying again as the other spoke, questioning his statement on living underground. He nodded slightly to the larger wolf. “In cave and tunnel systems…” His accent was a bit thicker on ‘systems’ it was not a word he normally used in the common tongue. While it may have seemed odd that he lived in them, it was odd to Thoren that these surface dwellers lived most of their lives in the sun without being in pain. Dutch had adjusted much better than he had- but she’d always been interested in going out on the surface…he on the other hand was more intrigued with exploring the tunnels and learning. The other would introduce himself and Thoren once again bobbed his head, brow furrowing slightly. “Abaven?” he asked, confused. Was that one of those odd groups- a pack…He’d learned enough to know that ‘packs’ were not just familial, but were made of non family members as well. An odd custom, but not everyone bred to the extent that dwarves did he guessed. There was little room for ‘outsiders’ or strangers in his community. “Thoren…of…nowhere…” With that, he would pause his speech and dive once more as a flash of silver went across his path. Thoren is fishing, copying Brandr.

Bah! A little fish again, he seemed to be having a bad streak of luck but still he would continue. Parting his jaws once more he let his maw hover loosely above the water until he saw another flash of scales and dove down once more. "That sounds fascinating, Thoren. I take it these systems aren't in Boreas? Surely they had a name?" He spied one of his fish starting to flop back toward the water and he quickly grabbed the little thing, biting hard to crack its skull and still its movement apart from a few leftover jerks. "Abaven is the pack I'm from. We're based in the east here in Boreas." "Talk" "You" Think

Thoren nodded with a slight smile when Brandr mentioned his home being fascinating, then he asked what his home was called and his brow furrowed slightly. “I don’t know the words in your tongue…” He trailed, but then continued. “In our tongue it is Donyur.” Heavy accent would come to his voice as he spoke the name of his home in his tongue. “Our festivals there are much…different… more singing and crafting..among other things.” He commented, as he waited for another fish to swim by. It seemed that he and Brandr were trading places, where he had the luck previously, it seemed Brandr had it now. Still, Thoren listened quietly and respectfully when Brandr explained what Abaven was, he nodded quietly for a moment before asking yet another question. “What is Abaven like? …Do you have caves?” His tone was a bit ore excited as he asked about caves, hopeful but at the same time unsure if they had caves since Brandr didn’t live in one… A fish swam close and Thoren lurched forward into the water again, jaws snapping at the fish in hopes of coming up with meat between his jaws. Thoren is fishing, copying Brandr.

"Donyur." Brandr attempted to speak the word and nodded thoughtfully to himself. "If that's what they're called then that's what I'll call them, though pardon my pronunciation. I don't know many other tongues." Brandr settled back down on the shore, next to his catch. He could use a break and luckily he'd brought a few projects with him. He reached over to a small bundle wrapped in deer hide. When he opened it it revealed a small rabbit pelt that he'd been working on tanning. He was trying different methods and there was one involving the acid in tree bark that he was anxious to give a try but first he needed to finish scraping a few remnants of flesh off the hide. "We don't have any caves in Abaven proper though there are a few systems to the west of us. We're centered more in the plains near a great river." "Talk" "You" Think

Thoren bobbed his head encouragingly to Brandr as he tried to pronounce the name of his home. Grinning as he for the most part pronounced it right. He chuckled as Brandr spoke, shaking his head slightly. “You spoke fine.” He replied in an encouraging tone. It wasn’t a difficult word to pronounce, but he was pleased that Brandr even gave it a try, most would just butcher the name and not care. This wolf did seem to at least care enough to try and put effort into it. Thoren was quickly back in the water, but as he waited he found himself looking at the pouch that Brandr had, with a crafter as a sister, it didn’t take him long to realize what he was doing. Tanning. “My sister is good with hide.” He didn’t often brag about Dutches talents but crafting was her gift and he enjoyed watching her make things…though he had little interest in learning how to craft.

Brandr told him about Abaven and Thoren found himself grimacing at the mention of the Plains. “Lots of sun. No place for dwarf.” He chuckled, shaking his head before he dived for a fish.

Brandr was pleased to hear he hadn't completely butchered the pronunciation. Satisfied with his scraping he licked at the hide for a moment just to be sure it was clear. Then satisfied, he pulled out another small bundle to reveal the rabbit's brain. He glanced up. "Is she now? Do you happen to know if she has a preference over brain tanning versus bark tanning? I'm trying to decide myself but I haven't quite yet." He set the brain on the hide then smashed his paw into it and got to work rubbing the brain around on the hide. He hoped to have a nice set of skins to line the den for winter. Brandr chuckled and nodded at the man's comment. "Yes, there is usually a lot of sun so if that is not your preference it wouldn't make a good home. Although, if you don't mind me saying what do you mean when you say 'dwarf'?" The man was smaller than Brandr by a good amount but Brandr was massive by wolf standards and he didn't consider the other to be a dwarf in the usual sense. "Talk" "You" Think

He cracked the skull of another fish,this one smaller than the previous ones, but no matter. Afterwards he waded back into the water for yet another fishing attempt. Ears twitched as Brandr spoke, Thoren turned back to face him to find him with a second pelt,…this one with a brain in the middle of it. It made sense as he listened to the questions and explanation, his brow furrowed as he tried to recall which method Dutch had used. He watched as Brandr squished the brain and then rolled it over the hide, massaging it into the skin. “I don’t remember her using tree bark. It must have been brain.” He answered, although the inflection in his voice would tell Brandr he wasn’t certain. “I ask next time I see her.” He nodded, interested in finding out the answer- even if he never saw Brandr again.

He grimaced slightly at the mention of a lot of sun and then shook his head, ironically agreeing with Brandr on the stance. It was no place for him. The question, however, caught him off guard at first. Now it was his turn to chuckle. “I taller than most. Most in tunnels much smaller.” He lifted a paw to gesture to how small his sister was in comparison. Her shoulder came up just above the start of his chest. Much smaller. “Some smaller than sister. We call our kind dwarf in your tongue.” Thoren would be distracted, ending his explanation as he dived for another fish, hoping to get another big one this time.

Brandr kept working away at tanning the hide, wrinkling his nose for a moment at the feel of brains between his toes. It wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling but it was an effective method. Besides, most animals had enough brains to tan their own hide. In some ways it felt like this was the way it was meant to be done but that didn't mean he wasn't curious to try bark tanning. It seemed Thoren's sister hadn't tried bark either but he nodded after the man's statement. "Well, brains are the gold standard or that's what I hear from most other hunters." He kept working until at last he was satisfied. That would do for now. He laid the hide out to dry for a bit while he continued to chat. He nodded as Thoren spoke taking in the information. "Do you find cave systems to live in or did you make the tunnels yourselves?" He found himself curious about life underground not that he thought he'd be able to handle living in such a way. "Talk" "You" Think

He withheld the chuckle as Brandr made a face as brains squished between his toes. He imagined that was not a pleasant feeling. “What tanning rabbit for?” He asked, curious if there was a real purpose to tanning the rabbit hide, he’d heard about a mobile trade place but he had yet to find it…not that he had anything to trade yet. He grinned as Brandr spoke about the brains more and nodded slightly. “I’ll trust you on that.” He answered, having no intention of finding out for himself any time soon. He wasn’t a crafter, he was more of a healer.

Finally, he laid the hide down and asked more about his home and he grinned. “Some dug, some natural. Many pathways, like maze.” He chuckled softly, before his smile faltered. “Some dangerous than others. Tunnels….fall… sometimes.” He had trouble, fall was not the right word, but perhaps it was good enough for Brandr to understand that the tunnels collapse at times. Thoren momentarily turned back to fishing, diving down to grab at another fish, noticing that the fish were beginning to disappear. He’d have to finish quickly before they were all gone!

With the rabbit hide drying and his supplies put away Brandr returned to the water for one more try at a fish. He slipped quietly into the water. "I'm tanning the hides to line my den for the winter and also maybe to trade if Abaven plans to hold any festivals or markets." He lowered his head above the water, watching the ripples for a moment and went he thought he saw movement he dove down, jaws parting in an effort to snatch up another fish. When his head returned from the water he would turn to Thoren and listen as the other spoke of the tunnels in the cave. He nodding in understanding that some of the tunnels could be dangerous."Why did your ancestors start living underground if you don't mind me asking? I've never met a wolf before so equipped to underground life." "Talk" "You" Think

Thoren listened as Brandr explained the use for furs and he nodded. "That's smart. Do packs hold markets often?" He asked, curious about how many packs were interested in actually trading. As Brandr dove for a fish, so did he. The question caught him off guard a bit, but he answered none the less. “Many tales of beginning.” He began, “ one tells of pack of crafters going through a mountain cave to get to other side in winter, halfway through the tunnel fell…couldn’t find way out for many years. Many decided to stay and make it home.” It was the very abridged version, but it got the story across. “Other tells of a bloody battle where dwarf was defeated and weak. Hid in the tunnels for generations to gain numbers…but became crafters and began trading instead.” He chuckled, they were both silly to him. Who knew, perhaps there was some truth to them? “Maybe bit of both? Maybe other reasons. Those are the main tales.”

This seemed like another good little hunting spot, with two wolves already occupying it. His nostrils flared as he recognized his own pack, Abaven, and he stepped closer to be able to get a good look at the wolf. He didn't recognize most of his packmates, and that in and of itself was... disappointing. He didn't like that one bit. As he stepped into the water and walked deeper, he nodded to both wolves - the Abaven wolf and the loner. "Hello," he greeted quietly. "I am Aiden, of Abaven." It was mostly at the loner, but since he didn't know the Abaven wolf, he figured an introduction there wouldn't hurt either. After the greeting, he focused on the water and tried again for yet another fish, jaws snapping at the water shallowly.

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Wolves, wolves, wolves. All the wolves. Lyra ignored them as she went into the water, ears flickering back briefly as she did so. The water was starting to get cold, and she wasn't a fan at all. She just wanted to hurry up, finish fishing, take a nap, and slowly swim back to shore... which would probably take her most of the day, if not longer. As she reached the little group, she realized she had already had a conversation with one of the individuals, and she nodded to him. The other two were Abaven wolves, and they both recieved a single head dip. Even while Abaven may be a weak, goody-two-paws type pack, as was demonstrated by both Rhyme and Shaye, she'd still give their wolves some bit of respect. However, this time she was gonna be focused fishing, and she once more sent a paw slicing through the water.

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