Her paws were still a touch too big for the rest of her. She had just turned one a scarce few days ago and for all intents and purposes, she was still a pup. She had not yet gained the maturity of an older wolf and it was doubtful she would inhabit it anytime soon... even if it broadsided her by a two by four. She was naturally curious, outgoing, energetic, and had absolutely no concepts of personal space. Especially around Ceto. Her best friend was simply screwed five ways from Sunday. Her large paws splashed in the water and her laughter filled the air as she batted the element about playfully. Bounding this way and that in no particular pattern, splashing just for the fun of splashing. Her tail flew behind her sandy pelt a thousand miles a minute.

She bounded out of the water, soaked to the bone and shook hard, sending drops of moisture flying in every which direction. Onyx eyes, bright and exuberant bounded to the next branch of the river and a flash of silver movement caught her eye. A fish! She crouched low, rump high in the air and tail batting back and forth like a pendulum. She watched it closely, her gaze trained upon the target and when the perfect moment came, she pounced! Water flew in every direction, drenching the grass and the earth and she tumbled head over heels into the water. She flailed uncontrollably, creating quite the spectacle, but when she emerged the fish was caught, wiggling with all its might in her jaws, granted it was crooked and not quite straight but she had been triumphant all the same! The rustle of the bushes made her head tilt up. She drpped the fish, placing a paw a top it to stop it from squirming back to the river.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

Now that the boy was a year old, he was very much determined to act like a man. Father expected no less of him, and he was not about to disappoint. This was not to say that his scheming and conniving days were over, in fact.. they had just begun. He would just have to get better at hiding it, and figure out ways around the rules. It was on this day that Maverick strolled boldly out of Seracian land, unconcerned with the fact that he had not told anyone he was leaving. The Noble had found it better to ask forgiveness than permission. For you see, if one waited and asked permission, often that one was denied the permission and ended up spending the day at home. The fox-colored yearling trotted aimlessly, unsure exactly where he was going. He would know when he got there, he supposed. Large paws carried him elegantly, for he had long outgrown the bumblings of pup-hood. Though those paws were still a bit large for his frame, he was now assured that one day soon he would grow into them, and his ears as well. A smile bit across his maw, fluttering there for a moment before fading away. He had not found a reason yet to keep it there, and so it was gone. Bright green eyes surveyed the landscape as a great delta exploded before him. It was very similar to the one Seracia called home, and Maverick was slightly amused that his father hadn't chosen this one to be their home. Ah well, this one wasn't as nice as theirs, he supposed. The yearling's ears twitched as a call rang out, asking if someone was there. He could not see the sounder, for he was on the wrong side of some vegetation. Maverick let out a 'whuff' of air and then trotted briskly around the bushes, noting that a pale colored girl stood on the other side. Well, I am. He tilted his head slightly, staring down at the fish she had caught, which was squirming and flopping beneath her paw. He hadn't learned how to catch fish just yet. Did you catch that? Speech,

Luana cocked her head to the side, eyes trained upon her surroundings, she was still too young and naive to really understnad that something foul could erupt from her surroundings. She still had the youthfulness to see the good and nobility in people, even when there was none, and so when the red colored pup emerged, a large smile swept across her maw and her tail flew back and forth as he drew closer to her. He was brightly colored unlike her best friend, but his coat reminded her of Ceto's eyes! Ceto had the prettiest eyes! Hers were stupid black!

"My names Luana! Whats yours?" She cocked her head to the side in an adorable fashion as he spoke. If she hadn't been holding down her catch she would have trotted over to greet him better, but as it were, she remained where she was. As he asked if she had caught the thing, she nodded vehemently, tail swishing even faster, despite the fact that she was soaked to the bone, she was still proud of her kill.

"Ya I did! Mama taught me how to catch fishes before she taught me how to catch rabbits! Said fish were harder and if I could learn that then rabbits would be a breeze!" She still remembered her first attempt at trying to procure a fish, She had wound up almost drowning and the second attempt had not gone much smoother, but he wouldn't know that.

Shifting his weight on his paws, Maverick continued to stand and scrutinize the girl, perplexed as to how she managed to catch that fish. He'd tried before, many times. He was a decent swimmer and loved the water, but the creatures that lived in it always seemed to elude him. She wasn't any older than he, who had taught her to catch fish? He supposed her mother must've, as that was traditional. Still, why hadn't his father or mother bothered to teach him? Mav gave a sigh. She spoke up, giving her name and asking his. She seemed rather chipper. Maverick. He very rarely gave his full name, even though it was customary to do so back home in Seracia. He figured wolves outside of his pack probably didn't care much about his lineage. My mom hasn't taught me about catching fish yet. He huffed at the end of his phrase, jealous that she knew something he didn't. Still, he was a yearling now and needed to learn to fend for himself, even if Adette still kept an insanely watchful eye on him. Can you show me? The fox colored boy took a few steps closer, examining the fish by lowering his head down to ground level and peering at it with vibrant green eyes. Do they even taste good? He wagged his tail lightly, hoping she could show him how to catch fish. Speech,

Luana watched the pup before her with something akin to curiosity. She had never seen such a brightly colored wolf before, she wondered what his mama and papa would have looked like? Were they just as shocking in between the trees? She wanted to know, but she supposed that was a bit rude to boldly ask him to his face. She frowned her dark eyes following his gaze to the wriggling fish beneath her paw. What was so interesting about a fish? She ate them all the time! He looked like he had never seen one before!

"Maverick..." She tested his name upon her tongue, her darting that much faster behind her rump. "Its nice to meet ya Maverick!" She added quickly her tones light and airy, brimming with utter excitement. He shifted before he admitted he had not yet learned to catch fish, she blinked surprised. They were tough to start with, but once you got it, they were pretty darn tasty! Before she could answer his question he asked her another.

"They taste really yummy! Salmon are my favorite! Like this one!" She cooped it up in her jaws, trotting over to him and dropping it at his feet, motioning to it with her snout. "Here! Try some! I'm not hungry enough to eat the whole thing anyway." She was excited for him to try it, eager to know if he would enjoy such a morsel. She remembered his early question as he took a tentative bite and answered animatedly. "Sure! I can teach you! Mama says that its all about patience. You have to watch and follow the way the fish moves, that way you can predict where to pounce." She paused for a beat. "Want me to show you?"

Fish were a regular part of his diet, but they were always supplied to him by someone else. Never before in his life had he had to catch one. And until now, he'd never really given much thought to how they might be caught. He supposed some type of sneaky tactic was involved, some sort of trickery or foolery, but that had always been left to the adults - the professionals. However, it seemed like he'd finally realized that he really was behind - and maybe just a bit pampered. It was time to grow up and learn to catch his own food, not just wait for it to be handed to him. She spoke up, mentioning how Salmon were her favorite. He too liked Salmon, but his favorite were those big silver fish his dad always caught. They were nearly as big as his head, and quite often filled him to the brim. As she offered him a bite the boy shook his head, twisting his ears back slightly. "No that's okay, you caught it." This wasn't going to be another time in which he'd take from someone else's hard work. "You keep that one and show me how to catch my own." A smile cracked across his lips, remaining there as she assured him she could teach him and explaining the basic premise behind the technique. With a nod he waited for her to show him what to do, feeling altogether like a fool for not already knowing. Speech,

Luana was a bubbly thing, full of energy and excitement, even at something so dull. She grinned as though he had bestowed upon her titles and ranks of the highest assortment. She lowered her jaws, snapping into her prize with greedy jaws, she swallowed down large chunks of the fish before bounding back to the river, her heartbeat thundering in her chest out of excitement. She watched him, onyx studying his movements with precision. She was excitable, not naive. When he approached the stream she tossed her muzzle in the direction of the returned salmon.

"You have to pick one and focus. If you look at the whole bunch, you'll never catch a fish, they group together like that to distract you. Pick one, watch how it moves, predict its next turn and..." The fish shot to the right and then the left, as quick as the snap of the whip, Luana plunged her head beneath the cool water and trapped the squirming fish between her jaws. Much more graceful this second time around. She tossed it up onto the shore and watched it squirm and flop. She shook the water from her coat and backed up, allowing the group to return. She motioned to her spot at the water's edge. "Now you try!"

She had never taught anyone, anything before. She was supposed to teach Ceto how to swim but they hadn't gotten the chance yet. They had been too busy trying to escape Newt's tyranny in Lentajin. Her smile faltered when she thought of the psychopath. The pack would fall under such a leader, Newt was insane. She shook her head from such thoughts. She was trying to teach! She had to focus! She watched as he prepared to pounce, rooting silently for him in her head.

Maverick was nervous, not out of deliberate fear, but more out of worry that he would make a fool of himself. Self-concous as ever, the man hardly wanted to look ignorant or foolish in front of a nearly-complete stranger. This Luana, he had not met her before, and likely never would see her again, but his name had been given and he was sure she would remember it.. and remember how good or bad he was at catching fish. He tried to recall watching his father catch them, but he'd only seen it done just a few times. Most of the time, Gerhardt would stand stock-still in the water and then out of nowhere, dive in with his jaws wide. It couldn't be too hard, could it? He watched her enter the water, creeping closer but not getting too close for fear of messing her up or getting in the way. She began to talk, and he listened intently, ears swiveling toward her with curiosity. It all sounded rather easy, but complicated at the same time. Almost instantaneously, her head dipped to the water, plunged beneath the surface, and withdrew with a fish. She tossed it with ease to the shore and he watched it squirm for a moment, altogether sure he could never do it as easily as she had. Still, he had to try. With a slight sigh of uncertainty, the boy entered the water. This part was easy. He stood still - just as his father did - and waited until the fish quieted. They soon began to lazily swim between his legs, and as they did so he launched his attack on a shiny silver one. Jaws snapped shut on empty water and he withdrew his now dripping face from the liquid, snorting water from his nostrils. "Argh!" He shook off lightly and then poised himself again, ready to give it one more go and see if he could redeem his ego. Head snaked down once more, snapping shut on something cold and writhing. Success! Withdrawing his crown from the water, Maverick relished in the metallic taste of blood that trickled down his throat. The fish continued to squirm as he spat it out on the shore, exiting the water and turning to her - pride painted on his face like a banner. "It's not as easy as it looks!" He shook himself abruptly, letting the water cascade from his pelt so that it would not weigh him down. Finally, when he had rid the excess water and was only damp, Maverick rested onto his stomach and took the fish between his jaws, ready to eat his prize. However he quickly dropped it and said a word, "Thanks." "Speech,"

If he was afraid of her, he needn't be, the exuberant dame was one of few who never judged another wolf. She was bubbly, excitable, adventurous, and so many other things, but cruel was not one of them. She bounded to the water, eager and excited to teach him. Eager and excited for him to get it right! It mattered little in her mind if they were from separate packs. This was unclaimed territory, who cares who met who in these lands? Why couldn't she be friends with everyone she came across? Of course, such was the naivety of a child.

She spoke softly, gently, willing him to understand her words. If she was going to teach him, she better damn well do it right herself! She completed her task with relative ease and bounded away and out of the water, back onto the shore so the fish would return. He seemed a bit apprehensive and perhaps a bit unsure but she smiled brightly, nudging him gently with the tip of her nose, encouraging him to try. Eagerness thrummed to life in her veins, onyx eyes wide and trained upon him, eager with anticipation and excitement. He struck quickly...and turned up empty. It didn't faze the dame in the slightest. "C'mon try again! You can do it! I believe in you!" She chirped from the sidelines, prancing in her eagerness.

When he got the fish on the second time she let out a celebratory bark, prancing back to her second fish and plopping down somewhere near him, a smile beaming across her face at his thanks. She shook her head, laughing playfully and ripping into the writhing fish, swallowing a large bite before responding to him. "You shouldn't fret! My first try I slipped on a patch of moss and flipped head first into the river! You were much more successful than I!" Her laughter was genuine, she truly did enjoy her time in the wilds.

Taking the fish back in his jaws, he eagerly ripped into it, saving every last morsel of flesh. The scales weren't particularly tasty, but as a boy who'd grown up on fish he knew how to get around most of them. Bones were tricky things too, but the lad also soured around the more dangerous ones, and simply crushed through the paper-thin ones with ease. His father had told him to take care in eating a fish, or he would find himself choking on its bones. Maverick had taken that seriously, and remembered it to this day. She told her tale of her first hunt, and he found himself chuckling by the end of it. "Well, I s'pose I did a bit better than that." He would smile at her, licking his lips carefully to remove anything that might linger. Blood stained the whiter parts of his muzzle as he heaved a sigh of contentment. "You were a great teacher." A smile would radiate on his face as he rolled onto his side and then finally his back, wriggling from side to side to relieve the itch along his spine that plagued him. Another sigh slipped from agape jaws as he rolled back onto his stomach and then gazed at her again. "Where are you from?" He would inquire with a raised brow. She knew about fishing, so he guessed a pack with a substantial water source, but he really did not know what accommodations the other packs had. He had been - and always would be - primarily concerned with Seracia and their abode. Resting his chin down on his front paws, eyes would remain directed at her quizzically, curious and intent upon whatever answer she might give him. No doubt she was a pack wolf, or at least had a family - her being so young and having been taught the basics of survival. Or had she struck off on her own.. or somehow like him had lost her parents at a young age? The boy would soon find out, he supposed. "speeeeech"

They dined in relative silence, munching away at their kills with eagerness. It mattered little to Luana where the brute was from. He was nice and they were friends right? What did it matter if they came from different backgrounds, why couldn't she be friends with everyone? Such was the naivety and innocence of her mind still, in time, perhaps, she would learn, but for now she saw the world through innocent eyes and Maverick was already her friend. She chomped her extra fish, belly distending slightly from the extra food, she normally did not eat this much, but she hated anything to go to waste... plus she had taught him something! And that counted for the extra meal right? "You did much better than me! My mom would have said you were the best!" Luana's laughter filtered through the air as she reclined upon her side. Her chest heaving as she drew a large breath and expelled her through her nose. She was content to laze about this day, she had nowhere of importance to be. It was nice to get out of the pack borders too! His compliment fell upon her and her smile only widened. "Thats only cause you are such a good student!" Her tail thumped the ground repeatedly, returning his compliment with one of her own. She contemplated his inquiry for a moment, debating on what exactly he wished to know. Where she had been, or where she was now? She supposed for one answer, she needed two. "I originally come from the land that now overflowing with lava. My mama was a rogue and she taught me everything I know, but I lost her in the lava... but then I met Cetotorah! My best friend and we both became a part of Ludicael! What about you? Were you born here." Her head would loll to the side, starring at him upside down as she awaited his answer. "Speech"