Ah, the river. Angelus had fond memories of fishing trips with his father on this very bank. He'd had a few successes and more than a few loses. The corners of his mouth rose modestly as a memory swam to the forefront of his mind. One such lose, close to the beginning of his fishing career, had ended with him faceplanting in the river without so much as a fin to show for his efforts. After stepping to the very edge Angelus hunkered down and stretched out a forepaw. Knowing full well it would be cold he stuck his toes in anyway. The winter was mild, but that didn't keep the river from dipping well below a comfortable temperature. Even though he knew it was coming the cold was a shock to his senses. Absentmindedly he swirled his paw around, creating small waves that stirred up the silty river bottom below. It was just now sinking in that Imperium was no more; that those he had called packmates and friends were scattered. His father legacy, his own inheritance, was simply gone. It was wild how such a thing could suddenly cease to exist; how an entire community could be there one day and gone the next. Had any of them lingered? Had any waited? With a sigh Angelus stretched out on his belly so he could dip the toes of both forepaws into the water. Why he was thinking about the pack's disbandment was beyond him. In the grand scheme of things it mattered little. Soon enough it would rise again and it would be as if it had never stumbled.

As usual, Esarosa was exploring in search of something to hunt, her belly rumbling and her curiosity itching to be satsfied. She wanted to know where all of the best hunting grounds were, as she wanted not only to satisfy her love for food, but she wanted also to provide for the wolves she cared about. She would not have others depending on her if she could not deliver what they needed, and first and foremost, everyone needed food. Familiar with ways of fishing, this great river seemed like more than a suitable place to experiment. She was uncertain of the weather, for with the cold season came treacherously cold waters, but if she could successfully catch fish without getting too wet... she knew she would be just fine. So, her paws carried her along the riverside, her nose working hard to find something of interest. Instead of prey, she caught the scent of another wolf, and her interest shifted suddenly. She wondered who else was here, and if they were having success catching any fish. Picking up her pace, it wasn't long before she saw the slate-colored male crouched by the water. Although he looked involved in the water, she couldn't tell if he was hunting, or just deep in thought. So, Esarosa would approach the very large brute, curious as to what he was up to. "Hello!" she woofed to him, tail waving, "Any luck catching fish this time of year?" Seating herself within a comfortable distance from the male, she tilted her head, wondering what he would tell her. "Speak" "Listen" Think

The voice of a stranger cause him to pause for a moment as he processed the arrival of another. Angel's gaze rose from the water and he took in the woman who was approaching. She was much smaller than he, but that was hardly out of the ordinary, and colored simply much like his mother. If he had his guess Angelus would have been willing to bet she had seniority on him, but he was horrible with ages except for the very young and the very old. Everything in between was, in most cases, a little too gray for him. "Hello," he rumbled back as he resumed stirring the water with a single forepaw. The other he lifted from the water so he could twist his upper half to the side and better face the woman. He wanted to be able to see her without craning his neck and while keeping one foot in the water for his own absentminded amusement. "Not for me, no..." Angel shrugged and then chuckled self-deprecatingly. "But I can't say I've been trying too hard. Didn't really come here for the fish." He ran an assessing gaze over the woman. There was something about her that seemed familiar but he couldn't quite place where he thought he knew her from. Perhaps she had belonged to a rival pack? Maybe an ally? It was possible she'd been to a gathering of some kind. Or perhaps he was mistaken. He supposed he could ask, but that would spoil the memory game, now wouldn't it? "Have you come to test your luck?"

Esarosa sat quietly, with a small, friendly smile plastered upon her charcoal lips as she allowed time for the stranger to assess her. He seemed to look over her, and as he shifted slightly to face her, she found herself pausing silently to look him over as well. Had she met him before? Something about the intriguing little dots under his eyes seemed to stand out in her mind, that combined with the coat color and patterns. Were the eyes the same color? Was this wolf quite as massive... or was he larger? Before she could determine one thing or another, or draw up a memory, the brute addressed her with a greeting. Then he quickly went on to admit he hadn't had any luck, but he hadn't really been trying anyway. She giggled slightly at his response, before she glanced to the water. It was a large river, and in her experience, there should be fish, regardless of the time of year. They'd be fewer in number than in the spring, summer and autumn runs, but during the winter the fish that remained would be large. She looked to him again as he asked if she'd come to test her luck, she nodded eagerly. "Yep!" she woofed in reply, winking an emerald eye, "I figure a river this big has gotta have some fish worth catching." As she finished speaking, she couldn't help but to wonder why the brute was here, if he hadn't come to fish. It was difficult for her to imagine any other reason someone might be here, but that was just because of who she was. Tilting her head, she looked at him curiously. "Hey, if you're not here for fishing, then what does bring you here?" she asked openly, paws shifting slightly as she looked to the river and then back to the dire-sized brute again. "Speak" "Listen" Think

Indeed there were plenty of fish in this particular stretch of river. From experience Angelus knew this place was full of them. Of course that knowledge didn't do him a whole lot of good. When he went fishing the fish had little to fear. Dumb luck, really, was how he caught his fish. The corners of his mouth rose in amusement. "There are and if you have any measurable amount of skill you'll catch something in no time," he assured her smoothly. Of course, he'd never fished in winter, so he couldn't be sure it was the same as fishing in the warmer months. "Hey, if you're not here for fishing, then what does bring you here?" Angelus hesitated, unsure if he wanted to share personal information with a stranger, and then shrugged. He didn't really have anything to hide, did he? "I just needed to think." With a stretch Angelus slowly sat up. Craning his neck to look at the woman was beginning to give him a crick so he thought it best to take the pressure off before the ache really took a hold of him and he got stuck that way. Trying to be brief, he then said, "Last season or so has been kind of hectic." He shrugged again. "Plague and all that." It suddenly occurred to him that he didn't know the woman's name. "Oh, my name is Angelus, by the way."

Her head cocked to the side and ears perked forward as he spoke, assuring her the fish were quite easy to catch if one had any skill at all. "Can't wait to try my luck," she murmured, looking to the water. She licked her lips, knowing she'd have no trouble snagging a meal. She was tempted to give it a shot immediately, but she was also curious about the stranger, so she focused on him for the moment instead. His answer to her question was short, but it wasn't like she'd expected a full explanation, anyways. It was up to him if he wanted to share anything, after all, what he did with his time was really none of her business. Of course she would wonder what in particular he'd come to think about, but she knew it would be a little too nosy to ask, if he hadn't offered that information in the first place. She watched as the colossal stranger stretched and pushed himself up into a sitting position. Esa had to tilt her head back to look up at him, and blinked in surprise a few times. It was difficult to determine someone's full height when they were lying flat on their belly - now that he'd sat up, he towered above her, and the very length of his legs was evident. If she'd never known Mithras, that starry-pelted giant, she would have been truly astonished at this man's height. As he spoke again, her thoughts were drawn away from his sheer size, and she was given a little insight as to what he'd come to ponder about by the water's side. She wondered if he himself had been affected by the plague, or if it was someone he knew. She wouldn't say anything, but wondered if someone close to him had perished - she had seen many wolves in the past season afflicted by the disease and she counted herself lucky not to have contracted anything. He seemed to shrug it all off, and changed the subject by offering his name. "Good to meet you Angelus," she said, her tail scuffing the ground in a wag, "I'm Esarosa." It was good to get introductions out of the way. Eyeing him for moment, he didn't appear to be starving, but she wondered if he could use a bite to eat, if he'd been affected by the plague. "Are you hungry?" she asked, tilting her head, "I kinda wanted to test the waters, I don't mind sharing if I catch something." "Speak" "Listen" Think

Angelus couldn't help but become enamored as he watched the woman speak. She was very expressive both in response to his words and upon speaking, and the man found her lively demeanor enthralling. True, they'd only just met but his first impression was a promising one. It made him want to learn more about her and while it would have made sense for him to step aside and let her fish in peace Angelus knew he would regret parting so soon. While he hadn't come to the river in the best of moods it was hard to not be buoyed by Esarosa's friendly demeanor. He couldn't have remained a stick in the mud if he'd tried. "It's very nice to meet you, Esarosa," he rumbled with a smile on his lips. Was he hungry? Honestly he had to think about it. When had he last eaten an actual filling meal? It would be foolish of him to pass up the opportunity to eat. That being said he couldn't in good conscience let the woman catch a meal for him. With another stretch Angelus pushed himself to his feet. His pride wouldn't allow him to simply lay there and let the woman do all the fishing. He just couldn't. "I am and its been awhile since I fished in this river. I'll join you." He quirked a brow as one corner of his mouth rose higher to widen his lopsided grin. "If you're up for it, I suppose we could make a wager; see who can catch one first."

"It's very nice to meet you, Esarosa." The midnight-coated woman smiled a little wider when the colossal brute spoke and offered a smile. It was the first real smile that had crossed his expression, and he didn't look quite so miserable and trapped within his thoughts. She liked to think she had a little something to do with that, so she winked an emerald eye in his direction as her tail swayed. As he stood up and offered to join her, Esarosa nodded; if he was up for it, she wasn't going to insist he lay around and wait for her to provide something. "Sounds good; the more the merrier!" she replied cheerfully, "If we both snag something, we'll definitely have full bellies!" She liked the idea of that, so she stepped aside to let him join her. As he made a suggestion, his brow quirked and a lopsided grin forming on his lips, Esarosa tilted her head as she listened. A grin of her own broke upon her face, and a mischievous look glimmered in her green eyes. "It's on, just name your price, but..." she challenged playfully, black tail flicking into the air, "There's no way I'll lose! What do I get when I win?" She winked again, hoping he'd realize that she was only joking around. But she was definitely up for a race, to see who could catch a fish first! It felt childish to make bets and compete in such a way, but it sounded like fun anyways, and she was always up for a bit of fun. Life would be so boring if you didn't just let loose sometimes! "Speak" "Listen" Think