Living the life of a rogue wolf, barely on the cusp of teenage-dom, was a difficult one. It is never easy being truly alone, distant from family, no creature to call friend, no safe place to call home. Rayios did not complain. He had his honor in-tact, as any wolf should. Every sunrise he witnesses is another testament to his will and determination, something he especially took silent pride in.

The sun had risen hours ago, and the boy found himself once more pursuing a quick meal. The farther east he headed, the less animals he saw. It was a subtle difference; the trees were quieter, the sounds of creatures scuttling amongst the undergrowth less common. The land lacked the full vibrancy of autumn, as if something terrible had robbed it of its health. Maybe this part of the world had terrible summer droughts. Maybe the land was always like this.

Either way, even the fish were scarce as the boy idled by the river in wait of lunch. He had been following this river for quite some time now, enjoying the taste of the difficult to catch walleye. It always made his day, getting the chance to eat a walleye, the best part being that he always gets first dibs on it, free to feast until the scavengers become too abundant.

There were no walleye in the river--at least not that he could see--but there were definitely fish. They mostly kept to the center of the river, forcing Ray to balance on the few stepping stones he could find in order to safely get closer. Closer to the river, the waters were wilder, light sprays of water flying droplets onto the ends of his woolly pelt. The rocks were slick and smoothened by the tide, but this was not his first time having to balance on stone rivers, and he stuck carefully to what he knew.

But the fish remained too far...he had to get closer, had to stretch a bit, move to the edge. The rocks were so sparse that Rayios could barely balance on two at a time, but he was so close. If he could stretch a little more, he could rwach out for one of the fish loosely with the rest of the school, and score himself a meal. Now, that's it...a little more...almost there...so close to food...

It happens in an instant; the angle he has upon the rocks is too diagonal, too lopsided. His left backpaw slips out from underneath him so fast, slicing part of his pad in the process, and without the support of one of the main pillars of balance, the rest of him falls too. This part of the river is not that deep, but the suddenness of the fall still does not give him any time to land with any sort of grace. The left side of his head, near his cheek, hits a rock under the current. Though the water lessens most of the blow, it's still a direct fall onto a rock, and there's likely to be a bruise forming on his cheek later the day.

In fact, there's already reddening, parts of the first layering of skin becoming irritated from the scrape. Rayios makes his fall, then moves to regain his balance, finding all four legs under him (more or less) before searching for something above water to grab onto. He decides it best to stay in the water and wade/walk, reaching out for rocks to take him closer towards the more calmer edges of the river. When he's had that accomplished, he walks back onto the shore and shakes his pelt, then allows himself a moment to check for damage.

Alright. Annoying cut on his back left pawpad. Some stinging on his left cheek...

@[Hannibal]

Her path had taken her past the weeping woods and a bit further away from pack territory. She'd merely followed the tiny rivers that scuttled beneath the willow roots until they ran into their mother, a gushing thing that only widened as she continued west.

Most of her days alone had been much like this one, letting the land guide her course, stepping away to hunt or hide or sleep, and waking to follow the land again. Her route had been banked by pack borders, impeded by mountains and curved by rivers such as these, all the way until she had reached the willows bordering the Ashen Armada's territory. She'd been mostly aimless then. But now in all her wanderings she was tethered back to home.

It was strange just how much she had missed when traveling alone. But she'd merely been letting her footfalls guide her. Now she was exploring for its own sake... mostly, anyhow. The yearling had needed to get away from the buzz and business of her pack. A first for the friendly girl, but — well. Everyone needed some alone time, right?

The ground was damp along the east bank, caked with dead litter, leaves brown with decay, some still half-dressed in green tones. But autumn was in earnest. Her nose stung with a stiff breeze, but she shook the hurt away and progressed as the bank began to curve sharply towards the south. Her eyes moved before her paws, and in doing so locked onto a figure that was.... walking over the water? But no -- as she padded closer, Malalia could see it was simply a wolf moving across the stepping stones, reaching his forepaws into the current.

Her ears swiveled towards him, her green eyes bright and focused on his movements. On the bluffs of her native pack, the prey had been elk and bison and bush creatures of several kinds -- but rarely fish, if ever. That had been a delicacy gifted to her by her aunt, who'd been gathering herbs by a distant river valley and brought back a plump brook trout. A pup at the time, Malalia had wanted to learn how to fish ever since. For one reason or another the opportunity had never presented itself. Maybe she could learn now, from watching this stranger...?

That thought was short-lived, however, as the wolf came crashing down into the river. Mal let loose a little yelp in surprise, dashing towards the edge of the bank to get a better look. She was positioned downriver from the stranger, but by the time she'd gotten within six or seven lengths of him, he'd pulled himself up. Still, the girl couldn't help but ask — "Hey! Are you alright?"

"Speech"

The sound of a stranger approaching makes him stop his self-evaluation. At first glance, he thought it was one of his siblings, those shades of browns, creams, and tans a dead giveaway. He thought they came by to check up on him, ask how he was faring, but he quickly realized it wasn't his kin. Figures the first none-family he meets in his life looks just like them.

Was he alright? Lowering his paw, he began to wonder how long she was watching him. Suspicion compelled him to grimace, but beyond that and a skeptical tone, that was only non-friendly indicator he gave her, "How long were you watching me?" he eyes her, the action devoid of any domineering intent.

While watching, he noticed how her body seemed not to boast strength, but a slim figure built for agility and speed. The subtle, telltale signs of yearlinghood lingered ever so slightly on her build; close to his age, too. No wonder he mistook her for his sister at first.

Yay my first thread \o/

@Malalia - can you tell me if the tagging works? Seems deceiving >.>

The frowning stranger seemed a bit wary, but with fur clinging to his sodden frame, well... the heavy brute had looked a lot more intimidating when he was dry. Friendly as she was, Mal was undeterred. "Pretty much the whole time you were in the water," she answered easily. "I've always wanted to learn how to fish. Thought I could learn from watching you, but it looks like that didn't work out for either of us, huh?"

The yearling padded forward, closing the distance until only about a yard or two of grass remained between them. She might've sniffed at him, but his recent bath would have stripped him of any marker, for the moment. Meanwhile, her own pack scent was present, if light. The she-wolf gave a light smile, a slight wag of her tail. "I'm Malalia. And you have a cut on your face," she observed, eyes suddenly honing in on the small smear of blood that pooled on his left cheek  -- not that the male had offered it up himself. So he was hurt. "I can patch you up, if you want?" The offer wasn't entirely altruistic -- if he accepted, she'd get in a bit of healing practice. But she did care.


"Speech"
[OOC: Woot! And it is deceiving, I didn't get a notification or anything lol. @Rayios @KittyKookiez you?]

Suspicions confirmed, a part of Rayios thought to scare her away, maybe threaten her a little. This part of him grew even more when she openly admitted that he wasn't very good at fishing. His hackles are too sodden to flare, but if they could, they definitely would. “I know how to fish!” what was supposed to sound threatening only ended up sounding exactly like what it is: the pouting of a boy freshly turned teen. He hated it, really, and his frustration at failing to sound any sort of menacing made him want to pounce on her even more.

When she grew closer, his body leaned away. At the same time, his ears perked and toes splayed for better balance; the slightest bit of fang showed as his brows creased with them.. He would have attacked her, just before she even spoke. But...something stopped him. She smelled nice, actually. Kind of like the sea. Or something. Was that the sea? He seemed to relax a little, feet fixing back to a more relaxed position, but he kepted his eyes on her, brows still creased out of suspicion.

She noticed the cut on his face and offered to help, but the intriguing (pleasant, almost) smell she gave off could not get the young she-wolf enough of his trust yet. He'd already let her get this close. To invite her the chance to 'heal' him was pretty much the equivalent of just rolling over and dying for him, in his eyes.

Okay, he might be a little dramatic about that. But still. “No,” and he's about ready to leave her right there, but he can't help but want to get a better sniff at her. Was that the sea that he smelled on her fur? Why was he so interested in finding out? He didn't understand his allure towards the sea himself, but he'd damn well quench his curiosity, “Where've you been?” by now it's visibly obvious he's trying to get a better sniff, even if he's not coming closer, “Have you been to the sea?”

OOC: Nope, didn't work. Was told by two peeps that on-site tagging doesn't work, too v.v Fortunately I have all threads sent to PM notifs :P

Mal snorted at the stranger's pouty reply, her ears going flat. "I bet you probably do. I was just making a joke," she explained. As she did, her eyes followed his movements, the sudden flash of fang, how he adjusted himself to attack. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her own ears flicking upright... but the she-wolf moved no further towards the stranger. Loud and clear, buddy. She wondered briefly if she was actually intimidating him, in some way, or if the boy was simply edgy all on his own. Probably the latter; the young woman was obviously approachable, if a little cheeky.

The "no" came as a surprise as well. Mal was used to getting what she wanted. and she could not figure out why this standoffish stranger would refuse treatment! Her jaws opened to shoot back an argument when the male sniffed at her, not for the first time. What are you looking for...? Her curiosity was sated soon enough, as the yearling dropped his suspicious air long enough to ask if she had come from the sea.

Her head tilted slightly, her eyes taking a beat to glance over the male again. The sudden change in his demeanor was... interesting, to say the least. The ocean seemed to bleed the fight right out of him... for now. "Not so fast. Maybe a name, before I tell you all my secrets?" She was going to draw some manners out of this yearling if it killed her.

Mala wouldn't leave him in the dark for long, however. "I do live by the sea. My pack, the Ashen Armada — part of our territory includes a strip of land on the shoreline. I train there pretty often... but the beach is nice for downtime, too," she offered. "Why, what's your deal? Trying to get to the coast?"


"Speech"

A name? He was silent at first, thinking over the pros and cons of giving her his name. Then he figured that it probably didn't matter whether she had his name or not. She knew what he looked like and how he smelled (well, for the most part; the water hadn't completely washed all scents from him, having only been in it briefly).

“Rayios. You?...” he didn't really care either way, for the same reason it didn't matter whether she had knew his name or not. The suspicious look on his face melted away as she explained the peculiar scent, and for the most part now he was relaxed again. The stinging on his left paw was a constant bug on his mind; it made him tempted to lick at it until it went away, but with the presence of another he wasn't going to allow her the chance to see more of his injuries. His weaknesses, however miniscule, “No,” he began, “I dunno. I just, like the sea, I guess.” in his mind he was starting to piece it together, but he didn't allow the thought to go too far, “So do all Ashen wolves smell like you? I've only ever come across a pack once in my life.” and, to be honest, it sounded boring. And restricting. Imagine having to work harder to feed people you barely even cared for. Or people who couldn't even contribute back. And having to risk your life to defend those people.

The idea of having to take care of anyone who couldn't defend themselves sounded absurb and stupid, in his mind. Why anyone would want to do it was beyond him.

OOC: First threads are always so awkward as you carefully consider what kind of traits you're okay with actually keeping >.> <.< 20 threads down I swear he's gonna think something contradicting

Watching him hesitate, the she-wolf decided that she would do her best to put the yearling at ease. Not that she was much of a threat... but he was clearly keeping his guard up, for one reason or another. "Malalia," she returned with a light smile. "Pleasure to meet ya, Rayios."

His next answer was curious. You like the sea, you guess? Well, clearly that was obvious. The why would have intrigued her more, but Mal wasn't about to dig around for something if he didn't want to give it. But at least he was opening up some. "Yeah... for the most part they do. I only recently joined the pack, so they probably smell a little stronger than me," she huffed. "Only once, though?" Her head tilted slightly at the stranger's bit of history. It was strangely isolated, and with his phrasing it almost sounded like... "You weren't born into a pack, even?" Suddenly his behavior made a lot more sense, if that were true.

"Speech"
[OOC: Lol, yeah I totally get that! Took me a bit to work out the kinks and even later I second guess myself sometimes. Especially with a young character too]

“Not even that,” he wasn't ashamed to admit that, either. It seemed like such a waste, joining a pack of strangers. He gave her the side eye upon hearing that she was in a pack. The side eye wasn't meant to be entirely taken seriously, but still. “So it sounds like you joined these Ashen people, but have barely been actually there with them, meaning...what's the point in calling yourself Ashen Armada?” maybe he was overestimating how much time she spent away from her 'pack,' but honestly a part of him just wanted to jab at the idea that being in a pack was actually useful.

“You look like you're still a yearling. Surely rogue life wasn't that bad, if you've survived it for this long...honestly the hardest part of life is over. You're not a pup anymore. You don't need help.” it seemed almost cowardly, to join a pack now. He would get it if she were barely weaned or hadn't seen her birth season yet, but now?

So he was packless, but the boy didn't seem to be at all bothered by that fact. Neither was she, though it was definitely uncommon. It made sense, then, that the yearling was so standoffish. Her ears flicked lightly at his next inquiry, an eyebrow raising. First he'd been suspicious, then almost becalmed by her scent... and now a bit of snark, huh? He was starting to remind her of another snarky boy, but there was no need to get riled up. Not yet. "Why do you assume I'm barely there?" she asked point blank.

His last statement wrenched a laugh out of her. "No, I don't need help, but there's more to pack life than bare-bones survival. People wouldn't join if packs had nothing to offer them, obviously." He really must not know anything, she was beginning to realize. "On a very basic level, surviving with a pack is easier. You have other people to help defend your home, group hunting, stable hunting grounds, healers to help you if you get sick... and people will take care of you when you get old. There are teachers, too, more experienced wolves who will train you to hunt and fight and heal, whichever you want."

She huffed slightly. "Not to mention, being a loner is fucking lonely, no offense. Maybe you're okay roaming the earth like some forgotten ghost, but I want people around. Friends. A family. You do sorta need other people for that." Mal shrugged. "And you get all of that when you're in a pack, and more. I'm not saying there aren't drawbacks, and it's not for everyone, but those are some of the reasons people join them."


"Speech"

Ignore the fact that I took a little longer than usual to reply to this haha. I've been brainstorming for character ideas this whole time and finally settled on one :x

“'Cause you said the scent's weaker on you.” he thought it seemed obvious. Was he wrong? Probably missing something here.

When she spoke about the so-called benefits of a pack, he was hearing her, but he wasn't truly listening. For every point she made up, he thought of a counter. Yes. Create a pack of wolves to defend my rich home and be backstabbed because they can't be bothered to share, was one of his biggest points. Basically, he wasn't convinced.

The boy was almost offended when she got to her last big of information, after the little huff she made. Roaming the earth like a forgotten ghost? He wasn't roaming the earth like a forgotten ghost... And he had family. If he truly wanted to see them, he was sure he could find them again. As for friends, well... He could make them on the go. Not like there was a law saying he couldn't. And even if he couldn't, he didn't really need friends. He'd survived this long on his own. He could continue to do so on his own.

Finally, after a bit of thinking in silence, Rayios spoke again. He was about to make some dismissive comment about her liking for packs, but then he realized she hadn't even said anything fanatic enough to warrant a tease. Otherwise he'd be picking at straws. “Glad pack life works for you,” a half-assed comment, both because he still doesn't particularly care about packs, and because he didn't know how else to comment on what she'd just said.

He licks his lips, and then he is instantly reminded of his slip-up in the river, and the cuts on his face and paw pad. He's also reminded of the fact that he hasn't actually proven to her that he could fish. The desire to prove to her that he could do it was driven by something more than just his boastful nature, but the feeling was too subtle and burried deep within enough for him to care or even think it. He chalked it up to his own pride and called it that. “Here--let me actually prove to you that I'm a good fisher,” he rises on all fours now, looking at her with a look of determination, “Since you live by the sea and all, this'll surely be useful.” and then off he goes, with his tail raised in excitement, ignoring the stinging he feels on his paw. He wants her to follow him as he looks for a more narrow part of the river.

Ngl I read your previous post and my brain decided to interpret her weaker scent as being 'barely there' rather than her just being a new recruit so let's just pretend it's Rayios bein a dum for a sec o^o

A brow lifted at his assessment. "Yes. I did also say I was new." Maybe he'd missed that part. Maybe he was trying to be as contrarian as possible. Her nose wrinkled slightly, her initial vow of friendliness quietly dissipating. If his expressions at her explanation of packs were any indication, it was probably the later. Man, what crawled up your ass and died? The stranger wasn't outright cruel, and for that she reserved judgement... but gods, if he wasn't the most angsty wolf she'd ever met. The yearling could never understand these young, snarky boys she seemed to be running into lately. She wouldn't try to, either.

Mal simply rolled her eyes at his comment, her tail swishing as she thought up plans to leave. Surprisingly, though, Rayios offered to prove to her that he could fish. She threw back her head let out a peal of laughter, then, and the sound was not unkind. One minute, he was edging out of his fur; the next, he was looking to, prove himself to her? His whole demeanor shifted an in instant, a new light in his eyes. "Aww, I wouldn't have thought you cared what I think!" This kid was strange. "But it would be helpful... so thank you." She followed after him easily, a skip on her step and a quiet hum filling the air.

"Speech"

[No worries :D]

Perhaps his invitation to show her his fishing was an innate desire to have someone around. Though he mostly wandered alone, he always searched for and checked in on his siblings every few weeks or month or so. He hadn't seen them in a while, and though he was confident they were alive and well, he at least expected his sister to find him at this point. So maybe that was why.

Her laughter did not go unnoticed; he was having a hard time figuring out whether it was neatly concealed sarcasm, or genuine enjoyment. Not content with leaving it open-ended, he decided to ask. “What're you laughing for?” he gives her a glance out the corner of his eyes, tone merely dipped in curiosity, devoid of any vexation or suspicion. He walked so that she more or less was beside him, but kept a good couple of feet between them.

It didn't take them long to find a more narrow strip of the river a bit farther west. Once they did, he didn't hesitate to find his way upon the stepping stones. There were fewer rocks here; mostly the sides of the river were coated in dead twigs, clumped up leaves, and a mixture of mud and sand. But the river's narrow neck would work in his favor, for the fish that passed by had little areas to swim in. “Watch the Master work,” he commented, eyes focused on the river as he found solid footing and crouched down, body leaning forward just slightly. There wasn't an abundance of fish at the moment, so patience was more key here. “You gotta get solid footing first. Be prepared to step on some slippery rocks along the way...then, when you've found your perch, be very still. Just wait for the fish to come by and....” just ahead he could see the slight glimmer, the dim reflection of sun on scales. The fish was oblivious, perhaps mistaking his still body for another part of the scenery. The moment the fish got close to Rayios, he would lunge his head forwards, plunging it into the water like a speargun, before gripping it up in his maw and snatching it from the water. He bit down hard, blood oozing out the wounds as the small bass flailed helplessly, and Rayios quickly took to getting far from the river in order to prevent its slippery escape.

Then the boy dropped it down in front of Malalia, a somewhat snarky smile on his lips. “And that's how you catch fish.” he waited to see her reaction.

Mal narrowed her eyes at Rayios, a playful glint shining through her slitted green gaze. "Wouldn't you like to know," she huffed, and turned away, a smirk threatening to upturn the corners of her lips. She let that sink in the air for a good while before gracing the boy with an answer. "You've been looking like someone's gonna bite your tail off since I first came up to you. Now you're teaching me how to fish."

She shrugged, and tossed a genuine smile his way, her eyes practically sparkling. "I thought you'd have gotten rid of me by now, that's all... Or maybe I'm more charming than I thought." She slid him a teasing glance before chuckling, giving a little shake of her head and returning her gaze to the riverbank once again.

Before long, they'd come to a part of the water that Raiyos deemed acceptable. Her eyes rolled skyward when he deemed himself a "master," but did watch,  following as he found his footing amongst the precarious stones, and taught her the ways of fishing. The wolf was very, very still... and, cued from some signal unseen by her, his head would strike forward, the water splashing up around him. Malalia lifted her head just as Raiyos did the same, a squiggling bass flapping helplessly in his jaws.

Her tail began to wag, and when he plopped the bass at her feet she gave a good-natured snort. "Not gonna lie... from someone who's never fished before, that was pretty awesome." The compliment was genuine and given freely. "Mind if I try?"

Before he could respond, Mal had already paced over to the same crop of slippery stones, placing her paws deliberately and carefully on each surface as the river rushed around her. And then, she was very.... very.... still.

"Speech"

'Wouldn't you like to know,' she said. Yes, yes he would like to know. But silence filled the air, and he looked at her expectantly. Just before he was about to prod further, he was given an answer.

Her comment...made him think. Actually, a lot of what she'd been saying had given him thought. She was the first wolf he'd actually, truly spoken to aside from his own family, and he didn't know what to make of it at first. He wasn't going to tell her about the first-meeting bit, but he would tell her this, “Necessary caution, in my opinion. You could've been six months old and still gotten that wariness. Even a six month old can do damage, and any risk is a dangerous risk.” he sounded hypocritical, thinking back to all the times he picked on coyotes and foxes just for the experience and boredom, but she wouldn't know about that.

She seemed more livelier and cheerful than before, which stirred something within the boy he still wasn't entirely aware of. Regardless, it made him kind of...happy...to see her happy. After the demonstration, she gave him a compliment that made his half-boastful smile turn into a more pure, flattered one. The smile did not last long, simply because it was then taken over by a curious look as she asked to try herself and then went forward before he could even respond. He shook his pelt and sat down next to his lunch, making no noise as he watched the yearling try out his technique. Dispite them starting out a little shaky, it was actually starting to become something entertaining. He didn't have to be a genius to figure out that he was beginning to enjoy her company.

Hehe I got on just as u were replying to this thread

[ooc: Sorry for the delay!!! I must have missed your reply >.< ]

Mala hummed in thought at the boy's reply. She knew she was friendlier than most -- not lacking in caution, not really, but usually far more ready to approach strangers than most were. "You have a fair point about that," she conceded, "Although, I don't think getting snarky with me has anything to do with caution." Mal gave him a side-long glance before happily moving forward. She hadn't missed the attempted jab at pack life in general, and her choice to call herself Ashen Armada. Hell, if anything, that was more reckless, if she were the type to get offended by that kind of thing.

There we go, she thought as a genuine smile graced his features, and she shot back a grin of her own before darting over to catch herself a fish. After settling into position, she was... incredibly still. She was actually proud of how well she'd gotten that part down, but a little harder was what came next. Her eyes were trained on the water, and at the shimmer of scales, she waited a few heartbeats until the fish was near her. Her head dove forward, jaws parted to snap up the fish, but she only received the shock of cold water up her nose.

Over the next ten minutes or so she would reset and try two more times. On the fourth time, her face was dripping wet, but Malalia was determined. Spying another flash of scales, she waited until just the right moment, before diving forward. Good news: she caught it! Bad news: she wasn't as steady as she'd thought. As her jaws snapped around the wriggling, wet body, the lurch of her movement sent her paws sprawling on the wet stones, and she tumbled headlong into the river.

Luckily, she was soaked, but relatively unscathed as she popped out of the river, forepaws gripping the bank as she pulled herself up with a wriggling bass in her grip.

"Speech"

Her comment made him chuckle. A low, under the nose chuckle that could've been missed if she wasn't paying attention. He had no comment otherwise in regards to her words, figuring it didn't need one.

As she waited for fish to pass by, the boy began to remove the scales from his own catch. It was inarguably better than leaving them on, and anyone who did that was crazy and not worth his time. Then he began to take off the tail, but before he could finish, Malalia dived head-first into the water and slipped on the rocks, drenching herself in water as she fell, just like he had did not long ago.

Although now that it wasn't happening to him, he found it rather funny. An unmissable laugh uttered its way forth. He rose from his seat and got closer to the water, urged by the want to see just how soaked she'd gotten. The laughter eventually lowered to a slight chuckle when he noticed she'd caught a bass fish of her own. Still not walleye, but “Hey, you did it.”

He stared at her for a moment, looking for words with meaning, but he couldn't think of anything that wouldn't be awkward. Why did he care now? Who knows? His silence would make it awkward if he didn't say something. Say something. “Well um, I'm going to go.” shit, he really said that. Well... can't take it back now.

He turned around and stood in front of his catch. “I always de-scale the fish. Sometimes remove the head and tail. Makes it much easier to eat, and tastier.” a short pause. “You can try it yourself. Guaranteed it'll be better. Anyone who doesn't de-scale a fish is an absolute madman.” there was no change in his tone, making deciphering it to find out if he was being serious or telling a joke hard to know. He didn't know the answer himself.

Next post will be the post he leaves, unless Malalia for some reason wants him to stay longer x3 Also, for my first thread here on Ardent, I really enjoyed it. Thanks! I would def like for them to see each other again sometime in the future. I definitely do not already have plot ideas for the two of them.

She grinned as much as she could grin with a wriggling fish in her muzzle, and summarily clamped her jaws shut just to get the thing to stop wriggling. "I did do it," she preened, the words muffled behind the bulk of the fish. With a vigorous shake, she padded away from the riverbank and spat out the bloodied bass. The air was a touch chilly now, her fur uncomfortably sodden, but hey, at least she had lunch.

Unexpectedly, Rayios was abruptly saying goodbye.

She'd thought they would eat together, at least. Not just... up and leave! The young woman cocked her head, green eyes lingering on the stranger for just a moment. Snappy in one moment, amiable the next... And then you disappear altogether. You sure you aren't a ghost? The yearling boy was certainly strange. Slowly, Mala grinned, her wet tail dragging through the grass behind her. "Well, I won't keep you... But thanks for teaching me how to fish, and everything!" She gestured to the east of where they were. "And if you ever find yourself near Armada territory... give me a howl!" Strange, maybe, but she wouldn't mind the boy's company. If he ever loses that snark of his...

Her ears twitched, and she chuckled faintly when he gave his advice, taking his words as a humorous exaggeration. "I'll make sure to do that." When he'd gone, the girl took a few moments to descale her fish as he'd suggested, and tore into the flesh once she was done. Huh... that's pretty good!


"Speech"

[No problem, and I'd love for them to run into each other again! :D]