Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn crouched at the edge of the rapids, keen eyes watching the silvery shapes as they swam closer before flinging themselves up to slip over the rocks into the next pool from which to launch themselves. The salmon were swimming and she wanted a taste. She planned to camp out in the eastern regions for awhile while food was readily available. The sky above was cloudy and while it threatened rain it had yet to actually follow thorugh and deliver a hearty rain. Jynn figured she had time, just as long as she could get her fish before a bear showed up. Not that that was the end of the world. More than one predator could fish these waters but she wouldn't fight for the right to fish here.

Salmon were breeding and populating. It'd be good to step into the water, bear-like, and scoop some out. Of course, this was merely a pleasurable activity. Wren had mastered the art of fishing long ago. Unaware she approached a good friend of Audra, the woman wagged her tail all the same. "Mind if I join you?"

It was just polite to ask, sheesh! Wren smiled politely, her body language unthreatening. "I'm Wren, of Armada" she added for courteous sake "but I am making my own pack, before summer sets in." A conversation, she hoped, would perk some interest. Not that she wanted to recruit the woman, she could if they wanted to join -

but it was... Well, she just wanted to bond with others. Outside of Armada. Make friends outside their allies and become friendly and courteous. Sirius... It was not his job all the time, but she appreciated his efforts. She knew and respected he had other things to do. It was time to make some steps on her own. Hallows could wait - Mercury had that covered for now.

"Speech"

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn crept carefully forward, steadying her frotn paws on the slippery rocks and as a fish leapt up she reached out and tried to catch it but missed. Ok, well, she hadn't really expected to get one on the first try. Jynn was nothing if not determined. She was about to re-focus herself when her keen ears picked up the sound of movement nearby. Even over the rapids her large ears could pick up the subtle sounds of approaching predators, a real boon in bear country. She looked up to see a large, earthen woman approach her and thankfully the other seemed friendly.

Jynn smiled and nodded. "Sure, go right ahead. There's plenty of fish for everyone." The woman introduced herself as Wren of the Armada and also mentioned that she was making a pack herself. Jynn paused for a moment wondering if she was about to be recruited but thankfully Wren didn't ask. Jynn hadn't planned to make her band plans public just yet but seeing the opportunity she figured she might as well. "Nice to meet you Wren, I'm Jynn. Funny you should mention starting a pack. I'm considering starting a band myself. A group of traveling musicians and performers. If it ever takes off and you're in need of festival entertainment maybe we could work out a deal."

Thankfully, the woman didn't take it the wrong way. Inviting her closer, even. Wren moved to the waves, staring down at them as fish jumped and swam underneath. While the other seemed capable, she wasn't going to press others to join her. In fact, there was an offer on the air. Wren blinked once, staring at the other. Jynn, they said.

"That sounds really fun" she chirped in response, meaning it "I can't play music myself; pretty tone deaf!" she rolls her eyes at her exhaustion "but if we need entertainment, I'll be sure to call on your band. Probably will; festivals are good for that sort of thing." She chuckled.

She flashed out a paw, hooking a salmon. More or less swatting it to the earth where she bit down on the neck, killing it. Hunting had become second nature now. "We'll be up north if you ever need something. At the Gorge beyond the mountains." Why not extend a friendly branch?

"Speech"

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn chuckled as Wren explained she was tone deaf but agreed that entertainment was good for festival. She nodded. "I'd be honored! Of course that assumes this idea gets off the ground. Still, you don't know until you try." She'd be down to try a solo but wasn't sure of her ability to entertain a crowd by her lonesome. Wren explained the pack would be up north and she nodded.

Her attention was stolen from the other wolf as a large, silvery salmon raced toward them. Jynn tensed, her limbs coiled. As the fish leapt she launched her head forward, jaws flung wide, snagging it right around the tail. The fish twisted and flailed. Jynn swiftly retreated farther from the shore before dropping the fish and biting into the gills where she assumed the neck would be. Huzzah! Dinner!

"True that."

Jynn would prove to be an expert or even a master at fishing herself. When she came from Illios, the concept of fishing was foreign to some wolves to this day. Wren had proven to be a great fisher, one that had been learned and taught to. She wanted to do the same to others eventually. Teach them how to fish and fight.

"Where did you learn to fish, Jynn?" she asked the Ethiopian wolf curiously. She'd never seen a wolf like Jynn before, but the world was huge. She thought she'd never see a wolf with wings - but look at Mortis! "my last pack, outside of Boreas and Auster, taught me." The alpha, the beta at the time... She had risen up to that position eventually.

The last beta of her pack in another world. But, she was still happy how things turned out.

"Speech"

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn started to eat, not realizing quite how famished she'd been til she tasted the sweet flesh of the fish. She paused as Wren asked her a question, quickly licking blood and fish flesh off her chin. "My mother taught me. Where I grew up large prey was rare so I learned to hunt all kinds of small prey, fish, rabbits, birds, lizards. Whatever was available." She bent her head and continued to eat, her large ears swiveling and she listened for any sound of approaching predators. No doubt the smell of fish would lure bears and coyotes to the area. Coyotes she could deal with, bears not so much. While she had fought several in the past as a loner she much preferred to avoid conflict when she could.

Her hunger sated, Jynn stood up and shook her coat. "I think that will do me for the next leg of my journey. It was nice to meet you Wren. I hope we run into each other again some day."

-end?-

With little else to say to each other, the women departed from each other. Wren gave a polite nod of her head as Jynn left the vicinity. She wondered if she'd ever see the lanky wolf again. She'd been good company, all things considered. Digging into her own salmon feast, she ate quietly. Alone.

Then, it was back to work. Wren rose from the earth, kicking dirt over the remnants of the salmon bones before heading back north. She had lots more to do before Menagerie was a thing - best do it sooner than later. She wondered fleetingly where Mercury was, and what he was doing in her brief absence.

Then snapped herself out of it. She could pine or she could yanno go look for him! /end

"Speech"