golden afternoon

The familiar lush grass that surrounded the den site lessened considerably as he meandered well out of the Lawa Ridge Pack's territory. He doesn't ever come to the beach unless he needs to forage or wishes to sunbathe and today is a fine day for the latter. Naveen kicked off the spring with such vigor, surely he can allow himself this small respite from his duties to the pack, if only for a short time. Said pack has been growing in numbers by the week and it fills the Arabic wolf with great pride. Laying down on his right side in a depression in the sandy slopes, he dozes peacefully until a breeze coming upwind pushes an unfamiliar scent among the salty shore's aroma.

With a soft grunt the cinnamon lad sits up, ears pricked forth with his slender forelegs crossing together while he waits for his sleepy, blurry vision to clear. Once it does he's surprised to see a almond pelted male wading in the shallows. There are distinguished markings on the stranger which Naveen isn't accustomed to, he must be far from home then. Most that find the pack are and that's fine, for Lawa Ridge is their home now. Even if they aren't yet fully pack members, even outsiders have a right to be here. Hopefully he hasn't just intruded upon an aggressive rogue. That's happened to Naveen before and the Medic would rather not repeat history.

Rising to his haunches he bows his shoulders into a stretch, rusty tail flagging the sky as he extends his forelegs with a low yawn. He shakes the sand loose from his pelt and slowly approaches the unknown wolf. If there are any fish around or edible critters he doesn't want to scare them off and ruin the hunt. Instead, perhaps he should silently get involved. Naveen doesn't care for fish himself, but he's caught them plenty of times to feed his siblings or parents. His agility and nimble frame allow for swift movements and abrupt change in direction. Still he moves adjacent along the water before wordlessly slipping in up to his chest, making a semi-circle to approach from the stranger's right as he arcs, looping to herd any schools of fish towards the almond wolf. His shoulders and haunches can hardly be seen from the water's surface and he holds his tail still over the water as best he can while offering the male reflected across the way a smile. "Good hunting, my friend." he gently murmurs across the still waves, letting his voice lightly flow so it wouldn't alarm the sea life beneath the glassy surface.

@Tove

Toves grounded himself as best as he could upon the soft and sandy ocean floor, trying to keep himself from letting the mellow yet persistent currents sway his form and scare whatever swam just a few clicks away. The water was warm and lapped languidly at his stomach; his was tail was drenched and risen above his croup as to not offer another distraction for the fish. The water was thankfully clear, and the waves weren't strong enough to stir up the sand beneath his toes and make it difficult to spot his prey. He watched as gleaming silver bodies dart effortlessly near his legs, and catches sight of a crustacean ambling to the right of him. It looked promising, however, he wasn't in the position to change his footing.

Fish sounds more appetizing, anyways, and he thinks as he hones in on a school just a few meters out. Close enough to be seen, but too far for Toves to attempt to catch. He gave a silent exhale through his nose, his eyes narrowing against the sun. They refused to come any closer, and while Toves was a patient guy, his hunger was ebbing away at his restraint.

As if the gods heard him inwardly complaining, the school of fish began headed his way, causing him to quickly widen his stance and lower his head, just low enough so the water was tickling his chin. He hadn't noticed the small, auburn figure that had caused the fish to scare in his direction before he plunged his head into the depths and shut his jaws around his prey. His eyes stung as he resurfaced, and his vision was momentarily blurry. There was a figure he hadn't seen beforehand, barely managing to keep themselves afloat. For a second, as the blurriness began to fade, he wondered if he'd just imagined it.

When his vision cleared, it was indeed another wolf with a pretty cinnamon coat and a scent that Toves couldn't place. Their smile was warm and nearly as soft as his voice, which uttered a quiet, "Good hunting, my friend."

Toves tensed up at the sight of the stranger, his soaked hackles rising and his ears swiveling in alert. The male has a kind aura, one that soothed at Toves' ebbing nerves, and kept him from turning around to flee. Instead, he found himself staring into the males' eyes, his expression neutralizing. "Thank you," he mumbled past a mouthful of fish, which had long since stopped trying to escape his jaws. It seemed that the kind stranger had purposefully snuck past his flank, circled around and sent the fish his way to help him. He wasn't entirely sure if the male wanted to try and fish alongside him, but he was thankful nevertheless.

@Naveen الكن

The waves lapping at the edge of the shore in the background to this curiously colored wolf are a delicate addition to the already placid scene. All of these wolves coming into Lawa Ridge, they're nothing like he's ever seen before. Perhaps it's due to their lineage, but the wolves from where he's from are so much more dull on the eyes. Or so Naveen feels. He's still coming to terms with his own pelt, unsure of how he feels about the red. The Medic has come to terms with his tiny frame, which is still smaller than the male opposite of him in the shallows. It became mesmerizing to watch how luridly the tawny and sable splashed gentleman focused on the fish flickering beneath the waves coming toward him.

They have never tasted all that good to him, but he'd eat them in a dire situation. And hunting them for others is a simple task, or simply cornering a school of fish onward. Just at the brink of frustration the hunter is appeased when the prey loops back around to swim practically right into his plunging fangs. Naveen doesn't dare move while the agile hunter submerges with the scaled prize. He could tell by the way the wolf's eyes narrowed the saltwater stung, but it had been worth the effort. The Arabic wolf allows the other's sight to adjust and keeps a haphazard smile on his features, ears relaxed with his tail gently drifting along the water's surface behind the red tinted lad.

He knew having a stranger appear in front of you was alarming, so he wasn't all too surprised to see those hackles lining up. This only has the Medic maintain his naturally demure aura as he looks briefly into the fisherman's gaze, not wanting to further alarm or offend him. Although those green eyes are striking and an uncommon sight to behold. He looked away after receiving some words of gratitude, allowing the other to devour his modest meal. Naveen turns his head down as the school flickers towards his legs, fleeing the disturbed water where their companion had vanished from. Diving down by pulling his forelegs together at the wrists, extending them fully, he spears himself forward in order to swoop down upon another hapless fish from the diminishing school.

Lifting his head he shakes it, ridding himself of saltwater while snapping the fish's spine to make it shudder before going still, the light dimming from its black eyes. Tolerating the flavor that follows with it he slowly moves his paws towards the almond furred wolf once his eyes clear up, stopping roughly a meter away to release the fish along the shallows, nudging it to float towards the other wolf, bobbing along the gentle waves. "I've a full belly and I never cared for fish, please help yourself. My name is Naveen, I'm a Medic from the local pack. You've recently joined, haven't you?"

@Toves

With a gentle hum, Toves took the stranger's averted gaze as a signal to eat. He wolfed it down with as much modesty as he could because eating like a savage in front of someone new is rude, isn't it? Down it went after a few minutes he took to crunch on the bones and savor the tiny bits of marrow they offered. His dull gaze flickered back and forth from his distorted view of his paws beneath the waves to the handsome stranger himself as he ate, and once he was finished, he stood erect and the male had his full attention.

He'd looked up just at the right time; the smaller stranger dove into the depths, after what Toves assumed to be the same school of fish he'd just preyed upon, though he wasn't paying too much attention to their quick and gleaming bodies. His eyes widened in awe as he watched; the male was quick and agile, quicker than himself, really, and was one helluva fisher. Toves doesn't know why the sight makes the skin of his cheeks burn, but it does and he has to look away until the guy resurfaces with a mouthful of fish.

The water was gleaming off of the stranger's cinnamon coat, capturing Toves' attention once again as the male meanders closer. Toves is fairing well where he stands, his head still a good few clicks above water, his expression neutral and his eyes curious as the stranger lets the fish fall from his jaws. He hadn't connected the dots until the fish was nudged in his direction and brought closer by the gentle waves. He looked up from the prey item with a look of gratitude.

"Ah, right. Thank you." He spoke up over the sound of the sea. The stranger, who had now introduced himself as Naveen, had confirmed that he wasn't fond of fish, leading Toves to believe he had joined him in the shallows and helped herd the school his way. It's a nice gesture, he finds himself thinking, and one that helps prove the pretty stranger isn't a foe and eases some of that anxiety that had built up.

Naveen says he's a medic from a local pack - the one in which Toves has temporarily found solace. Toves tilts his head, disregarding the fish now sitting idle at his chest. "I'm afraid I haven't," he offers, "I've just found shelter among your beaches. I'm not planning on staying for that much longer." Toves hadn't thought about trying to join Naveen's pack. It's a daunting concept, despite the favorable location, as he's been affiliated to himself for quite some time now. It'd just be a big change for him to get accustomed to pack life again. Even though the events in his past that drove him away from his native pack happened some time ago, the wounds are still fresh.

"...but I haven't decided if I'd like to join just yet. Would you... mind giving me some company back on the beach? I'd like to hear more about your pack and I think I've had my fair share of swimming for today." He speaks, his voice offering a more approachable tone. While the thought of a pack was daunting, the company of a pretty male like Naveen wasn't. With that, he scooped up the fish Naveen had caught into his jaws and turned, offering the pack wolf an inviting look before beginning to head back to land.

@Naveen الكن

Even if he doesn't enjoy seafood the saltwater helps to clean his fur, making it easier to comb later and rub out the leftover salt. It dissuades insects from trying to make a home in his pelt although the short hairs don't offer very much shelter. Now he knows there's a wolf he can fish for and perhaps befriend, if even a little for the time the wanderer remains in the area. Wolves are fickle creatures and wildly free spirited. While Naveen's instincts drove him to find another pack and readily had him join this one, he knows there are those who might wander further still until they feel ready to settle down among an established pack. Being the soul he is he wouldn't ever imagine forcing the pack life on anyone. It's a difficult and delicate choice to take such a direction in life to follow the lead of another wolf. Should that wolf remain leader is another test of time entirely.

Naveen wonders how much time he'll have with this stranger, there's no pack scent attached to the male's own aroma. Not that the saltwater drenching their pelts helps anything. With how light the opposite gentleman's fur is the sun shines through the water to give the rogue a dashing glow around his aura along the water's surface. A fine trick of the eyes and Naveen finds himself shyly darting his gaze back towards the water, tail wagging openly as he's quite pleased that the offered fish was accepted. It could have been cast away in a harsh manner, spitefully even, yet the charming wanderer only rejoiced in further nourishment. Now a much more relaxed atmosphere settles over the two, no question if there's to be any rivalry for resources. No need for it, there's plenty for the pack in the inner lands so these outer territories are fair game.

Not that he would want to chase away the traveling man. There's something melancholic in his tone, his gaze, that draws the healer's archetype nearer. Naveen will tread carefully so he doesn't further any wounds along. The traveler admits he has yet to join the Lawa Ridge pack and might not be around much longer, though there's still a chance he could be interested if he's seeking a pack wolf's company and further knowledge about Lawa Ridge. The Medic's ears elevate hopefully at the warming degree in the stranger's voice, looking up to see the almond wolf gather up the offered fish only to welcome Naveen to join him on the shore which the herbalist readily does, following after and trying not to admire the other's streamlined, muscular haunches. He must be quite the sprinter and well suited for long distances with much endurance. While the Arabic wolf himself is quick, he tires out easily with all the smooth, lean muscle he has as opposed to chiseled mass sculpted around the bones.

Reaching the shore he moves a couple meters away to properly shake out his pelt without spraying his polite companion, sighing as his red roan coat bristles and seems to fluff up. The short hairs will dry out soon enough as will the secondary coat underneath which is a bit thicker and shorter yet than his top layer. Naveen's ears slant sideways in mild self annoyance as he paws at his snout, itching at his nose where the water droplets tickled the end of his whiskers. Lifting that cinnamon head he happily moves into a sunny patch, stretching his hind legs as he moves to test the air. No other wolves around or predators to surprise them so it would be safe for them here. He enjoys the sight of the sun warming the waves that are swelling along the sandy shore where their paw prints are receding. "The pack is young, like our Alpha, which means there is much power and potential to be found. We have a healthy number of wolves and prey is plentiful, so hunts are a snap. There's no forced religion, it's to each their own really and everyone is immensely respectful of one another." he idly starts as he drys under the sun, closing his eyes blissfully as he thinks of the others in the pack.

"And the land around here is idyllic not to mention abundant. While pack life is intimate and kept in close quarters at the den, there are some wonderful places to seek solitude and time to reflect." he's not once felt suffocated nor cast aside in his time in the pack. Turning to the traveler now he inclines his head and lightly wags his tail. "Enough of my blathering, is there anything in specific you would like to know, sir?"

@Toves