LET'S GO SWIMMING, WEE~!

The alpha gazed at her reflection in the water, blinking her eyes. She searched the blue orbs that stared back at her from the current for any last trace of hope that her pack would be rebuilt. Finding none, she half-heartedly scattered the reflection with a slap to the water and waded into the river. Ignoring the salmon the weaved around her legs and the biting cold of the gentle torrent, she walked slowly into the water until it lapped at her belly fur. She looked across to the other shore, feeling too tired to even think about swimming across. The river was a good two tree-lengths wide, but it used to be that even the youngest Daltori subordinate could successfully manuever across.
Taiyo sighed, lowering her muzzle to the water. Have the gods forsaken the once-great packs? Have you left mine, Mizu?

Squid's grey pelt was ragged, and full of stems. He had been hunting in the reeds again. He loved those plants, their harsh heads sticking to his fur, hiding the marshes and mud. He was forever being yelled at by the other Subordinates about the dirt he dragged in after him, and the amount of prey in comparison to that. He had come to wash off before returning to camp, empty .. jawed? He saw his Alpha and her glum expression, and padded cautiously up to her. "Taiyo?"

ooc: should I rp my pup here too? Not quite sure what I'd do wit her.... hmm

ooc: Is so tempted to use Mizu

ooc: PLEASE USE YOUR PUP, GOLDY. And Miz, I guess you could?

Taiyo's ears perked, but her gaze stayed on the water. She recognized the subordinate's voice. "Hello, Squid. How's hunting?"

ooc: lol no muse.

ooc: YESH. DANK U.

The waters rolled around her shoulders, making her skin tingle with pleasure. An immediate sighed left her lungs as Clara surfaced, air stinging at her face when she erupted from the river. She enjoyed swimming, loving the very feeling of it.

Looking up, she found both Squid and Taiyo, her Alpha in the banks in front of her. Clara ducked her head lightly, giving her respects to the she-wolf. She stepped out, grabbing a trout before she did so. "Something's troubling you." She said sadly, dropping her new kill beside the Alpha's paws. She'd always had a soft spot for sadness, for she always wanted to fix it.

ooc: what a little kiss-up :)

Squid glanced over his shoulder at Clara, narrowing his eyes slightly. He murmured something under his breath, but then looked back at his Alpha. "There is plenty of prey, but I have not the skill *resists the urge to place a z at the end* to catch it."

The alpha glanced at her beta. "It's been moons since the last litter of pups were born, and we don't even have gammas to train our subordinates properly." she said bitterly, motioning with a paw at Squid. ((Note: she isnt being bitter about Squid, just the lack of peoplez to train puppers like him.))
Taiyo took a long, angry stare at the water, willing her fury at the gods. "I just feel like we've been abandoned."

ooc: Were we ever gonna carry out that plan where Kestrel does his sneaky-decievey stuff to make Taiyo join him? 'Cause to her, now, the opportunity of a larger pack (or at least alliance with one) is like...awesome. And like, Kestrel could base some of his pups that haven't been seen by the enemy at the Daltori den and they could be spies for him into the other packs and into the farm because the packs are a lot closer to the town than the valley.
So many possiilities. X3 Yesh/nu?

ooc: I'll let wolvy answer dat.

Mizu shook her head, knowing these wolves would not see her as she silently watched. Taiyo please don't give in so easily, she whispered to herself. What was she to do. She looked at the water softly. Blue glowing eyes returned her gaze. Eyes of wisdom and age. Why could she not do a thing for this pack. Nothing. She tought softly. As she knew there was nothign for her to do, but watch this all unravel.

Squid flinched as she signalled at him. He knew she didn't mean it like that but... He still didn't like it. He shuddered. Was there someone watching them? It felt like it, but he could smell nothing, hear nothing, see nothing. He decided not to mention it. "Have you considered an alliance? The fish are no longer biting, and we are not adjusted to hunting the land-prey. We will starve unless we come up with a solution."

"An alliance might solve our problems, Taiyo." Clara nodded along with Squid. "Perhaps then we could find pups. Maybe." She flicked her tail, wondering what it would be like to carry life within her belly. Would it hurt?

Taiyo just stared at the water. She, too, had been considering calling upon another pack to perhaps share territory or dens with, but she did't think it would be fair for her to just drag her packmates into infamiliar territory laced with unfamiliar wolves. It was truly good to feel she had permission. She sighed, partly in relief.
Pups. Taiyo hadn't mothered a litter since she lost her son to the forest fire a year ago. She missed seeing little puffs of fur bundling around the dens, even if they weren't hers.
"You're both right." she said. "But I doubt Scath or Kadal would take us in with their own wolves needing prey. Who else could we ask?"

Squid shook his head. "There would be no point in asking them anyway Taiyo. We are the only pack with a river wide enough to swim in. We would not last long in either of their territories if it came to sharing them. We would have to look beyond the valley for water where we could flourish."

Clara looked sideways at her packmate. "We might as well ask them before we do something drastic as that. We know nothing of the lake in the valley, it won't be as wonderful as we think. If they say no, no one gets hurt, just a little pride is lost. We can always make that up."

"We couldn't survive Clara! We are dying here. We can't eat because we can't hunt. The river is still half frozen, and it is growing smaller by the day! What use would the help of the other packs be? There is more prey on the land here than on theirs, for it has been given a chance to breed without fear of being hunted. They would not help us. Their prey is low."

Clara narrowed her eyes, but not in an offensive way. "We could learn. Change is a way of life. We'll hunt deer, just like the other packs. We'll hunt land prey and fish when we can." She said calmly, sitting before Taiyo.