A distinct and unfortunate lack of fish (Gwynn, OPEN)

Muddy paws slipping on the wet stones, he paused, puzzled by the waters edge, snout scrunched in moderate annoyance. This was one of the calmer parts of the Artery, where the banks widened, and the water slowed to lazy and inviting swell. What little vegetation grew in the wasteyards was most prominent here, blue moss and brush lilies dotted the bank. There was even a defiant willow, hunched with age, it's roots exposed where the water had eroded the dirt that had once warmed them. The river was clear and pure, the water shimmered, yet to be warmed by the mid morning sun, and a little too icy for Gwynn's taste. It was the perfect place for wet-hunting.

So where were all the fish?

Had something scared them away? He was fairly certain he was the only one here, at least for now, though he hadn't been paying absolute attention. He always felt comfortable at the border of his father's territory, knowing that many of his enemies feared it. Had he gotten too carefree and missed something? Unsettled, a though struck by a sudden chill, he raised himself from the water's edge, standing to his full and impressive height. Strange eyes scanning the horizon for signs of disturbance or trouble. But all appeared to be well. Somewhat stumped by his misfortune he stopped craning his neck and stepped back a pace, sitting cross legged against a pile of old wood and discarded piping, for the moment, defeated.

Leaving the Markets has always been an annoyance to her, especially if the reason behind her wandering outside its borders was to complete a common errand. It started with her idly minding her business inside a shop that only a few people, mostly outsiders, frequented throughout the duration of the day. Sweep the floors, remove dust from the books, mind the cashier, repeat. She was well prepared to do just that when she started the day, but upon opening the door to the shop, she saw the Lady -her employer- talking to the local apothecary. Thinking that it was just a simple chat between friends, Adryanna got the broom from it's place against the wall and began to sweep-

Until two sets of eyes, one glinting with mirth and another with sheer glee, were on her.

So here she was, near the banks of the Artery while on the lookout for a certain type of mushroom that she did not know the name of but was duly illustrated in the piece of paper that was shoved into her hands hours prior. 'You'll be fine!' she remembered the crazy apothecary said. In all honestly, Adryanna would have declined this if not for the shrug of the Lady as well as the offer of a bag full of silver (that may or may not be more than what she earned for a full month). She never did like the forest nor the riverbanks, knowing full well that it was near Pride territory.

She walked along the banks with a basket in hand, careful to not leave any tracks nor make a sound, she made her way towards the grand willow tree as was instructed. Even from afar, should could already see the coloring of the mushrooms. Wanting to finish the job and go back to the safety of the Markets quickly, the redhead lightly jogged, just enough to not make a sound, but stopped and immediately hid behind a tree. Damn it, damn it, damn it! She did not notice someone there. From the glimpse that she got of them as well as their scent, she immediately cursed the heavens of this misfortune that she'd come across a Faetouched. Did she unknowingly cross a border? Knowing that she wouldn't be able to take him on as strength wasn't her greatest asset, she traced the details of the hilt of her dagger as she contemplated if a retreat would be her safest bet.

His thoughts were interrupted by an icy breeze, his nose flexing almost involuntarily. It carried with it the chills of the Arc, a mixture of flowering plants from the forest, a distant trace of his father's own scent and.. something else? Definitely much closer by, human? No. Faetouched? None that he recognised. Disturbed from his thoughts of fish he sat up, strange, large eyes once again scanning the junk and gnarled willows for signs of life. Ears flicking.

There was the sound of water, but the wastes were silent. Far too silent. He could feel the dusty ground holding it's breath. There was a tension in the air. Nothing jumped out at him though, and he still couldn't see anyone. The wind had died down, the scent was gone. He sniffed again. Nothing, the air was too dry and still.

Unable to determine the nature of this stillness he decided to try a different tactic. Relaxing his muscles he yawned a big and satisfying yawn, blinking dolefully. Demonstrating both a lack of hostility, and a lack of fear, he stretched his paws and lay back against the debris behind him once again, lazily playing with some discarded netting, and humming a quiet, jovial tune.

~"Oh where sweet river, are your fish? Do they hide amongst the reeds? Oh where oh water are your children, bred on crab and seed. I cannot feed my family strong, on fruit and nut alone. Oh where sweet river, are your fish that I might take some home"~

Her heart was thumping like a war drum even though her face and stance were composed. She didn't know if she would be able to retreat successfully, as there were too much open space and not enough foliage to conceal her. She wouldn't make it if she was seen. She was a fool for not scouting the land before she trampled on its ground. What kind of Faetouched were they? Weighing her options, she closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, knowing full well that both confrontation and a retreat could be the death of her.

A gasp came out from her lips when she heard a voice.. singing? Cautiously, she slowly edged her way to the side of the tree get a closer look. Just a few meters from where she stood, there lay a Faetouched, far larger that she's ever seen before. They seem to be quite relaxed but she knew full well how powerful the Faetouched's senses were, much less a full-blooded one. Gripping the bark of the tree, she took a deep breath as she steadied her bearings.

She grabbed a stone, not too large but not too small, either, and quick as a snake, threw it on to the water before sprinting to another tree, just a few paces from the willow. With the agility of an experienced thief, she grabbed hold of a tree branched and hefted herself higher, higher without much of a sound, until she was able to use a sturdier branch to cross to the grand willow tree, using the fairly big branches to hide herself as she tried to look for another branch that she could use to cross to another tree, cursing herself as her arm managed to catch a smaller branch and drew a bit of blood.

Blinking with a small smile he looked over as he heard the stone splash into the water.
"Hmm?"

He didn't quite catch what it was, but the satisfying thunk it made as it sank gave him an inkling as to what it might be. Clever weird not-human they must be. He wondered where they'd gone.Taking care not to drop his casual demeanour he took another peak across the surroundings. Still no sign of life but he could sense they were still around. Stretching some more he took a quick glance back at the river when the sudden coppery scent of blood caught his nose. Aha, that's where they are, he thought to himself with another little smile. It was at this point that his mercurial nature was beginning to win him over. He decided to sing another verse.

"Oh Willow by River, do you know oh Willow where the fish have gone? Under your roots? Covered in soil? Oh Willow by River, Sweet Willow so strong, why are the fish not where they belong?" He gestured in mock dramatic fashion to the tree as though it might answer. "Have the fish gone to market, to sell their loose scales? Are they eating sweet bread, and shining their tails?"

He tried hard not to glance upwards, or smile too widely.

"Where are the fish hiding? I simply must know. Dear River, Sweet Willow, are they below? Like rats do they slither, and slink through the junk? Do they hide in the shadows, did they climb up your trunk?" It was taking him all his composure not to smirk or laugh. "Fish out of water, are they up high? Did they get tricky and take to the sky? Are the fish hoping to spread their wet fins, and fly like the birds, back to their homes?"

Adryanna could only laugh, not even bothering to hide it now. She knew she was scented the moment she drew blood. "How careless I am," she murmured bitterly. Accepting her fate, she sat down on the branch, leaning her back against the tree as she cradled her injured arm, a little bit of blood seeping through the cloth and on to her hands. She didn't knew that she was this rusty, and now she might be turned into meat for the fishes because of her carelessness. A shaky sigh fluttered out as she leaned her head back, a little bit of the leaves rustling her hair.

'Bastard's teasing me," she thought with a cluck of her tongue. Her left hand reaching once again for her dagger, she weighed the pros and cons of attacking him or not but at the end of a mere thirty seconds, she set it down, knowing full well that it wouldn't work. As there weren't any good options at the moment, she decided to damn everything and humor him. She reached for her flute from one of the many pockets of her vest before playing a slow, yet soulful melody and then picking up the pace to mimic the song of a bird.

"The songbird weeps as the master asks for a common fish, dear Willow oh Willow will the bird be free? She sits so poised, with grace, and yet yearns for her master in the lands so far. Oh Willow, sweet Willow, will you set her free? Trapped in your tree branch, longing for the sky that she cannot see."

Her voice, so morose as she sang of the songbird's plight. Raising up her flute once again to her lips, she repeated the same melody but in a lower key, eyes closed to feel the air as the notes pierces through the air and the forest.

He was a little startled when he got a reply, a flute none less, and for the first time he actually looked up into the branches, a quizzical expression on his face that might have made him look cute if he weren't over 7 foot tall. He grinned, and his fish could sing too. Impressive. He could see her now, craning his shaggy neck to the side. She was so small, definitely human-ish. But he could smell something distinctly weird about her still. How odd.

"... Are you going to come down now little bird?" His voice was uncharacteristically light for his stature, even when speaking. His stance was casual and non aggressive still. He didn't feel threatened by little humans with flutes, even ones that smelled so peculiar. "You seem like you might be more at home on the ground."

She took one last look at the heavens before heaving a rather loud groan. Checking her would, she was a little miffed that the bleeding has yet to cease. Pocketing her flute, she braced herself before hopping down to the branch below, then another, and another. She stopped just a few branches away from the ground to look at what beheld her. He was a full Faetouched, that she was sure. And still she was surprised at how tall her was. Adryanna knew that she's never come across a Fae that was a large as himself, the closest being a head shorted than him. Golden eyes probed his features, from his grand mane but then lingered when her eyes landed on his paws, making her inhale as she thought that she was wise to not have taken him on, knowing that she wouldn't survive if she wasn't able to escape.

Her left hand on her dagger just in case, she kept her eyes on him even though he seemed relaxed enough. Years of experience told her that she should always be ready to flee, or attack when the time needs it even thought at that very moment, her instinct told her to relax. Experience weighing over instinct, she held her guard.

Maybe she did trespass on Pride territory. The merchants said that the maps they sold were pretty much accurate when it came to territories but now she's clearly doubting them. "I did not mean to intrude on your land," she said, her voice clipped and weary. "I was sent to gather some mushrooms that the apothecary said only grew in this area."

It was difficult as her eyes beheld his stature and natural weaponry not to smile, stretching slightly too flex his impressive form with an air of tangible smugness. He noticed her hand resting on something, a human weapon perhaps, but he didn't let it phase him, remaining calm and relaxed. Behind him the sun had climbed higher into the sky, warming the landscape and putting a brassy tinge through his mottled brown fur. However when she mentioned intruding on his land he gave a hearty laugh.

"Ha, do not worry little ground pidgeon, these are not my lands, nor my father's, though I would advise you don't wander any further west." He grinned a big toothy grin. "You are fortunate to have met me out here, he tends to take less kindly to stray birds." He gestured upstream. "See where the the land rises, and the two streams become one? That is Pride territory."

He glanced around. "You are fortunate to be hunting mushrooms and not fish. Not only will they be easier to catch, they are far more plentiful today."

It irked her when he called her "ground pigeon" and even more so when he tried to flex, and still her eyes followed the direction that he pointed at and nodded, admittedly relieved that she did not trespass into Pride territory. Nonetheless she swore to herself that she would be more careful when heading off into unknown lands. His laugh relieved her more, and convinced her that maybe she was safe from hostility. And still she decided that I would be best to get the job done lest even more members of the Faetouched come into the area.

"Thank you," she said meekly, then giving a soft grunt when she hopped onto the ground, wincing a little bit when her arm was jogged. She stood up straight, noting the fact that she was almost two heads shorter than him. She expected it but yet was still annoyed by that fact.

Adryanna gave him a courteous nod before taking a few paces back, grabbing her dagger and her basket, before crouching down to carefully cut the mushrooms from their stems. Feeling the sun's heat, she set her tool down before taking a thin ribbon from her bodice that snugly fit over the curve of her bosom then tied her flowing hair into a loose ponytail.

She has her own definition of flexing.

As she was about to continue her mushroom collection, a sudden thought struck her. Raising her gaze at him, she tilted her head to the side. "Fish? A rather odd looking group at the east of the river cast a net from both sides of the riverbank. I'm pretty sure it's been prohibited but I am not too familiar with the laws in these areas."

His brow furrowed. The laws outside the Mono-City were few and far between, and depended greatly on where in the wasteyards you found yourself, but that didn't meant free reign to whomever decides to intrude. The oceanic salmon were making their trip upstream, to lay and brood in the forest waters. It should be a time of plenty for all, but catch too many and everyone would suffer. His face darkened as he looked downstream, unable to make out any signs of activity from where they were. But the lack of fish was a clear indication that something was wrong. Perhaps it was cause enough to call upon the greater strength of his gang.

"The law in these parts is the law we hold in our hearts, and that which nature provides." He paused, finally noticing that her cut was still bleeding. Interrupted in his train of thought he reached into his back pocket for a roll of scrap-cloth and offered it to her. "Thank you for the information, you can use this to bind that hand. I'm no healer but it should do until you get back to your nest."

She nodded in understanding when she saw the dark look that appeared on his face. Knowing full well that it was difficult enough to gather resources, much less food, for a whole group in these parts. Thinking that it was odd for a small group to hoard all of the fish, she was about to check them out but immediately backed away, for fear that maybe a new gang settled in the area. "They weren't a large group, as far as I could remember. Maybe six held their party? But they did have plenty of crates with them."

As she was about to resume her task at hand, she blinked a few times when he offered her the close. Staring at it for a moment, then another, before locking eyes with the Faetouched that offered it to her, she once more nodded in gratitude before taking in, sitting cross-legged on the ground and began the task of binding her arm. "I am in your debt, for this and sparing my life." She stopped then pursed her lips, then held out a hand -her clean one- to him. "My name is Adryanna Eildren, bard. Do you often come to this area?"

He thought about the situation. Six or so was not an insurmountable number. If they could damage their equipment that would be enough.. was this reason to summon his gang together? Probably not. They were less collected than many of the other, even minor gangs. He provided a purpose and a family to those who needed it, and earned his trust, but for the most part they travelled separately, and he would only call upon them when he could not succeed alone.

"Gwynn, Leader of the Wanderer's. I usually come here to wethunt and scavange crab-meat. At this time of year, the Oceanic Salmon should have made it this far upstream by now, it should be a time of plenty." He stopped and furrowed his brow slightly. "And do not worry about debt, I never had cause to take your life. This is free ground as far as I know... If you wanted to help me though, you could show me where you saw those people with the nets. I should like to.. test the strength of their ropes."

The Wanderers, huh? Now that she's thinking about it, it doesn't really come off as a surprise. The members of the Wanderers that somehow.. wandered into her part of the Markets were pretty decent and paid well when asked for service. "Never had a cause to-" A laugh escaped her lips, louder than expected, making her relax her shoulders and remove the wariness that her body made evident. "That's something that I haven't heard since I was a child." She got up, dusted the dirt off of her fitted pants before standing up, hooking the basket filled with mushrooms to her uninjured arm.

Still noting the serious air that surrounded him, she tilted her head then showed him her dagger, the blade glinting in the light. "This puny thing wouldn't be much of a threat to Faetouched. I may not be strong but I can run very fast." The redhead grinned at him fiercely before sheathing the blade in it's scabbard tied to her left thigh. It wasn't late yet, just past noon, so she could spare a few more hours. She turned, her face facing away from him to look at the direction where the group was, and lightly nibbled on her lip. It worried her. If they at least had one Faetouched with them, she would be scented a mile away because of her wound and she'd be dead weight if she was pursued.