Dusty Canyon

Alk stifled a laugh with her paws. “That’s probably because you /do/ need to cheer up.” She said.

“Sure it’s the middle of a war. But you should let that stop you from being able to smile and have fun when you can.” Alk said. She made a point of not letting the war get to her when with friends. Although it did sneak up on her at times.

She sighed and shook her head. “I think, you, just need to find something to be happy about.” She said standing up and stretching.

He frowned. "What is there to be happy about?" He said.
"War is a serious thing. Humans and Shinlai are being hurt and killed. Even before that there is still death, disease, families being torn apart. Friends lost, loves lost. I've seen it all, the worst of the worst." He said. "Why should I care to try and be happy when really it's just a fleeting emotion, gone almost before it even starts. I'm just realistic."

“Well aren’t you a bubbly and cheerful young thing.” She replied straight away, not fazed by the doom and gloom attitude.
“Trust me, I know this is a war, I know people and Shinlai are being killed, friends, lovers, family all being lost. I’ve been through enough to understand that.” She said bluntly, taking a step towards him.
“But I don’t let that spoil the good times. Just like you shouldn’t. If you let it spoil those fleeting moments then you’ll get depressed, if you’re not already.” She said.

She snorted at him, mimicking his own snort. “But what would I know. I’m a bubbly, cheerful, overly happy girl with too much energy to stay still.” She said raising her eyebrows with a blank look at him.

He probably was already, he just masked it with anger at everything.
He watched her, and snorted softly. He looked away.

"You know, you can be cheerful, bubbly and overly happy but that doesn't make you stupid. It just makes you horribly annoying." He eyed her.

“Horribly annoying and yet... Stupidly fun and entertaining.” She added to his sentence. “And you know it’s true. That water fight was the first time I have ever heard you laugh, even if it was just a chuckle.” She said, kneading the earth again.

“And let’s face it, your horribly annoying too.” She said with a smirk.

He sighed heavily.
"My sister makes a point of putting on a shocked face whenever I give the slightest laugh." He said, shaking his had. Thenhe pointed a claw at her.
"Don't you start that, too."

Alk shook her head.
“I’ll just look shocked whenever you point at me.” She said. Her expression immediately switching to a look similar to a rabbit with a predator bearing down on it.

“You should laugh more though.” She said dropping the expression. “Even if it is over little things.”

He grinned a bit. He couldn't help but think that was a horribly unsuitable face on a Shinlai like Alkyone.
Really. He hadn't seen her scared of anything before.

He stretched and yawned.
"No. Now it's just so special whenever I do."

Alk grinned too. That had gotten a smile at least. Then she shrugged.
“Unfortunately, you have a point there.” She said.

She noted his yawn. “You tiered or something?” She asked.

"I have been walking around for two day straight." He said, then he eyed the water, guging his chances of catching a fish. "That cursed area up there doesn't have anything to eat, either." He shifted and pushed himself tohis feet.

She watched him climb to his feet and tilted her head to one side. “Okay first off, why have you been walking for two days? And secondly, that’s because all the game and prey is down here, near the water.” She said giving her fur a shake.

He shook more dust out of his fur. though it was slightly more like mud at this point, due to the water in his fur. He moved over to the water.
"Could you sleep up there in that?" He asked, jerking his head up to the top. "Gets scorching during the day, and bitterly cold at night. Not pleasant."

She paused considering her answer. “Bearing in mind I’d overheat and pass out during the day, I’d rather it was bitterly cold.” She said with a head bob. She padded over to the water too and peered at it.

He eyed the fish in the water, and settled down on the edge of the bank. "Hm.."
"Well, you have a point. I nearly passed out once or twice. and the water up there is rank."

He tilted his head, and settled it lower to focus on the shadows of the fish he could see.
One particularly large fish suddenly grew much darker, thrashed and writhed, then simply floated to the surface. where he plucked it up.

She watched with a vague look of interest and amusement. “Did you just catch that fish... With its own shadow...” She asked slowly. She raised her eyebrows rather amused.

“If you want, I could corner a bunch of fish.” She said swirling a paw in the water edge.

He grinned a bit, glancing at her. "I may have. Not everyone can be a great fish huntress like yourself." He said. "A pity we don't have any way to cook it." Not that he minded them raw. A hot meal just would have been nice.

He eyed the fish in the stream. "I suppose that would give each of us a good meal."

Alkyone gave an un-amused snort. However her face fell at the idea of raw fish. It was way, too slimy for her liking. She’d eat it, but it just made her shudder a bit. She cleared her throat.

“Anyway. I’ll give it a go.” She muttered, sitting back on her haunches and holding her front paws above the water’s edge. She frowned in concentration, trying to herd the fish into a group. After a moment she managed to get a group swimming in a tight circle. Then, gritting her teeth, she slowly dragged that section of water towards her and Addy.

He watched her, curiously. watching how she worked. Semi-impressed.
then he remembered to focus on the fish. He shifted and leveled his gaze. And the fish were afflicted much the same way as the one he already had, and soon were floating placidly.

As soon as the fish darkened and bobbed to the surface she released her hold on the water, dipping her paw in and scooping the fish out onto the side where they wouldn’t bob away downstream.

“Took your time remember the fish.” She scorned playfully, before snapping up a fish and gulping it down, trying to ignore the slimy feel.

He eyed the cliff face around them after watching her choke down the fish. He stood up, and stretched. "If you gather some brush together, I can see if can find the proper rocks for a fire."

She perked up at his words, quietly going ‘yes’ under her breath before turning and scuttling towards the edge of the tree lines. Almost stepping on what looked like a squashed rattle snake. Before foraging around the tree line, grabbing dead branches and sticks. As well as some dry grass that she knew would work as tinder.

Once she had enough she made her way back, much slower, minding the snake, and awkwardly carrying the firewood.

"You know they can still bite sometimes after they die."
Aderyn said as he walked up alongside her. He head two different pieces of rock in one paw, so he walked slightly awkwardly, but managed.

He cleared a place for the fire, then helped her assemble their tinder and branches.