literature

Gone Fishing

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It wasn't a particularly cold day, though still chilly enough to warrant wearing a coat. The sky held a nearly solid covering of fluffy gray and white clouds, mostly likely laden with rain, unlikely to cause a full storm but very telling of rain. Here and there bright streams of sunlight would cut through the cloud cover, making the snow piled on the ground sparkle. It was perfect weather for a fall day, and a grand opportunity for an adventure, even if it was a small one. The recently founded Tokota ranch, one of many in the area, would be gaining a new occupant soon - this time one of the human persuasion - and all Nita wanted to do was get away from the cabin she called home. There was certainly space for another handler around – the cabin was large enough to house a small village in her opinion - and with the greater number of pups coming from other breeders around she probably could use the help, but she didn’t like the idea of sharing the space with a complete stranger and most definitely did not want to be there when he showed up. And so, when dawn had broken, the sun just barely beginning to rise over the crest of the not-so-distant mountains and setting the clouds aflame in countless shades of orange and pink she had set out with Eiyu into the wilderness. Polar Bear dog aside, the girl knew she would soon be closely followed by the Tokotas in her care, having left the door to their spacious living space open, quite purposefully of course.

She wasn’t sure how far they had gone when the clouds broke, the nearest ones coming their way still a long way off; there would be a good amount of sunshine for at least an hour, something she fully intended to take advantage of. Calling for Eiyu to come to a halt, Nita dismounted and promptly removed the extra rolled up blanket from his back, spreading it out on the ground and making the perfect place for a relaxing nap.

“Alright buddy, go have fun.” The girl said with a smile waving her companion off, but he refused to move, blinking his large golden eyes at her with a look that could only be described as saying ‘No’. “Oh come on! You have to look after Matty. It’s your job too.” Still he didn’t move making Nita sigh and turn around, catching sight of Madge disappearing into the trees, a little bouncing shape alongside her that she knew had to be the pup in question. With her hands cupped around her mouth acting as a makeshift amplifier, she called out a warning to the gentle female. “Watch out for the pup, Madge! Don’t let him get into any burrows again.” She could only smile as the pair vanished and she took a seat on her blanket, part of it now occupied by Eiyu. He made an excellent pillow as the water bender settled back against his side and began to doze, enjoying the sun’s welcome warmth.


Nita opened her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face suddenly vanish as an enormous shadow loomed over her. The water bender only frowned up at the fuzzy hulking silhouette, no fear on her face, only mild irritation. 
"Eiyu! You're blocking out the sun." She reached up with one hand, guiding the polar bear dog to the side, only to pause as he let out a whine, hauling her up into a sitting position with her sleeve clutched in his teeth. "What the matter?" Nita asked turning her head to look over her shoulder, her long braid whipping around to the other side as she did so. Upon seeing the source of her companion's unease she could only roll her eyes, scowling at him. "It's just Madge you goof! You're going to have to get used to them sooner or later you know. They're practically your cousins." While she didn't know if that was true or not, they seemed close enough to her. Similar or not, the oldest of the bear-canine hybrids around her was not happy with the latest additions to their family; he didn't quite seem to understand the Tokotas, the same being true for the Tokotas about him. Nita suspected it was the same as when she was around a fire bender; benders they both might be, but their elements functioned quite differently. 

With her sunny nap effectively ruined, Nita got up from the snowy ground, bending what she couldn't brush off away from her having somewhat melted a bit of the snow around them into her clothing. Madge approached slowly but easily, the female Tokota only dipping her head slightly and for a moment at Eiyu. She wasn't about to let him think he was the most dominant one here, but it had been his territory first and he wouldn't be a bad leader if he spent more time with their steadily growing miniature pack. With her brief respect paid, she turned to Nita, butting her head against the girl's back, almost knocking her over as she sought after an affectionate pat or scratch behind the ears. Nita could only laugh turning around to grab the rainmarked female around the neck for a hug followed by the good scratch she was after. It was more than a few moments later that the youngest addition to their pack appeared, little Mathyus racing through the snow with his tongue hanging out and each breath appearing as a cloud as he panted. Nita couldn't help but laugh as the pup came forward, nearly colliding with one of Madge's legs as he slid through the snow. Madge seemed to roll her eyes at the overzealous young male, a reaction she just happened to share with Eiyu. While they both had a soft spot for pups, Matty was proving to be mildly difficult to train so far, his focus somewhat lacking in...focus. The pup had a brilliant lineage however and Nita was confident that with a little work he would excel at whatever he put his mind too. He seemed more excited than usual, jumping up and pawing at Nita, reaching to her waist with his paws in the air.

"One, two, three..." The water bender looked around her, and then moved to one side of Madge, leaving Mathyus to drop into the snow, scanning the edge of the tree line not far away. "We're missing someone. Did...ah there she is." A soft smile pulled at the girl's face as she lifted one hand in a slight wave at the silhouette that had appeared and soon took the shape of Tamina. The female Tokota was still wary of her other companions, preferring to look on their activities from a distance rather than participate herself. Nita didn't blame her, having been of the same mindset when first arriving in Alaska; Tamina was still wild at heart and likely missed her pack, but there was little Nita could do other than try to make her feel more at home. Still the Tokota had stuck with their group, a sign that made Nita hopeful she was beginning to grow used to life with them.

A high pitched whine behind her quickly followed by pawing at the top of her boots had Nita sighing and turning to look down at Mathyus, seeing the pup now momentarily distracted and busy with a mouthful of her shoe. “What? I don’t have any treats right now. Do you need something?” To her great surprise, the response she received was another great shove from Madge who was soon forcing her along through the snow, retracing the path she and Mathyus had taken. Eiyu and the pup followed along behind the pair, and even Tamina stayed parallel with them though she remained within the cover of the tree line. Finally Madge grabbed Nita’s hood in her mouth, pulling her to a stop and then forcing her to look at the ground where she was greeted by the sight of a disembodied head. “Did you guys go fishing? I suppose a little more couldn’t hurt; we can bring something back for dinner.” She lifted one hand, resting it under her chin in thought – would her new house mate even like fish? The thought was so distracting she missed Madge rolling her eyes and Mathyus looking utterly destroyed and disappointed as she stepped past the fish head, now intent on following the sound of running water.

Even Eiyu had to let out a sigh, giving the pup a nudge with his nose to get him walking again as the trio followed their handler; Tamina had already moved on ahead, the sight of the fish driving her forward on her own. The group soon arrived at a small stream not too far inside the trees. Nita moved down a good distance from the animals, leaving them to their methods and giving herself the needed space to concentrate. In the middle of the stream, calf deep in the water she waited nearly motionless until an opportunity presented itself. Breathing steadily she passed one hand over the water, followed by the other, her arms following a pattern she had repeated countless times, a light smile crossing her face as large bubble of water broke the stream’s surface, a single fish caught within the sphere. Guiding the liquid orb to shore, she nearly broke out laughing at the shocked look on Tamina’s face; of course the bearmarked female had never seen her bend before. It had been a mild shock at least to all of them… except for Mathyus who had taken to chasing the floating water almost immediately the first time he had seen it.

“Don’t worry, princess.” Nita said gently, lowering the fish into the basket that was almost always attached to Eiyu’s saddle. “It’s still just water.” With her part done she moved back along the bank to find Eiyu taking a nap, the second basket still on his saddle brimming with fish. Madge was quite literally sitting in the middle of the stream, plucking one fish after the other from the water and tossing them on to the bank. From the moment they struck the ground, Mathyus was on them, racing with the fish clutched in his mouth over to the sleeping Polar Bear Dog, climbing the mountain of white fur and dropping the fish into the basket, only to start over again with another race back to the bank.

Nita settled into Eiyu’s side, content to watch at the three Tokotas fished and brought their catch to her; Tamina only approached when she had collected at least five, making her trips over less frequent, but no less fruitful. All of them seemed to lose track of time until both baskets were full and the sun was starting to disappear behind the tree line. Disliking the idea of dealing with some of the forests more nocturnal creatures, Nita stood and brushed off her pants, prompting Eiyu to a stand.

“Time to head home gang.” She smiled at Madge and nodded her head, inviting her to take the lead. Tamina moved off without waiting to direction, following a wary distance behind Madge. It had been a long day and they were a fair distance from home, so Nita turned to bring Mathyus up on the saddle with her, knowing the pup had to be exhausted. Panic struck her when she couldn’t find his tawny coat on the bank; without a second thought she plunged into the water, surprised to find she was knee deep as she spun in a circle, her heart racing in fear and worry. “Matty! Matty where are-“ She was cut off by her own gasp at the sound of a small muffled bark, spotting the Tokota pup’s soaking wet head pop up from a collection of rocks, one surprisingly large fish clutched in his mouth.

The water bender could only blink in surprise as he clambered from one rock to the next to get back to the bank, avoiding the deepest parts of the water. She followed him with her eyes then slowly did the same, joining the pup and an amused looking Eiyu on dry land. Mathyus looked extraordinarily proud of himself, sitting down and lifting his head to hold the fish out to her.

“So Madge has been looking after you better than I thought.” Nita laughed, kneeling down and taking the fish in one hand and stroking the pup between the ears with the other. Standing back up she deposited the fish into one basket, looking down at Mathyus with a smile. “Next time we have a fishing lesson, I’ll know you’re paying attention even if it looks like you aren’t. I’m on to you little mister.” Mathyus responded with an excited bark, jumping into her arms when she leaned down to collect him.

“Remember you have to hold still. Eiyu won’t throw you off, but he doesn’t really like having you up here.” She laughed holding the pup at arm’s length before settling him on the saddle before putting one foot in the stirrups and sitting behind him. Although it really was time to be getting home, she hesitated, remembering there would most likely be a stranger there waiting for them now. Heaving a sigh she wrapped one arm around the pup in front of her, trusting Eiyu to get them home without direction. “The ladies have left us behind by now, boy. Let’s see if we can catch up.”

Chapter One for the Enchanted Kingdom Tokotas
Word Count: 2265

Link to import sheet: Madge 242 by TotemSpirit
Link to fishing journal: Madge 242 || Hunting - Fishing - Exploring
11 HP + 2 HP (handler) + 2 HP (fishing) + 1 HP (non-commissioned) =  16 HP


Link to import sheet: Mathyus 1965 by TotemSpirit
Link to fishing journal: Mathyus 1965 || Hunting - Fishing - Exploring
11 HP + 2 HP (handler) + 2 HP (fishing) + 1 HP (non-commissioned) =  16 HP

Link to import sheet: WF11 by TotemSpirit
11 HP + 2 HP (handler) + 1 HP (non-commissioned) = 14 HP

I'm going to draw my tokos as much as possible, especially since it's proving to be good practice for drawing humans among other things, but I decided this is an excellent opportunity to get back into the swing of writing and work on my storytelling skills. ^^

Nita, Madge, Mathyus, Tamina (WF11) (C) SapphireSquire
Story and Writing (C) :devSapphireSuire:
:icontokotas:
© 2015 - 2024 SapphireSquire
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