[Trade] Salmon hunt - Vorion and Monoceros

THE EARLY REOSEAN GETS... THE SALMON?


Monoceros was having a very bad day. She was outside of the Beneath sitting on the green and grassy plains of Vitalus, though still near enough to her safe caves if she needed to run.
She disliked the grass. It was green, cold to the touch, and most of the time wet. The moisture of the night would be trapped between the green strands, and her talons would feel the wetness and the muddy terrain under the plants.

Why was she outside then? Well, she had to. The heavy, oxidized chain that hanged from her neck made it clear to the other Haedians where she was from: the infamous and dangerous Order Clan.
While she left the Clan, she was still easily recognizable as one of them, and to be safe she had to get to the surface and leave, surviving in the wild by herself.

That meant she had to hunt. While she wasn't a bad hunter, she still was not used to hunt in the light, or to use the night as her cover. After all, Haedians didn't really have a day-night cycle down there, the illumination of the caves and tunnels was always the same.
Up there, the sun moved the shadows, the night could be dark like the abyss or bright as the day, depending on the moon.
Too many variables.

And so, after failed hunts with birds and mammals, she had to go for fishes. She didn't like fish, but she wasn't to keen on starving either.
There were some salmons in the river that morning. It was early enough for most of the continent to sleep, but not for the fish or for her aching stomach.
She set the fishing line and the hook, but... Still nothing.

“UGH! How much do I still have to wait, stupid fishes?!”

She huffed and roared, scaring the animals nearby. And catching the attention of a dragon marked Haedian, with deep blue fur.
That Haedian was a Depthstrider, so he knew how to catch fishes and aquatic prey... But it was quite fun to watch the reddish Haedian scream and stomp her feet every time the fish ran away from the hooks.
Monoceros still hadn't noticed him, when he finally introduced himself.

“You look like you need some help.”

Monoceros spun around, seeing the other Haedian. She snarled, and Vorion rolled his eyes.

“Are you seriously trying to catch salmons without a lure?”

He asked, raising an eyebrow when, having gotten closer to the other, he had noticed the missing food for the fishes on the hooks.
Monoceros grumbled something, but Vorion didn't move from where he was. Sure, that one looked like an angry cat but if he could help her fish she won't scare the whole aquatic fauna away with her antics in the future.

“Well, anyway... I'll teach you how to fish, I suppose.”

“I don't need help.”

“Really?”

Vorion looked at the other Haedian, who was squinting and puffing her cheeks... She was pouting. That made him laugh, and Monoceros huffed something under her breath.

“Fine! Then, what should I do?!”

“First, stop shouting. You'll scare them off.”

He said, pointing at one big and fat salmon. That one was perfect.

“See that one? You will catch it.”

“How? They do not like the hooks.”

“Hm... Why don't you jump in the water and hunt them there? It is easier, you know?”

“I'm NOT going into the water!”

Vorion raised his talons in a 'sorry' gesture, perplexed. Why was she that afraid of water? Maybe she had nearly drowned as a pup, he heard that not all Haedians were as good as the Depthstriders in the water.
Well, fishing line it was.

“Alright, alright. Keep your eyes on the salmon, I'll get a lure ready.”

Monoceros nodded, sitting on a rock near the stream.
She watched the reddish, plump salmon swimming against the current, still a bit sluggish after the night. She could almost taste it, and her stomach growled loudly, scaring some of the most nearby fishes.

“Pipe down, or they'll run again.”

“I'm not doing it on purpose!”

Vorion sighed, then showed a hook with a worm stuck on the metal. Monoceros looked a bit disgusted by the writhing thing, but said nothing.

“Now, you toss the hook. Alright?”

Monoceros nodded, taking the hook with her eyes focussed on the salmon.
Vorion touched her shoulder, before she could whip the hook on the fish's head.

“Not ON it. Throw it further, then SLOWLY drag it here. The fishes will think it is a prey and will try to catch it.”

Monoceros hummed, then tossed the hook, which sailed in the air... Then got stuck in a branch.

“...”

“...”

“...Think you can get it down from there, or will you get tangled in it?”

Vorion asked, tiredly, and as always his passive-aggressive ways got the other working.

“Look at the fish, I'll be back soon.”

Stomping, Monoceros went to get the cursed hook down the tree, while Vorion kept watch on their prey.
Well, not that the fishes were going anywhere anyway: the Depthstriders' haedian was confident in the fact that even if that reddish, plump salmon tried to get away, he was going to catch it easily by jumping in the river.
It wasn't that deep, and the salmon was still cool and slow because of the night. He watched it swim a little closer, and had to stop himself from just taking it and leaving. Poor Monoceros was probably going to starve if he didn't teach her how to fish.

After a while of fish-watching, finally Monoceros returned, sticks and leaves in her mane and fur.

“Now, toss it. Gently.”

“If I don't get it, I will eat this stupid worm.”

She grumbled, then she launched the hook- that luckily fell in the water, this time. The fishes scattered for a moment, disturbed by the ripples in the water, but soon calmed down enough to start the next phase of the hunt: actually getting the fish.

“Now, drag it. Slowly. You can do that, right?”

“Of course, now shut it.”

Mono snarled quietly, in fear of the salmon escaping. Then, she started to move the fish line, slowly getting it back to the rocky shore.
At first, the plump salmon didn't seem to have noticed the hook, so Vorion stopped Mono.

“Alright, try to move it a bit.”

“How?”

Vorion grabbed the line and jiggled it for a few moments, making the lure more attractive with its movement.
A couple of fishes noticed it, and slowly tried to get close. One of them was the plump salmon. Mono licked her lips, and jiggled the lure, before dragging it to herself. Suddenly, the salmon struck the line, getting the hook in his mouth.

“Now, pull!”

Monoceros did as Vorion told her, and using her strength she literally flung the poor fat salmon out of the water... And right in Vorion's jaws.

“HEY! THAT WAS MINE!”

Vorion smiled, before replying.

“Well, did you expect lessons for free? How naïve, did no one teach you how trades work?”

“I-You-! Ugh! Keep the fish, I will try for another.”

She grumbled, and Vorion kept the win: after all, he knew how proud the Order's Haedian were, she wasn't going to fight someone who took time to teach her.

She dug in the ground, and after grabbing another worm, she started fishing again, under Vorion amused watch.
While she tried to get another salmon, the Depthstrider's Haedian started preparing the first: while raw it was good, with a little condiment it was better.
He cleaned the fish, chuckling at the screams of rage of Monoceros as the fish ran away with the lure.

Once clean and cooked on a small fire, the salmon was ready to be eaten... And Monoceros still hadn't managed to catch a single salmon. Vorion smiled, and set in a wooden bowl half of the fish. If by the time he had finished his half the other still hadn't caught anything, he was going to let her have some... In exchange for another whole salmon after.

**(1355 words)**