He shuffled sideways to allow the kit more room to walk forward, a small smile hesitantly spreading across his short muzzle as she gazed with wonder down into the stream. While she stared, the little cat took another moment to gaze up and down the forest's edge for any sign of movement. Still nothing it seemed, and he breathed a sigh of relief before joining her in watching the dark, easy currents.
The kit's words brought Delta back to attention, and his smile widened ever so slightly as she clumsily parroted back his words. He shook his head when she gestured at herself, though his expression did not darken. He flexed one of his fins again, noting with some discomfort that its thin coat was drying into a ticklish fuzz that had him struggling to not lean down and vigorously nibble away the itches.
"Fins," he repeated, tapping it again with a stubby paw; he then pointed towards the masses hanging at her sides. "Wings."
The splashing of the stream behind them interrupted the impromptu lesson, and Delta caught a flash of dark scales as his head whipped around defensively. He nearly jumped again at the kit's shriek of delight, and it took a few moments for his thoughts to catch up to his heartrate as he recognized the shape of a fish snaking through the sluggish current. It seems Delta wasn't the only creature eager to explore this seasonal break from the river, and he let out a breath of relief as he too watched its silohuette through the cool, clear water.
"Swim-ah," he finally repeated, tilting his head and moving his attention back to the kit, who was excitedly gesturing towards the fish. An idea came to him then, and Delta shuffled around to fully face the water as he lifted his paw and clumsily motioned to himself yet again. "I have fins. I swima," He gestured down to the water then, loosely following the fish's dark shape as he continued. "That fish; fish. You eat fish?"
What was the closest thing to eat in her language? The best Delta could do was gesture towards the kit again, then towards the fish, and then make a biting motion with his jaws, as if he were eating it. She had to have been hungry, right? Hadn't that been why she'd gotten so excited at the sight of it? He shuffled his paws with nervous anticipation, watching as its dark shape threatened to vanish further upstream. If he were to catch it, he'd need to be fast about it.
"Fish food. Eat food," he tried again, doing the biting and chewing pantomime again as his gaze carefully tracked the motions of his potential catch. He looked back towards the scrawny kit (Tsillah, he should probably see if she had a name or not) and hoped his message was understood. "You eat fish?"
The kit's words brought Delta back to attention, and his smile widened ever so slightly as she clumsily parroted back his words. He shook his head when she gestured at herself, though his expression did not darken. He flexed one of his fins again, noting with some discomfort that its thin coat was drying into a ticklish fuzz that had him struggling to not lean down and vigorously nibble away the itches.
"Fins," he repeated, tapping it again with a stubby paw; he then pointed towards the masses hanging at her sides. "Wings."
The splashing of the stream behind them interrupted the impromptu lesson, and Delta caught a flash of dark scales as his head whipped around defensively. He nearly jumped again at the kit's shriek of delight, and it took a few moments for his thoughts to catch up to his heartrate as he recognized the shape of a fish snaking through the sluggish current. It seems Delta wasn't the only creature eager to explore this seasonal break from the river, and he let out a breath of relief as he too watched its silohuette through the cool, clear water.
"Swim-ah," he finally repeated, tilting his head and moving his attention back to the kit, who was excitedly gesturing towards the fish. An idea came to him then, and Delta shuffled around to fully face the water as he lifted his paw and clumsily motioned to himself yet again. "I have fins. I swima," He gestured down to the water then, loosely following the fish's dark shape as he continued. "That fish; fish. You eat fish?"
What was the closest thing to eat in her language? The best Delta could do was gesture towards the kit again, then towards the fish, and then make a biting motion with his jaws, as if he were eating it. She had to have been hungry, right? Hadn't that been why she'd gotten so excited at the sight of it? He shuffled his paws with nervous anticipation, watching as its dark shape threatened to vanish further upstream. If he were to catch it, he'd need to be fast about it.
"Fish food. Eat food," he tried again, doing the biting and chewing pantomime again as his gaze carefully tracked the motions of his potential catch. He looked back towards the scrawny kit (Tsillah, he should probably see if she had a name or not) and hoped his message was understood. "You eat fish?"