Weeks had come to pass that Maui had stayed (mostly) within the Saltwood's safe haven. There were small trips she'd take a little North, crossing the salty river that separated them from the mainland, and collect hoards of berries she could store and ferment for specific occasions, or honestly, any given day.
Today's endeavors were not berry foraging but swimming in between the water that broke the Saltwoods from the Mainland, her dark fur meshing with the tide, soaked with salt and sand. One moment, she was above the water, and the next, below, diving beneath. Underneath, Maui's eyes burned, flashed open in the sea, a familiar sting, one she was used to, as they darted around her, waiting for that pesky...
There!
A shimmer of spotted scales flashed, the sun's flare in the midsky helping relay locations — in an instant, Maui's paws are cupping the turbulent water and muscular legs kicking. After a lifetime of doing this (albeit, usually looming over from a higher vantage point, but sometimes free-for-all swimming like she was now), it still required expertise, even if the ocean was as much as home as it was the fish's. Nonetheless, her powerful kicks had led her after the fish, its path blocked by a rock wall she'd built near the shore, with various-sized rocks. It wasn't completely stable; a large fish might have been able to knock it out of the way, but not the small ones she was picking off.
The reward of her endeavor hung from her maw as she resurfaced: a spotted fish with a faded red line shimmering down its side, still flapping back and forward, flicking blood around. The movement was slow, her fatal bite settling in. She waded to the shore, just in time for a call to interrupt her snack. Her dark ears turned, realizing that it'd not come from far away at all. Stalking a few yards down the beach, she could see a small figure, a black ink spot against the sand.
Maui let out a chuff, a friendly notion that she was around before trotting forward, not letting her reward go. She effortlessly treaded through the sand, nagivating her way till she was near enough to greet. The fish dropped out of her maw, letting it hit the ground hard, revealing a smile on the woman's face.
“'Ey there, lil guppy.” She hummed in acknowledgement, tacking on a nickname that'd been tossed around her bloodline for generations for pups or teens.
“Whatcha searchin' for?” She asked, her eyes picking at his appearance, shadowed but graced with bits of stray sun across his fur.
the fish maui caught is a steelhead trout, around the size pictured here! (yes, this is a rainbow trout, but just for size reference!)
also this turned out wayyyy longer than i intended it to, don't worry abt matching length!!
