Arturo quite enjoyed fishing. There was something to say for letting the experience of nature wash over and around him. It reminded him that as timeless as he was, the world would continue to move on with or without him. It was also a strangely quaint and mundane activity that required very little attention. Which meant it was good for both conversing and for simply being. He even enjoyed the company of the werewolf he experienced said mundane hobby with.

What the vampire disliked, however, was when Alec insisted they go ice fishing. Arturo wasn't cold-blooded, he simply had no blood of his own at all and that made winter in cold climates take much more work to maintain himself. It meant feeding more often, which meant more outings and trips. Some vampires he knew preferred to travel seasonally during this time or to simply stay home with a trusted companion. But at the moment, the coven leader was lacking one of those. Not that he particularly liked to hole up inside anyway. That wasn't his nature.

He sat huddled inside the little tent one a small folding chair, a thick green coat wrapped around his figure. His gaze was directed outside the tent at the frozen landscape rather than the dismal hole in the floor. The vampire didn't often care if he caught anything.

"A little bird told me the sheriff formed a hunting party and I have an educated guess," he said. He didn't like to give away too much in any conversation with a werewolf, but Alec was different. He'd earned much of the man's respect for organizing the Sweetwater wolves into an organized pack rather than some mangy strays that help barking at Arturo's doorstep. He clarified slightly for the Shadowridge Alpha's benefit, curious what he knew. "None of mine where there, but the bite marks were suspect."

Alec nodded thoughtfully at the vampire's reply. "Hellhounds," he stated. "I've never come across any before, have you?" he asked, wondering if maybe Arturo had more information on the potential continued threat than he did.

The supernatural members of the community were often changing and Alec did as much as he could to be aware of as many of them as possible in order to make sure that everything ran as smoothly as possible. It simply wouldn't do if humans started disappearing because some supernatural creature snuck in to hunt. "How many vampires do we have around that aren't part of your coven?" he asked, wanting to stay as up to date as possible and knowing that Arturo would have the best information about the vampires specifically.

"I saw signs of some in India ages ago and Belgium more recently. But the only mated pair I had ever seen myself were in what is now Honduras. Around 1700? The locals worshipped them for a long while in peace until foreign missionaries founded a colony in the heart of the hellhounds territory...I didn't stay long enough to see what became of them." Especially at that point in his life, Arturo hadn't been particularly concerned with the lives of mortals, but especially the Church and anyone thinking they knew better than other people. The hellhounds had clearly lived in that area for a while, who was he to say they shouldn't burn that abbey to the ground? He gathered the werewolf was looking less for a history lesson and more for practical details. "They are territorial protectors, seen in ones and twos. As fire entities, they are weak to water. Once their scents wear off, the town may eventually attract another one or two, though these are the first I have seen here. I suspect there is something here they find just as appealing as the rest of us." As for what that was, he had no idea.

According to ancient mortal histories, hellhounds were gate guardians. Protectors of the realm of the dead. The vampire knew a decent bit of history of Sweetwater, but he would not claim to know everything. If there was a passage to the underworld through the town, he didn't know about it but would argue that the hellhounds were drawn in by something else. And even if there were such a 'gate,' they were only doing their job by preventing the living from getting in and the dead from getting out. It was a pity the beasts were dead, but any disruption to the norm drew attention.

"By my count, two officially," he said, watching the fishing line hardly move. He held up two fingers and then ticked them off one by one. "One dear friend and their sire who I have not seen in some time. But you know how much we like to travel." His own coven waxed and waned depending on who was off gallivanting about or taking a nap or bothering to be around town. He did his best to keep tabs on all of them in more and less detail, but this he did so largely out of care. He liked to know what activities they were getting up to, if he could assist them with anything, and to ensure there was always room for them to return to a home here. Even those he had not turned himself were his children, in a way.

Alec took in the information about the hellhounds with focused attention so that he wouldn't forget the details. Not that it was particularly likely, he'd always had an excellent memory as a matter of fact, a skill which had been quite the blessing...and sometimes a curse...in his lifetime. It was a relief to know that with the two that had been killed that it was most likely that they were the only ones around. Hopefully they would see no more fires or deaths because of them.

He also didn't know what it was about Sweetwater that drew creatures like themselves to the area but he'd been curious about it for quite some time, especially as more and more supernatural creatures and occurrences seemed to be popping up over the years. "I'd love to find the source of whatever that is that has drawn so many of us here. Maybe one day. Regardless, at least the thread of the hellhounds seems to have passed now, though I won't be letting down my guard any time soon."

He had to admit he was relieved to know that there were not many vampires who weren't part of the coven and that Arturo knew them well. As much as he trusted Arturo and also trusted in his ability to keep his kind in line, it would be trickier if there were more 'loose' vampires that answered only to themselves.

The vampire always appreciated attention. He quite enjoyed talking about different moments of his life and that wasn't always doable in certain company. With Alec, for a plethora of reasons, that was always much easier. The Alpha had an intense sort of focus, and he rarely forgot anything, even recalling the word choice used in conversation. Arturo was simply pleased that the man was eager to learn. He enjoyed being a teacher, even in small ways.

Between the plague and the hellhounds, he too had noticed the strange occurrences seemed to be more and more noticeable. It was concerning on a number of fronts. The more obvious and apparent to the humans, the more danger the rest of them were in of discovery. While perhaps the hellhounds might not have drawn so much attention if his coven or Alec's pack had handled them sooner, the human's were not oblivious. They would have noticed a gathering. "I've been curious myself. Though while I've encountered a few beasts in my time, I know less about locations of power." He had been a bullfighter, after all. Learning about animals and beasts (and sometimes other intelligent supernatural species) was often of interest to him and in the supernatural world, that was his specialty.

"I haven't seen the sheriff since the search party. I presume you've talked to Gemma?" He had met the deputy but didn't keep the company of many werewolves besides Alec.

He felt a tug on his line and reeled in slowly. More tension and then a tug, so he let it go a bit. At least it was something alive and not a plant or branch. He shifted his feet and reeled in again, slowly working whatever it was closer. It wasn't large, but it was a challenge in being delicate for him. "What's the current count of lone wolves? Not that I wish to stray too close to pack politics," he said with a chuckle, the pun definitely intended.

"Yes, Gemma has taken over as Sheriff for the time being. Mr. Sanders left rather abruptly but no one seems to know the exact reason, only guesses. Maybe it had to do with what he saw, maybe not. Regardless, I'll be keep an eye on the situation. I have faith that Gemma will do well in that role," he explained. Sure, it might sound biased because she was a member of his pack, but he knew that Gemma was the best person for the job and would be well up to the task.

He grinned at the pun his friend made and watched him work to reel in the fish, grabbing a net to prepare to slip it under the catch for when the fish was lifted out of the water. "Just one at the moment and keeping tabs on him. I need to make official contact but he only just came to town," he explained. He had no idea yet that another lone wolf would come to town once winter turned to spring.

Arturo nodded. To be honest, as much as he knew the Sanders family was well versed in that sort of thing, it made a lot more sense to have the person with boots on the ground be one of them. "Perhaps he just needed a holiday," the vampire agreed. It was a mild concern, but he didn't suspect much would come of it and had faith that Alec would indeed keep things under control. "I trust she'll handle things. But do let me know if anything odd crops up." He wouldn't say he would be very deeply involved with mundane events, preferring to leave that to the mortals. And even some of the less mundane events. But only so much really piqued his interest. However, he was always open to sharing his experience.

The fish wasn't very large, maybe a pound if they were lucky, but considering some days they didn't catch anything, he was quite pleased with the catch. "Fan of sushi, Alec?" He asked with a chuckle. He knew it was usually red meat the man liked, and werewolves in general, but he wondered if raw fish was similarly enjoyed.

He hummed softly. As long as the number didn't get out of hand and they were supervised enough to ensure they weren't a safety risk, he wouldn't argue. There were always one or two, and sometimes they didn't stick around.

It was always good to catch up with Arturo. He respected the man greatly but also enjoyed his company which he'd never expected would happen with a vampire. "Better than cooked," he replied about the fish with a little laugh. "'Fraid I'm not much hungry at the moment though and it's really only worth it right outta the water."

They continue to fish for a little while though Alec didn't even get as much as a nibble. "Not much activity today," he commented, winding up the reel to check the bait.

The vampire smiled as he reached into the net, pulling the hook from the fish's mouth carefully even with the gloves he was wearing for warmth, not intending to cause it more harm. They weren't fishing for food, after all. He plucked it from the net and gave it a quick look over. "The fresher the better," he agreed, showing it off and then reaching over the gap to let the little thing jump free of his hand and into the water. "There are places you can bring a fresh catch, and watch them prepare it in front of you. Quite satisfying, if you are into that thing."

"I admit, learning people enjoyed raw fish was quite alarming to me. Took me quite a while to get used to the texture." Arturo couldn't say he liked the taste and texture of sushi and sashimi, if he was being honest. "But the presentation...perfection." Both clean and colorful and precise...he loved watching sushi chefs or even hibachi prepared.

The vampire didn't catch anything else as they languished by the frozen lake. Alec of course didn't seem to mind the weather, but the vampire was not a fan of the cold. "We'll have to try again when it's warmer next time," he agreed, stretching in the small tent. "Until next time, Alec?"