Early morning dawned in a dark and quiet hush as Aerndis stalked through the steppe. She'd caught an interesting scent that seemed like deer but slightly different. Was she doing this right? Her ears flicked as she strode along. Morning, she was learning, was a fantastic time to hunt during the summer. It was cool and pleasant and many animals were either still sleeping or just beginning to stir. She gazed out across the steppe and in the distance she spied some orange and white shapes. Hmm… maybe those were the weird deer she was smelling. Her stomach rumbled and she sighed. Living on her own was much more difficult than she thought it would be. Part of Aerndis thought she should turn back and try to find her family but she'd been separated from them for several weeks. She didn't even know where to begin. "Talk" "You" Think

Dark form lumbering over the stones, he was a shadow in the dappled light of morning. Coming to crouch atop one of the many large boulders that littered the landscape, Czernobog gazed out through narrowed golden eyes. He'd restored his paint recently, jagged lines trailing over his face, shoulders, and wrists. Why he bothered to continue wearing it after severing all ties with his past was... difficult to pinpoint. Mostly, it was force of habit now. He would feel strange without it, so the titan would maintain the red marks as long as he felt like it.

Movement in several places caught his attention and drew him out from his thoughts. In the far distance, the shapes of what he figured were prey animals moved with relaxed paces, trailing along through the territory without concern. It made him notice the feeling of hunger in the pit of his stomach. The other faint motion? That drew his eye and held it. A small, multicolored shape. What was it? It looked like... a child?

Sliding to the ground and approaching at a meandering walk, he would let his tail fan the air a few times in an effort to appear less intimidating than he apparently had the last time he met young children. A smirk tugged at his features as he followed her gaze, rumbling warmly, "Looking for a meal? Or just curious?"

The Easter Bunny hops on by!

On her way through, she drops an egg at the paws of Czernobog.

Aerndis continued to watch the animals. They seemed to be grazing contently but she was still a good ways off and it was hard to see. Did they have any babies? If they did then maybe she'd be able to catch one of them herself. She began to slink forward but as she started to move she paused again as she caught another scent. Huh… that one smelled like a wolf. Was there someone else about? Her ears laid back as she glanced about. It wasn't long before her eyes landed on a large, dark man approaching her. She was both wary and curious and the indecision on what to do held her fast but at the mention of the word 'meal' she grinned. Maybe he would hunt with her. "Food! I'm starving. Are you hunting to? Can I help? Do you know what those orange and white things are down there? I was thinking they might be good to eat." "Talk" "You" Think

The girl was cute, he'd give her that. Her enthusiasm almost made him laugh, but he suppressed the urge for the sake of not spoiling a potential hunt. Eyeing her with feigned uncertainty he would hum, "Mh, I might be. Are you interested in a little teamwork, then?" He regarded her, assessing her smaller frame. Of course if the child was adamant enough he'd melt quickly, but for now he wanted to consider the best course of action for hunting those... animals. He eyed them for a long moment, the shapes in the distance, nose working as he did so seeking to pick up their scent.

The wind shifted from his favor, causing the titan to frown and release an irritated sigh. From what he could see they were deer of some kind, though of what kind was a bit more difficult to tell from this distance. Giving the girl a conspiratorial glance he replied, "Might very well be, care to get a closer look, real sneaky like?" Ideally he was thinking if she was up to the task of frightening and herding the animals, he would begin the assault on the chosen animal. His larger frame was more suited to dealing blows than to sprinting after creatures likely more fleet of foot than himself. So the girl would be the perfect choice for the bulk of the running.

Aerndis nodded enthusiastically as he asked if she was interested in a little teamwork. It would definitely be easier to hunt with someone to help her, especially when it came to such large prey. She followed his gaze as he eyed the orange creatures. She was sure he was working on a plan and she was anxious to learn. The wind shifted in their favor, bringing the scents of the creatures to them and she drank deeply of the new scent, locking it away in her brain. Well, trying to. She nodded. "Yes, that sounds good." She would let him lead the way and she swiftly followed, ducking her body down into the grass as they worked their way closer. Chatty as she could be she knew how to be quiet and stealthy when it was required. She moved in slow, steady movements that kept her footsteps almost perfectly silent. "Talk" "You" Think

When the girl confirmed that she too wanted a closer look, Czern would slink through the sparse cover alongside her. His movements were quiet as could be, a well-practiced skill he'd spent a good deal of time focusing on since his larger frame made things more difficult for him. Sliding behind one of the few bushes littering the landscape, he eyed the animals carefully. Elk? Most likely. Glancing at Aerndis, he asked, "Alright, now, we have to pick one that will be the easiest to take down. Tell me, which one do you think might be a good target?" Quizzing the youngster had multiple goals. One being to see where she was at in her hunting knowledge, the other to see how her judgement and reasoning might compensate for any lack of teaching. If she didn't know right away but could logically figure it out, he'd have an easier time relying on her judgement during the hunt.

Studying the herd, Czern noted one elderly doe, four more adults, a yearling, and two young calves. One of the adults looked a bit ill, but he might have to watch them longer to really decide what he thought.

Aerndis struggled to calm the excitement vibrating through her being. She watched the antelope carefully before glancing back at Czern as he asked if she knew which one might be a good target. Ummm… she turned her head to gaze at the creatures for awhile. "Well… one of the little ones maybe? They're smaller and maybe don't know as much about getting away?" She glanced up at him, hoping she guessed right. She knew that it would good to get ones that were injured or sick but she had trouble telling such details by looking at her prey unless there was obvious blood which she didn't see in the herd. "Talk" "You" Think

He watched the girl assess the herd carefully, nodding at her suggestion. The smaller, younger animals of any species were usually a better bet than the adults. Prey didn't grow to adulthood by being bad at evading predators, after all. The funny looking deer were still perplexing to him, but he cared not. Now that he had a target in mind he'd rather focus on that rather than the less important details. "Yes, the young are always a good target." he studied the movements of the animals for a few moments longer. No signs of limping or difficulty moving from any of the adults. Even the older does looked healthy despite their age. No chance they'd be able to catch those.

Turning to look at the girl he asked, "How do you feel about sneaking up and scaring them towards me? You will have to be exceptionally quiet in your approach. I don't think I'm as well suited, but catching them if they run at me unaware and landing a heavy blow will be a good task for me." He wasn't entirely sure how to control the fawns movements across the space, but part of hunting was luck and adaptability. They'd work it out.

Aerndis was glad that her answer was a good one. She wanted to learn as much about hunting as she could so she could take care of herself and also help out her mama if she ran into her again. She listened carefully as man laid out the plan of attack. That was a lot more sneaking than she thought she'd be doing but she nodded, game to try. "I'll get them to go toward you, no problem." With a confident nod and a few inner words to build her self-confidence she slipped off through the brush. Aerndis moved in a graceful, practiced fashion. Her body was low, her gait in a smooth roll and she paused every time she felt she was seen. It was slow and agonizing work but her desire to do well overrode her impulse to just get them running. Just as her nerves felt like they couldn't take it anymore she was in position at the back of the herd. With a violent snarl she sprang forward, rapidly eating the distance between herself and the prey. They panicked and scattered at the sudden assault. Several of them fell away but she kept her focus on the mothers and calves that had been at the center of the group. She collided into the center of the group, twisting and zigging as she worked to keep them heading toward the man. She lost a few but managed to get 5 of the antelope going in the direction she wanted. Three cows, one calf and one male. "Talk" "You" Think

Her reply was so certain and suddenly self-assured that he had to hold back a grin, opting instead for a serious nod. The kid was cute, he couldn't deny that much. She set off with the look of a true hunter and Czern tracked her movements while he settled in to wait, keeping himself hidden in what cover he could find that concealed him best.

As she moved in to position the large man would resettle himself a hair closer, body keeping very low to the ground while his muscles coiled, preparing himself to rush at the animals when they came racing his way. Golden eyes remained locked on the blissfully grazing creatures as they proved to still be unaware of the slowly approaching young wolf. When she made her move every one of the animals would go flying away from the starry child, some peeling off to run in directions well away from the man in his cover. They were fast, so there was no hope of catching the ones that veered away too soon, that much was easily apparent.

The ones that did come his way were what held his attention. Czernobog would hold fast in his hiding place, waiting, waiting even though it was almost painful to not leap at them right away. He waited till they were nearly in striking range, for if he came flying after them too soon he knew the hooved animals would easily outpace him. The adults were incredible in their speed. At the last second, he decided to focus on the the calf that seemed to move a bit slower - likely because it couldn't have been more than a day or two old. Then he would push himself forward with his powerful legs, hurtling after the calf that spun on it's little heels as soon as it recognized the danger approaching in front of it.

Bog lunged, teeth seeking to dig into the calf's hind leg. They drew blood, he could taste it, but he didn't get a hold and so he was giving chase now. He probably wouldn't have caught even the slower calf if it hadn't stumbled on one of the rocks, giving the wolf enough time to gain a few strides and get the hold on it's leg he'd been after. Jaws held on even as the trapped animal began to panic. He wasn't used to hunting such speedy animals, normally he'd have been able to slam into it before the little thing could go flying away like that.

Aerndis kept up the pace, driving the animals as hard as she could, secretly hoping one might stumble and become an easy meal for the pair. Czern lunged for the calf and it spun on its heels. Aerndis let out a snarl as she turned her focus to the determined target. The calf was really in a bad spot, caught between two wolves and in a moment Czernobog was upon it. His fangs tore into it's leg but it just managed to slip past. Wounded and limping the calf made a valiant effort as it zigged and zagged seemingly aimlessly, searching for a route that was not blocked by fangs. The calf stumbled and Czern caught its leg once more. Aerndis felt a rush of adrenaline as she dove forward. Her head twisted sharply to her right as he fangs hooked around the creatures throat. Her arms flung up to wrap around the base of its neck as she hung on for dear life. The little antelope was not making it easy. Young as the creature was in its flailing it's hooves beat into her sides as it thrashed and failed. It broke skin, made her wince but the adrenaline flooding through her veins and the determination flooding her mind would not permit her to let go. Slowly the calf began to give in until finally it was dead. Aerndis let go and cracked her jaw. Ow, ow, ow… yet despite the pain she couldn't help but grin. "That was awesome! Let's eat!" She tore into the creatures belly, ravenous for food. It had been ages since she'd had a nice warm meal. "Talk" "You" Think

Holding fast to the limb he'd gotten ahold of, Czern was determined to not let the animal go no matter what. It thrashed, and aimed a kick back at him with the free hind leg, hitting his shoulder and leaving a small cut to remember it by. Shaking the frail let in his jaws, he shook it's balance and prevented further kicking until the starry yearling came racing up to finish the job. Thank goodness for that, cause he didn't fancy having one of those little hooves hit something more important like his face.

As the calf stilled he knew it was done, though Czernobog would keep his grip on the leg firm until the animal was well and truly dead. "Lets," he assented with a smile and a nod, promptly digging into one of the meaty hind thighs and enjoying every bite of the kill. Admittedly he would eat slowly, leaving plenty of room and time for the smaller youngster to get her fill and more if she so desired. He lived in a pack, while she was clearly a loner. She probably needed the food more.

Once he was satisfied he'd lean back and ask as he licked the blood from his lips, "Tell me, do you have much family around?" When he was her age he did a lot of his hunting with his brother, mostly because Belobog was always around. Not so much because he liked his sibling.

Aerndis snarfed down her food, blood covered her face as she worked away at the tasty meal. She was intent on eating just as much as she could. It was difficult to say when she might get such a good feast again. Aerndis was tenacious though. She'd find a way. They ate in silence for awhile and just as she was full he asked about her family. She flinched. Why did everyone always have to ask about that? No, that was obvious. She was young and on her own so it was to be expected. Licking the blood from her own lips she shook her head. "No, I was separated from them. I'm ok though, I'll make it and I think I can find my brother, Jupiter. Thanks for your help with the meal but I should probably get going." -exit- "Talk" "You" Think

He noted the way she almost inhaled the food before her, and was glad he left as much as possible for the younger wolf to eat; she really did seem to need it more. This would probably keep her full for a while. Meanwhile he had a pack with multiple hunters to provide for and sometimes be provided for by. So long as he was under leadership he liked and saw as worthy of his allegence, he did prefer the pack life. It was better than struggling needlessly.

The girl winced and he almost felt sorry for asking. She'd assure him she'd be okay, and though Czern raised a brow as though to ask if she was sure, he'd accept her answer and nod with an apologetic expression. "So long as you are okay. I am not a... what's the word- unfeeling creature. You are a good hunter miss Aerndis, feel free to summon me if we are in the same area again and I'd be happy to hunt with you again. Take care, then" he said by way of farewell. My, he was growing soft these days. Perhaps that was due to his environment though. He did tend to only do what was asked of him. If there was no need for him to fight and it was not asked of him, well, it was just as well. Let him grow soft, then, until he needed to be something else.

-exit-