Avantika sniffed the air. It was about an hour after sunrise, and a heavy warmth was already beginning to settle over the plains. It had been a scorching dry season. She felt pity for the browned grass and cracking dirt, all of their moisture burned off, but at least they didn’t have fur. Still, it was better now than it would be later when the sun reached its highest point in the sky. She’d decided it was as good a time as any to head out. Rain or shine wouldn’t stop her.

But she had taken part of what Art had said to her to heart. She was still a mess, emotionally and physically, but she’d slept last night. Baby steps, she told herself. Baby steps. Her bed had felt empty without Audra in it, but she’d tried her best to ignore it. She couldn’t think about Audra yet.

She smelled the scent of prey in the air. Peafowl, somewhere close. She followed the scent across the grass, nose down. She wasn’t an experienced hunter, especially alone, but she figured now was a good enough time to try new things.

She watched the flock of five forage, suddenly still. They looked so peaceful -- so unthreatening. Avantika had no issue with eating meat or the act of hunting, but it had never felt quite right to do it herself. You’re much too sensitive, she told herself. They were merely animals, not wolves. It was nothing like killing a wolf. But still, she couldn’t make herself move.

"Speech"

Rudyard hadn’t been awake very long though one wouldn’t know it from his chipper stride.  The wolf was planning to just take a patrol along with the pack's current borderline and take another look at the berry grove.  Even as he strode along Rudyard slowed as he saw a sibling he hadn’t spent nearly enough time with as of late.  

Rudyard slowed a bit behind her, his attention going from her to the peafowl she had spotted.  After a moment of sizing up the situation, he crouched down and slid up alongside her, careful to not alert the birds she watched.  “You know,” he spoke softly, “they don’t die just from watching them Tika.”  His puff of a tail swished back and forth, a friendly tap of his shoulder against hers.

“You know, it might sound counterproductive but if you get close it's actually easier to catch one of the ones watching you.  Their first instinct is to fly and get higher but it's fastest going straight so good odds it will go straight towards you.  As long as you can reach it in time before it's up too high it will be an easy jump and grab.”  Rudyard had no idea how much hunting Tika did but she wasn’t a regular at it so it might or not be useful knowledge.

"Rudyard"

Avantika didn't notice Rudy coming up to her until he spoke, and the sudden voice made her heart jump. He gently bumped his shoulder against hers after teasing her that the birds didn't die just from being watched. She grinned. She'd spent much too little time with her cheerful brother recently, and she realized now that she'd missed him. He had been the first kid her age she'd ever met way back then when she'd first been adopted into the Hallows; he'd been the first wolf she could call a friend. He was a much better hunter than she was, and if he was willing to offer advice, she'd have to take it.

While he instructed her to go for the peafowl that were looking at her, she tried to picture what he was saying in her head. It felt more reasonable to try to sneak up on one that was looking away, but she supposed the ones that saw her approach would fly off, alerting the whole group. So just sprint up and jump? That didn't seem too hard. She could manage that. She bounced a little on her paws and then raced across the field as fast as she could. The birds screamed, one flying directly towards her. She leaped straight up, but her jaws only snapped on empty air, just missing it. It had flown too high; she thought she could jump high enough but no, apparently not. But as she stood there, she started laughing -- really, happily laughing. It felt good. She calmed down eventually, taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Rudy. That would've worked."

"Speech"