Chasing rabbits
First solo hunt
Astraios
Mender
Master Fighter (240)
Master Hunter (250)
Knight
2 Years
Male
71
Seadragoness
He made his way into the strange stone ruins, finding a stone he could put his back against. So, he couldn't use his nose very well with the freshly fallen snow. He could still use his eyes. He intended to do just that, with the stone for cover. Here at least there were patches of earth not fully buried, and he could stand without freezing his paw pads. He hunkered down, and watched over the white field. Watching, waiting.
He could be a patient hunter, especially when inexperience had already caused him a few hungry nights. He blinked slowly, chasing away any feelings of sleepiness. Hunger came first. Hunger came before everything. At least here his white fur might actually come in handy. As he lowered himself, he blended well against the snow, and the faded silver of the ruins.
What he would soon become aware of, was the presence of a white rabbit huddled beneath a snow-laden bush in the opposite side of the ruins for now, his back was to the ruins, and his front facing out across the vast field beyond. He wasn't entirely sure what alerted him, perhaps a soft change in the wind gave the barest hint of scent, but he turned. His eyes roaming the ruins behind him. His sensors prickled as he breathed in deeply, his body still and silent as he watched, and waited. After a moment, he saw the barest hint of movement in a bush, barren of leaves but thick with snow. He rose slowly, letting the shadows of the stone hide him as he watched a few moments longer.
The stillness didn’t dissuade him, he knew what he had seen. He began to move, stepping very slowly and cautiously towards the bush. Each step was agonisingly slow, because he knew that stealth was the most important thing now. The closer he could get, the easier the chase would be. When he was about half way across the ruins, his paw hit a hidden stone. Something crumbled and long broken from the main structure. His claw clipped against it, and suddenly the bush shook.
A rabbit, white as the snow around him, shot from its hidden spot. It darted on long back legs through an ancient archway, its feet silent on the snow-packed ground. It was too light to find hidden obstacles like the stone, but he didn’t need sound to track it. Following the movement, he bolted forward. Giving chase, weaving through broken pillars, and under the archway it had vanished beyond just seconds earlier.
The chase led them through a maze of broken columns, shattered status hidden beneath a layer of snow. The rabbit was agile, turning with frightening speed through the many obstacles. Around he chased it, before the rabbit leaped suddenly upwards. Landing on what might once have been a staircase. It looked fragile, and he knew his weight would test it. He weighed caution against his hunger, and hunger won. He leaped, landing on the first crumbling step. He heard a ‘crack’ and scrambled forward. The rabbit was already hopping along, moving upwards he scrambled after it, his steps careful and uncertain. His ears pricked for any further sounds of breaking. So far, so good. He jumped another step, and then another again. He was gaining on the rabbit. It was agile, but he was larger. He covered the jumps more quickly. He was almost up to the rabbit when a loud crack vibrated through his body. He froze, feeling swaying beneath him. The rabbit had frozen too. Carelessly, he leaped. At the same instant, the stone beneath him broke away, him and the rabbit were suspended in freewall, with his momentum carrying him forward. His fangs wrapped around the rabbits body, digging in, as he fell through the broken steps, and hit the packed snow with an oof. His teeth clicked harder together with the impact, eviscerating the rabbit. If he had wanted a warm coat from its fur, he was out of luck. But as for a meal… he released the dead rabbit, his muzzle stretching into a smile. He snapped it up again, and fled to a corner of the ruins where he could eat before anyone saw and stole his meal. Ignoring the pain in his side, or the slight limp with every step.
Wc: 839
The steppe was beginning to be her favorite place. Aside from the hidey hole that she and Aji had found deep in the mountains, she would rather be down here. It was still cold, but warmer than up on the mountain. Plus, the snow wasn't so painful. The snow was soft and pretty down here. Swirling and sparkling as it fell, twirling from the heavens. Delphi would begin to admire the beautiful frozen rain as she wandered around the steppe. As of late, with the snow blowing in from the north, the plants had all since shriveled and hidden beneath their frosty blankets. So she had to find other things to do with her time. Hunt mice, peel bark from trees, ya know, the weird things she did.
Everything was silent until it wasn't. She had been enjoying the peace and quiet, watching the snow as she walked until a scrambling noise caught her attention. Looking around with those bi-colored eyes, she was surprised to see someone larger than her slinking, well more like limping, off to some corner of the ruins. Delphi's head tilts lightly as her brow furrows. The white of the other pup's coat was familiar, but she couldn't tell if it was the color or just some snow. Feeling not so angsty that day, she figured she could at least offer some help. Approaching the corner with slow, cautious steps, Delphi peeked around the corner and found of course that damn boy. Her fur bristles instantly, lips raising in a snarl until she sees the cut on his side.
"You're hurt," she says, her voice flat as her body relaxes. Though her satchel is with her, she has no snacks this time. Just supplies. Bandages, a few salves, and some dried bark and flowers. "Let me see it," Delphi demands as she marches up to the boy. Even if he wasn't done with his meal, she didn't care. She didn't need his stupid rabbit. She wasn't desparate like he was.
Astraios
Mender
Master Fighter (240)
Master Hunter (250)
Knight
2 Years
Male
71
Seadragoness
Feeling that was enough to give her the message, he continued to stare her down, waiting for her to go away. He forgot that she'd spoken, and seeing she wasn't leaving he scrambled to pay attention to what she'd actually said. H8s eyes narrowed. "Whats it to you?" He said, through the adrenaline was starting to wear off. He already felt the bruise across his stomach, but now he was starting to feel the cut, too.
Delphi ignored his possessive body posture. If he wanted to scare her off, he'd have to do more than look like a puffed-up cat. Staring at him in almost a bored fashion, her eyes keep drawing down toward his cut leg. From where she stood it didn't appear too bad, but it still would need to be looked at. Waiting for him to chill out, Delphi finally looks at him when he asks what it was to her if he was hurt. She lets out a dramatic sigh before stepping closer and lowering her head to get a better look at his cut.
"It could get infected, skojare," she retorts to him. "Let me clean and bandage it and then I'll be on my way," her words are quick and have an edge. Turning her gaze to look back up at his light purple eyes, she furrows her brow, squinting, waiting for the go-ahead before she tried to touch him.
Astraios
Mender
Master Fighter (240)
Master Hunter (250)
Knight
2 Years
Male
71
Seadragoness