With prey avoiding the bamboo, and Mochi just about done with fishing, she made her way to the Ancient Oaks. The ground here smelled dusty, musty, earthen and rotting, but the dense canopy made it so her eyes didn't water during the daylight hours. The trees lacked the life of the bamboo, didn't sing in the way it did. Still, it was as much her home as any other territory Tojo claimed, so she stalked silently between the trees, nose to the wind looking for any sign on prey.

She wasn't used to the scent of deer being so plentiful, but with the weather in the south turning colder, she supposed it would make sense for them to take cover among the towering sentinels. This area wasn't so heavily traversed as the others either, so perhaps, the cover seemed more appealing than it ought to. She didn't dare make enough sound to summon one of her siblings, she would have to hope they were close enough to join her once the prey was found.

"speech"

-174/1500-

Under the great twisted trunks of the ancient oaks, below the withering leaves, a leggy form noses her way through the ground cover. Dark black nose pressed into the soil. Tracking one of her siblings had become an easy pastime. At this moment Asahi had found the fresh spore of Mochi heading to the ancient oaks. Maybe she could join her for a hunt together!

With careful steps, she weaves her way over the trail through the cloistered woodland. The damn earth is even more soaked through and mushy from the wet autumn rains. Asahi spotted a large paw print in the mud and the smaller girl picked up her pace. The golden koi wolf weaved through the undergrowth and around saplings as quietly as she could, hot on the trail of her sister. She wondered what Mochi was planning on hunting, whatever it was Asahi would easily fall into step with her and eagerly do her best to help.

She stepped over a log and suddenly a few steps ahead of her was the towering and lithe form of Mochi. Her red and black splashed white fur was slightly unkempt in the usual Mochi way.

Asahi softly approached and touched the girl's hip to let her know she was there as she sidled up alongside her. She was ready to help!

396 / 1500