Fishing Trip

Victory tasted bitter upon her tongue. She didn't leap for joy or keep going once she passed the tree, she simply slowed to a stop and stared ahead, unwilling to look at the mess she'd left in her wake. She heard Mortis stumble behind her and in any other instance she would have skittered to his side to see what was wrong, or maybe even to gloat in his face. But for now she just looked ahead, her eyes lingering on the stretch of beach as though it was the most interesting thing in the whole wide world. The hiss of the waves wasn't enough to cover the sniffles that escaped Mortis' maw and Hanako's ears flicked as yet another pang of guilt slipped between her ribs. She wasn't sure how much of this she could take. Suddenly she was very interested in the sand that clung to her paw pads, as though counting the grains was the most enthralling idea she'd had all day. And then-

"It looks like it might rain. Head back to the den and I'll catch us something for dinner." She said absently, as though talking to the wind.