steps

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"