something about pelicans and hurricanes

Azure had seen the storm brewing over the deep ocean while on the tropical island west of the continent. The signs of a hurricane were ones he'd been brought up to recognize, aided by strong navigational pack teachers as well as his mother, who's fear of storms drove her to paranoid levels of observance. He had been competing with a large pelican to catch the biggest fish off the shore - and at one point had attempt to catch and kill the damn bird instead, for it kept beating him to the prized seafood - but plans were forced to change as the wind did. He abandoned his fishing trip on the island shores as soon as the darkened clouds caught his attention, but by the time he was up on the mainland, the hurricane was already upon him. The wind lashed at his pelt, the rain drenching his fur and weighing him down heavily. The sound was like nothing he'd ever heard, even with his ears as damaged as they were. Pulling them back as tight to his skull as he could manage, he forced himself forward through the wind and rain moving to what he hoped was the east, away from the ocean.

A cloud passed below his paws, it's shape familiar and immediately sending a bubbling rage in his chest. That damn bird had followed him! Probably assuming Azure had been headed off for better hunting grounds and with the intent to keep up his game of stealing the fish from his jaws. Az squinted up into the rain, trying to catch sight of the wobbling flight of the bird but finding it near impossible to track by eye in this weather. There was no sound to aid him either, as Az knew he would not be able to pinpoint the flapping of it's wings nor the unique call it could make through the storm's fury. Pressing forward, he deviated his path instead to follow the direction the shadow had gone. With logic and a bit of luck, he might be able to find where the bird presumed would be safest in a storm like this one - and maybe Az would be safer there, too.

It was a stupid idea to continue with the hunt rather then try and finish outrunning the storm, but Azure had always been more stubborn then he was cautious. After being harassed for over a year by those bastard pirates, he was not going to take harassment from a bird sitting down. Running against the winds, he cut through the force of the gale and after the departing shadow - watching as it dipped and rose, clearly struggling itself. Good. His jaws opened in a threatening snarl, but before the sound could make it's way out from his throat, water poured in. Azure had to pause to give a forceful, hacking cough to expel the water, and by the time he lifted his head the damn bird's shadow had gone. Fuck.

How the hell was he supposed to find it now? Pivoting on his rear paws, he swept his gaze across the surroundings. From the southwest the storm approached - to the northeast was relative safety. Had the bird decided too, to continue to fly out of the gale? It was his best chance, Az assumed, to try and take the safest route and hope he stumbled upon it. Picking up his pace and panting against the weight of the water drenching his pelt, he tried to cross enough distance that he might catch back up enough to see the shadow.

But the shadow was gone. The hurricane's clouds had now moved in enough that sunlight hardly made it through to the wetland below. It was faster than he was, angrier, and more deadly. Azure's stride elongated as the threat barreled down upon him, his ground-eating pace consuming the soggy expanse of terrain below as he galloped across the wetland And then, something caught his eye. A heavy form on the ground, pressed up against a boulder. Azure knew what it was as soon as it's wings extended, attempting to beat against the wind and rain but failing as miserably as Azure had failed to hunt it. The pelican tried again and again to take off, thought it seemed the storm was more likely to tear from him the wings on his body then allow him liftoff. Azure cut towards the bird quickly, leaping through the gale and landing square upon the creatures back. It's wings spread wide, it's huge beak opening (presumably to cry, though Azure could hear nothing against the wind) and then it's body crumpled suddenly as Azure's weight collapsed it's spine. Grabbing the thing's elongaged neck in his jaws, he half-dragged, half-carried the corpse hurriedly back toward the east. Intending to duck into the first cave he might find to seek shelter until the storm decided to move on.

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