It's a wonderful life

The happy couple joke about the loud birds around them, Rudy’s threat of eating her pet bird is met with a mock-horrified look and a playful swat of his gray shoulder as Fern says, “Rudyard Carpathius, you wouldn’t dare!” It is all in jest but it feels nice to use his last name… which both of them now share. Happiness seems to be the gray woman’s default state these days and, humming thoughtfully to herself, Fern once more casts her gaze up to the colorful birds while simultaneously side-eyeing Rudy, she says, “You know, Puff could use a friend…” a huge grin splits her maw as she laughs and bounds away, avoiding any playfully swats that might come her way.

They eventually find the deer and the pair hunker down, ready to get themselves some food. Casting her blue eyes over to Rudyard, Fern silently awaits his verdict and nods in agreement when he breathes out the word together. Hunting is more than just chasing and killing, it a carefully timed dance with steps that all parties must know. The deer will run and they will pursue but there is a level of confidence that they need to have in each other or else this age-old ballet will fail.

However, Rudyard and Fern have that innate confidence in each other that comes from knowing the other so intimately. So, when Rudy moves himself to take the right side, Fern subtle shifts herself so that she is bettered positioned on the left. As the predators await the perfect moment to strike, Fern carefully readies her body, coiling muscles and sucking in a deep lungful of air. She holds it and, as the deer lowers its head to graze, the gray woman releases the held air in one smooth exhale while also releasing the stored energy in her muscles.

Both wolves rocket forward, their timing impeccable, as they thunder toward the doomed deer. It senses them, head shooting up and turning to catch sight of them and it moves to flee. Fern easily races up to the deer’s left side, locking it into place between her and Rudy. They herd it out and away from any others, awaiting the moment to strike. Hooves fly at them but the wolves deftly dodge the attacks without incident.

The gray woman spies the moment, the opening that she had been waiting for and strikes out, teeth closing around the creature’s back left leg. Fern shoves her body weight backward, yanking the appendage out from underneath their prey and forcing it to collapse down to the earth. No words are spoken as she moves to pin the creature’s shoulders, knowing that Rudyard will take the opening to end the flailing animal’s life and the ageless dance will, once again, be complete.


"Fern Carpathius"