liability

He was trying to immerse himself in his own senses, an effort to refocus and reestablish where the deer was. The scent was wafting in, and the forest was quiet, aside from the occasional birdsong. He heard a twig snap far off to his left, where the freshest trail was coming from. There was no mistaking it, the deer was there. The boy grinned, his eyes opening with a new expression of excitement. He still had a shot at catching it!

Suddenly, a rustle in the underbrush snapped him back to attention and out of his musings. His ears swiveled forward as he crouched low, his muscles coiled like springs, ready to pounce or bolt or whatever he needed to do at a moment’s notice. But an older girl crept forward, and his heart slowed its pounding in his chest, he realized she was no enemy — at least yet? The boy had little experience in conflict anyways, and she was just asking about his deer! “Yes. Red is hunting. Now.” The vermillion boy nodded, his golden gaze flicking in the direction of his quarry. He thought for a moment, his toes wiggling in the dirt before his skull twitched and cocked sideways at her. “Split. hunt and prey? Good deal.” He mumbled, his voice a low hush as he kept an ear out for movement.