Hunt or be hunted

In the quietude of the forest, Valens prowled with a tentative step, his senses attuned to every rustle and whisper of the wilderness. It was a momentous occasion for him, embarking on his first solo hunt for a doe. The weight of expectation pressed upon his shoulders, his heart drumming an anxious rhythm in his chest. Insecurity gnawed at his confidence, for this endeavor marked a significant leap from his previous pursuits of smaller prey like rabbits. The dappled light filtered through the dense canopy above, casting elongated shadows upon the forest floor as Valens stalked his prey. His keen turquoise eyes scanned the surroundings with an intensity born of determination and apprehension. The doe's scent lingered tantalizingly in the air, mingling with the earthy fragrance of the woodland.

Though Valens had honed his hunting skills through countless chases and kills, the prospect of taking down a creature larger and more formidable than his usual quarry filled him with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Doubt whispered insidiously in his mind, questioning his ability to succeed in this solitary endeavor. The times when he had been sent out to hunt before he had only been expected to hunt for himself or for whichever gladiator he had been charged with that evening. Now that he faced the possibility of needing to help provide for a pack he wanted to push himself to hunt bigger, better prey. Despite his uncertainty, Valens pressed onward, his instincts driving him forward with a primal urgency. Each step was calculated, every movement deliberate as he closed the distance between himself and his elusive target. His muscles coiled with restrained power, ready to unleash their full force at the opportune moment.

Time seemed to stretch infinitely as Valens waited, his senses finely attuned to the subtlest of disturbances in the forest's symphony. He listened for the telltale rustle of leaves, the faintest crunch of twigs beneath the doe's delicate hooves. Every heartbeat thundered in his ears, a rhythmic reminder of the primal dance between predator and prey. Then, like a specter emerging from the shadows, the doe appeared before him, her graceful form poised upon the edge of the oddly shaped lake. Valens froze, scarcely daring to breathe as he watched her. His pulse quickened, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins as he prepared to spring into action. With a silent prayer, Valens launched himself forward, a blur of gray and tan marbled fur hurtling through the undergrowth and out into the open. His movements were swift and sure, guided by instinct and fueled by determination. He could feel the thrill of the chase coursing through his veins, driving him ever closer to his prey.

The doe sensed his presence, her senses keenly attuned to the danger that lurked nearby. With a startled leap, she bounded away, her hooves thundering against the forest floor as she sought to escape the predator's relentless pursuit. Valens gave chase, his focus unyielding as he raced after her with single-minded determination. For moments that stretched into eternity, the forest that surrounded the lake became a blur of motion and adrenaline as Valens and the doe engaged in a primal dance of predator and prey. Each twist and turn tested his resolve, every leap bringing him closer to the culmination of his hunt. And then, just as he began to fear that he might have to give up the chase, he finally spotted an opening and seized his opportunity.

With a burst of speed born of desperation and instinct, Valens closed the gap between himself and the doe, his powerful jaws snapping shut around her flank with a resounding crunch. In that fleeting instant, time seemed to stand still as predator and prey collided in a primal clash of strength and survival. The doe immediately toppled as she was jerked to a halt, tipping forward and crashing to the ground. Being as light as he was in build, Valens was pulled off of his paws with the momentum of the movement as well, but he very quickly rolled back to his paws and rushed in to clamp his jaws down around the doe's wind pipe, crushing its throat and tearing through vital arteries. At this point he purely let instinct be his guide–instincts he hadn't been sure he had until this moment.

As the doe's struggles ceased and her lifeblood stained the ground, Valens felt a surge of triumph and relief wash over him. He had done it–he had proven himself capable of hunting the elusive doe on his own. Perhaps being able to hunt on his own wouldn't be as valuable as he thought it would be living in a pack, but the whole point was to prove that he could. In that moment, all doubt and insecurity melted away, replaced by a profound sense of accomplishment and belonging. In that moment, he knew that he had truly come into his own as a hunter, ready to embrace the challenges and triumphs that awaited him. He couldn't wait to get his prize back to Ashen and show Chimera what he had accomplished. Hopefully his rescuer was proud of his work.

WC: 861/800

"Speech"