Party Of Three

Ezekiel was the first to arrive, his amethyst gaze shimmering with predatory excitement, as he stared at the writhing fawn pinned down by her powerful paw. A trill resonated from her throat in response to his greeting, and soon after, Kaino arrived as well; stretching down and resting on her belly, interested in the fawn but perhaps, more intrigued by its purpose. Shifting her gaze between the two wolves, she allows a moment of silence to fill the clearing. She wanted the sound of the struggling fawn to heighten their predatory instincts; its chest heaving as it vocalized frightened bleats, its strength starting to wane as exhaustion set in, those beady eyes darting frantically, searching for a means of escape.

And suddenly, Azoula’s voice sliced through the silence, to begin the lesson. "You are both avid hunters, and I don’t doubt your abilities. But there is always room for improvement.” She says, volcanic gaze shifting between the two. “In today’s session, I encourage collaboration; you will practice patience and persistence.”  Her tail flicks behind her, the fawn struggling beneath her paw. “Efficiency is a product of patience- in each hunt, take your time and be prepared for setbacks. Formulate plans to overcome challenges.” Hunting seemed like a straightforward task; find the prey, run after it, attack it, and kill it. But it didn’t always turn out that way. “Remember to be consistent in your approach, and adapt your methods based on the prey you are hunting. This includes adjusting your means of collaboration.” A short pause, before she concludes. “I’ll be releasing the fawn into the forest; your goal is to capture it without making its injury worse. No killing it either.” It seemed like an easy task; but predators were often a victim to their instincts, especially in the face of injured prey. Did they have enough resolve to capture it, and not kill it?

Azoula waited for the information to sink into their minds, listening for any objections before she lifted her paw and watched the fawn scramble to its feet; stumbling several times before it limped off into the underbrush, trying to escape the group of predators. “You have five minutes to form a strategy.”  This is where the patience and collaboration tied in; she didn’t want them to chase after the dawn without creating a plan first.  

"Azoula Davati"