As Luck Would Have It

The sun was creeping toward the western horizon, its light shifting to gold as it drew nearer to its resting place. The green leaves and fallen fruit of the orchard were illuminated. The heady smell of fruit that was overripe filled the air, lending a sickeningly sweet atmosphere to the serene scene.

That was perhaps what had made the catch so easy - that, and a significant amount of luck. Kuwindwa would've liked to attribute her most recent catch to skill, but really the long-stalking technique she had been using to follow the young deer and its herd had started to falter over a day ago, and she had begun losing hope in catching a larger meal some time ago... until today. The herd had passed through the orchard and, nose-blind and distracted, the young deer she'd targeted made the mistake of straying from its herd's protection. The fight was over relatively quickly with minimal struggle. The young animal was quickly worn down by the experienced hunter and stood little chance against the bigger, stronger wolf. Kuwindwa's fangs were mercifully quick, though they failed to stifle a final, desperate bleat.

With the herd frightened off and her fresh meal in her jaws, Kuwindwa was left with no company but her thoughts as she half-dragged the carcass into one of the overgrown trees and settled down to enjoy a quick meal. The deer was a few months old by now - big enough to provide at least a couple meals for a single wolf, or one enormous one... and given she was unlikely to store her food or revisit this place meant Kuwindwa was inclined toward the latter action. Allowing herself some distraction, the she-wolf began to tear into her kill, pausing only once to lick a few stray pieces of gore from her nose before continuing. She'd been in this land a couple months now, wandering constantly. She'd seen no signs of her pursuers - she hoped that luck would hold. Maybe they had given up? She'd like to think so... but she also though, had it been the other way around, she never would have stopped hunting them- such was her tenacity. Shaking herself gently, Kuwindwa paused and settled onto her belly. She should eat quickly, but the air here was so thick... it dimmed her sense, much as it had her prey's.