Unexpected Refuge
02-12-2013, 07:07 PM
As she propelled herself upward he gave a little smile, not so much out of humor, but out of gladness that she was not in so much pain anymore. Leon could handle a little stiffness, but he hated seeing others facing discomfort. As she stood to her paws and hardly wavered while doing so, Leon's smile widened as he prepared to set off toward the creek. It was only a short walk there, and would surely do them both some good in working out the kinks in their muscles. When he was sure she was ready for movement, Leon set off at a comfortable pace so that he would not work himself too hard, and so that it would not be too fast for her first time moving since yesterday. He heard no protests from her as the walk began and finished, only about twenty seconds in duration. As they reached the creek he took a few final quick steps and then dipped his head to the water's surface. It was moving at a moderate speed, trickling over the rocks to where he guessed it fed into the larger river. The cool water felt good on his throat, and even though he had just drank only moments before. He'd forgotten how wonderful water could taste. As the wonderfully crisp liquid slithered down his throat he picked his head back up, scanning the horizon for anything of interest. Five hundred yards or so away, there stood a small herd of deer sifting through the grass for things to consume. His stomach lurched at the sight of them, and his body tensed instinctively. The wind blowing in his face quickly told him that there was no way they would scent him and be spooked. But at the same time he wasn't certain he had the strength to bring one down. Cyan eyes scanned the herd, looking for the weakest link. If there was a young deer, or perhaps one that was old and sickly, he might stand a chance. His stomach groaned just as cerulean eyes fell upon a ragged looking doe. Her fur was matted and in places was falling out, two promising signs that she was not in the best of health. Eyes left her briefly, looking for the best route to stalk them without being seen. The plains were rather barren and had no really decent places to hide, so a lot of patience would have to come into play if this hunt was to go properly. Ashtoreth, I think I'm going to try for one of those deer over there. Do you see the ragged looking doe? He paused for a moment, allowing her to look if she chose to. I think she'd be the easiest catch. He waited a moment more, wondering if he ought to ask her to join him. But then deciding that chivalry would be a good practice, he refrained from asking her to assist him, and instead slunk down low and prepared for the hunt. If she chose to join him, he would not mind, but Leon would never ask a lady to help if it wasn't absolutely necessary, especially with her being so worn out. He moved slothfully and rhythmically. He had never been the world's greatest hunter, but he wasn't half bad either. Leon's ears slicked back over his skull, his head craned down to a parallel line with his spine, and his tail stuck out rigidly behind him, curling when necessary. If he could get within ten or so yards of the deer, he could be certain that he would catch her. However, accomplishing that task would be difficult as there was virtually nothing but tall grass that he could conceal himself in. He navigated carefully, being sure to choose the tallest bits of grass and making sure he stayed low enough to the ground to not be spotted. Leon thanked his lucky stars that he was a naturally colored wolf, for if he had had more contrasting colors he would stand out far more. He continued on, until he was within ten yards of the doe. She had not moved much, all she was doing was dipping her head down, chewing on grass, and then lifting her head up to search for predators. Silly doe, you don't even know what's right behind you. His eyes narrowed as he prepared to launch himself at her, pausing to prepare what strength he had left. When he could ignore the lurching of his stomach no longer, Leon surged forward, launching himself at the doe with every ounce of speed and strength he had. Miraculously, as the rest of the herd scattered, Leon's body hit the doe's side with full force. His claws scrambled for any part of her as his jaws sought for her neck, which they found with surprising ease. Ivory fangs clamped tightly around her trachea. He held on as she hit the earth, taking him with her. In a flurry of dust she gave her last breath. Leon lay on her for a moment, gathering enough strength to finally crawl from on top of her and to her side. He released his grip on her throat and licked his lips before looking around for Ashtoreth, wondering if she had followed or if she was still by the creek. ooc; I left this kind of vague and open so if you wanted her to be a part of the hunt you could, and if anything needs changing I can do that to make it all make sense :3 Speech, |