on my way

N/A · 07-10-2015, 09:49 AM

Finally the long winter had ended. Though Asali had been delighted at first with the snow, as the months wore on with no let-up she had begun to dislike it. She was not equipped for hunting this way, and she couldn't seem to get enough calories to stay warm. The savanna she grew up in had been bitterly cold at night, but always the morning had come along to warm stiff muscles. Here, the mornings were nearly as bitter as the nights and there was no chance to just feel warm. She didn't have the downy warming undercoat wolves had to protect her from the chill, and so she wasted more energy and therefore calories in shivering than did the canines who ruled these lands. She lost a dangerous amount of weight and, even alternating between simply hunting and curled up tightly in a cave sleeping.

Finally though, the snow was melting. It was still cold, and she was more often than not wet and still shivering, but the slush heralded warmth to come and that warmed her soul more than anything. Lifting her paws with more enthusiasm than she'd had for at least a month, the cheetah set out through the slush and mud for another hunting expedition. She had to be efficient in her hunting, because she couldn't fail and waste time and energy on multiple attempts since she simply didn't have energy to spare. Her already-lanky frame was bony, nearly all skeleton and whipcord muscle and loose skin.

She wondered, worried despite the optimism of spring, how her family was faring in this place. If they were smart they'd have gone back to the savanna for the winter, or to the southern continent rather than do something as foolish as she had and tried to wait out the cold and snow. If they had stayed, were they doing ok? She was worried they'd be in worse shape than she was. Eshe was such a picky eater at the best of times and had always struck Sala as a bit vain, and Aqil was such an intellectual. Neither of them were really well suited to harsh conditions. Maybe Neemu would be able to help them, but she thought she'd convinced him to go back home to their brothers in their last conversation - maybe he'd brought Eshe and Aquil with him.

Yawning, she stopped to sniff, opening her mouth to allow the scents to cross the olfactory glands with more ease, seeking for prey. Nothing so far. Just the faint scents of wolves and the fainter scents of prey long gone. Sighing, she marched on.

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