The estuary was semi-convenient from the pack lands. Truthfully, she didn't mind the walk. Luce hadn't eaten in a few days now, between the stress of two births back to back and the potential of mutation spreading among the Kleins... she had lost her appetite entirely. Although her allergies had cleared up with the change of the season, she still found herself frequently short of breath and altogether unsettled. No matter how much alfalfa she ate, her empty stomach sang a lonely, pleasant song. The only way to fix it was to catch and butcher her own meal. Nothing else would encourage her appetite. Calling quietly for her brother, Lucretia set about stalking a nearby pheasant. Luckily, even if their numbers were few, this area was flush with waterfowl. Between the two of them, they could fetch a tidy number of birds. "lucretia mutters..."

He sauntered toward his sister, keeping downwind, his newly made knife nestled in his chained harness as he stepped toward her. “Good day Luce.” He greeted, moving to brush his neck against hers affectionately. “What plans do you have for today sweet sister?” He cooed the white banner of his tail flashing as he spoke. There were several birds tutting about the estuary but the fish he had found earlier had all been eaten away. He could hear the soft rumble of her stomach and could tell immediately what had brought her out to the estuary, his gilded fangs flashing with a knowing smile as he surveyed the wide expanse of brackish water again. Pheasants, herons, egrets, several small prey that would no doubt provide a fine meal for the healer in need, and fine feathered pelts for the crafter. speaking Thinking  you

She leaned into Rose's touch, inhaling his heady scent. Hidden beneath layers of musk lay the scent of a few strangers - at least, wolves that didn't smell of Ashen. Idly wondering what her brother had been up to, Luce pushed it aside. A few dozen yards away, a heron alighted on the marsh and began its own feast. The bird gulped up a fish in its beak, giving Luce an idea. Dropping into a hunter's crouch, she gestured towards the bird with her muzzle. "how about a two-for-one lunch?" she laughed quietly, staying downwind of the bird. It was difficult to descend into the brackish water without causing any alarm to nearby waterfowl. Fish fled in her wake, but most of the birds remained undisturbed. Those closest made it their business to flutter and paddle away from her. Once she was within striking distance, Lucretia waited for the best time to fell the bird. Unconcerned, it continued to scoop up fish into its maw. "lucretia mutters..."

Rosemary crouched low while his sister hunted, walking through the reeds to stalk the hreon she had set her sights on.Two hunters were better than one after all and the blue feathers on the bird would make a fine pelt. He made sure to stay downwind, his claws sinking deep into the muddy earth as he listened his limbs. The bird lifted its head from the water once to turn an unblinking eye in his direction, but soon it was back to hunting for fish, stepping through the mire on its stilt legs. He coiled his back legs, eyes intent as he watched his prey, ready to spring at any instant, watching the bird as slowly, it moved closer toward him.   speaking Thinking  you

In one great fluid movement, Lucretia launched from the water and caught the heron's neck in her mouth. It snapped effortlessly as they both tumbled into the water with a splash. She dragged it back towards dry(ish) land. She wouldn't eat it until the bird was cleared from the brackish water. Grumbling to herself, she cleared detritus and wet mosses from the bird's feathers, then set about plucking the feathers from the carcass. It was a bloody mess and a good distraction. Once the bird had been completely cleaned, Lucretia tore open its stomach and ate the fish fresh from its belly. She savored the taste, even if the scales scraped her throat going down. It had already been sanitized by the bird's own innards and acids. In fact, it added a nice flavor overall. She eyed the feathers she'd plucked, then called her for companion to collect them in her tiny fists. Feverfew the albino raccoon trundled out from the underbrush, looking nonplussed as usual, and set about collecting them in a tight bundle. She would retrieve the feathers when they decided to leave. Once she had eaten her fill, she redirected her attention to some smaller waterfowl that had resumed their activities when she paused for her meal. "want to see who can catch the biggest mallard?" she challenged, licking a feather clean. "lucretia mutters..."

successfully hunted a HERON - 1/20 unique animals left

“I have something else in mind.” He grinned, eyeing one of the white wading birds in the estuary as it ducked its head under the water to snatch up a fish. The heron was gone without his help but there were other birds in the estuary to catch. Slowly he stalked forward, hidden by the reeds as he stepped closer, his eyes wide as he stalked the bird. The chains on his harness jingled slightly as he walked but the bird didn’t seem to notice. The white pelt of the bird was what he was after, more than the meat and he intended to have it as long as his sister didn’t have other plans in mind. speaking Thinking  you

Rose had his eyes set on a different bird. No matter. She kept an eye on him, but left him to his business as he stalked the white bird. Lucretia left the heron's corpse half-desecrated and let Feverfew have a few nibbles. The raccoon wasn't nearly as picky as her. Luce scanned the marshland and saw a mallard floating along, minding its own business. With a light in her eyes, she sank to a hunter's crouch and angled closer. She could just barely hear Rose's harness jingle. Luce thought it was a garish item without much practical use, but he seemed rather fond of it. Her own prize from the festival had been a small pair of boots that she assumed would become quite useful in the wintertime. They had no place in a hunt, though. Feeling the earth beneath her toes was part of the whole experience. Lucretia rounded on her chosen prey as Rosemary closed in on his. "lucretia mutters..."

He stayed low to the earth, one ear raising to check the wind while the other remained pinned to his head. Slowly he crept closer, his stomach tightening as he neared the egret his eyes wide and fully focused on his kill. The egret ducked its head in the water and withdrew a silvery fish before gulping it down and Rosemary licked his lips in anticipation, he could just imagine stuffing the bird’s feathers into a nice soft pillow for his empress sister far too concerned with pelts rather than the actual pale flesh the bird had to offer. Silently he crouched, the thin chains on his harness muted by the water as he coiled his back legs and prepared to spring forward. speaking

Luce crept closer to the mallard, her eyes trained on the brightly colored duck. It glided silently along the water, occasionally dipping under and reappearing a few feet away. She stood completely still once she was within range. Small ripples emanated from her legs and she waited patiently for the water to still completely before making her move. Lucretia took the opportunity to glance over at Rose.

He was a successful hunter and she certainly felt like she could learn a lot from studying his movements. Even with the soft noise of his harness, the dark-furred Klein moved near-silently. It was commendable. Luce observed him, waiting for him to strike down the egret. A young wild pig strutted at the edges of the marshland, rooting around in the weeds. She tried to catch Rose's eye - after they secured their birds, that would make an excellent next target.

With a snarl he sprang forward, catching the egret’s thin neck in his jaws and shaking his head to dislodge its neck. With his knife handy he began to cut away at the bird’s flesh, intending to tan this hide just as he had so many others. The white feathers would make a fine decoration for anyone that wished to use it as a crafting item and he would be happy to offer it for trade at the slave market. As his sister ate he worked tirelessly, cutting and flaying the bird and its pimpled flesh. The smell became too much for him and hesitantly he bit into the pale flesh, tasting blood and fresh meat and began to eat. speaking

Luce sprung at the mallard and deftly executed it. The quiet crunch of its fragile neck vertebrae made for a satisfying end to its short life. Was there anything useful on this creature? Lucretia wasn't used to appraising food for its other properties. It was either clean and safe to eat or filthy and worthless for consumption. Borderline poison. Was it possible to use even dirty meat - or rather, its components? No. You could never quite get it all the way clean. Better to discard it.

She dug into the mallard. The water gave the meat a brackish, murky taste. Luce wrinkled her nose. Very unpleasant. After a few more careful bites, she called to Rose quietly. "The boar, yes?" Luce turned and rounded on the young thing. It was immature and foolish, still happy rooting and snorting on the marsh. She sunk into a predator's crouch and tried not to make any waves as she approached.

He grinned as his sister rounded on the boar and rose before stretching his limbs in front of him, limbering his joints for yet another hunt. He crouched low, moving downwind of the creature with his white tail flowing silkily behind him. He circled to the front of the hog , his chains jingling faintly until he slipped elbow deep into the water. He pushed through the reeds, his eyes alight as he readied to leap forward. With a loud splash he pounced forward, startling the pig into a frantic dash, straight for Luce while his long limbs carried him after it, kicking up mud and water with each stride speaking