Kotori wanted someone to hunt with or someone to help him improve his hunting skills.  Sure, he had a partner to train with, namely his dad, but dad had other duties and had less time than Kotori did to focus on training.  After considering those who were in the pack he made his way to a wolf he’d spent little time around but was supposed to be a good instructor.

Making his way to where he’d learned the wolf denned he called out, “Sedna, you home?” Technically Kotori intended to be polite as she would be assisting him in improving hunting skills.  However, his ego had been growing a good bit lately as he went from boy to man and started thinking over what sort of future he wanted for himself.

Kotori would become a master at hunting, not because it was expected of him.  He would become a master of the skill because as a Fatalis he would never shame himself with ignorance.  He would gain power to be stronger than any who might challenge him.  Wolves would look to him and realize he was a power to be reckoned with.  Being an excellent fighter was a good start but more had to be obtained.

Kotori Fatalis

 

The call hadn’t exactly been expected, and Sedna had been reaching into one of her lower back shelves to fetch something to sweeten up her latest mix of contraceptives, given her stores were beginning to look so depleted. As a result, she started, knocking her head against the shelf with a thump, biting off a muttered curse as she turned with a scowl to see who it was that wanted her now.

She reigned in her frustration when she saw Kotori, her scowl morphing into a smile as she took in the sight of the boy. How he had grown…

Her tail waved pleasantly, but in typical fashion, her words were curt. “Wha’der’yer’want?” After all, it wasn’t every day one of her pack mates came knocking at her door.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Kotori quirked a brow at an odd comparison in behavior to words.  She seemed happy enough to see him but her choice of words hardly seemed to suggest the same.  “Hello Sedna,” he responded with pleased formality.  “I’ve been working on increasing my skills in hunting.  I need to do so with a variety of competent wolves to truly master it with different viewpoints.”

Kotori waived an inviting paw away from her den, “perhaps you would be willing to either come on a hunt with me or even just share some pointers of your own knowledge in hunting.  Any personal tips you might have?” Surely she wouldn’t deny him considering who Kotori was.  For today he was listed just as a warrior but still a prince.  For that matter, Kotori did not intend to stay the rank of a mere warrior much longer.

"Kotori Fatalis"

A brow quirked at the formal wording of the boys request and she was impressed by his reasoning, though it didn’t show on her face. “Magnus an’ Asla gave me some tips, an’ I’ve lived this long without starvin’…” that last was clearly a joke, added with a smirk. Sedna was quite plush around her middle and hips, not quite as round as Ophelia, but she wasn’t exactly what others might call lithe or lean either.

“What do yer know already? Traps an’ snares? Skinnin’ an’ butcherin’? Preservation? Do yer use tools or teeth?” If she knew what groundwork had already been covered, then she would be able to come up with a more meaningful use for both their time.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Lesson 1/3

Kotori hadn’t expected a list of optional tasks.  Honestly, he had imagined the two of them would go out on a hunt together and she'd give tips along the way.  That wasn’t to say he had any problem with this instead and was actually quite curious.  “I’ve made snares.  I used paws and teeth, well, and help of Fang.” Fang being his little mongoose with a napoleon style attitude.  

“I’ve no experience with skinning any of them, or butchering.” He caught the game, killed it, and either dragged it back or ate there depending on the situation.  Kotori pulled his hind feet under him to sit down.  “That being said, I’ve also never preserved the meat.”  The last part was probably pretty obvious since he hadn’t done any butchering.

Kotori actually liked being surprised in this case.  New skills such as these could be useful in the future and he had never considered it but would he seem an idiot for not knowing these things?  Kotori vowed never to seem like an idiot.  

"Kotori Fatalis"

Sedna nodded to his answers, knowing she hadn’t done any of that before coming here either. She tipped her head towards the entrance of her herb storage den. “Well I need a skin ter hang over th’ front o’ that before th’ weather gets too crazy again.” It would need at least a deer to cover it, though she would prefer an elk to be on the safe side. “When yer tannin’ hides, yer need ter account fer some shrinkage. Yer use a blade ter break th’ skin around th’ legs an’ make a slice up th’ inside of each limb, along th’ belly an’ around th’ neck. Then yer pretty much peel th’ skin right off.” She wanted to at least give the kid an overview before throwing him in the deep end. “ Yer need ter get th’ skin as clean as possible an’ then it depends on if yer want the fur kept on of if yer want ter make leather fer other stuff. Hardest part is gettin’ th’ brain outta the skull, but we’ll see how we go huntin’ first eh?”  She would leave the floor open for any questions, and then they could discuss when and where would be the best place to hunt.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Lesson 2/3

Kotori nodded as Sedna explained the process.  It sounded relatively simple enough.  Kotori had never bothered ripping around the skull region to see what it would look like to get a brain out and suddenly he was curious of what made that part difficult.  Did the skull need to be broken or did it come out on the underside and was it sticky?  Well, he might find out soon enough.  “Sure, we can grab something.”

Kotori would go out with Sedna, he imagined they’d have to go out to the willows where he did a lot of his hunting but as he got to his border they found an older buck that was clearly a dang idiot to be inside the wolves territory.  Scars marked it around the rump to suggest it had barely survived some other wolf attack in its past.

Kotori glanced at Sedna, raising both his brows in surprise before shrugging in bemusement.  He was about to tell Sedna what he was going to do and what her role would be when Kotori recalled she was being the instructor for the day.  A rueful look, “What’s the plan?”  After they killed it he’d get a chance to tan it.

The buck may have survived before but its days were about to be over with.  He’d have to get a blade to use first from what she had mentioned.

"Kotori Fatalis"

The boy was eager, at least he had that going for him. She followed as he set out towards the willows and she was equally surprised to see a deer within the well marked borders of the Armada, his bad luck she supposed.

“Gotta make it clean, too many tears in th’ hide an’ it won’t be worth th’ work ter keep it. Crush ‘is windpipe or go fer the big arteries on th’ back end or under the pits.” those would be areas that would already be earmarked for trimming. As for fetching a blade, she always had one wrapped around the end of her tail. For the actual skinning portion, she could get Otis to unravel it and pass it over to instruct the boy as he worked.

“Well, after you.” She said with a smile, ready to adjust her attack to support his own.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed

Lesson 3/3

Kotori listened to Sedna’s orders and gave a slight nod.  “Alright then, I’ll go for the windpipe.”  Kotori had a few wolves he normally hunted with and knew how they would work with him.  He also normally didn’t worry about where he bit as far as damaging the deer.  Well, Sedna should know how to do her part and now she’d know what Kotori aimed to target.

Kotori took a few slow steps closer but there wasn’t much hiding in their home.  Maybe the thing had brain damage to be out here?  Whatever. Sometimes luck is just on your side.  When he ran towards the deer, aiming to be on the left side and trusting Sedna to take the right, he pushed to get alongside it.  

It wasn’t a hunt he’d ever be telling proud stories about.  The deer was likely once a great specimen by age and scars but now age had it slower and Kotori easily was able to chase up, his teeth snapping for the throat, jerking his head to try and open up the wound.

He wasn’t going to be able to take down the deer alone like this but Kotori had long ago learned to trust your teammate to assist in things you can’t do alone.

"Kotori Fatalis"

When the boy announced her would go for the windpipe, Sedna gave a singular nod. She was better suited to attacking the back end with the weight she had behind her anyway. As the brown coated boy raced alongside the deer, she breathed deeply, in through her nose and out through her mouth. It had been a while since she had hunted something this large, and it felt amazing to have the wind whipping through her fur and the blood coursing through her veins. She couldn’t help the way her tongue lolled from her mouth or the wide smile that split her face.

As one, they lunged. The satisfying taste of blood rushed into her mouth as teeth found their mark. Victory was short lived as a sharp hoof glanced off her rib, sending the wolf flying back in space. She hit the ground with a heavy thud, but quickly got her feet back beneath her, ignoring the way her chest screamed with each inhaled breath. She threw herself back into the fray, hoping to grab just below her previous bite, to open the back end of the deer even further.

“Speech”

we wear red so they don’t see us bleed