Spider’s eyes widen incredulously, mouth falling open in indignation. “hey! i’m nothing like a -” they cut off as they study Strai’s face, examining his stoic features. “…oh. you’re messing with me, aren’t you?” huffing, they watch Strai contemplate the scent, paws itching with impatience; they were excited to kill something of their very own, to eat a meal they’d taken down themselves. they give a considering hum, lifting the dagger and inspecting it from every angle. “how about you chase it to me? we can pierce it on my blade!” "Speech"

He was definitely messing with them. Spider was seeing the less angry side of him now, and Strai found he enjoyed teasing them. While he would rather do the killing, he got that the point was to try out the blade on the rabbit. So, surprisingly, he didn’t protest. Instead, he nodded his head. “Alright, Rabbit, you wait here” He said, and trotted off before the other pup could protest their nickname.

He went quiet and he went low. Stalking was one of the things he was pretty good at, and he made good time working his way around the rabbit. Once he was in position, he moved quickly. Lunging forward and startling it badly enough that it ran without thought. Too scared to see it was being herded.


"Speech"

Spider’s hrmphs at the nickname, a protest on their tongue, but Strai is already slipping away to chase the rabbit in their direction. excited as they are, it takes a few heartbeats for them to settle down enough to get in position, straining to keep their tail still and their feet in one place. thankfully, Strai is quick, and they don’t have to wait long before a terrified bundle of fur is charging directly into their path. the rabbit is so fast, in fact, that it startles Spider; they clench their eyes shut and blindly thrust the dagger forward, squeaking in surprise. a moment passes. then two. slowly, Spider peels their eyes open and observes the limp body hanging from their blade, impaled through its fluffy underbelly. blood drips at their feet and stains their fur, starkly red against the earthy undertones of the thicket. lifting their head, Spider lowers the blade and peers past the rabbit’s corpse to flash a broad grin at Strai, looking faintly deranged given the blood splattered across their face. “check it out, Strai! guess we’re having rabbit for dinner!” "Speech"

Strai observed Spider’s tactic, and saw that there was much… improvement needed. He was right behind the rabbit, and skidded to a stop when the black wolf blindly killed their foe. He stood there, looking at the short wolf with a saturn expression on his face. Waiting the few seconds it took for the other to open their eyes again.

“It can't be the gore, that doesn't seem to bother you. Did you think rabbits have teeth?” How on earth had Spider survived this long. He wasn’t sure if he should tease Spider, or keep his tone stern. He sort of wanted to do both. “You have hunted before, right?”


"Speech"

Spider pouts, shuffling their paws with a mixture of indignation and sheepishness. "it's not that! i'm not scared of no rabbit." they give the bloodied bundle at their feet a little nudge, already imagining stripping it of its pelt and presenting it to Hazel and Bas as a prize. "it's only...it was coming at me so fast." they hadn't been able to do anything but freeze and hope the rabbit didn't crash into them; they weren't much bigger than it. glancing up at Strai, they bare their teeth in mock challenge, flashing sharp white teeth. "are you calling me a poor hunter?" they consider their catch for a moment, then hand the blade to Strai and indicate with a jerk of their head that he could start skinning it - should he want to - while they talk. "Speech"

Strai looked at Spider dubiously as they defended their actions. For someone not scared, they had sure looked… nervous. “Most fights are fast” Strai said mercilessly. “Yes, I am.” Strai said, not one to mince words. Spider needed to embrace their weakness, how else would they improve?

He declined the blade, and extended his cat-like claws. They were new, having only come through recently, and he knew Spider hadn’t seen them yet. After raising a paw to flash them at the other pup, he trotted over to the corpse and rolled the rabbit over. “You start on the top half, and I'll start on the bottom.” He said, already bringing his claws to the rabbit and starting the cuts to separate the pelt. “Have you ever taken down something big?”

"Speech"

Spider eyes those cat claws with a mixture of awe and jealousy, releasing a low, impressed whistle. “show off,” they tease, raising their brows. “remind me not to get on your bad side.” they listen closely as Strai directs them, following him to their kill and sliding the blade beneath the top half of it’s pelt. “no, nothing…big,” they admit, shrugging. they watch Strai curiously, considering. “got any tips, mr. famed hunter?” despite their playful tone, their expression is earnest, open and ready to learn from the boy. "Speech"

Strai grinned at the admiring look Spider shot his way. "Perhaps one day you'll be badass too.' He teased the other pup. His brows twitched when Spider spoke again, "I thought you spent all your free time on my bad side…" he glanced back up at Spider again, remembering the first time they had met. Spider was a… stubborn wolf. 


He turned his eyes back to his work as he finished the cuts and began to peel the pelt free, working up towards Spider's side. "Yeah, don't flinch." He said "if your going to, you need to desensitise yourself to the fear. That means putting yourself where you'll be charged more often." That was his mother's way.

Spider huffs, feigning offence despite the grin that tugs across their lips. “hey, i’m plenty badass.” as though to illustrate their point, they make a show of stripping their half of the pelt, trying to do so in as elegant a way as possible. it…doesn’t really work, but they’re able to meet Strai in the middle and the pelt comes free with a little extra sawing. Spider sits back to admire their work, pride warming their chest. “so in order to not be scared…i have to be scared so often it stops being scary?” they clarify, brow furrowing in thought. “huh.” it’s certainly an intimidating thought, but there’s also something kind of thrilling about it, too. “will you help me?” they ask finally, turning hopeful eyes onto Strai. "Speech"