Not Too Stabby, Eh?

The boy had finally decided to come out of the den, but only when he felt like nobody else was around. His head had stopped hurting now that his antlers were grown in, and boy had it been a strange turn of events. Whatever had happened at the firefly festival had finally happened, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. He had a full set of miniature antlers on his head, and whether he thought it a curse or a blessing had yet to be determined. His mother had been helping him through the transformation, tending to him with some herbs she had acquired to help with his headaches and the aching pain that came while they grew. Now that they stopped growing, he cautiously exited the den and sat in front of it for a long while before deciding he was hungry. His mother had gone off to tend to the duties she had been neglecting while she had been caring for him, and he didn't want to pull her away from her tasks just because he was hungry. Instead, he decided he wanted to try to hunt for himself and he'd do exactly that. By himself.

He headed straight for the border but knew they weren't allowed to cross it yet. The pups had not yet been given permission to go beyond pack lands just yet, so he sniffed around the border until he found the trail of what smelled like a bird to him. He spotted a few feathers and what looked like a scuffle in the dirt ahead of him, and upon approach, recognized the scent of a ptarmigan. His mother had brought him one before while he was cooped up in the den and his stomach rumbled with hunger. Licking his lips, he started after its trail, nose to the ground as he tracked down his potential meal. He last remembered them being white, at least that's what they looked like over the winter. Now that it was spring, he noticed brown feathers mixed with white as he continued after the trail. Did they change colors with the seasons? A few feathers here, a few feathers there...the bird appeared to be close, but he wasn't sure how close just yet. When he came upon another spot that looked like there was some sort of scuffle, he stopped again to observe the scene before moving on.

He moved quietly over the ground. Carefully even before he heard a harsh cackling up ahead. Brows furrowed as he listened, and it was unlike anything he had heard before. It definitely wasn't a wolf...and as he crept forward and peered through the shrubbery, he spotted it. A ptarmigan. While he expected to see only one, there were actually quite a few of them. Some sat quietly on the ground, while others seemed to forage and pick at the shrubs that grew throughout the pines. He eyed them hungrily, remembering what his mom had said about picking a target when it came to hunting. Sapphire blue gaze looked them over before one of the birds crossed his line of sight. It was no more than a few short yards in front of him, and he decided that that would be the one he was going to go for. The bird was mostly white with patchy brown feathers strewn across it with a red crest, seemingly unaware of his presence. He figured they knew they were in wolf territory, but then again maybe they weren't as smart as the canines that roamed these parts. Though perhaps it was a given if he was able to approach this close and remain undetected...so far.

Creeping closer, he made sure his steps were as quiet as possible. He didn't know if they could fly or not, and didn't want to lose the chance at a quick and easy meal. Using the shrubs as cover, the flame pelted pup steadily drew closer until he felt he was within striking range. Rocking on his heels, he shot forward and through the shrubbery, jaws open and ready to strike his prey. All of a sudden, frantic calls sounded all around him followed by a flurry of flapping wings. The bird he sought had momentarily panicked, slipping on the ground as it whirled around before seeking to fly over his head. As it took off, Incendio leapt for it and aimed to close his jaws around its legs but missed. Just before he landed, however, his antlers had struck the bird and he unknowingly stabbed it after they had both launched at the same time. Feathers dropped around him as a panicked cry was cut short rather quickly, and when he scrambled to his paws and looked up, he didn't see it. It wasn't until the short burst of adrenaline had worn off that he felt the birds weight over his head and he promptly shook his feathered quarry onto the ground. Blinking in surprise, he laughed with triumph as he stood proudly over his prey. "That was easier than I thought!" He voiced to himself. Satisfied with his quick and seemingly effortless kill, he crouched over his fresh kill and started to pull the feathers off. He felt proud, and couldn't wait to tell his mom and sister about his first solo kill!

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