Bite Marks
Hunting Seasonal Prompt
06-14-2020, 04:00 PM
At this point, the woman was desperate for food. She was too stubborn to seek out a pack and ask for food and shelter though. She enjoyed her freedom too much, and she knew that she could handle this. Shika had simply decided that she needed to travel elsewhere if she wanted to find an actual meal that would leave her full and sustained for at least a few days. She had decided to head north, though she was unaware of the weather conditions that would change so suddenly. At first, the snow wasn’t all that bad, it was cold but it was something that she could handle. With the winter season, her coat had naturally grown thicker, so she was somewhat able to handle it. Though it seemed in mere minutes it all got exponentially worse. The snowfall got heavy, but she trekked on and on until she realized she could hardly see a few feet in front of her. Frustration consumed her as she stopped in her tracks, though still she was stubborn and determined to at least make this trip worth it. She needed to find food at this point, if she didn’t she would pass due to hunger and the freezing temperatures. She let out a huff, noticing the tall tree trunks that surrounded her. A new and sudden idea lit up within her mind, slowly trudging through the snow and towards one of the rather large trees. With much effort she pushed herself up atop one of the low branches, the wind made it hard for her to stay balanced but she tried her best. Swaying a bit and anxiety taking over, she shifted to press up against the tree trunk so she wouldn’t fall. She slowly but surely shifted onto a slightly higher branch, just trying to get a better view. Though she was not high up, she could see better and she simply leaned against the tree for a moment. Now, she was patient as she silently sat there. Her head low and her mismatched gaze searching for any type of movement. She’d wait all day if she had to, but she was lucky when she saw a figure not too far off. Her nares caught the scent of deer, and she couldn’t help but smirk. Finally! The prey that she had been waiting to find, but now how was she to catch it? Leaping down from the tree would probably be too awkward, so she decided to try to do the more common approach of a simple chase. She would slowly traverse back down the few branches and fell back into the snow, wondering if the doe had already smelled her through the rough winds. So far it seemed oblivious, so she would begin the hunt. The wanderer lowered her body to the snow and began to stalk forward, trying her best to get as close as possible to the small spindly doe. The poor animal seemed just as clueless as she had been moments prior, but that simply helped Shika. Her eyes narrowed and strained as she tried to keep an eye on her target through the harsh snowfall. A sudden gust of wind blew over, and she assumed it carried her scent towards the doe because she bolted. Shika took her chance and began the chase. Her muscles worked hard against the thick snow but she was too hungry and stubborn to care, a low growl leaving her lungs as she pushed forward and sped up. She was catching up, and in perhaps a moment of desperation she leaped. Her jaws bit down at the doe’s hind, and her sudden weight caused the poor animal to trip and stumble within the thick snow. Their bodies collided and hit the ground, but with all the adrenaline pumping through Shika she quickly tackled the doe and her jaws lunged at its throat. Her pale ears were flat against her skull, not letting go until she knew the animal was dead. She heaved for a moment, her chest rising and falling rapidly after the rather difficult chase. She was unsure if she was in the clear though, as she wasn’t completely sheltered from the cold. However, dragging the whole doe elsewhere was another task in itself. Shika decided that she would take her risk and have her meal now, and afterward, she’d move it somewhere else. She would rest for a moment and then once it had less weight, it would be easier to carry. She was cautious though as she ate, every bite she took she looked up and checked her surroundings. Her pale maw was now stained with the essence of the doe, but she was too hungry to care. At this point, she had been ravenous, but in the end, it was all finally worth it. word count: 812 "speech" | |