the sun had dipped beneath the horizon moments ago, and yet still the world was bright. the moon neared fullness, and the heavens were white with storm clouds, lit by the moon and setting the landscape bright. Snow tumbled down softly, not enough to influence visibility, the thick white flakes settling in the girl's chocolate pelt as she headed back in the general direction of Easthollow, chill already settled into her bones.
There was beauty in solitude; she'd come to see it after weeks traveling alone, for the most part. There was the smell of decay here, too, and she investigated only to find the haunch of something that looked suspiciously wolf-like, though in it's state of decay she couldn't quite tell. muzzle wrinkling at the sight, she turned on her heel, weaving through the meadow aimlessly.
It was getting colder, the wind picking up and raking its talons through her fur. She shivered, thinking longingly of her cozy den with Murdock, slipping into warmth and comfort. But first; the scent of marmot had suddenly become of interest to her, and she set about following the fresh trail, tail flicking eagerly. Above, a bird flew across the meadow, in a manner frantic and odd, and for a moment, she glanced up. It didn't seem to be the same bird she'd met at the lake, and thus she continued with her hunt.
She startled the creature suddenly, it fled from its little hideaway in the grasses soundlessly. She was in pursuit immediately, throwing herself after it wildly, and quite suddenly lunging for its retreating rear. Her fangs found flesh, but not the grip that would ensure a clean kill. The front half of the creature swung around, biting and kicking in desperation, and she yelped as she released her hold. The creature moved away quickly, injured and slow, and a final desperate lunge had it scamper quicker, dog left bleeding and hurt behind it, shaking away the blood that leaked from the cut above her eye.
She wasn't going to let some prey get away just because it had the audacity to nip at her! Poppy ceased swiping at her eyes and bolted after the stumbling thing, blinking through the blood that dripped into her left eye, finally drawing near enough to make a lunge as it began to vanish into it's burrow. Her fangs snapped on empty air as the thing found a reserve of energy somehow and vanished into the earth. She sat back, wilting, knowing that if she had only been faster she ought to have scored a meal. This time of year, she could not afford failure, even with the suport of Murdock and the pack. She settled onto her haunches, beginning to clean the scrapes on her face.
Her tongue flicked sideways to catch a drop of tangy blood, serving only to remind her of the prey she'd lost. A flutter of wings; nearly lost among the gusts of wind that buffeted her still, had the collie twist. Another bird; perhaps the one she'd noted earlier. In response, the girl gave only a huff, her normal enthusiasm to speak with different sorts dampered by her failure.
The bird went on to point out her coat, just as another chill made its way down the girl's spine. "yes," She replied only, though added after a moment, "it's okay, though, because I'm not alone anymore." She elaborated, standing as the wounds seemed to clot and slow. She peered up at the bird, remembering her earlier frantic flight across the clearing. "this weather can't be very good for birds, either." She continued, referencing the scene that might have seemed almost comical to some. "why don't you migrate?" She'd wondered why some bird did and others did not, especially if everything was supposed to be better to the south.
The bird began to explain that not all birds migrated, and Poppy performed another odd hopping dance before curling in tightly on herself, not really wanting to leave the bird, but also not entirely wanting to remain here much longer. "hmm," She offered contemplatively, asking a beat later, "only meat-birds, like you, stay here?" She supposed it did make sense that they stayed, and the songbirds flew south as their seeds and greenery were covered by snow and ice.
It was a final gust of wind that made up the girl's mind for her, and she surged to her feet as soon as the bird finished. "oh," She was for a moment thoughtful, but the cold did not allow her to dwell long on the bird's words. Giving a quick shake of her pelt, shifting anxiously as she tried to move feeling back into her paws, Poppy gave a short nod. Uttering a quick and hasty goodbye, she glanced to the bird once more before turning in her heel and trotting back home, picking up speed as she beelined back to the safety of her den.