The Sequoia Seashell
An abundance of prey is noted in Teekon.
As dusk fell, the small herd took shelter beneath an evergreen canopy. Some found places to lie amongst the undergrowth, protective mothers curled beside tired fawns, while others stood watch for predators like Shemesh. She regarded them with trepidation, feeling silly for tracking the deer all this way in the first place. What was she doing? She didn’t know the first thing about hunting large animals! The biggest prey she’d ever caught was a hare who’d squeezed through a hole in the back fence, and only because it didn’t squeeze back out again fast enough.
She didn’t count the fox; it was already half dead when she found it.
Shemesh paced just out of sight, hidden by bluish shadow. She couldn’t imagine dragging off a fawn without being trampled, but hunger was making her desperate. For all the prey she’d stalked, chased, and cruelly lost to the unfamiliar wilds, she’d barely caught what would fill her bowl back home.
But what other choice did she have? She couldn’t sustain herself on questionably edible forage forever, not when her stomach growled for meat. Shemesh just needed a plan, one she could execute with her own four paws. This is why wolves live in packs, she thought. Maybe…
No. Once Shemesh had food in her stomach, she had to head south again and find her way home. She just didn’t know how.
The agouti coydog was not the only one who had taken notice of the deer in the area, and similarly, Simone had chosen to study another, smaller herd for some time, noting the amount of does which had had fawns. One or two of them had even had twins, which wasn't unusual- but it seemed like almost every one of them had dropped a fawn in the spring. A boon, she thought- a bounty if hunted properly, though the time had passed for the fawns to be abandoned if the herd spooked. By now, they were longer in leg, and could frisk away with their mothers.
The herd she tracked seemed drawn to another, larger group, and joined them while the quiet wolf trailed behind, meandering along in the paths they left behind. She watched them from a distance, counting, noting how many bucks there were, and how many yearlings lived among them as well. Too difficult for her to hunt on her own, but she considered circling back to find Cethleann, and convincing her to try and flush out a meal with her.
Amid the verdant green, though, she caught a glimpse of something unusual- shaded, but sandy in colour, with long, thick fur that couldn't possibly belong to another deer. She angled herself a bit differently to try and get a bead on the shape of the creature, assuming by their coat thickness that it wasn't a panther, either- likely canid of some sort, though she was thrown off when she noticed the light curl of the tail. Without moving so much as to draw attention from the calm herbivores, she craned her neck to try and make eye contact with the other canine.
Thanks for joining! <3
The bucks were Shemesh’s biggest worry by sheer size alone. She didn’t know if they would defend the fawns or run with them, just as she didn’t know the loyalty of the mothers, but if she had to be kicked… Well, she’d choose the smaller hoof.
The faintest of sounds caught Shemesh’s ear, and she half turned to see what it was. Instead of a hare hopping through the undergrowth or more deer moving to join the herd, there was a wolf in blended, earthen tones. Their gazes met, hazel green catching ice and sunlight, and Shemesh gestured with her muzzle toward her well-guarded quarry. A silent question: are you hunting them, too?
She regarded her position for a moment, wondering if it was better or worse than the wolf’s. Shemesh glanced back at the herd, still unaware of her presence, and was driven by instinct to stay put; she was better off in the shadow of the trees and the soft needles. If the wolf wanted to hunt with her, she could come closer or telegraph her intentions from a distance. Shemesh would understand her either way. Hopefully.
Her head jerked up about an inch when the other canine turned their head in her direction. She was surprised by both the woman's eye colour, and the shape of her face. She was remarkable, and quite strikingly beautiful in Simone's eyes. She felt her cheeks flush to think such a thing, but she'd never seen a wolf quite like this one. Even her eyes were astonishing, contrasting starkly from one another as though they'd belonged to two different wolves to begin with. Of course, Simone had never seen a coydog before, and assumed that she was simply looking at one of the most unique wolves she'd ever seen in her life.
It took her a moment to consider the message conveyed in the woman's features before she stopped simply gawking, and swallowed. She looked toward the deer, and then back to the odd-eyed wolf. She crept closer, keeping a close eye on the other's features though somehow, she got the feeling she wouldn't be chased away.
The wolf glanced between Shemesh and the herd before creeping closer, demonstrating an abundance of caution with each step. It was admirable, enviable even, how seriously she was taking this hunt. Shemesh wagged her tail in thanks and kept a lookout for more deer; if a straggler spotted them from behind, the whole herd might scatter. Her stomach grumbled at the thought.
When the wolf crossed into the same shadows, Shemesh stepped forward to meet her. Her head was held low with ears splayed sideways, though they twitched every so so often in the direction of the herd. ”My name is Shemesh,” she whispered, tapping the side of her forepaw against her chest. ”Do you want to hunt with me?” A large fawn would be harder to drive from its herd than a small one, but they could do it together.
Shemesh tried to keep her expression soft and friendly. She needed help, and she didn’t want her nerves to get in the way — again.
Kind eyes met her cautious gaze and she returned the friendly mien with a wave of her own tail before she looked back to the deer. Like the other, she now considered a fawn their likeliest target- and licked her lips.
”Simone. Let’s try and separate a fawn,” She suggested with a quiet whisper.