Slowly, he acclimatized.
Physically, he was as much at home here as the mountain goats and rocky mountain sheep. Nimblefooted and used to the thin air of high altitudes, he found himself feeling not only confident about his abilities in the territory, but secure in them as well. It was only the fear of having Saatsine storm the borders that kept him in a nervous state.
But hunting was a welcome distraction and at last, he was among his favourite quarry again.
Rocky Mountain sheep.
They were in the lower ranges of the mountain, and the ewes had begun to lamb.
Crouched in an old slide among loose scree and fallen boulders, he watched and waited as two ewes gave birth. Each had been so round that they’d been slower than the others- carrying twins, potentially triplets. And in a boom year like this one, it felt fair to choose the weakest of the lambs, and enjoy a bit of mutton.
One ewe strained; she seemed to be struggling. He continued to watch, attuned to the ewe’s plight, wondering if it would end in a healthy birth- or in a healthy meal.
Physically, he was as much at home here as the mountain goats and rocky mountain sheep. Nimblefooted and used to the thin air of high altitudes, he found himself feeling not only confident about his abilities in the territory, but secure in them as well. It was only the fear of having Saatsine storm the borders that kept him in a nervous state.
But hunting was a welcome distraction and at last, he was among his favourite quarry again.
Rocky Mountain sheep.
They were in the lower ranges of the mountain, and the ewes had begun to lamb.
Crouched in an old slide among loose scree and fallen boulders, he watched and waited as two ewes gave birth. Each had been so round that they’d been slower than the others- carrying twins, potentially triplets. And in a boom year like this one, it felt fair to choose the weakest of the lambs, and enjoy a bit of mutton.
One ewe strained; she seemed to be struggling. He continued to watch, attuned to the ewe’s plight, wondering if it would end in a healthy birth- or in a healthy meal.
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »