Chimera Fields i woke up one morning with you on my mind

12/13 :)

the divide ran clear down the field's center, seperating the fertile from the infertile. the land to the west held little promise when compared to the east, so the huntress avoided it for the time being.

instead, she trotted into the field and scanned the horizon. there was prey here, but it was hiding. ying crouched down to hide beneath the height of the grass while she waited for an opportunity to arise.

this field felt safe. he could see the bulk of the mountain in the distance, but as long as he stayed far from it, the shadow wolves couldn't hurt him. he made sure to keep neverwinter forest in sight at all times; if things went awry, he could dash back into the safety of the evergreens.

a brief rustling in the tall grass caught his attention, and cam's ears shot tall above his tapered head. a light gray within the dull brown-gold. . .he inhaled and found the scent of wolf, close. not a dark one, though, but pale.

still, he kept his distance, keeping a wide berth as he padded a quarter-circle around the stranger and found her brilliant blue eyes, vivid within the colorless winter flora. his own verdant gaze blinked once, then again, as he sought her attention. she seemed incredibly concentrated on something, and he wondered what.

yuèguāng​ lifted her head, sounding a soft, hm? a dark stranger was approaching from the front and he was about to blow her cover! she used a paw to beckon him closer, whispering, i am on a hunt!

if he wished, ying would welcome this stranger by her side. they didn't have a target yet, but there was bound to be something, right? hunt with me, we will share the meat. whenever they found it, that was.

cam grimaced as she scolded him, folding himself further downward. sorry, he mumbled, creeping toward her with a sheepish expression. he nodded, although the prospect of meat other than fish didn't really appeal to him. still, he was hungry, and it had been made apparent over past moons that he couldn't afford to be choosy.

what're you hunting? cam whispered, eyes shifting sideways toward the woman in a flash of green. beyond her gaze, she was quite plain, like him—just shades of gray. he felt, as like with wraen, that he could learn a lot from her. he just hoped he didn't ruin the chance for food.

ying noticed the boy's grimace and felt her own twinge of guilt. she hadn't meant to hurt his feelings, but he'd almost blown the (non-existent) hunt! well..., she began to explain, i don't know. the huntress crept forward a few steps. i will...find it.

she motioned for him to crouch beside her before continuing onward. there was a faint rustle in the nearby reach of grass bringing ying to full attention. be quiet, she warned, then moving to investigate.

how could she not know? cam gave her a dubious look, but followed her instructions anyway. his ears perked at the sudden small noise nearby, the brief shifting of grass. he folded himself even lower, waiting for the woman to make her next move.

he was more than a little anxious that he'd mess this whole hunt up. he didn't want to have to deal with more hunger, nor the (rightful) anger of the she-wolf that now searched for game.

he would remain still, and follow orders.

the die say that they catch it, but i'll let cam do the deed (if you want)

once in line, ying nudged the boy's shoulder with her hip. she looked back and flashed him a smile before continuing on with the prowl. there was a small gap in the grass, widened by a passing wind. the huntress could make out the stark outline of a white hare, nibbling absent-mindedly on uncovered blossoms. 

she didn't want to give the hare a chance to realize what was happening. ying leapt forward, missing her target by a step. she turned to her accomplice with mischevious grin, calling back, go get it!

there it was. a pale hare, grazing. he watched as the woman went for the prize, missing it. upon hearing her instruction, cam felt a lump grow hard in his throat. he hadn't ever caught anything beyond fish before. fish seemed easy—detached from reality. and he didn't like the taste. . .

loath to disappoint his new acquaintance, though, cam surged forward, following the trail of the retreating prey. his size was to his advantage; he was small and swift, rocketing through the tall grasses. one mighty leap and—

the hare's scream pounded in his ears like thunder. he'd broken its leg, landing half atop the creature. it writhed beneath him; he saw blood begin to pool under the injured thigh, and his head swam—red, MUMMY—he blinked, trying to regain composure

pressed his weight down, wincing as the hare continued to scream—

i'm sorry, cam called out to the woman, struggling to find his breath. in a panic, he rolled away and began to run, heedless of where he was going. all he could see was red red RED RED and mummy and the moonspear wolves and—

god! he was still hungry, too.

the boy had almost solidified their meal when, what? ying watched as he rolled away from the partially mauled corpse, running back in the direction he'd come from. she scoffed as she approached the rabbit, dispatching it as cleanly as possible. bye, boy! she called after him before settling down and beginning to eat.