Otter Creek i’ve got flowers but there ain’t no grave.

Yami had spent a few days haunting Moonspear’s devastated slopes. In the end, it occurred to her that she remained there only to torment herself over the ghosts of her family and the regret that threatened to strangle her. When at last she walked away, she was hoping she would be able to breathe again when she did so. It didn’t quite work out that easily, but it came in small doses eventually. Moonspear’s shadow was long, but the further she got from it, the better she felt.

Not that she could say she ever felt good.

At that moment though, Yami’s mind was elsewhere. Whenever she needed an escape, hunting was her fallback, and the creek she stalked along now had already shown promise.

She lowered her nose to the reeds and took a few dozen breaths. There was an otter around, and she was determined to murder it and eat it’s carcass. It would be therapeutic, and also delicious. She just had to find it first.

something was happening inside the mesa and something was occurring inside belen too. she struck out from akashingo that day under the guise of hunting. the others did that, so why not her? with a promise to be back before sundown, the girl was excited to be alone for a short while. she kept the mesa within sight so far, skipping down to the creek which had been described to her. it was part of their land, the pharaoh had decided. there were many wolf-scents here and that of prey as well. belen eagerly trailed one or another, until a fresher fragrance marked the end of her solitude. there was a stranger. belen watched them closely, openly, not daring to get close as she only stared.

Yami paused on the banks, her eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring as she breathed deep. She heard a sound. She wasn't sure if it was the prey she sought, but it still stole her attention. She scanned the surface of the water for a ripple here or there--some disturbance that suggested her next meal was about. What she ended up spotting was not her next meal. In fact, she was immediately concerned that her next meal was now at risk.

The Ostrega narrowed her eyes at the stranger and lifted her head. There didn't seem anything overtly aggressive about the other woman, but Yami was cautious still. Her posture was wary, suspicious. She didn't feel the need to run her off quite yet--she hadn't actually hunted down any prey yet that she would need to protect. But still. You spot a strange woman staring at you silently through the reeds, you get a little uncomfortable.

the stranger turned out to be a reddish woman with knowing gold for eyes. belen was compelled forward with a slight sway of her tail and a dip of her muzzle. the ways of a fellahin did not end only because she had left akashingo for a time. "hello," she greeted, though her glassblue eyes irreverently took in every detail of the unknown wolf. "if you are hunting, i could join you?" the girl suggested quietly. not a demand. not a command. she was not yet sure of her counterpart and stood back somewhat, not wishing to encroach.

Yami watched the other woman with wary regard. She was a slight thing. Pretty, in an exotic way. She didn't often look at other women like that, but this one was somewhat intriguing. The memory of Kiwi invaded her mind then, shutting that train of thought down with resolute finality. She brushed it away, instead letting herself get distracted by the offer.

"Otter," Yami replied with a small nod of invitation, "I can smell them about, but nothing fresh. Have you hunted them before?" She turned and began to move along the banks again, lowering her muzzle to sniff without allowing the girl to leave her line of sight. She still hadn't entirely decided the stranger was trustworthy, though she had decided she could take her if she did try anything.

"once or twice." belen stepped delicately with the other wolf. the other may have been leery but she was not. perhaps it was a credit to how protected she had been, first by her overbearing father, and then in the palace. she rarely left, and when she did it was in pursuit of the nearest and most interesting sight. today that was the strong she-wolf hunting beside her. belen blinked down at tiny tracks, pausing. "otters have a heavy smell," she declared for no reason. "what should i call you?" she attempted kasmut's winning tone then, smiling warmly at the other.

She confessed to having some experience, but Yami was doubtful. Otter were not easy prey, nor were they exactly a tasy delicacy. But, they had good meat on their bones. That was all Yami really cared about.

"Yami," she answered with an annoyed sigh. She didn't understand why everyone always wanted to exchange names. She certainly didn't care who this woman was, so long as she didn't go crazy and try to murder her. "Just keep between it and the water. They get into the water and the hunt is lost," she said as she picked up her pace.

yami. belen wanted to say it out loud but the sigh had dissuaded her. she lived with a mercurial queen and knew that every annoyance could bring hostility. and so she only kept pace with the huntress, circling around a bit off to try and encompass the tall grass where she thought the animal would be. the scent was here again. she heard what she felt were high-pitched noises but did not move, looking to yami for a cue.

Yami mostly ignored the woman after giving her instruction. She was an independent creature and the other wolf's presence mostly just frustrated her. She had brought Kiwi into the Ostrega's mind--a distraction she didn't need even at times when her focus wasn't required, let alone when it was. She wondered about her often, in spite of her efforts to forget. She knew it was useless thinking about the things she had lost. If only knowing that could actually make her stop.

Yami too heard the sounds and paused to peer through the reeds. She spotted the other girl, but her gaze slid right past, ignorant of the look she was given. Her prey was close. She took a few quiet, cautious steps closer to the edge of the water and shifted the grass apart with her muzzle, stilling suddenly when she spotted it--a fat, old otter, chittering here and there as it cleaned its fur.

They would have one shot. It was close to the water, leaving not much room for her to block its way. Yami didn't hold out much hope for this one, but she crept very slowly forward, doing her best to stay silent so she could get as near as possible before making her move.

there was nothing and then there was an otter. instinct told belen that it was elderly and could not move as fast. she responded knife-flash quick to yami's hunting crouch, scarcely daring to breathe or to move herself. she slunk in from the side, only allowing herself the same speed as the other wolf. an imitation, pale. unready. but belen kept herself in the moment, looking to yami for the signal.

Yami watched the otter in silence for some time, debating internally on the best play. The odds were not good. It was too close to the river, giving them little chance to get between it and the water. She considered going into the water herself, but couldn’t trust that she would be able to do so without making her presence known.

In the end, Yami decided to just go for it. She failed hunts all the time, though it stung to have to do so with an audience. She consoled herself that at least it would be a failure for the other woman too, and then she sprang. Yami raced forward quickly and quietly as she could, which was not very quick or very quiet. The otter saw her almost instantly and rolled from its back onto its belly, shooting straight towards the water once it found its feet.

 

vami slingshotted forward. belen propelled herself after the older wolf. neither were successful at grasping the creature, though the akashingo wolf did not stop her own trajectory. she bounded into the water, snapping ineffectively. the otter was long gone, and belen only swallowed water for her pains. spluttering, the girl waded back to shore, giving her hunting friend a long and apologetic look.