Ocean's Breath Plateau gasoline and groceries

this baby required an endless amount of fuel to keep running, more so than his normal peers. he was a boy driven by his stomach and today it was sending him on a mission. he was in hot pursuit of a salamander he'd found while playing with stones. when he'd tried to munch on it earlier, the slimy creature had slithered free and took off running. 

he stomped after his snack, eyes wide with focus as he attempted to step on the creature's tail. he missed, and then missed again, a tiny growl erupting from him as he continue to wander off after the amphibian. before he knew it the lodge was out of sight and he was in a part of the village he'd not yet explored. he took no notice though, his attention set on the still evasive critter as he continued to follow it further and further away.

Marina was not far behind her son, trailing him idly with a contented half-smile lingering like morning fog across her tired features. Sirmiq's energy was always taxing for the sick mother — but she didn't mind. Not truly. There was too much love in her for her children for any resentment to ever take root.

A soft laugh bubbled from her at the tiny growl, quite possibly giving her away. Marina picked up the pace then, moving at a leisurely lope to cut off the lizard's path as it fled from Sirmiq. The tiny creature froze, then fled to the side. Marina only hung back with an encouraging look to her son that seemed to say go on then, go get it.

it was only at the soft laughter of mama-number-two that sirmiq realized he had company. he did not mind the presence of a parent as much as he would have that of a sibling. in his experience, the adults did not try to steal his snacks as often as his littermates did. and sometimes, as demonstrated here, the adults would even help him in securing some runaway grub. 

he gave a brush against marina's leg before focusing back on the salamander as it slithered away just off a few paces. he crouched low, tip-toed his way close before attempting to pounce on the tiny creature like a fox would a hare in winter. surprisingly he hit his mark and fastened his prey to the ground with two paws atop it's tail. 

he gave a glance behind as if to say, look, i got it!