Kintla Flatlands sunkissed

the sun was just beginning to rise, painting the forest in streaks of gold. her paws pressed silently into the damp earth, her ears swiveling at the faint rustle of leaves. the smell of prey hung in the air—fresh, close. her stomach grumbled. instinct guided her forward, every muscle coiled like a spring.

the thrill of the hunt was what she lived for. the chase, the burst of speed, the satisfaction of a clean kill—it was all so simple, so pure. an escape. she paused, her amber eyes locked on movement ahead. a rabbit. small, but enough to satiate her. the woman licked her lips and crept closer, her tail stiff behind her.

her heartbeat steadied as the moment stretched. one leap, one strike—that’s all it would take. she exhaled sharply and sprang forward.

roan had left synder in the den. he let her sleep this morning, saying that he will hunt for her. her leg ached terribly this morning, and he knew they'd have to find a reprieve somewhere.

he heard through the brush the dying wail of a hare— he was not alone. hairs raised, he barreled through with a snarl grace his lips, black gums flared wide.

when he saw her agouti brunette furs, he slowed.

maeve.

the undergrowth rustles before a figure leaps at her, a myriad of black and gray. her muscles coiling instinctively, fur bristling before her gaze landed on him quickly, and the tension melted almost as fast as it had built.

the hare dangled limply from her jaws, its coppery scent sharp in the air. her eyes narrowed slightly, but there was no real hostility in her posture—just the crooked tilt of her head that seemed to suggest amusement.

slowly, the she-wolf dropped her head to set down the freshly-felled hare before looking back up at him. "roan," she uttered in response, straightening her spine. "s' a bit dramatic."

roan huffed, the sound sharp and dismissive as he shifted his weight. his eyes briefly flicked to the hare, then back to maeve, unreadable as always. he said nothing at first, his silence heavy, before his ears twitched in acknowledgment.
how 'ya been?
he didn’t bother with more, stepping closer to inspect the catch with a pointed glance, but his expression gave little away. his tail flicked once behind him, signaling his approval—however grudging it seemed.

the corner of her mouth ticked upward as she caught the flick of his tail. approval was still approval, no matter how grudging. "average," she said breezily, swiping a paw to adjust the hare’s limp body. "could always be worse. you?"

her tone was light, but her sharp eyes didn’t miss the way his eyes lingered on the hare. she pushed it toward him with the nudge of her paw, a teasing glint in her eye. “hungry?”

he shrugged, his gaze shifting from her to the limp hare with disinterest. we should hunt somethin' bigger, he muttered, brushing off her question with a gruffness that bordered on indifference. but there was a flicker of acknowledgment in his eyes—she'd done well enough, though he'd never say it outright.

roan’s tail gave a slow, deliberate sway as he turned his head, scanning the horizon. ain't the size of'a cub, he added, his voice low, almost as if talking to himself.

maeve snorted, a short laugh breaking from her chest as she tipped her head toward him. “well it wasn't an offer anyway,”

she stood, stretching with the arch of her back before shaking out her fur. “should be a deer or two that direction,” her gaze flicked past him to the east, tail swishing lazily behind her.

after a moments contemplation, she huffed decidedly, pivoting on her heel to skip over the brush in the opposite direction. “c'mon, then,”

roan grunted, his amber eyes narrowing as he shrugged and fell into step behind her. a low, almost begrudging, fine, rumbled from his chest as he followed her lead.

his stride was steady, muscles coiling with purpose as he moved through the undergrowth. he kept his eyes forward, his sharp gaze scanning for any signs of prey. better be worth it, he muttered under his breath, though the faintest flick of his tail betrayed a sliver of amusement. despite his gruff demeanor, there was a quiet ease in following maeve’s lead, a sense of familiarity in the shared pursuit.

her ears twitched backward at the hushed sound of his voice. his grumbling the man grumbled at her heel as if it he did not cast the suggestion himself. odd.

her pace quickened, paws gliding over the earth as she led him deeper into the brush. morning light filtered through the trees, dappling her coat with gold.

When the scent of deer hit her nose and she spotted recent tracks, she slowed, lowering herself into cover. "how d'you wanna do this?"

roan shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling with a quiet confidence as he crouched beside her. his amber eyes scanned the tracks, then flicked toward the brush ahead. we could take 'em head on, he muttered, his voice low and gravelly.

his gaze met hers briefly, a flicker of challenge in his eyes. you spook 'em from one side, and i’ll cut 'em off from the other. simple enough.

he shifted his weight, his movements deliberate and quiet, a predator poised to strike. unless you got a better plan, he added, though the slight smirk tugging at his lips suggested he didn’t expect her to disagree.

maeve spared him a sidelong glance, a sly smile curling on her lips as she studied him, tongue kissing her teeth. “as long as you don't miss your cue, sure.”

she crouched lower, her muscles coiling like a spring. “—be ready.” with that, maeve slinked through the underbrush, each step careful but sure.

the deer were just ahead, their forms dappled in sunlight breaking through the trees, necks dropped to graze. she gave roan a single nod as a signal before she darted forward. the deers' heads shot up, eyes wide with alarm before they bolted toward the brute in the brush.

roan grumbled, his voice low and rough. i don't fuckin' miss shit... barely audible as he settled into position. his posture remained loose yet poised, muscles taut beneath his dark coat.

when maeve’s signal came, his ears twitched, but his focus didn’t waver. as she startled the deer, sending them careening toward him, roan moved with practiced precision. the underbrush barely rustled as he surged forward, his path cutting sharply toward the lead deer, ready to bring it down.

maeve didn’t hesitate, her legs burning beneath her as she burst from the undergrowth to flank Roan. adrenaline surged hot in her veins, a wild grin stretching across her face as the deer thundered ahead of them. 

her pace matching the trio's stride, focus locked onto the man as his jaws wrapped around the doe's throat. with a burst of speed, maeve lunged to assist him, her teeth snapping for purchase on a hindleg to slow the beast.

roan lunged, his jaws locking around the deer’s throat with brutal precision. the taste of blood hit his tongue as the creature thrashed, hooves pounding the ground in desperation.

maeve was quick at his flank, her teeth sinking into its hindleg, anchoring it as it stumbled. together, their combined force brought the deer crashing to the ground, its struggles fading until it lay still.

good, roan muttered, his sharp gaze flicking to maeve briefly before turning back to their kill. efficient and done.

maeve loosened her jaw, stepping back as the deer thrashed momentarily before stilling. “not too bad yourself,” she replied. 

she padded around the kill, inspecting it with a satisfied tilt of her head as she licked the blood from her lips. settling onto her haunches, maeve flicked her tail, breath still coming fast. “big enough for you this time?”

roan’s eyes lingered on the kill, his expression unreadable as he wiped his muzzle against his foreleg.

yes, he said simply, his voice low and gruff. he glanced at maeve, a faint flicker of approval in his gaze before it vanished.

without another word, he began tearing into the deer, his focus shifting entirely to the meal before them.