i spy

For @Scimitar

Home. A strange feeling crept into the grey-hued female’s chest when she thought the word. How crazy, Robin thought, that one day she had been a free-spirited wanderer and the next she was among the ranks of a pack run by her baby sister. She enjoyed pack life; it was how members of her species lived and thrived. Loners were never as well-off as pack wolves. Still, Robin hoped that she’d be able to get into the groove of things in the Creek sooner rather than later. She hated feeling so out of the loop.

So far the day had been fairly pleasant. The air was still and somewhat cool, likely as a result of the thick layer of clouds blanketing the sky. Peering upwards, Robin wondered if the Creek could expect a rain shower later in the afternoon. She had wanted to try her hand at hunting in her new surroundings, but poor weather would likely put a damper on that. Deciding not to waste any time, Robin set about searching for the scent trails of prey. The earthy aroma of rabbit reached her nose and, nostrils flaring, she roamed over the rocky, uneven terrain in pursuit of the critters’ burrows.

Scimitar, while content to simply be meandering the borders and keeping closer watch on the pack’s perimeters, only felt the pang of hunger when it stabbed annoyingly in his gut, rather than listening to the warning rumbles prior. A grunt escaped his cream jaws, a scowl portraying swiftly upon his features before disappearing once more to the carefully portrayed mask he offered to the world. His bright eyes glanced around the territory that was quite familiar to him now, the winding creek only a background noise in the grand scheme of his thoughts.

Loping leisurely, he prowled away from the pack borders now, pleased as a cool breeze swept past him, rustling his cinnamon fur. With it, however, was something different upon the wind, and blinking, the male shifted his attention to his stemming curiosity, rather than his belly.

She was moving quietly – a myriad of silvers and browns, and Scimitar uttered a low bark to grasp her attention. Lifting his muzzle slightly as his nostrils flared to take in her scent, his tail swung casually through the air, relaxing as he closed the distance between them. “How about a hunt?” Perhaps he hadn’t forgotten about his gut after all.

Although she’d seen some of her new pack mates around, her interactions with them thus far had been fairly limited. When her eyes focused in on the form of a burly male approaching her, Robin felt her excitement stir. It had been a while since she’d last been able to call anyone “pack,” and she was grateful for the opportunity her sister had given her to form strong bonds with other wolves once more.

As she took in the brute’s cinnamon-hued figure, her gaze swept towards his face to meet his briefly. His otherwise friendly demeanor prompted her tail to sway gently through the air. “You read my mind,” she replied, grinning. She gestured with her muzzle in the direction she’d previously been headed. “I was just looking for the rabbits I smelled a minute ago, unless you have an appetite for something else?”