Bramblepoint no time to sleep

Wounds having almost fully healed and scarred over, the coyote reappeared from his hiding place in amongst the berry bushes of the woods. He had made a makeshift den from an old fox's hideout where he holed up to tend to his injuries, but now found the place too cramped for his liking. He could also smell a wolf pack nearby and saw the odd pack member every now and then as they made their way through the forest. Too close.

Nose scrunched as he sniffed the dirt, trying to find the scent of something — anything other than the berries he had lived off for the better part of a week — Sica picked up a quick trot. Hunt, then he would travel elsewhere. Prickles and brambles tugged at his fur as he brushed past the plants, though didn't mind what they snagged, focused instead on finding a trail.

It wasn't time to reconvene with Lasher, yet Peregrine found himself wandering north into the woods anyway, wondering if the other man ever came here otherwise or only when he came to see the black Alpha. He saw no sign of Taltos, detected no scent. Vague disappointment niggled at him but he did not turn back, not yet, instead focusing on some sort of productivity. Perhaps he could fell some prey here to take home to Fox and the boys.

He dropped his nose at the head of a deer trail, planning to wind along it, when the noise of something crashing through the brush met his ears. They flicked and the dark wolf sidestepped off the path, sinking into the shadow of the blooming brushwood to see what was coming his way.

There was a faint whiff of deer — one must have passed through not too long ago — but Sica paid no attention to it. Large animals were never his focus, he'd die by their hooves or horns well before he would even get a measly bite in. Instead, the coyote hunted what small prey he could and scavenged the rest. Wolves were handy in that respect. Maybe that pack...

With an idea forming in his mind, Sica suddenly halted, ears still alert for the sound of any rodents scurrying through the undergrowth. That large pack nearby would definitely have some caches, maybe they even recently had a successful hunt. He turned to focus his gaze southwards where he was sure the wolves were coming from, and started forwards with a wave of his tail, unaware that the alpha of the pack lurked nearby.

At length, a coyote appeared further down the path. It halted and Peregrine studied it—him, rather—and deliberated. If he sprang now, the smaller predator would surely turn and outrun him. Come closer... he thought, willing the motionless animal further along the deer trail. The coyote began to move as if beckoned, causing a predatory smirk to uncurl on Peregrine's black face. His muscles coiled as he prepared to launch an attack.

As soon as the prairie wolf came close enough, the wolf lunged from his hiding spot, aiming his sharp teeth at the side of his prey's neck.

Having not realised yet that he was another creature's prey, the coyote was preoccupied on his current quest for a meal. If he couldn't find any game on the way to the pack, then perhaps he could scope it out, see how many members were there and their patrolling routines. See if there were any naive youths or gullible pups that would take pity on a poor outsider...

It was the sudden monstrous shadow that bursted from the undergrowth that distracted Sica from his thoughts. He shrieked in fright as the creature that had previously gone unnoticed made itself very known as it lunged for him. The coyote may not have the strength to match his hunter, but he was agile. He threw himself onto the ground, managing to avoid the brunt of the ambush, though not without having part of the skin of his neck rent apart by the wolf's teeth.

Pain throbbed from the area, and Sica yelped, scrambling to his feet and hoping to be able to run into the brambles before the wolf could get a second attack in. "S-surely there are more rewarding meals out there!" he plead desperately.

His hit landed, teeth scoring into hot flesh, but the coyote quickly dropped and rolled before Peregrine's fangs could do any sort of notable damage. The scream was still echoing in his ears as the prairie wolf righted itself and began to plead for its life. Peregrine had attacked plenty of coyotes and even wolves while defending his borders and had preyed on a prairie wolf or two in his time. Yet most of his prey didn't talk back and sometimes it gave him pause when it happened. This was one of those times.

"I'll spare your life if you hunt one of these 'more rewarding meals' for me," he found himself saying without even really thinking.

The wound on his neck seared with pain and the coyote resisted the urge to tend to it, instead focused on running for his life. He was halfway into the bramble bush before he heard the wolf respond. He skidded to a halt, turning and eyeing the dark stranger with both wariness and surprise. He...didn't just offer to spare his life, did he? Sica blinked once before coughing out a dumb-founded, "what?"

Quickly, he recomposed himself, facing the intimidating male while still in the relative safety of the brambles. They still clung and pulled at his skin, though he assumed that it would be easier for him with his shorter fur to escape through this route than his more thicker-furred company if he were to attack again. "I mean...I mean yes, yes, of course!" his mind whirred as he stammered. "What would the sir prefer for his meal?" Please don't say buffalo.

The coyote seemed rather dumbfounded by his offer. Peregrine himself blinked his jade eyes, wondering at his own proposition. But his lips quickly curved into a smirl™ as he considered the possibilities. It was like a game. And he wouldn't have to deal with his prey begging for its life, which always put a bad taste in his mouth.

"You were the one who brought up rewarding meals," the wolf pointed out in a drawl. "Make good on your word or I'll eat your tail and at least one of your legs."

Did his kind even taste that good? the coyote found himself wondering as the wolf replied in a relaxed drawl. His tail tucked between his legs slightly at the threat, though he planned of course on delivering on his promise. This was his life on the line, after all. And maybe he could find a way to get back at the wolf for the inconvenient and painful wound.

He winced again as a branch pricked the injury as he made his way out of the brambles towards the male. He kept his distance, though, alert and ready. "Right, right," he breathed nervously before glancing off to the left. The undergrowth seemed thicker there. Sica turned back to the male with a wave of his tail. "Well, there is this hutch of...juicy rabbits further in here," he offered, lying through his teeth, but still he smiled confidently as he gestured with a jerk of his head in the direction to their left.

Edit on 5/6: I'm gonna conclude this for us. :)

Despite his humorous tone, the coyote tucked his tail. Peregrine observed this with a snort. He was pleased that the smaller canine was taking his threats so seriously. But the smile hardened a little as the coyote began to move skittishly through the underbrush. Was he trying to escape?

The wolf rushed forward, closing the gap. "Don't even think about running," he warned, "not until you've presented me with at least three of these supposedly juicy rabbits." Yes, he was playing around... but he was also dead serious. If the coyote didn't do what he was told, Peregrine would attack again. And he wouldn't fail to nail his target the second time around.

...except that he did. Somewhere between the first and second hunt, the slippery little shit totally gave him the slip somehow. Peregrine cursed under his breath even as he claimed the abandoned carcass and moodily carried it back to the caldera to be given to his family.