Phoenix Maplewood i hear the horses' thunder

He gave a curt nod to her, understanding--or at least making a good show of it. After all, hadn't he been a little more forgetful as of late? Lack of food tended to do that to a mind. He would grow sharp again, with time, but it was an effort to keep on his toes, a struggle he'd only experienced once before. Hopefully, this time would have a better ending.

A small smile bloomed over his face as she discovered the hoofprints, and he offered a mirror of his previous gesture in affirmation. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure those are the tracks I've been following," he said, nostrils flaring. Same scent, same blood. "Let's follow them and see where they go. Maybe the deer's made it to open ground, by the pond or something."

The pond. It would always remind him of Murdock, of their reunion, hunting deer in these woods. When both his brothers had still lived. Shale's heart beat hard against his chest at the thought, but he shook off the emotion, trying to stay on task. Flicking his tail at Loir, signaling for her to follow, he trotted into the trees, eyes narrowed as he searched for tracks.

Finally, they slipped through the brush and sure enough, the deer was near the pond, close to a couple others from the herd. They drank quietly, not suspecting anything amiss--for now. Shale flashed a grin at his hunting partner. "See him?" he whispered, pointing his muzzle to the target, clearly resting its weight on three legs, the fourth, injured limb cocked slightly above the ground.