Redhawk Caldera Acting like we'd live forever

Set before the BWH! ... maybe @Towhee Jr? AW though!

The air carried the crisp scent of autumn, threaded with pine and the faint musk of wet leaves. Hotah moved through it with a steady, purposeful gait, the deer leg clutched in his jaws and swinging slightly with each step. The weight of the kill didn’t bother him—it was the quiet satisfaction of providing that anchored his stride. Towhee had her paws full these days with Fairywren, Peregrine, and little Tawny; their den buzzed with constant life and noise, and he did what he could to ease her burdens, one meal at a time.

By the time he reached the river, the sun had climbed high enough to glitter across the surface in shivering ribbons of light. He set the leg down upon the bank, tongue running across his teeth before lowering his head to drink. The water was cold and clean, biting pleasantly at his throat as he drank deeply, savoring the moment’s stillness.

Hotah’s reflection rippled back at him—dark fur, lean from the season’s hunts, eyes sharp but softened by something quiet and fond. He thought of Towhee, of the pups tumbling over each other in the den, their laughter echoing through the hollow. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.