Redhawk Caldera Yeah, I reckon we were heathens

continuing after the buck hunt.

Hotah and @Towhee Jr hauled the buck up the slope in steady, practiced pulls, the early light just starting to burn through the fog. When they reached the Hobbit Hole, he set his end down with a brief exhale and gave Jr a small nod of approval.

Then he got to work.

Hotah lowered himself beside the carcass and took the hide between his teeth, making the first clean pull down the buck’s flank. The lean cuts came first, always—his motions smooth, efficient, the quiet rhythm of a hunter who’d skinned more kills than he could count.

He glanced toward the den once, checking for any stirring inside, then continued peeling back the hide, giving Jr space to join in as she wished.