Cedar Sweep ninniach

sinking sun, woods again.

would have been best to find a sleeping place. but there was concern that empty stomach would wake her weakened. 

the hound strode trough trees, eyes sharp in waning sunlight. looking for anything big or small.

heda was without aim.
she was not hunting. she idly followed a humminbird with a glittering green head, its flitting movements probably the only thing that could hold her attention at present.
but eventually it darted away and she was left alone.
there was movement. long legs. pale fur. heda's stomach growled. she backed into the shadows and followed.

surveyed the treeline. there and there, a bird in flight, a bird perched. neither good prey for a sprinter.

a movement halted the huntress. near the base of a cedar, a diminutive, tailed shape.

she once knew a man who'd point it out, laugh at humour only he saw in dog chasing a squirrel.

the string was pulled taunt.

the rodent moved farther from the roots.

the arrow flew loose.

she aimed to block its way to the tree. it ran into the open. the hound aimed for the nearest cedar it would attempt to climb.

good direction. as soon as a leap took her forward over the squirrel, long muzzle dove at an angle.

and the panicked thing slid right between two rows of teeth.

crunch.

not much power in her jaws, but little ribs popped like candy. what was within pushed out either end.

head pointed upwards, so that blood washed down throat and muzzle.

medalina breathed trough her nose, waiting for her drumming heart to calm itself.

not a wolf, but predator all the same. it was like nothing she had ever seen before. heda watched with interest as the animal killed and ate. its pelt was matted in odd, round plaits.
some aggression reared its head in the girl, and at last she stepped out behind the creature, some yards away. her red nape bristled, and she kept her head low.
but her approach was a plain stalk.

dark lips smeared with blood.

she took measured bites, to prolong the enjoyment, leave room to center, to focus.

she let her mind empty of needless thought. in her ears was the hum of a wood reading itself for the night. crunch of small bone in her mouth. smell of a little thing's lifeblood.

nothing else.

she thought of what kigipigak had taught her, what she had learned from issorartuyok. even the tall, mean man at winter hunting had given her a new way of looking at a spar.
the girl was silent as she struck. her teeth flashed for the tangled nape, a snarl vibrating in her throat. and still she did not know why she attacked, only that it felt good, great even, in a swiftly chaotic way.

the impact of another force was a boom trough the sighthound's body, washing away the blank empty and coiling every muscle to the focal point of assaulting teeth.

the fight was not her calling. instead of reciprocation, instinct was to run free. a chase would be her victory.

unfortunately, teeth found the tangles of two braids running from hips to withers. they latched on and the dog let out a yell as her attempts to free herself yanked at their tightness.

she was a weasel, throwing her body to rip herself out the predator's maw.

the animal roiled and bucked. heda bit tightly into the earth-flavored coils. she savaged her head to and fro, intending to tear through the thick layer of protective fur until she met flesh.
the beast swelled again. its haunches struck her in the chest, knocking air from her lungs. surprised, heda stumbled backward, releasing her quarry and sucking in breath.

with a cry the hound ripped away.

there was a moment where her head swung around, panic overtaking reason, to see the assailant -

vuk, beo, crven od čela do repa, njena pletenica u njegovim čeljustima

- and then she turned and ran.

wanna roll for the chase or end here? ｡◕‿◕｡

lets end here, heda is too worthless shell-shocked smfh! fade w ur next post if u want so u have ten replies!

heda stood dumbly there, a tangle of hair caught in her teeth. it was not wolf. it was not coyote or fox. she did not know this scent.
her heart raced. the iota took a single step and then hesitated.
all of a sudden heda threw up, stomach clenching over and over from the adrenaline.
she rested after that, unsure of why she felt this way, but when the girl turned to return home, she took the plait as a trophy.

one look behind was too great a risk, loss of precious seconds.

medalina raced without stopping.

only when she burst out the tress and into open field, did she give herself permission to look back.

nothing.

ears strained to hear.

nothing.

the hound panted, and only as the adrenaline wore off did she feel the groan of her underused muscle.

reducing her shaking to a light tremble, medalina kept walking away, struggling to calm her rippling mind.

this was no longer land of Humans, she needed understand.

here, it was the vuci that ruled.

and she feared they were too great a hunter for her.