Sex: Female- Yuka, you come across a squirrel that’s been startled out of its torpor.
- Afternoon, Mist - 34 ° F/1 ° C
Hunting was not a skill the young girl prided herself of, nor did she have any real interest in that area. But it remained a stable of life as a wolf, pack or not, and it was one of the best reasons for sneaking off and explore the lands beyond the border. Sure she had run off plenty of times without telling anyone, going as far as scaling the mountains at the southern pass, but she'd learned that it was a better move to ask permission first – that way no worried adults, or children, came running to drag her back home to a good scolding – now that she was old enough to be allowed out on her own. And hunting was by far the best excuse for her wanderlust, especially with aunty Io; That way she looked like a good little girl, trying to do her part for the pack and train her skills. Nobody actually expected her to return with anything either, after all she was just a pup. Nalda snorted, a smirk on her russet muzzle, in the end it worked out perfectly for everyone.
Today she'd wandered south, into the ferns. The thick forest fascinated her, no large opening's in the canopy made by fallen trees like at home, and the forest floor, not littered by the rotting logs, instead blanketed in the brightly colored plants. She liked how the red leaves matched her coat, normally she had very little in terms of camouflage, but here she could blend into the underbrush, observing the forest without disturbing the wildlife. So it was like this, lying comfortably beneath the shelter of a broad leaf, that Nalda Zamora spend her afternoon, unbothered by the damp mist hanging above. She relaxed her body, while large ears were attentively pricked, swiveling at any sound. Her nose too was hard at work, separating and identifying each smell born to her on the faint wind. Even her narrow, goldenrod eyes scanned continuously, following every tiny movement in the dense woods. Most were uninteresting, little jerks of leaves as condensed droplets from the fog fell on them, or wave of a branch in the wind. Still, she wasn't bored, observing was her favorite activity, and she could do it for days on end.
A new shift caught her attention, a flash of orange appearing at the corner of her eye. Quickly the pups head turned to find the source, eyes searching mostly barren tree tops for the culprit. There it was, a squirrel, hopping along a branch, seemingly with no special target. Nalda froze, full attention focused on the nimble creature. Even if she had been interested in hunting it, it was much too far out of her reach, but her interest in the animal was much more than its potential as prey. Other's weren't such inclined though. As the pup watched, a similar looking, but more slender, animal came rushing out after the squirrel, clambering along the branch quickly, clearly fixed on the bushy tailed critter. Spotting its pursuer, the squirrel emitted a high squeak, springing forwards in panic. Enthralled by the drama unfolding before her, Nalda kept her eyes peeled as predator and prey went on a chase through the treetops. The squirrel seemed better equipped to jumping from tree to tree than its slim pursuer, but the hunt kept up through leap after leap. Then suddenly, the panicked squirrel seemed to have misjudged a distance, missing the branches of its designated tree and instead spiraling towards the ground. The young observer couldn't hold back a gasp as she saw the critter fall, body tensing as she waited for the inevitable end. However a late stroke of luck saved the squirrel, a large fern leaf catching it before it touched the ground, slowing its decent. In a shivering, russet clump, the scruffy creature landed on the forest floor, its thwarted hunter glaring down from above. Wow!
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