Twilight was the best time for solo hunting, lots of little critters coming out to do their own foraging. Vasco had wanted to take advantage of that, heading for the borders at sunset, hoping to catch a rabbit or two out in the open. His plans were derailed though, when he heard one of the pups cry out, sending him rushing back to the den at full speed.

While he doubted any true danger could come to the children right in the heart of the territory, his heart still raced with worry, the mere thought of even the smallest accident putting fear into his soul. After the incident with the elk last year, they couldn’t be too vigilant.

When he arrived on the scene though, it quickly became clear that there was no big danger, although Isla might think differently. It was a struggle not to laugh, but Vasco made an effort, so as not to make the situation worse. Instead, he walked calmly over, intending to wave off the poor confused bat to hopefully calm down his granddaughter.

Thoughts ”Speech”

The little creature seemed more than happy to make its escape, following the light push of his muzzle. Once it was safely gone, Isla was quick to recover, addressing her grandfather with no small amount of swagger. “Oh, you did?” He answered her claim, looking down at the girl with apparent surprise; “That was very brave of you!” As any proper grandfather would, he made sure to sound both proud and impressed, smiling down at the girl.

Unlike her sister, Isla’s eyes were clear, starting to take on a silvery hue – which quite delighted the Halex, who thought those genes might just come from himself. Her bravado on the other hand, was most likely from her mother, or at least neither her father nor aunt and uncle had acted quite so assured at that age. Lest he forget the obvious panic from just a few moments ago, which of course he did, because he was a doting grandparent. “Thank you, I don’t know what I would have done if it had come at me.” He crooned, happy to take on the role of damsel, which he already knew so well.

Thoughts ”Speech”

He could no longer contain his smile, beaming down at the girl as she made her assurances. Lowering his rear down next to hers, he scooted close enough for their hips to meet, tail tapping the ground softly. “Ah, well that’s very good, thank you,” He answered in a serious tone, though his chest swelled at the nickname. Leaning down conspiratorially, he added: “I’ve been real worried about going out at night.”

He stayed like that, eye level with hers, until she changed the subject. Then he winked and straightened back up, taking a deep breath of the evening air before answering: “I was on my way out to catch you a snack. Of course, that was before I knew there were bats around!” He shook his head sadly, hanging his ears in defeat, as if the very idea of going anywhere now was hopeless.

Thoughts ”Speech”

Of course he knew what would come, he’d set it up himself, yet her reply still made him chuckle. Yeah, she was a spunky one for sure, with enough gumption to wear out any parent. But her Pawpaw figured he could handle a few hours – he wasn’t and old man just yet.

He couldn’t see anything wrong with taking her on a short hunt to burn off that excess energy; She’s old enough… If they stayed within the border there shouldn’t be an issue, plenty of small prey would move through the Backwater with no care for canine scent-markers; Lucky for us!

The pale man pursed his lips, pretending to consider her offer carefully. After a moment, he nodded solemnly; “Alright then. But you’ll have to stick close to me the whole time, in case any bats show up, okay?” That way, he could pass her a few hunting tips too, he had every intention of making this a learning experience, even if she didn’t.

Thoughts ”Speech”

The girl remained enthusiastic, and Vasco could nought but smile back, sweeping his own tail happily. Whether her interest was truly in the hunt, or simply the prospect of food, he couldn’t say for sure, but she followed him readily and that was all he could ask.

Weaving in and out among the tree trunks – both fallen and still standing – the grandfather sniffed ardently for anything that might serve to satisfy Isla; Eager to please, he didn’t want to settle for something common place like a rabbit or squirrel, he needed something more exciting. It seemed the pup’s thoughts were somewhere along the same lines, his head turning at her question, a reassuring smile on his lips.

“Something fun!” he promised easily, meeting her silvery eyes without missing a step. He was just about to give her a few pointers about tracking, when a whiff of scent made him freeze in place. Eyes drifting from his granddaughter to a nearby trunk, his smile grew crooked; Ah yes, this will do nicely…! His body lowered towards the ground, ears flattening back as he prepared the sneak, voice low as he cautioned: “Quiet now, this requires a stealth approach.”

Thoughts ”Speech”