Dead Empress Backwater like spirals

Prompt #4 - You’ve come across what is clearly someone else’s kill. They must be coming back for it, right? Just the smell is making your mouth water and your stomach clench with hunger.

Raindrops fell from the darkening sky, peppering her growing frame as she slipped away into the night. Now, Hazelnut knew that she wasn't supposed to be off galivanting around in the dark, but the water felt cool against her skin and it had been so hot as of late.

Short legs brought her further and further away from the heart of the backwater, though she really hadn't meant to go so far. It's just that there were so many things to see, and stopping to inspect one bush led to chasing after a frog, which led to sniffing out an unused foxhole, and then she'd gotten a whiff of something delicious, so really, it could happen to anyone.

Hazey tried to follow her nose, but the rain made it difficult. Each gust of wind seemed to change her course, leading her in one direction, and another until she was sure that whatever she was smelling could somehow teleport, but the rumble of her stomach made her all the more determined to find it.

I'm so sorry I forgot about this for the CCC >.< I really dropped the ball here.

Archer was still up, per his usual routine. He had left Eros behind and was enjoying the rain tugging at his fur, watching the skies for any sign of the bright flashing called lightning. He liked to watch it, even though the rumbling crash that sounded like all the trees coming down hurt his ears. He wasn't a fan of that part.

The youngest Valle was getting better at paying attention to his surroundings, so even though he was predominantly watching the sky and the raindrops were making a lot of noise, he noticed the dark shape moving in the corner of his eye. He looked, and at the same time a mouth-watering scent tickled his nose through the petrichor. His ears came to attention and he stood up, shaking out his fur and padding toward where he thought the smell might be coming from, keeping a lookout for the dark shape.

He found it, wandering ahead of him. Another one of his agemates, but not one of his siblings; his Da's sister. Haznut? Haze... something. His aunt. "Hey," he called, breaking into a trot to catch up with her. "You smell that?"

[size=x-small]Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Hazey stared out into the grey horizon, completely soaked and more than a little frustrated with her lack of success. The food was there, and surely it was close, but the unintentional game of hide and seek proved to be too much for her untrained nose.

Luckily a voice caught her attention, Arker was it? She turned to meet him, positive that he would be the solution to all of her problems. "Mm-hm." She gave a quick nod, sending water droplets flying from her crown. "Can't find it." Determination flooded her gaze as she spoke, "Wanna help?" Of course, she wasn't going to accept no for an answer, but it was polite to ask.

His aunt was quick to respond as he stopped beside her and shook out his pelt. Stupid rain. Being wet with rain was different than being wet with swimming.

She smelled the thing too, which gave him a little thrill of excitement. It wasn't just wishful thinking! He watched her nod, frustration clear in her voice as she professed should couldn't find the source. He hadn't spent any time looking yet, but he was happy to help - as long as he got a bite. "Sure," he said, amused by her determination. It was good to know not all of his agemates lacked drive. She may be his aunt, but that didn't immediately grant her power over him. This would be a good opportunity to see just how she worked and how he could use her to his advantage.

[size=x-small]Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Hazelnut gave another determined nod, happy to have recruited a soldier to aid in her plight. That food was out here somewhere, and her tummy wanted her to find it. "You go that way, I go this way." She said, flicking her nose in either direction. If they split up then they could cover twice the ground. "Yell if you find it." Lowering her muzzle to the ground, just like she'd seen momma do, Hazey inhaled. Water sputtered into her nose, but she pushed past the discomfort and set off in the direction she thought it was coming from. Her tummy would be full soon!

Archer Valle

Archer mirrored his aunt's nod, feeling very serious about it. They were going to find this food all by themselves. He nodded again at her instruction, choosing to go along with it and learn what he could about the way she worked. He was used to Eros having ideas anyway. At least hers didn't involve anything embarrassing or dirty. Yet.

Like Hazelnut, Archer sniffed, but he was careful not to snort any of the water pooling on the ground. He went the direction he'd been pointed to, trying to find the exact location of the scent. If he swung his head, maybe he could figure out if the smell was stronger one way and weaker another; then he could narrow it down. His stomach rumbled again; the search was making him hungrier.

[size=x-small]Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.

Hazey tried sniffing this way and that, doing her best to pinpoint where the scent might be stronger. Still, the rain made it hard, and the wind even harder. Certain now that the carcass wasn't in the direction she had been searching she gave up and set out in search of her soldier. "Archie!?" She called, using a nickname in place of his real name so that she wouldn't accidentally say the wrong thing. "It's not this way!" The youth yelled through the drizzle. "Where'dya go?" Once they met up they'd be able to narrow down the search even further.

Archer Valle

The scent was hard to pinpoint in the downpour, but Archer was determined to find its source. He was hungry, and he wanted to eat. It was easier to determine where the smell wasn't than following the smell itself, so the youngest Valle went with that. He shuffled along, still swinging his head and turning his body sometimes. He thought he had a hold on it; the scent was getting stronger, anyhow.

Hazelnut called out to him, and Archer looked in the direction her voice had come from. He could not longer see her through the darkness. Archie? he thought, ears flicking. Nobody had called him that before. "Over here," he shouted. "I think it's this way!"

(This post was last modified: Feb 02, 2022, 07:24 PM by Archer.)

[size=x-small]Archer is very haggard and thin; it is obvious he is not doing well.