Nighttime Hunting
Behemoth had never raised pups before, and it was shocking to her how much energy they took from her even though her belly wasn’t as distended as it would be late term. As the starry pelted runner led the trio through the desert, Behemoth felt herself fall further and further behind, tired already even though she had rested up during the sandstorm, while Enigma kept pace with the opalescent female with no issues.
It didn’t take long for the others to notice, both of them turning to glance at the glasswork runner’s small frame as the distance between them grew. Enigma sighed while the other female just stood silent, both of them waiting for her to catch up.
“Perhaps some food would help?” Behemoth caught the overo asking as she approached, and the lady of the night looked thoughtful before nodding.
“Can you hunt?” The question came from the dusted female, and Behemoth had to catch herself from immediately answering in a refusal for help, before she nodded slowly.
“I think so.” Her response made the opal runner hum, while Enigma squinted in suspicion.
Determined to prove herself, Behemoth pushed past her, nose pointed up and maw parted as she searched for a scent of something edible. With the sun down, one might suspect there wouldn’t be many options, but in the desert heat, plenty more creatures came out to play when the nights grew cold.
It was her ears that alerted her to the closest prey, a den of coyotes waking up, their yips echoing across the sands. She soon scented their pungent musk on the air, and gestured with her head in the correct direction. The other females soon followed, and quickly overtook her, leading the way.
It bothered her just a little, but she let herself stay silent, knowing they were there to help and not just upstage her. Stll, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the pair, and regretted yet again the decisions that brought her to this point in time.
***
Nyx had known that food would probably come up at some point or another before Enigma had even mentioned it. Growing pups needed sustenance, and when fighting sandstorms and through the desert, they needed even more. Thankfully her territory was usually ripe with prey, and the coyotes they could sense would feed them enough to make it to the village. She could tell there were probably a half dozen of them, a few each to feed the tio.
Enigma was likely hungry too, although she didn’t let that slow her. Persistent and stubborn, both of them, and Nyx couldn’t help but feel a hint of fondness for the pair. Now was not the time to think of them though, as they drew closer to the den.
Even a vayron with a slashed nose could tell where they were going now, the scent was thick as it hung in the air and the creatures were loud and boisterous, yipping and barking, short howls and whines. Nyx thanked the wind for being on their side and not revealing the trio’s position to their prey.
Behemoth was barely keeping up, but Nyx led a slower pace with Enigma, knowing the pregnant female wouldn’t like being left behind. The overo seemed content with this, the unspoken agreement passing between them.
Keeping an ear out for the glassmarked female, Nyx split up with Enigma when they drew closer, the pair circling around to either side of the waking den. Behemoth stayed center, likely intending to grab any that escaped the pincer in her direction. It was a solid tactic, and Nyx hoped none ran the wrong direction that the trio didn’t cover.
Enigma seemed all too giddy at the prospect of the hunt, energy pouring into her limbs and causing her movements to be jumpy. She was easily the most energetic of the three, and Nyx silently wondered if she could whip up a spell to transfer her energy to the pregnant vay.
Not that they had time to consider the option, as they were almost upon the coyotes, their loud sounds almost hurtful on the reo’s more delicate ears. With a nod across the way to the others, Nyx bounded forward, pouring on the speed to cut the last leg short.
***
Enigma wasn’t great at the silent approach, and she whooped as she raced forward. She and Nyx left Behemoth behind as they struck like a hammer to an avail. The coyotes scattered from their den, racing as fast as their little limbs could carry them.
They were pretty fast, but the three of them were faster - lithe shapes of runners, longer limbs with genetics for going fast. Even Behemoth, who was slow now as she carried pups, was not slow in comparison to the smaller canines, and all their jaws found targets, clamping down and ending their prey, or large bear-like paws smacking the coyotes to incapacitate them.
Enigma, giddy with the thrill of the hunt, blood on her teeth that complimented her coat, chased after more than her fair share, refusing to let a single coyote escape. The glasswork female may have only brought down a pair, but Enigma hunted plenty, which would allow the trio to eat more than their fill.
Still, the creatures were scrawny, small beings in the grand scheme of things. While Enigma suspected that they were close to leaving the starry vay’s territory, she also figured that the glasswork female might go longer without food than either of them, stubborn and slow and looking all too broke.
When they finished their meal, Enigma gestured with her ears to another direction, and the pair followed her, curious.
Much like Behemoth did before, the overo’s nose was pointed up with her maw parted. She caught onto a new scent, and smiled. It was more feathers than meat, but they were lightweight, and could easily be carried, even by someone laden down with pups. Perfect.
***
Behemoth hadn’t quite caught on to what Enigma was up to, not until the scent of fowl assailed her. Was the overo female still hungry after their meal of coyote? The lady of the night didn’t seem bothered in the least, so Behemoth followed the pair as they sought out birds.
Prairie chickens were weird creatures. They reminded her of pheasants bred with frogs. The goofy displays of feathers around their necks that stuck up also reminded her of secretary birds, and the inflated orange sacks the males had made it hard to take the birds seriously.
The trio was wandering into territory belonging to the birds, males making claims to sparse land to attract mates, fighting off others that got too close. While the birds weren’t very nocturnal, their lands made it clear that the reos had just wandered into breeding grounds for the birds, as there was evidence of plenty of the males within seeing and hearing distance of each other, even as they nested down to sleep.
Knowing they wouldn’t have much of a chance once the birds noticed them, Behemoth grabbed some of the energy she had regained from her meal, and bounded ahead, Nyx and Enigma easily overtaking her.
The shrieks of the birds filled the air as the trio descended, and Behemoth for a moment forgot that strangers ran beside her, and instead it was her sister and father, fellow glass marked vays.
***
Nyx usually was someone who kept to themselves, shrouded in mystery. Sure she helped others when the need arose, but usually when they gave her offerings. She could work on herself and her magic in peace. Still, she couldn’t help but feel satisfied as she helped mow down the birds. The ones that were awakened by the cries of the fallen now ran haphazardly, running around, for better lack of term, like chickens with their heads cut off.
She had a sense of comadrie with the other females, and it made her wonder if she should come out more often, even without someone giving an offering.
One of the males running right past her face pulled her from her thoughts as she snapped down, catching the creature with its inflated sack and cutting short its cries. From similar sounds in the area, she could deduce that the others were also successful, taking down prey of their own. The birds were slow enough that even Behemoth could catch them without too much force, and Enigma tore through the flock like a bat out of hell. It was amusing to catch and Nyx found herself with a soft chuckle that surprised even her.
“Do you think we have enough?” Her voice called out and she got a loud negative in response as Enigma seemed instant on hunting down every last bird. Nyx hummed and decided to stand by Behemoth while she waited, as the glass female was for sure done herself, panting and sitting beside her smaller pile of birds, Nyx adding her own and more than tripling the number.
***
Enigma was having the time of her life causing chaos and raining hell down on the poor birds. She had long lost track of her companions, tunneled in on the chickens as they ran for cover. Too bad there wasn’t much in the line of cover, leaving them all to fall prey to her claws.
A few might have gotten away, but she didn’t suspect it was many, and when she stopped seeing moving targets, she grinned almost sheepishly at the raised eyebrows of her companions. She knew she had a tendency to go overboard, but at least now they’d have plenty of food to survive the trip to town and feed growing pups!
Well, at least one pup. It would be terrible of her to assume the gray reo was carrying more than one.
Still, she needed a few trips to carry all of the feathered creatures to the pile, and she proudly looked upon them.
“More than enough for you and your cargo, plus some snacks for us.”
Enigma almost swore there was a hint of blush on those gray cheeks, and she winked, before hauling out some rope from who knows where to tie the chickens together and strap to their backs.
“Come on, let's get going.”
And there really was nothing more to say as the starry female led the way towards the edge of her territory once more.
-End-
Sustain Trial for Behemoth 9519, Nyx 15327, Enigma 14622
♦ The Reosean sets out on a hunt - if they bring a prey back, their trial is considered passed. Draw your Reosean either stalking, chasing or taking down a prey item from the Prey List.
WC 1733 +17
Purity Trial +2
Other Reo Behemoth 9519 | Enigma 14622 +2
Corresponding Land +1
Total = 22 CP
WC 1733 +17
Purity Trial +2
Other Reo Behemoth 9519 | Nyx 15327 +2
Corresponding Land +1
Total = 22 CP
Personal +3
WC 1733 +17
Purity Trial +2
Other Reo Nyx 15327 | Enigma 14622 +2
Corresponding Land +1
Total = 25 CP