Howahkan sat down while waiting for the wild dog to regain her composure. Just moments ago, she pulled a bramble from her paw that was then flung away. Hopefully nobody else will find their feet coming into contact with pointy things. Barbs were rather nasty and could cause infection if not taken care of. Howa didn't have to worry. The dog was carefully cleaning the wound. Soon it will heal over.
Her tail swayed while she waited. She promised to help her find some food. It would be hard to hunt without the complete use of all her legs. Thankfully, Howa has never seriously hurt a part on her body. She's been in a few scraps, but managed to take advantage of her speed to get away. Some creatures enjoyed pain... she shook herself to clear her head.
Fantome gave her paw a few final licks before examining it. Things seemed to be in place. Already the wound had stopped bleed and beginning to red over. She'll just have to be sure not to re-open it. The last thing anybody needed was a hungry predator to follow her blood trail. In her current state, she'd be easy pickin's. Finally, after a satisfying observation, stood up on three paws. She placed her front paw on the ground and tested the feel. It smarted, but bearable. As long as she didn't step on anything else sharp or drag her feet, she should be fine.
Fantome took her attention away from her foot to address the cheetah. "Seriously, thanks for the help. My name's Fantome." She cocked her head in acknowledgement. If it wasn't for this cheetah, Fantome would still have been grovelling in pain. Super embarrassing, especially if another crewmate happened to find her. Pirates were tough! ...though she'll have to work on it.
"And I am Howahkan." She took a deep bow out of respect. Fantome seemed like a kind spirited animal regardless of her pack. Though, Howa has never seen another pirate.... so many judging on the wrong side wasn't the right thing to do. However, one could never be too careful. "What are you hunting?" She didn't know if Fantome was already on the hunt. Given all the noise she made earlier, whatever she was stalking sure was gone by now.
Fantome considered her question. "Well, nothing right now, but I hope something good!" At this point, she wasn't picky. As long as this trip wasn't a disaster, she'll be satisfied. "I'm not sure if you're familiar with the area, but there's a little forest just over there. Hares and birds are everywhere." She took a few tentative steps, testing the leg to bare her weight. It didn't really freak out, so she'll continue. No running, but with Howa on her side, she didn't think she'd have to.
Howa nodded at Fantome's words. "Hares and birds I can handle. Though, I prefer hares." They gave her more of a challenge. Once a bird was in flight, there was no point. Others would argue that getting to the birds before they took off was the fun part. Howa preferred a good chase.
To start the hunt, Howa stalked forward. She made sure to head in the direction Fantome mentioned. She could already see a few tree tops mostly hidden by the rolling hills.
After living with the pirates, Fantome developed a taste for fish. Plus, they were super fun to catch. Though, she wasn't always a pirate and grew up with land meat. A nice hare or two always put her in good spirits. It reminded her of where she came from and how far she's gone. Fantome watched Howa head off. She didn't mind how she took the initiative by moving forward. Plus, the faster she caught the food, the sooner she could return home. A nice soak in the water would be perfect right now. "Go ahead, I'll still be here."
A tail flick was all Howa gave to Fantome to let her know she heard her. Then she was off. Her muscles rippled as she speed forward. She wasn't going her fastest, no need to tire herself out before the chase, but still...the wind tangled in her legs and ruffled her fur. Soon, to her disappointment, she was already at the wood's edge. She walked up to the entrance and took a deep breath. The scents of pig drifted past her nose. A smile, pigs were fun as well. She set off, heading towards the pig. She spotted him in the leaves, digging for roots. His head, barred under the dirt. It didn't notice her and that wouldn't do. She roared and the pig took off, needing no other motivation. Howa waited a few seconds, giving the pig time to create distance. This need to be a little bit more challenging. A push from her back legs shot her forward. She almost, almost made it to her top speed before she descended on the pig. With a shift bit, the pig was dead. She picked it up with her teeth, panting through the hide.
Fantome didn't have to get very far before she saw Howa returning with...a pig! Sweet! They were crafty little suckers. She'd jump up and down if she could. Howa padded up to Fantome and dropped the pig at her feet. "Wow, that's great! Thanks!" Fantome exclaimed. "Not a problem." Howa smiled. Fantome shifted the pig. "If you ever want to hunt for me again, just stop by! It took you minutes, which is pretty sweet." Howa chuckled. "I appreciate the offer, but I must head off." Fantome picked up the pig and muffled, "Bye!" Howa waved with her tail before heading in the opposite direction.
(wc 1169)
