Fakir:
Hunting duty was among his least favorite, but it was only fair that everyone took a turn. Each day, a hunting party was assembled. They'd bring back what they could carry to provide for the pack. It was a reasonable enough system, fair for everyone...the wounded still ate while they were cared for. Fakhir wasn't completely certain if he respected Weed's methods as a leader. The young akita seemed....soft. Too merciful. The pack was growing larger....

The kai ken moved slowly, taking long, quiet breaths. There were ducks by the stream...with newly hatched chicks. A few adults for the pack and a few fuzzy mouthfuls to replenish his own energy.

He slowly let his maw fall open, sharp and ready fangs flashing in the dim morning light. He slowly pushed his face through the low underbrush of the riverside, his green eyes narrowing. Slow...careful....timing...

He smiled, slowly running his tongue over his fangs. One duck turned to preen under it's feathers, another dipped its head to nuzzle one of its ducklings.

Breakfast.... He started to count down quietly.

Ahiru:
Alone.

She was alone.

Not only that, but it was dark, it was dreary and she was afraid and so horribly alone, for the first time in her life. Ahiru was lost, and feeling horribly, utterly useless; there couldn't be any other sort of explanation for what had happened. Why else would they have left her here all alone? Why else would they have... abandoned her? The female had tried to keep her mind from resorting to the word, but after two days of padding around and remaining near the place the humans had left her at, she'd come to terms with the fact they were not coming back, and that she WAS truly all alone. She'd had no water and no food during those days, refusing to move more than a few feet from the side of the road where they'd left her, and yet she now knew she NEEDED to drink... needed to or she would die. Her heart, her mind and soul, as torn as they were by the turn of events, would not let her lie down and die. So thus, Neha padded along in the darkness till she reached the side of a pond, her form coming out from between the bushes, the noise startling the ducks swimming into flight as her head dipped down to lap at the water. Despite everything, the girl looked utterly dejected, her long, elegant tail lowered so much at it was practically between her legs. The collar, gleaming red in the moonlight, the only reminder of where she'd come from.

Fakir:
Something caught the ducks attention just downstream. Damnit...

The kai ken exploded from the under brush, fangs flashing open as the ducks scrambled into the air and down the bank toward the river. Fakhir lunged, throwing himself down the slope into the water, his jaws snapping down on the first small, feathered body he came into contact with. The others quacked frantically, flying along the water or dipping down under the surface.

Wet and aggravated, Fakhir lifted his head out of the water. Instead of an adult duck, a small yellow duckling dangled from his fangs. Not enough..not even to satisfy his own hunger.

The ken slowly trudged back to the shore, threw his kill to the ground and shot a dangerous glare towards the Saluki. Idiot...

"You ruined... my hunt."

Ahiru:
The kill wasn't what surprised the female; she was a huntress after all. Her instincts would never let her feel sickened by the sight of someone lunging for prey, however... the glare the male offered DID startle her. Any other time, it was probable she'd not even had reacted to it, and would have offered him a kind smile right back, however, she was on an empty stomach and feeling the scars of being abandoned, still fresh against her heart. As the male came out of the water to throw his kill on the ground, Ahiru took a step back, her head lowering submisively, her long tail coming to stay between her legs. Her eyes were large, frightened but rather than feeling fear due to him, it seemed like the whole surrounding forest was intimidating. He was just adding to the threatening atmosphere.


No words were offered even as she took another step back, tripping on a root, which sent her reeling back and into a sitting position. Tears threatened to pour from her eyes as she stared at him; WHY was she here? WHY had they abandoned her? WHY? What had she done? What had she ever done, other than give them love?

Fakir:
The dog shook himself out then reached a paw up to smoothe out his fur a bit. One glance over towards the girl sent the snarl into a simple scowl. He didn't reconize her... she certainly wasn't from Ohu. It was then he spotted the pendant. A pet.... she was one of man's servants. But this far out?

He glanced to either side before taking a step in her direction, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Ahiru:
When he took a step towards her, she took another step back, having pushed herself to her feet in fear; it wasn't him that was frightening her so, but the whole situation. He was just adding to it, sending the girl into a mild frenzy, "I.... I...." her head turned to look around, her eyes still wide before her ears lowered down. Her pelt despite looking smooth, was ungroomed here and there from where she'd remain on the ground for the past two days, refusing to move. Then, the damn broke and tears cascaded down her cheeks, though they were silent ones; she looked horribly confused, "I don't know..." it was obviously an answer to the second question; she'd left the first one unanswered, "They left me here and... I don't know why..."

Fakir:
Fakir's expression remained cold, though his posture relaxed. "Abandoned then." He looked to the side, his ears drawing back to flatten out against his skull. Humans...careless, idiotic things. Often times dogs would be abandoned out here. A few of the warriors still wore collars from their past lives. Others were shot if they came too close to the city limits.

He sighed, "Relax. You shouldn't be out here."