Eusi was not one for wandering about aimlessly, but she considered today to be one of those exceptions. She hadn't really been feeling well, for the most part, but that sickness didn't really count as an excuse for her. Because even though she didn't feel well, she still had to eat. And drink. And exercise. And socialize, at least a little bit. Tai had been by many times lately, checking in on her. She was half-tempted to just ask him to stay in the den with her, so that he wouldn't have to come visit every two hours, and she would have constant company. Which she craved.She gave a sigh and looked around. Food was getting scarcer as the colder weather was moving in; it didn't help her situation any, that was for sure. The smell of a rabbit wafted towards her from her left. She decided to go for it anyway. Her paws quickly brushed over the dirt and sand of the savannah and she approached her meal with a hungry glint in her eye. The rabbit was sitting in the middle of a small brush area, where rabbits were often seen gathering up little plants and the like. It raised its head, glanced around (Eusi had already squatted down to hug the earth, as she watched the animal closely) and then went back to its foraging. Slowly, surely and quietly, the wild dog crawled to her prey.
Palia was roaming just for the sake of roaming. It was one of her favorite things to do, she was able to look around and see if anyone was in need of help. She didn't have a hero complex or anything, she just absolutely hated bullies. She had been bullied a lot as a puppy for being so small, and so she had resolved to protect others when she was big enough too.
But as she was roaming Palia caught sight of something else. "A rabbit!" she said aloud. She crouched down and moved slowly towards her prey, not noticing the other wild dog very close by. When she was close enough, she pounced as quickly as she could and caught the rabbit right in her mouth! With a grin on her face, Palia walked out of the brush she had caught the rabbit in and laid on the ground.
Well, that was unexpected.
Her ears flicked backward instinctively and a low growl moved through Eusi's throat. Not only had she spotted that rabbit first, but some other female had gotten it first. She had been taking her time, savoring the soft flesh that would soon be in her stomach. Not any more, alas.
She sighed again and stood up slowly, a bored look on her face now. She watched the much-smaller wild dog nearby, feasting on what had been her rabbit, and sighed yet again. It wasn't too important to get worked up over, but she still felt that it had been rude anyway. She hadn't been having the greatest of weeks, and the stress had bottled up. She could blame it on her hormones, or something.
"I would suggest that next time, take an extra sniff around to see if anyone else is nearby when you start hunting," she called out a bit drily. "Not only for extra predators for yourself, but also for the meal you're about to snatch up."
When Palia had heard the female voice begin to talk she immediately got up and crouched over her prey. But after she heard that she had apparently stolen the rabbit from her... she relaxed a bit. "I'm sorry about that, I didn't notice you here," she began, "You are welcome to share the kill with me though," she finished, looking around for where the voice was coming from.
"It's not that big of a catch anyway; it'll only feed one of us." Eusi walked forward into view, motioning to the dead rabbit with her head. "You might as well eat it. You caught it first. I'll look around for something else soon." She eyed the female, who didn't really look that much younger than she. Except for the size, which was a bit misleading, but that was a silly assumption.
"I'm Eusi," she said finally.
Palia watched as the voice presented herself. It turns out, she was a wild dog too, and from the looks of it, around the same age as herself. "Well you're right about that," she began, "It isn't exactly a big catch. Still, I feel bad about taking it from you. I know of a gazelle herd that roams nearby if you want to go and check and see." she said turning and looking into the distance, "My name is Palia by the way."
Gazelle? Eusi chuckled, giving a half-smile. She doubted that she would be able to catch such a fast creature by herself. She would ask Tai for help later on. She nodded towards the rabbit again, motioning for the female--Palia--to go ahead and begin eating.
"Don't let it go to waste," she said matter-of-factly, and in a motherly way. "It's nice to meet you, Palia. Pretty name."
Palia tilted her head and wondered why she had chuckled. "You don't think we could catch a gazelle? I do it all the time!" she said with a laugh. "And if you don't mind..." she said before digging into the rabbit. "It's nice to meet you too Eusi! I like your name too. What are you doing out here? I've just been roaming for awhile now, really bored. Glad I found someone to talk to!" she finished with a smile.
Oh, wait, she had volunteered her services as well? Alright then. "Not that we couldn't catch one; I just didn't know if you were available to help me, is all. If not, that's fine. I have a friend that I can drag along with later." This female seemed pretty friendly. Hyper, or at least interactive, as well. She reminded Eusi of Laika. A fond smile formed on her maw. She missed her little sister.
"I'm walking for the sake of walking. I'm bored in my den and know I need the exercise, food and water, so I've been wandering around close to home to fulfill those things. It is nice to find someone to talk to, though," she nodded in agreement.
