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 Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 12:11 pm
 Kumiho rarely resorted to scavenging, but the winter was harsh, lean, and for the first harsh winter in many, Kumiho was alone.
Most skinwalkers are solitary, that's true, but Kumiho had let herself get comfortable with her companionship with Cerberus. Her thoughts often went to him... the closest a monster such as herself could feel to remorse. She didn't miss his company, of course, just the convenience. He was strong, an able hunter. He would do anything for Kumiho, and that's what she missed. Now she was alone again, forced to skimp and scavenge for prey in these hard times.
It was easier to hunt in her fox-form... she was faster, smaller, and more easily concealed. But there were no toads or lizards in the snow to feed her belly. Most of the birds had migrated, and those that stuck around certainly wouldn't be having nests at the moment. Rats and squirrels were easier to find but to be honest, she was fed up with their underfed meat.
So now she was shuffling about in the snow in her full size Soquili form, her nose to the wind where she caught the scent of blood. As she approached, the ravaged corpse of a dear easy to spot against the white snow. The buzzards were flying overhead, but the meat smelled fresh and the corpse had not yet rotted.
She felt a tugging of her pride deep in her chest - part of her wanted to just throw her nose up and walk away. But the rumbling in her stomach was too loud to ignore, so she swallowed her pride and moved over to the kill. As she got closer, her ears perked as she smelled another smell. A familiar smell...
...this deer had been killed by one of her kits. She gave another whiff....the little black one it seemed. The one that looked the most like a kitsune like herself. She snorted, an uneasy emotion churning in the pit of her stomach. She looked over the kill - obviously the best parts of the deer has been picked over. She nearly felt sick at the idea of eating seconds... begging for scraps from the life she created... how pathetic.
But the hunger was overwhelming. Quickly, ready to get away as soon as she could, Kumiho began to rip at the remaining meat from the bones. She devoured the offal and the rough, stringy ligaments. She lapped at the skin and the little bits of flesh that had been passed over for the more choice sections of meat. In her Soquili form, she could eat more and thoroughly intended to fill her belly to capacity. She looked up frequently, her ears listening for any signs of disturbance. She didn't want her son to see this...if he were to show his face she would make sure to end him with as much callous and thought as she has made him.
If anyone else saw her, well...they would just assume she made the kill anyway.
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Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2014 8:18 am
After afew hours, Kumiho had cleaned the corpse well. While the quality of meat had been less than ideal with her second-hand helpings, at least the feel of a full belly was pleasant. Eating a hundred rats wasn't the same as a quality helping of freshly killed venison. Even if all that was left was offal and ligaments. She had eaten so much she concluded she probably wouldn't be able to switch back to her fox-form without risking making herself sick. Actually, finding somewhere to curl up for a long, blood-drunk sleep sounded marvelous and the perfect way to cap off the day. She would clean up later... for now she didn't mind reeking of death of a while. Less likely someone would bother her anyway...
She didn't go far; the first large tree she found would do just fine. She dug out a small den in the tangle of roots and settled in. She curled up, sheilding herself from the biting winter winds. She fluffed her long tails and used them as a blanket of sorts, using their thick fur to cover her sensitive muzzle. However, snuffling into the winding tails only brought back to her memory a reminder; her one mangled, disfigured tail that Cerberus had tore. Dammit it all! Her mood was immediately soured as her thoughts turned back to that mangy mutt. She raised her hackles and growled.
She rolled over in her shallow den, mud and dirt smearing over her silver fur. She was mopey, but didn't give a damn. Her vanity and pride were still bruised, and not even the warm full belly feeling was successfully cheering her up.
However, after several minutes, the movement and rustle of leaves caught her attention. She didn't move, but she inhaled deeply, trying to get a whiff of the incoming intruders. It smelled cervine. Soon, through the leaves and roots, she saw the hooves of two young deer heading towards the clearing she had just come from.
They looked less than a year old; probably born in the past spring and just now considering striking out on their own. But Kumiho could tell from their movements and scent they were nervous. It suddenly occurred to her; they were looking for their mother! Most likely the same deer that was digesting currently in her stomach.
My my...weren't they in for a surprise when they would go into the clearing. They would find her alright - torn asunder and stripped down to nearly the bones. And this thought began to make Kumiho feel better.
More than better - inspired.
So what if she had to scavenge a meal or two? Killing an animal only effects them for a few moments. Sure, there's a rush of a thrill as you watch their blood drain from their body, but its fleeting. But as soon as these little fawns would find their mother's mangled body their lives would be changed forever!
She chuckled in glee, her old glow beginning to return to her eyes. Her tails swayed in the small den, twining around each other like a den of snakes. Sure, when she ripped Stormwild's foals from their baskets; ending their lives before they even started, it had been invigorating. But the real pleasure was knowing that the confounded mare would probably never live another day without knowing Kumiho had stolen something from her - something she would never, ever be able to replace.
Sure, Cerberus had the brute strength. He could keep her well fed on bucks and bison but it was herself that was carving her mark on the land. On the hearts and minds of those unfortunate enough to cross her path. Why had she even agreed to take on that loafing ox of a Soquili has her companion in the first place? Or take a few hits and kill a few prey? Had she not been so prideful she would have been ashamed.
No, she was far from over. Just as Gaston would never be able to see again, and Stormwild would never be able to nuzzle her foals, Yorik would never get to love his heart's desire, and these fawns would never see their mother again Kumiho would never stop carving her presence known on this world. She didn't need to big and powerful to hurt others. Quite the opposite, she was highly effective of ruining their lives by the fact that she didn't kill them. That was well worth sacrifice of surviving off toads and mice. No amount of fresh meat and blood in her throat could compare to the satisfaction of knowing she had single-pawidly changed the course of someone's life forever.
The cloud of depression that had been lingering on the corners of Kumiho's mind lifted, and she fell into a long, satisfying sleep.
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