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The summer heat of Jauhar was much like it's winter heat - intense and wet, like the breath of a great beast. Votzhem, upon his (more or less) permanent return to the jungle had eventually shed his coat and boots, the main protection against the elements his own tough blue skin as well as some very short shorts to maintain his modesty and a belt to hold his sheathed swords. It was still odd to have his markings (and his few crystals) so revealed, but it was better than stewing in (and ruining) the worn leather and fur he was more used to.

He leaned against a tree and watched the canopy, waiting for his wife to join him for the hunt - sometimes, he would take his children with him and teach them how to hunt. Sometimes they - in particular Volkarosh - would teach him instead. Sometimes - less frequently - he would hunt with Ruelash, and when they did they rarely returned hungry.

But today, it would be just him and his wife - one of many treasured gems of intimacy that they shared as of late, a droplet of time to make up for the veritable ocean that they had missed out on. That time wasn't lost. It was time well spent, on survival, on family, on coming home. But it was still time to make up for.

Votzhem always expected the tackle, but it never ceased to pleasantly thrill him. He enveloped her in his arms, lifted her off the ground and twirled her, just to show off how strong he was (and to feel her against him, and to kiss her and...). He laughed when they finally broke free of each other. "Hopefully, we'll catch a few of them." he said, chuckling, "Have to earn our keep." Until they moved out of the Shifter's home, that is. He had a builder lined up, someone to make them a proper place, but they were busy with another project. Soon, though. Soon.

"Are we going by tree or by ground?" he asked, "Or... split it between us?" He wasn't actually sure which of them was better on the trees versus the ground. Neither were as adept as the shifters who had lived there their whole lives, and his bulk did get in the way at times when he tried to leap around. Still, he'd practiced a lot since he'd returned home, and he was very fit and strong... he managed.

"Coming!"

Votzhem was no stranger to stealth, but that didn't mean he could see her as they hunted. He followed, teased by the occasional glimpse of his wife amidst the dark understory foliage. His movements were easy, almost effortless. He had built up his endurance over long hunts and marches, and he could outpace many of his Sisters.

But not his wife.

He pounced over a fallen tree, already decaying in the think jungle murk and ducked beneath a low-hanging, fungus encrusted branch. He had just caught another glimpse of his wife, and was about to race towards it when...

He knelt to the ground, gaze intense. There - a track. Fresh. He whistled, low and clear, to let her know that he had found a trail.

Her sudden appearance behind him stirred dual instincts inside him - one more geared towards an enemy, born of many ambushes and one geared more towards a mate with savage tendancies. Both instincts resulted in a feral grin.

"Yeah." it was big. He let out a purring grunt at her touch. "I'm looking forward to it." He flexed his muscles. "Lets get it before it gets too far." he said, bounding forward.

He actually wasn't used to tracking by scent primarily - smells died in the cold, and he had honed his hunting skills in tundra lands. But it was exhilerating to smell that beast-smell and know that it was near.

"This way!"

He knew where she was. Why would she call like that, if not to stir the blood? Blood stirred, he sounded his own call, deep and bass, as he moved quickly around the beast to flank it. They were perfectly in tune - the beast barely knew what had hit it until they were both, simultaneously, upon it.

It was one of the large, meaty jumping-birds - the sort of creature that was obviously Talean but bred by the jungle into something of it's own. It's feathers were short and hard, scale like from chitin, and it's beak was broad and strong to break through the shells of insects and the hulls of nuts. It's feet were huge and it's legs were powerful and it's eyes glowed brilliantly in the dusk. It was not the easiest of prey, but they had surprised with their calls and confused with their dual angles of simultaneous attack. The beast could only rear up as Votzhem's weight came down upon its armored neck.

He pinned it to the ground, drawing his sword in case - just in case - his wife's blades missed their mark.

They wouldn't, but it was good to be prepared.

He felt the life swiftly leave the beast's body in a single shuddering gasp. He sheathed his blade and stood up, silent as his mate prayed. He watched her, eyes travelling over her body briefly before coming to rest on her bloodstained hands. Iroia was so wild and untamed. Even just a moment before, she had been as vicious as a radaku. But, in this moment, she was so... spiritual.

Iroia was many things, Votzhem knew. She was a hunter, a warrior, a mother, and sometimes a bandit. These were things that she shared with his cousin Ruelash (even the motherhood, apparently). But she also showed a respect for the reciever of her violence that he - and many other people that Votzhem knew, especially those in his tribe at times - lacked.

Silently, inspired by her, he gave his respects to the beast that had just died at their hands.

That done, he returned her grin with one of his own. "That was magnificent, my love." he purred, his voice playful and mischevious. "You are magnificent."

"Mmm..." He kissed her forehead. "You know how I am with flattery." he said, pulling her to him with one big, beefy arm and snuggling her close. Yes, they were hunting, yes there was an animal carcass now to deal with, but she had reminded him of the long, cold gap in their time together. And she was so warm...

Votzhem let out an admiring growl, wrapping his arms around her. "Why, yes." he purred into her ear, "I think I do." He kissed her neck, then her collarbone, then her shoulder, his lips sampling her skin's firey warmth. "But if you have anything else in mind..." he said, "Feel free to enlighten me."