It was a typical day for Tlanextli as she walked the pack lands. The air was cool, and the sun was setting. She enjoyed time near the border, away from all the commotion the dens presented. It gave her a chance to get lost in her own thoughts without the worry of a pack mate wanting to speak with her. She gave everything she could to Okuphelele, but she did what she could to give herself a little bit of time to herself.
As she walked enjoying the peace and quiet, she noticed another figure not far away. The figure appeared to be a fellow dog, but at her current distance she could not be certain. She ducked down toward the grass to hide herself in case she was mistaken and she started to stalk toward the figure.
When she got close enough she got a good look. The figure seemed to be doing some stalking of their own, following the tracks of a hare. She watched silently as they hunted. Their pelt did not seem familiar, but Tlanextli could just have never met the wild dog.
The hunt continued and Tlanextli remain still, silently cheering for the wild dog to get their catch.
Mirie wanted nothing more then to find a home, settle down and raise some pups. His luck had been negative for sometime, but he hoped that it would turn around. His previous home, Mizani'Ulimwengu, had disbanded after a fire had gone out of control. Some stayed to help. Mirie was wise enough to know that he would only be burdensome if he hung around.
He moved on in search of a new place to call home.
Which lead him here, to an unknown spot hunting down a hare in hopes of having a decent meal with no idea that he was being watched. He kept his eyes on the hare and he steadily crept closer and closer.
As he was getting ready to jump, the hare looked in his direction. Mirie jumped, but the hare was quicker. He tried to chase after the hare, but ended up stumbling to the ground in his attempt.
While watching Tlanextli moved out of her hiding spot to get a better view. She decided that the wild dog was probably not from the pack, or if he was he was having a rough day.
When he failed to catch the hare, she stepped forward.
“That was a good attempt. I’m sorry that it managed to get away from you!” she said. “There are some near by areas that are better hunting spots if you want me to show you.”
Mirie turned around to look at who was talking to him. He saw the wild dog and felt relief rush over him. Not all wild dogs were good, however he rarely ran into one that had ill intentions. He couldn’t say the same about other species.
“Were you watching me?” he asked, a little embarrassed. Getting out maneuvered by a hare was not the best first impression. He hoped that she had only seen a brief moment of the event.
Tlanextli nodded her head. “Sorry if it was rude. I was just going on my nightly walk and I saw you. I did not want to disturb you or scare your prey away so I thought it was best to stay hidden until you were done. But now that you are finished I can show you where the best prey are. You can catch something that you can be proud of.” She said with a smile.
He looked away sheepishly. Mirie appreciated the help, despite not wanting the pity.
“I’ll take you up on that offer. This area is new to me.” He explained. “If I manage to not fumble up my hunt, I would not mind sharing some with you to return the favor.”
Not only did he want to thank her for the help, but he also wanted to recover a little bit of his pride he lost when he failed to catch the hare. He hoped that catching something bigger would make him seem even a little more impressive.
“Are you from this area?” He asked curiously.
“I can't turn down a meal!” Tlanextli said excitedly. She had already eaten, but it was too much fun to have a meal with a stranger and exchange stories. Plus it was a chance for her to recruit him to join her pack! Their numbers were still low and could use all the wild dogs and lions they could get.
“I am.” Tlanextli answered. She looked in the direction of the mountains that the dens were at. “Over there is Okuphelele, my home. Well, technically we are on pack lands now. Those mountains are just where we rest.”
Okuphelele? Mirie had never heard of that pack. Intruding on others lands was usually a dangerous experience, but this wild dog did not seem bothered at all by his presence. In fact she was welcoming. He wondered if the pack was one like his previous one that valued life and protected others.
After he ate, he would have to ask more about the pack.
“I didn’t mean to trespass. I was just going where the wind took me.” He said with a smile. “Before we go to the hunting spot I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Mirie.”
“I promise that my pack won’t chase you away.” Tlanextli said with a laugh. “And I am Tlanextli. Right now I am sort of the leader of Okuphelele along with my partner Thalassa. If you are interested, after the hunt if you want to rest you are welcome to stay in one of the dens for a night.”
She knew that pack life wasn’t for everyone, but if it was something that interested Mirie, then staying a night might convince him to stay.
“Before that though I need to take you to the hunting spot. Follow me!” she said excitedly.
She was sort of the leader? What did that mean? Mirie thought as he listened to her talk.
“A safe place to rest would be nice. Thank you.” He said. It had been a while since he slept somewhere near others. He knew that it would lead to a peaceful nights rest. As she headed away, he followed her. He was eager to prove himself to her and learn more about the pack. There was a chance that this could be his new home.
Once they were at the spot, Mirie did his best to hunt while Tlanextli watched. She was silent and hardly reacted especially when he was doing poorly. But when he did finally catch something she erupted in a cheer. He was thankful that she wouldn’t think of him just as the wild dog who could not catch a hare.
They talked and ate. After they finished eating Tlanextli took him back to the dens and showed him where he could sleep.
“If you need anything I am just a few dens away.” She said, before leaving.
It was definitely a different pack, but it intrigued him. Tomorrow he was sure he would learn more about it. For now though he needed to rest.
WC: 1,203