The corner of Serta's lip lifted slightly at the first question from Garret and tilted her head, considering her answer for a moment. She had never give any in depth thought to why she had chosen Sunberth, other than the fact that it suited her life experience. "Not sure," She replied, shrugging. "It's hard for me to find work that isn't illegal, it seems that that's all I'm good at. Its hard for my kind to learn to read and whatever else is needed for a 'socially acceptable' job. It doesn't really matter where I go, Kelvics are always a target for someone." She answered shrugging.
Next she turned her attention to Senghor as he spoke, not looking at her. Serta gazed at the man, trying to figure out his motive as he challenged her to bring back a kill, as though he doubted her. She could tell by the others reaction, Noven, that he was surprised by the order as well, and she felt slightly better.
"Fine." She snapped, slipping her bag off of her shoulder and dumping it at his feet, eyes narrowed. She turned on her heal and marched into the trees without sparring them a glance. After a few ticks of walking she stopped and looked back over her shoulder, checking to ensure that she was out of sight before she stripped off as quickly as she could. she undid the laces in her books first, though she didn't take her feet out until she was stark naked and had hung her clothes over a low branch. Stepping out of the books she shifted quickly, the slow hungry grumble she had had before growing to a dull pang as the coloured lights twisted around her skin as she traded it for fur. Finally on four legs she shook out her fur, stretching her front legs out as she tilted her head up, sniffing at the air. From where she was she could only smell the damp of the woods and the men behind her. They need to bathe more often. She thought to herself, muzzle wrinkling.
She started forward, sniffing the air every few meters, eyes scanning as she weaved between trees. A narrow deer run caught her eye and she nearly jumped with joy, bounding over it to sniff and study the run for tracks. She huffed, disappointed as she realised that any tracks had been covered up by the earlier snow. She turned and followed the run further into the trees, carefully to watch for any disturbances in the snow.
A further fifteen or so chimes later she all but struck gold. Numerous arrow shaped tracks joined the trail before her, so fresh they were practically steaming. Stepping forward Serta pressed her nose into one of the tracks sniffing deeply and studying the shape carefully. She ran through the animals she had seen, heard or smelt in the woods in the past few days, comparing their size and shape to the look of the track. She settled on deer finally, concluding that the size and shaped matched a hoof, the smell fit as well.
She followed the tracks, carefully taking in ever change as one animals tracks crossed over the other or detoured of the run for a few meters before returning. Four. she decided, counting carefully. Five at most. It only took another five chimes before the heavy scent of deer hit her and she slowed, legs bending until her furred belly was dragging across the snow. She stalked slowly, carefully. As she drew closer to the scent a clearing opened ahead of her. She slowed to a stop a meter or so from its opening and watched, nearly drooling. Four deer were grazing ahead, scraping at the snow with their arrow shaped hooves. Her muzzle pulled into the closest thing she had to a smile as she watched them, carefully crawling forward as her eyes flicked from one to the other. Which one, which one... she wondered to herself, instantly dismissing the two largest, a doe and a young buck. The next, an older female, looked slower though she stuck close to the buck and was further away than Serta could comfortably sprint. The last, a yearling doe, seemed more daring, grazing away from the others and was the closest to Serta.
Eyes focusing on the smaller yearling, Serta waited patiently for the prime moment, the yearling had strayed even closer and had turned its face away, large eyes looking off into the woods opposite of Serta as it grazed, pulling at roots. She took her chance and gathered her legs beneath her, muscles bunching and then pulling taunt as she launched herself forward, front paws slamming into the ground before launching her forward, launching her forward again. By her second bound the doe was looking around in fear and by her third Serta was slamming into it, jaws snapping dangerously close to its face. It jerked its head away in fear as it feel into the snow, Serta's front paws pressing heavily into its back. The other deer called out warnings and bolted, no doubt expecting the rest of a pack to follow her out of the tree line. The deer struggled and Jaspers snow wet paw slipped off, her head smacking against the does back as it surged up in a frenzied attempt to get away. She snarled and grabbed onto the deer, teeth sinking into its side to keep it from getting too far. She tossed her head and with a high pitched, almost human scream the deer fell into the snow again, sharp hooves kicking at her. Serta gathered herself and surged forward, jaws snapping shut against the yearlings throat. She shock her head and sighed in relief as the deers bones cracked and it fell limp.
Panting from the struggle Serta sat back, staring down at the deer. The adrenaline pumping in her veins had banished her hunger and she suspected if she were to eat now she'd just end up bringing it up later. After catching her breath she sealed her teeth over the does neck once again and began pulling her out of the clearing.
Dragging the body back to her clothes was the most tiresome part of the whole experience, the deer was nearly as large as herself and its limp body and spindly legs kept getting stuck on tree roots and trunks. Finally reaching her clothes she dropped the kill and shifted, dressing quickly. The chill returned quickly without her think, insulating fur and she shivered as she crammed her feet back into her boots. Turning back to the doe she grabbed it by its hind legs and hoisted them over her shoulder, grunting under the weight that had seemed so much less as a wolf. Turning she dragged it back to the clearing where part of her hoped they were still waiting so she could show off her kill.
Next she turned her attention to Senghor as he spoke, not looking at her. Serta gazed at the man, trying to figure out his motive as he challenged her to bring back a kill, as though he doubted her. She could tell by the others reaction, Noven, that he was surprised by the order as well, and she felt slightly better.
"Fine." She snapped, slipping her bag off of her shoulder and dumping it at his feet, eyes narrowed. She turned on her heal and marched into the trees without sparring them a glance. After a few ticks of walking she stopped and looked back over her shoulder, checking to ensure that she was out of sight before she stripped off as quickly as she could. she undid the laces in her books first, though she didn't take her feet out until she was stark naked and had hung her clothes over a low branch. Stepping out of the books she shifted quickly, the slow hungry grumble she had had before growing to a dull pang as the coloured lights twisted around her skin as she traded it for fur. Finally on four legs she shook out her fur, stretching her front legs out as she tilted her head up, sniffing at the air. From where she was she could only smell the damp of the woods and the men behind her. They need to bathe more often. She thought to herself, muzzle wrinkling.
She started forward, sniffing the air every few meters, eyes scanning as she weaved between trees. A narrow deer run caught her eye and she nearly jumped with joy, bounding over it to sniff and study the run for tracks. She huffed, disappointed as she realised that any tracks had been covered up by the earlier snow. She turned and followed the run further into the trees, carefully to watch for any disturbances in the snow.
A further fifteen or so chimes later she all but struck gold. Numerous arrow shaped tracks joined the trail before her, so fresh they were practically steaming. Stepping forward Serta pressed her nose into one of the tracks sniffing deeply and studying the shape carefully. She ran through the animals she had seen, heard or smelt in the woods in the past few days, comparing their size and shape to the look of the track. She settled on deer finally, concluding that the size and shaped matched a hoof, the smell fit as well.
She followed the tracks, carefully taking in ever change as one animals tracks crossed over the other or detoured of the run for a few meters before returning. Four. she decided, counting carefully. Five at most. It only took another five chimes before the heavy scent of deer hit her and she slowed, legs bending until her furred belly was dragging across the snow. She stalked slowly, carefully. As she drew closer to the scent a clearing opened ahead of her. She slowed to a stop a meter or so from its opening and watched, nearly drooling. Four deer were grazing ahead, scraping at the snow with their arrow shaped hooves. Her muzzle pulled into the closest thing she had to a smile as she watched them, carefully crawling forward as her eyes flicked from one to the other. Which one, which one... she wondered to herself, instantly dismissing the two largest, a doe and a young buck. The next, an older female, looked slower though she stuck close to the buck and was further away than Serta could comfortably sprint. The last, a yearling doe, seemed more daring, grazing away from the others and was the closest to Serta.
Eyes focusing on the smaller yearling, Serta waited patiently for the prime moment, the yearling had strayed even closer and had turned its face away, large eyes looking off into the woods opposite of Serta as it grazed, pulling at roots. She took her chance and gathered her legs beneath her, muscles bunching and then pulling taunt as she launched herself forward, front paws slamming into the ground before launching her forward, launching her forward again. By her second bound the doe was looking around in fear and by her third Serta was slamming into it, jaws snapping dangerously close to its face. It jerked its head away in fear as it feel into the snow, Serta's front paws pressing heavily into its back. The other deer called out warnings and bolted, no doubt expecting the rest of a pack to follow her out of the tree line. The deer struggled and Jaspers snow wet paw slipped off, her head smacking against the does back as it surged up in a frenzied attempt to get away. She snarled and grabbed onto the deer, teeth sinking into its side to keep it from getting too far. She tossed her head and with a high pitched, almost human scream the deer fell into the snow again, sharp hooves kicking at her. Serta gathered herself and surged forward, jaws snapping shut against the yearlings throat. She shock her head and sighed in relief as the deers bones cracked and it fell limp.
Panting from the struggle Serta sat back, staring down at the deer. The adrenaline pumping in her veins had banished her hunger and she suspected if she were to eat now she'd just end up bringing it up later. After catching her breath she sealed her teeth over the does neck once again and began pulling her out of the clearing.
Dragging the body back to her clothes was the most tiresome part of the whole experience, the deer was nearly as large as herself and its limp body and spindly legs kept getting stuck on tree roots and trunks. Finally reaching her clothes she dropped the kill and shifted, dressing quickly. The chill returned quickly without her think, insulating fur and she shivered as she crammed her feet back into her boots. Turning back to the doe she grabbed it by its hind legs and hoisted them over her shoulder, grunting under the weight that had seemed so much less as a wolf. Turning she dragged it back to the clearing where part of her hoped they were still waiting so she could show off her kill.
