Sharp ears swiveled to capture the sound of the raven’s call. The alert drew his attention almost instantaneously, his keen senses on point with the rush of the chase and bloodlust running thick through every fiber of Kahno’s being. A flash of dusty white skimmed across his field of vision. The rabbit was escaping, but the skybird took adequate and rather intelligent action. He hadn’t expected the hunt to be a collaborative effort, but his instincts drew him into the ploy. He had worked in a pack before, sometimes just himself and another male doing the hunting. One would chase, the other would attack. It took swift thought and pinpoint precision. One misstep could ruin the entire effort.
The light pat of the taloned bird lit the forest floor in front of the rodent. Frantic and confused, the furry being sputtered and zigzagged, seemingly debating on going around the raven. Powerful hind legs kicked into high gear as Kahno took off in the direction of both miniscule creatures. The rabbit spun and at the last minute, and a minute too late.
The wolf opened his massive jaw with a snarl just as he ran up on the skybird and rabbit. The rabbit nearly slipped right past him on his left, but with a chomp, sharp teeth found soft flesh right around the middle. A squeal pierced the air as the prey was caught, and Kahno slid to a stop, barreling straight over the little bird. With a brutal jerk of his head, the hunter shook the rabbit back and forth. The crunching of brittle bones filled his ears as his teeth cracked down into the rabbits body, long canines sinking into the warm, bloody flesh. The trauma ceased the critter’s life, and the bloodlust grew within Kahno as the copper taste of blood filled his mouth.
Plopping to the ground, the wolf began to feast, his mouth salivating onto the carcass. It may have been rude, but for the moment, he disregarded the presence of the skybird. It didn’t take long, however, for the small catch to be devoured. Sticky red caked the fur around the wolf’s jaw as he slinked up onto all fours and stretched, his belly satisfied for the time being.
It was then that he recognized that perhaps he owed the bird a show of his appreciation. He turned to face the feathery thing and stared at it, golden eyes glimmering. The blood on his face made a fearsome creature, and he knew that the bird may be frightened of him. Normally he would have snatched it up for a second snack, to ensure his satisfaction. Though he was proud and full on conceited air, he remembered what it was like to hunt with a pack, and for a moment, he almost missed it.
Kahno approached the skybird and with one massive padded paw, stepped on its tail feathers to keep it from flying away. Massive jaws opened and closed proximity to the being. Surely it was frightened.
But he simply let his long, black tongue unfold out and licked the bird across the head. He felt a little bad that some of the fresh blood smeared its white feathers, but it was a sweet sight. Kinda. He nosed the creature and then walked around it. In a flash of light, a man took shape in the wolf’s place. His hair was unkempt, his body sporting some dirt in places, the same blood smattered across his face. Identical amber eyes locked onto the bird.
In Common, the newly formed man said, ”Thank you, Skybird, for your assistance. I hadn’t expected it, at all.”