Impromptu Deer Hunting

The group had continued traveling for the better part of a day and all the while the snow fell gently around them. The handlers talked amongst themselves, trying to decide what they might do with their time and very little else in particular. It was late afternoon when they entered a thick forested area, already resting in the shadow of the mountains south of their position.

“What do you guys think?” Nita asked suddenly, as they came to a clearing in the trees. It was a wide area surrounded by robust pines that shielded most of the area from the worst of the snow. Rather than a foot or more gathering on the ground, here there was only a dusting of a few inches. “This might be a good place to stop. We could make camp here or just rest a while?”

“So let me get this straight.” Imala sighed suddenly, lifting her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. “We actually came out here without anyone making some sort of plan? We’re making this up as we go along?”

“…Yeah.” Cyrus answered after the other four handlers remained silent, fearing the auburn haired girl might snap at them if no one answered at all.

“Brilliant! We’re just riding off into the sunset with no plan and no one at home knows where we are.” She exclaimed throwing her hands in the air dramatically. “What if something happens, hm? Racing off into the wild flying by the seat of our pants is a fantastic way to go about things.”

“Nothing is going to happen.” Hal interjected, shaking his head to keep from rolling his eyes. “Are you actually worried or do you just want to yell at someone right now?”

“I think it’s best you don’t speak.” Shinigami sighed looking up at Hal on his back, blind eyes cloudy as ever but somehow unnervingly perceptive.

Imala turned in Atsila’s saddle to glower at Hal, but said nothing else as her mouth pinched into a firm line. Atsila seemed aggravated as well, her mood undoubtedly affected by that of her handler. The falling snow did nothing to help anyone’s mood as it had now created a blanket over the landscape so thick it reached many of the five Tokotas knees; Tofi seemed to be the only one unaffected in her walking, and if Xena had escaped from her place in Nita’s pack it was likely the pup would have been lost altogether.

“I don’t know Hal. The snow is getting awfully thick. We might be in for a blizzard today.” Madison said hesitantly, turning around on Akela’s back with a questioning look on her face.

“The snow isn’t falling that hard. It’s just big flakes.” Nina interjected, the female yeti quite liking the snow and cooler weather; she was much more suited to it with her thick, shaggy coat.

“Beyla knows where we are too.” Cyrus added, trying to be more optimistic than he had been for the last several miles. “If we don’t come back in a timely manner, she’ll bring the others looking for us, I’m sure.”

“Why do we need to be looked for?” Xena asked, pausing in her attempts to catch snowflakes with her tongue. Perking her ears she felt a little spark of concern that she did not really understand.

“We don’t little one.” Tofi replied to the pup giving her a reassuring smile. “Humans just worry sometimes. We’ll know if the weather is going to get bad long before they do.”

“Oh. Good.” Xena seemed satisfied with the answer and went back to amusing herself with the snow.

“I say we stop and hunt.” Akela said insistently, looking to the other Tokotas in the group to see if anyone agreed with him. “I for one could use a break from the bickering and we might as well get something out of this trip.”

“…I could use a hunt.” Atsila commented, then lifted her head to look back at Hal and Cyrus. “Go one, tell them. You guys can stay here and make camp. We’re going hunting.”

Cyrus and Hal exchanged a glance at the piebald female’s demand, earning them looks from the three women who each looked a little annoyed at their current lack of information. “Let’s make camp here. We’ve gone far enough for the day and the Tokotas want to go hunting.” Hal finally said in translation. At that Imala promptly threw her leg over Atsila’s back and dismounted, her boots sinking deeply into the snow. Without a word she bent to start removing the saddle.

“My handler respects my needs.” Atsila said lifting her head proudly and looking more than a little smug.

Madison suddenly burst out laughing as she started climbing from Akela’s back. “Alright then.” She laughed between words. “I guess that’s the plan. Is this where we tell Cyrus to start building a fire?”

Akela turned and smiled at the other Tokotas as his saddle was removed as well. “I love being able to ask for things. Is it always like this?” He asked addressing the question to Xena as Nita dismounted Nina with the pup still on her back.

“Yeah. But they don’t really listen to me when I ask for things.” Xena pouted her ears dropping as Nita took the pack from her back and placed it on the ground. “I bet I don’t get to go hunting either.”

“You assume correct pup.” Cyrus said in amusement as he hopped down from Tofi’s back. “Tamina said no before we left. I still can’t even believe she let you come with us at all.”

“Momma said I have to get used to other tokotas while I’m still little.” Xena countered, trying to struggle out of the pack to no avail.

“Doesn’t matter.” Atsila said quickly as she stepped away from Imala now free of her tack. She moved away from the humans a little and started sniffing around the tree line of their little clearing. “You can get to know us when we bring back supper. Nobody is going to be looking after you while we’re trying to bring something down.”

Xena scowled but did not protest any further as the other tokotas were unsaddled and began moving about the clearing looking for their own scent trails. Nita picked up the pack and moved her over to a sheltered place near a fallen log, smiling at the pup as she did so. “Don’t worry Xena. You’ll get your chance soon enough. You just need to be a bit bigger first, it’s not safe for you yet.”

Cyrus started gathering up sticks and small branches for their fire without being asked, needing the monotonous task to occupy his mind for a time. The other handlers started setting up camp as their tokotas began moving farther into the thick of the trees. Akela was the first to pick up a scent, announcing it to the others with a howl before the piebald male took off at a run. Atsila was quickly on his heels, followed by Nina was Shinigami at her side. Neither of the pair would admit to the blind male needing guidance, but the fell into step anyway with an unspoken understanding. Tofi brought up the rear, her massive fluffy paws digging into the snow deeper than the others.

“What are we after?” The piebald dire cried with excitement as they raced through the trees.

“Deer!” Akela shouted back, his tongue lolling out of his mouth with each stride as he panted. “We’re getting closer!”

The five tokotas broke through the treeline a moment later and each skid to a halt, startled by what they saw, In the massive meadow before them a large herd of deer were racing about like a flock of birds. Most of them stuck together but there were a few here and then taking off in random directions. Upon closer inspection the five realized these deer were already being hunted. Among the herd six other tokotas were chasing their selected individuals, nipping at their heels to drive them out on their own before bringing them down.

“They look familiar.” Akela said almost to himself and then took off once more intent on joining the hunt. The others followed and then split up, all except Shinigami and NIna who stuck together as they pursued a target. Tofi was the first to bring down her own deer, nearly bowling the large buck over with her enthusiasm before delivering a quick and merciful killing blow. Atsila was quick to bring her own deer down as well, followed by the next falling under NIna and Shin’s combined efforts.

Akela was only a breath away from his own prey when a pale vitiligo female fell into step running beside him. The blood on her muzzle told him she had already made her own kill, but the fire of the hunt was still in her eyes. “Zrean? What are you doing out here?”

“We can talk later, just get the deer!” She answered him joyfully, tossing her head at the animal in front of them. Akela smiled and then lengthened his strides, closing the space between him and his prey. When he had made his kill he laid the deer gently on the ground, looking up to watch as the rest of the herd continued to move off, a little less frightened now that the canines had harvested their fill. The other tokotas were all coming towards him with their own catch.

“Now will you tell me what you’re-” Before Akela could reiterate his question to Zrean he was interrupted by Napoleon.

“Cyrus left the door open, That means we can do whatever we want.” The piebald dun said happily after setting his own deer on the ground between his paws.

“We decided to go hunting.” Oberon added, the dark wolverine male looking as stoic as ever. “Apparently we were running low on meat at home. Cyrus complains about it a fair bit.”

Rafna approached then, giving Atsila a broad smile still with the deer in his mouth. “Hello there. I haven’t made your acquaintance before.”

“Rafna, please stop flirting.” Folklore sighed as he sat down, the brightly colored male standing out dramatically against the snow on the ground. “You have to get to know her before you try to woo her. Jeez.”

“Do they ever stop talking?” Shinigami asked rhetorically under his breath, Nina could only shake her head in doubt, despite knowing her companion wouldn’t see the reaction.

“No.” A husky voice suddenly said beside the blind male; he was surprised enough he would have jumped had he not had a firm hold on his composure at all time. Batmobile had slunk up beside him with his own deer. The dark male was not a fan of crowds, but never missed an opportunity to hunt. “They talk even more when we’re at home.”