ties
She found herself a touch surprised by Capris, but more than that, a swell of joy. The girl had that same cloak her son tended to wear; that she was willing to shed it here and speak so kindly boded well for her and him, she hoped.
She let herself enjoy the meal, too, eating a little less than Capris and the grass-prowlers, fed more by their enjoyment. She ate a bit of the salad, let the prowlers eat from her hand, thanked Capris for cutting. The animals' loud chewing was the only sound for a while, but as they finished and Capris thanked her, she had that little swell again and smiled brightly.
"You're welcome, Capris. And thank you for helping." She put a hand on the girl's shoulder, gave it a pat. "Let me know if I should carry an extra for you."
The prowlers sated, she gave them each a couple rubs and scritches, then something to chew on to clean their teeth. A look to the sun told her they were a little behind. A day like this, it seemed a shame to not take their time, yet their monster still roamed.
"Where are you from?" she asked the injured one, looking it in the eyes. He understood, in one way or another, and growled in the direction of the next mogote. The others joined him.
"I think it forced them out. Cut out their hunting grounds." The way the colonists had talked about the grass prowlers told her they were territorial, effective hunters; she couldn't imagine they'd become starved without serious exterior interference. She gave them each another scratch behind the ears -- even the little one came close enough. "Be safe."
The pack took their leave, while Auteme and Capris forged into the wild grasses. Their prior environs had been crops, tall and monotone; the fields that spread out before them had a dozen colors, some short and sharp, others breezing twice their height, all growing in their own little clades, fighting for space. The pair wove their way through, stepping carefully as to not disturb too much.
They did not so much reach the hill's shadow as it reached them; the sun lowering in the distance cast a long dark around them. Another beautiful part of this world, though her appreciation was hampered by a touch of anxiety of the creature they were hunting. The mogote's face, pockmarked with crannies and caverns, took on a glaring sort of darkness as the sun began to set.
"We'll take a walk around the base, see if we can find something." And so they did; and so they didn't. They were two thirds of the way around when the sun finally set, but the grass-prowler's home was not apparent, and neither did they find a trace of the creature -- beyond a smaller beast, something like a field mouse, a single incision through its heart.
The stars came out, and with it,
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, eyes scanning uselessly in the dark.
She let herself enjoy the meal, too, eating a little less than Capris and the grass-prowlers, fed more by their enjoyment. She ate a bit of the salad, let the prowlers eat from her hand, thanked Capris for cutting. The animals' loud chewing was the only sound for a while, but as they finished and Capris thanked her, she had that little swell again and smiled brightly.
"You're welcome, Capris. And thank you for helping." She put a hand on the girl's shoulder, gave it a pat. "Let me know if I should carry an extra for you."
The prowlers sated, she gave them each a couple rubs and scritches, then something to chew on to clean their teeth. A look to the sun told her they were a little behind. A day like this, it seemed a shame to not take their time, yet their monster still roamed.
"Where are you from?" she asked the injured one, looking it in the eyes. He understood, in one way or another, and growled in the direction of the next mogote. The others joined him.
"I think it forced them out. Cut out their hunting grounds." The way the colonists had talked about the grass prowlers told her they were territorial, effective hunters; she couldn't imagine they'd become starved without serious exterior interference. She gave them each another scratch behind the ears -- even the little one came close enough. "Be safe."
The pack took their leave, while Auteme and Capris forged into the wild grasses. Their prior environs had been crops, tall and monotone; the fields that spread out before them had a dozen colors, some short and sharp, others breezing twice their height, all growing in their own little clades, fighting for space. The pair wove their way through, stepping carefully as to not disturb too much.
They did not so much reach the hill's shadow as it reached them; the sun lowering in the distance cast a long dark around them. Another beautiful part of this world, though her appreciation was hampered by a touch of anxiety of the creature they were hunting. The mogote's face, pockmarked with crannies and caverns, took on a glaring sort of darkness as the sun began to set.
"We'll take a walk around the base, see if we can find something." And so they did; and so they didn't. They were two thirds of the way around when the sun finally set, but the grass-prowler's home was not apparent, and neither did they find a trace of the creature -- beyond a smaller beast, something like a field mouse, a single incision through its heart.
The stars came out, and with it,
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, eyes scanning uselessly in the dark.
