10-13-2010, 10:57 PM
The outsider approached from the eastern section of the territory. A slick tongue hung from his agape jaws, panting lightly as he withstood the exhaustion. The rodent he'd witnessed hundreds of yards back was the only prey he had come across in days. Zephyr couldn't say just how long he had been tracking the animal down, but he was generally a stubborn type who found no shame in anything at all but the shame in giving up; admitting defeat. Especially after coming this far, there was no way he could turn back now and continue on an endless road that had no destination, no place for him to call his home or to seek solace.
The young brute simply pressed on, cranium dangling loosely from his shoulder blades, each mitt carelessly slapped onto the terrain below. His sense of smell was so locked on the rodent far ahead, he paid no attention to the possibility he was crossing into forbidden land. This painted dog had a one-tracked mind. Finally he sat himself back on his haunches, eyes locked on the dirt as he allowed himself to rest for the time being, as he did not sense his prey furthering its distance from him.
His massive ears perked forward, captivating a scent in the air that far differed from the one he'd been stalking. Zephyr's tongue slipped back behind colorless fangs, and his head ascended as he grew very interested in what flooded his naris. The pup tilted his head in curiosity, and mounted his four pads. At first he advanced, slowly at first until he padded onwards with a steady trot. Little did the African Wild Dog know was that he was only hards from a pack's territory. It should have been obvious to any dog to detect. However, Zephyr was a mere pup yet, and as previously mentioned, he was not exactly all-knowing.
However as he happily scampered on, a simple movement in the distance devoured every ounce of attention he possessed. He took in a large breath of air, eyes widening and ears jolting forward. The hare that escaped his jaws several yards back was now within his sights once again. As he stared at the rodent, he coudln't resist from licking his muzzle. Several times his muscles twitched, urging him to spring forward. Moments passed before Zephyr lunged into a full on sprint, directly towards the rodent who would inevidably be his victim.
The painted dog gave chase, deeper into the pack's territory. However the pup had only just crossed its border, and the hare insisted on maneuvering in every which direction. This allowed Zephyr to remained relatively close to the outermost edge instead of deep into enemy lines. Still, he was being ignorant. At long last, Zephyr's fangs closed around the small torso of the rodent. Instantly he closed his powerful jaws to quickly kill the animal and limit its suffering. He gathered the limp body into his mouth and walked beneath a nearby tree, away from sight. Underneath the shade, shielded from the powerful sun, the dog began to feed.
The young brute simply pressed on, cranium dangling loosely from his shoulder blades, each mitt carelessly slapped onto the terrain below. His sense of smell was so locked on the rodent far ahead, he paid no attention to the possibility he was crossing into forbidden land. This painted dog had a one-tracked mind. Finally he sat himself back on his haunches, eyes locked on the dirt as he allowed himself to rest for the time being, as he did not sense his prey furthering its distance from him.
His massive ears perked forward, captivating a scent in the air that far differed from the one he'd been stalking. Zephyr's tongue slipped back behind colorless fangs, and his head ascended as he grew very interested in what flooded his naris. The pup tilted his head in curiosity, and mounted his four pads. At first he advanced, slowly at first until he padded onwards with a steady trot. Little did the African Wild Dog know was that he was only hards from a pack's territory. It should have been obvious to any dog to detect. However, Zephyr was a mere pup yet, and as previously mentioned, he was not exactly all-knowing.
However as he happily scampered on, a simple movement in the distance devoured every ounce of attention he possessed. He took in a large breath of air, eyes widening and ears jolting forward. The hare that escaped his jaws several yards back was now within his sights once again. As he stared at the rodent, he coudln't resist from licking his muzzle. Several times his muscles twitched, urging him to spring forward. Moments passed before Zephyr lunged into a full on sprint, directly towards the rodent who would inevidably be his victim.
The painted dog gave chase, deeper into the pack's territory. However the pup had only just crossed its border, and the hare insisted on maneuvering in every which direction. This allowed Zephyr to remained relatively close to the outermost edge instead of deep into enemy lines. Still, he was being ignorant. At long last, Zephyr's fangs closed around the small torso of the rodent. Instantly he closed his powerful jaws to quickly kill the animal and limit its suffering. He gathered the limp body into his mouth and walked beneath a nearby tree, away from sight. Underneath the shade, shielded from the powerful sun, the dog began to feed.