WC: 620
The serenity of the forest was calming her, helping her speak more freely without stammering or failing to answer. "You three boys could have a lot of fun together," Coli affirmed. Eli acted young for his age, and he and headstrong Temeraire loved getting into mischief. Perhaps they would end up being more trouble as a trio, and Saul would be displeased with the result. "Well, not too much fun, I hope," she added under her breath, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. When the conversation turned to more serious topics, her smile faded, replaced by a somber wistfulness. "I suppose so, I certainly wasn't ready to be on my own," she said carefully. The circumstances were very unexpected. Not unlike the circumstances of her pregnancy, which Ink seemed quite surprised to learn about. He promised not to share that particular secret, and Coli was relieved, if only a little. She swallowed the lump in her throat, unsure what else to say. It was obvious she did not have a mate, she carried no scent other than Vinátta's. It wasn't uncommon for lone females to bear pups, but it wasn't something she had wished for herself.
It was a relief to reach the grove and have a distraction. Young Ink seemed a little apprehensive though, or at least unsure. Coli hesitated, wondering how she should instruct him. She wasn't much of a teacher, much less a leader in a situation like this. "We're wolves, we can eat anything we can catch," she mused aloud, keeping her voice soft. Slowly she undid the fastening of her cloak, removing it fully. She didn't need to hide herself from Ink anymore, and she had a different plan for the heavy garment. "I don't ever hunt anything larger than myself, like deer, because I know my limits. So I hunt small things like rodents, and that's enough. If you're in a tight spot, look for bird nests, you might get lucky with some eggs or hatchlings. If there's water nearby, frogs and snails are edible. Look for crows or vultures in the sky, and they can lead you to carrion. Even worms and bugs, anything's better than starvation." She felt self-conscious, talking so much about what some wolves kept as instinct, but... she had learned much of this the hard way, on her own so abruptly and with such grievous injuries. If not for casting aside pride and eating some unpleasant things, she wouldn't be standing here today. Her belly was full today, but it might not be tomorrow. It was a useful lesson, something that Ink could benefit from to keep him from struggling again. Would she teach her own children to hunt, so they would never be hungry? Coli frowned, quickly pushing the thought aside. She did not want to think about them.
"Anyway, all I mean is... finding live prey is worth the wait, we have to be patient. Squirrels are safe in the trees, but they are vulnerable on the ground when they're foraging. I'll hide here behind these shrubs, near the drey --" she pointed with a claw, "--And you go off to that bush, and stay low. When a squirrel comes down, jump out and chase it! It should come running back towards my tree, and I'll fling the cloak over it. You can shift down if you want, you might be able to catch it with your teeth," she added, hoping her plan was not a foolish one. She didn't have much experience with partner work, and she would feel just awful if she messed it up for him. Already she felt nervous, her heart fluttering rapidly in her chest. Performance anxiety.