no hunting today...rather...gathering. xD

Word Count → +3

More food was going to be required as the weather began to get worse, and Dixie was ready to get out and go hunting once more. She was so pumped about killing the last pig that once again, sleeping was not in her mind. Wayne was hurt; their encounter with that same dead pig had cut him pretty bad. She had doctored him as best as she knew how, and the others knew as well. He was deep asleep when she grabbed some rope, two baskets and a small coat to block her body from the wind. After pulling the fur lined jacket on, she held onto her things and ran out of the big building.

The sun was just starting to rise as she stepped out the front doors. Very surprising to the girl, she’d been pacing and thinking about hunting for at least a few hours now, too excited to sleep. Just like last time. The horses were all at their sleepiest moment, and she knew this because before going inside the night before, she’d seen them running around like lunatics. However, Bark came tearing up to the front steps as soon as she gave a good morning howl, soft enough to not disturb anyone sleeping. The colt, who was already packing on the muscles and stood almost as tall as her, pranced in place and bumped her with his head.

Oookay, cutie pie, you can come with me today I guess. No hog huntin’ for us. She strapped the two baskets together with the ropes and draped them over the colt’s back, securing them under his stomach and around his chest. Bark snorted and shifted nervously, but like a good boy, he stayed in place and patiently waited for her to be ready to go. She’d made him a halter from soft leather the week before and it was still on his head from the day before and their bonding/weaning session. Fern and Bark needed to learn some separation, so Dixie had been taking about two hours a day to take Bark off somewhere secluded to work with him without his mother around.

Come on, sweetheart. Her hand held onto the halter gently, leading him towards the gates and then outside. Hopefully they wouldn’t run into anyone or anything that wanted to hurt them, because neither of them were too small to properly defend themselves. Bark walked along at Dixie’s side, his head bobbing up and down with every happy step, glad to be getting attention from the young woman. They hadn’t gotten very far when Jazper’s scent got stronger, as if he’d passed by recently. Grinning, Dixie raised her head and called for her Sole.