Out In The Open[Mishka]

[anemone]

The plain were relatively quiet today. It seemed to stretch on in a wide expanse of green. It's grass hiding small animals that were more skittish then a puppy. Yes, the plains were simple and straightforward like Isis herself.

The reason for the dark she-wolf's journey out here was on of hunger. Being a lone wolf, prey like herd animals were no longer a rational option. Without a pack to help take it down a deer would slip away. She'd be overwhelmed by the pure strength of the herd. Instead she had to go on small rodents such as rabbis and squirrels and even some birds if she could catch them. The good thing about this? Isis had been practicing hunting small mammals so much that she had become an expert.

Her amber eyes scanned the plain for food. The most common rodent prey was ground squirrels. This made things a little easier for the female wolf. There were no trees so she could track the squirrels if the disappeared.

Isis sniffed the ground and picked up a scent. It was a squirrel but it was faint. She followed it though and before long came to a stop. A loud screeching sound made her look up and she smiled. There standing on it's hind legs was a ground squirrel. Isis bunched her muscles and prepared to spring.

[Fern]

Mishka's ears shot up in alarm as she heard the terrified screeching of a squirrel nearby. She paused mid-chew, her mouth still full of leaves, and listened quietly. She was thankful that she was well camoflauged in the dense winter bracken, which luckily was the same colour as her fur.

The breeze carried the scent of wolf, and she recoiled in disgust and alarm. She carefully tried to sneak off in the other direction, placing each foot as quietly as possible. Snap. A branch broke beneath her hoof, creating a loud echo. Her heart nearly skipped a beat as she listened, she hoped nobody had heard her potentially fatal mistake.

[anemone]

Isis sprang and pounced on the squirrel or so she thought. Her paws had just barely touched the small creature's fluffy tail. " Darn. " she growled as she watched the creature run away. Then a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned her black head and watched another squirrel run by. That was one thing that Isis liked about the ground squirrels. There was so many. And since it was winter the majority were underground. A somewhat cruel idea seeped into her mind. Isis then turned her attention back to the squirrel but instead only saw the movement of grass as the rodent dashed to safety.

Using her keen sense of smell she followed the scent. If her hunch was correct the little creature would lead her to it's burrow. Then it should be easy pickings after a brief dig. Fortunately for Isis she was right. Before her was a small hole in the ground, she began to dig. The she-wolf's paws threw dirt in every direction her invasion of their burrow had to rouse their attention. And if Isis had to keep on digging then so be it. She'd get her meal even if it was just one.

Eventually she stopped and stuck her muzzle into the now gaping hole. Nothing. She took her muzzle out and looked around. Maybe they escaped through another hole? That had to be it. Isis cursed at herself for being so stupid. Of course they'd have made another entrance. She stuffed her muzzle off into the hole and this time something furry brushed against her nose. Without another thought she bit onto to it and instantly felt struggle. Her black tail wagged behind her as she pulled her prey out. A little squirrel was fighting for it's life, scratching her face to get away.

Isis put her paw down on the rodent to get a better grip. The squirrel almost slipped away but she tightened her grip and began swinging it back and forth like a toy in her mouth. This should stun the small animal. Then suddenly a loud snap made her stop and look up. Isis put the squirrel down and snapped it's neck even though it probably died from the shock already. She then dug up some dirt and placed the squirrel there before covering it up and marking the area with her scent.

In her pursuit of the sound Isis stuck to trotting along over running. Whatever it was she wanted to see if she could find it without scaring it off to soon. She put her nose to the air and took in the sterile cold but underneath it she smelt a...deer. Isis moved closer and closer following the scent until she spotted the deer trying to sneak away. From it's appearance it seemed like a doe. Isis grinned wickedly. It also had no others around.

Isis sped up and found herself behind the deer. " All alone doe? No herd to protect you? " the she wolf chuckled.

[Fern]

Mishka froze. A feeling of dread spread over her, she didn't even need to turn around, she could smell wolf. Now you've done it! She thought. She glanced around quickly to look for an escape. Heart racing, she spotted a gap through the trees that led into thicker underbrush where it would be easy to lose the wolf. She quickly stepped to her left, and then bolted off in the other direction. She easily jumped a fallen log in her path, and ran headlong into the bracken. It's dead winter branches scraped her sides as she ran.

[anemone]

This had to be Isis's lucky day. A doe without a herd. No buck to protect her just the one target. Isis lowered herself to the ground to continue her mind game with her new prey. Herd animals were so easily frightened, save for the bucks who had their courage. But he does were more easy when you could get them alone and this doe was alone. and open for the picking.

Isis watched as the doe took a step to the left. She waited. A common trick they used. Try to fool the wolf into the thinking they were going one way. The doe then took off in the other direction, not surprising. Isis gave a big toothy smile and let loose the stored up energy in her muscles as she went into a run. This pursuit would not be easy, Isis knew this well. There were no other wolves to help slow the doe down but that was something Isis had to face. She was a lone wolf who choose to go after a herd animal by herself.

Isis' paws crunched the frost covered grass as she chased the doe through the brush and through the trees. Isis jumped a log in her path, sailing though the air for a brief second before touching the earth again and bolting after the doe. The black she wolf pushed more energy into her long legs and sped up. She ran and ran until she saw the doe run into the bracken. Using this opportunity she got a little closer and snapped at doe's heels.

" You can only keep running for so long doe! And I've got patients! " she snarled.

Isis was a expert at playing games with her prey. In her former pack she'd built hunting strategies around this sort of thing.

OOC: Sorry for the late reply, been busy.

[Fern]

(It's alright lol)

Mishka could hear the clacking of the wolves teeth as they clacked, alarmingly close to her feet. A shudder ran through her at the thought of those teeth, She sped up, terrified now. The adrenaline coursing through her veins gave her the extra speed she needed as she weaved through the bracken, trying to lose the wolf. She rounded a corner of particularily thick bracken, and turned sharply, going back the direction she had come. She sped through the forest, hoping the wolf would have kept running the other direction so she had time to get away. Back at the river bank now, she quickly crossed it's very cold water. She swam downstream at an angle, and pulled herself out on the other side. She glanced back, and saw nothing as she trotted into the bracken on the other side.