12-01-2020, 04:55 PM
Beneath the deep green of the forest canopy, the darkly patterned stallion lay dreaming. He kicked in his sleep, legs pumping like a dogs when the sleep-driven rabbit is just out of reach. The muscles of his face twitched and spasmed in a snarl that did not quite translate to equine features.
He was hunting with his father. Silent, one carefully placed foot in front of the other, then pause. Step, then pause. The dance played out as his sire took point, the muscular puma fixated on an unwitting half-grown bighorn sheep. Mikael followed his father's lead, angling behind the grazing creature while Ryan flanked it. The sheep's head bolted upright as the wind shifted, nostrils quivering.
The puma broke cover with an all-mighty leap, powerful limbs pistoning as the startled lamb stumbled to escape. The chase was on, the quarry spinning on its heels to evade the oncoming cat. Mikael waited a half second before joining the chase, as awed of his sire's strength as he had been the first time he'd witnessed it.
The lamb bleated, horrified, when the escape route was cut off by a second predator. A short, lightning quick chase, neck in neck with the puma. All ended in a blur of flashing teeth and grasping claws, a splash of brilliant red on the stones of the mountain. An offering to those who'd seen the hunt completed. Mikael grinned at his father over the still twitching corpse, the thrill of the hunt still singing in his blood.
It had been a good dream. The kind that left him tired as if his muscles really had been stretched with exertion, his belly aching with hunger for a taste he didn't know. The kind of dream that left him happy and sad and longing for impossible things.
With the deepest of sighs he rose to his feet, shaking debris from his coat as he did. There was a groan as the world spun around him, the earth tilting beneath his feet. Wonderful, maybe he was coming down with something... The euphoria of his dream trickled away as the unease in his body took over, legs heavy, head light. Everything felt out of proportion, or focus. He shut his eyes, a headache blooming at the back of his skull. Maybe a drink would help...
The panther lumbered through the woods until they thinned, allowing a creek to pass alongside a fairly well traveled path. Sunlight hit his black coat, dappling blackberry juice colored spots from the dark fur.
He was hunting with his father. Silent, one carefully placed foot in front of the other, then pause. Step, then pause. The dance played out as his sire took point, the muscular puma fixated on an unwitting half-grown bighorn sheep. Mikael followed his father's lead, angling behind the grazing creature while Ryan flanked it. The sheep's head bolted upright as the wind shifted, nostrils quivering.
The puma broke cover with an all-mighty leap, powerful limbs pistoning as the startled lamb stumbled to escape. The chase was on, the quarry spinning on its heels to evade the oncoming cat. Mikael waited a half second before joining the chase, as awed of his sire's strength as he had been the first time he'd witnessed it.
The lamb bleated, horrified, when the escape route was cut off by a second predator. A short, lightning quick chase, neck in neck with the puma. All ended in a blur of flashing teeth and grasping claws, a splash of brilliant red on the stones of the mountain. An offering to those who'd seen the hunt completed. Mikael grinned at his father over the still twitching corpse, the thrill of the hunt still singing in his blood.
It had been a good dream. The kind that left him tired as if his muscles really had been stretched with exertion, his belly aching with hunger for a taste he didn't know. The kind of dream that left him happy and sad and longing for impossible things.
With the deepest of sighs he rose to his feet, shaking debris from his coat as he did. There was a groan as the world spun around him, the earth tilting beneath his feet. Wonderful, maybe he was coming down with something... The euphoria of his dream trickled away as the unease in his body took over, legs heavy, head light. Everything felt out of proportion, or focus. He shut his eyes, a headache blooming at the back of his skull. Maybe a drink would help...
The panther lumbered through the woods until they thinned, allowing a creek to pass alongside a fairly well traveled path. Sunlight hit his black coat, dappling blackberry juice colored spots from the dark fur.