Scrawny and scraggly, he lurks through the Grove like an uninvited house guest.

He's not as quick or as nimble here as he'd like; the forest is familiar in a way, but wholly unknown. Still, he clings to the barest comfort he can find in these strange lands. It's not much and it's not enough, but it'll have to do. Because-- there are no other options.

His stomach twists and squeezes and his maw drops open a fraction, panting through the sudden pain. Perhaps it's not correct to say that revas has been alone all this time: hunger is a constant companion, and an incessant one. Even here it walks with him, a second shadow. The Grove is quiet though, and there's little prey to be found. Until--

there.

A rustling in the bushes speaks of something else lurking. With any luck it'll be a hare or a bird of some type. Something, anything, to fill his stomach. It'd be wiser to wait for his target to reveal itself but he's desperate and impatient, and so he wastes only a moment or two longer before he launches himself at whatever was in the brush.

@Helena

BG & CODE

From the other side of the bush, Helena lay patiently watching the tiny dikdik pick its way through the foliage. There was certainly an advantage to being dark and striped like sunlight through the trees - it afforded the little dragon some natural camouflage that she didn't have to work for. Her mother had always despaired that she hadn't wanted to go into sleuthing and had chosen an ambassadorial path instead. Helena certainly had a ruthless streak about her, but it leaned more into the political games than subterfuge.

Her intentions had been to observe, to see if there might be an opportunity to bring home some meat for the babies (though growing so quick they pretty much weren't babies anymore and Helena missed when they were too small to move much). Until the sudden explosion of sound and movement from the other side of the bush startled not only herself but the tiny antelope from its foraging. "No -" She blurted in frustration, before realising that perhaps there was an opportunity here anyway.

"To your left."

She blurted out, before launching herself forward and attempting to cut off the dikdik's escape route. It might not work, but it would be foolish not to at least try and drive it back towards whatever emerged from the bush - she caught only the vague sense of darkness, of a scraggly and underfed creature as she made moves to field the potential meal.

@Revas

code by scorpixia♡︎

It's a stupid choice but one he makes with his whole, aching chest.

Paws are stretched wide for better traction as he crashes through the underbrush, bursting through the other side with nothing in mind but hunt hunt prey. it's only by fate and good fortune that @Helena is there and she isn't in his way. It's better fortune, then, that she's on his good side.

Revas only catches the smallest glimpse of her as he pivots. The target-- their target-- is a dik-dik, small and fast. He'll be damned if it slips through their paws. With her acting as a finish line, revas does his best to block the deer's routes of escape-- he's hot on its heels, forcing it to go forward. straight towards Helena, and hopefully straight towards their plates.

He doesn't realize, not yet, that if they were successful, then there will be two mouths to feed instead of just one.

BG & CODE

She hadn't counted on a bit of co-operative hunting today. In fact she had somewhat counted on a solo trip and a little morsel to take back to her family. And yet here she was, body tensed and ready to move, tail flung wildly behind her to settle her balance and ruby red eyes wide, gathering more information as the milliseconds passed. The pivot of the creature who had erupted through the bush, the drive forward towards her and the clear indication that if she could, she should strike the blow.

Helena lunged, teeth and claws and enthusiasm and managed somehow to pin the antelope down. It was a team effort, but instinctively she sought the killing blow, jaws clamping hard until the kicking creature began to slow. Until it stopped altogether and she carefully released her grip. "Good job - I wouldn't have got it without your help." She chittered, though her tone trailed off as she finally got a good look at the damaged, starved creature before her and inhaled a soft gasp at it.

@Revas

code by scorpixia♡︎