Just Another Day

The wind softly blew through the leaves as Shanku and Innugati enjoyed another breakfast on one of the many boulders that dotted the landscape. Movement caught the corner of Shanku's eye and she looked off to see two does browsing. And a male Kurach stalking them just behind a bush in tan, broad-stitched shorts and a sleeveless shirt in the traditional open-backed style all of their kind wore. He had black hair with blonde tips, and his wings were black, white, and grey. His ears were a dark grey and his tail was a soft grey and white. Shanku knew him in an instant.

"Well, look who it is," Shanku whispered quietly to Innugati. "Let's give him a hand..."

Shanku perched on the edge of the rock and spread her wings. Ten years is too long, old friend.

Katari took another cautious step. Almost. So close! He was not close enough to ambush the deer directly, but if he was lucky he would catch them before they had a chance to run far. Like most predators, the success rate of a Kurach was about one in ten. Very carefully, Katari moved forward again, trying ever so hard not to rustle the fallen leaves.

There was a flash of black, a resounding thud, and the sound of bones cracking as the doe suddenly lurched toward him. The other doe reared up on her haunches and quickly bounded away into the forest. Katari leapt back and stood, his claws held up before him defensively, as he tried to make sense of what happened. To his surprise, he found another Kurach sitting on the shoulder of the fallen doe.

"Hey, what's the big idea? That was my doe!" Katari growled indignantly.

"Howdy!" Shanku grinned mischeivously.

"Sh... Shanku? You're alive?" Katari stuttered, staring in disbelief. "You're back..."