Mmm-mm. The warm, saucy taste of blood tickled Nootau’s tongue as he wiped it over his black lips. There was nothing tastier than easily caught fresh kill. Nootau bent his head and began tearing at the elastic muscle and tendons under the rabbit’s thick fur. He had just made a very incision across the rabbit’s abdomen when Nootau heard a buzzing noise that made his ears twitch. Half of him really wanted to ignore that catlike purr, but his skittish side (the one that had kept him alive as a loner) demanded her look up from his food.

Nootau raised his head with his ears erect to listen to the sounds that quickly became a throaty, threatening growl. The young male narrowed his vibrant orange eyes on the black wolf standing some distance away. Nootau was immediately drawn to the pale blue right eye of the otherwise black wolf. As was becoming theme, this male was taller than Nootau. However, he appeared to be in quite good shape, if uncommonly lean for most wolves.

Nootau wouldn’t have minded company, really, but what set Nootau off were those yellowed fangs he was displaying in a not-quite friendly way. His greeting was off-putting, if anything. The dilevery was not enough to make Nootau think he was going to attack, but enough to make him weary and watch closely. Nootau’s tongue swiped his teeth and lips once more before he responded to the stranger.

“Yup! Lots of rabbits around since the weather got nice,” Nootau said amiably. His voice was higher than the black wolves, but it rougher as well. Nootau wasn’t sure what the intention of this wolf were, but he wasn’t the type to be mean unless given a reason to be. Maybe this wolf was just… socially awkward? Or naturally gave off that creep vibe even though the wolf wasn’t actually malicious. Nootau had come across plenty of those as loners. In any case, Nootau wasn’t up for talking at length with this wolf because he wanted to eat, but it wouldn’t be harmful to give the guy a couple of minutes.

“There were lots of trails back that way too,” Nootau offer the information and gestured his nose off to the right, where he had come from. Further down the crags were a couple of holes Nootau saw. He hadn’t stopped to hunt because he had been busy running at that immediate moment, but they were there.