Birds are a fantastic source of protein. Not that all meat isn't. But Birds, birds are great because not only do they offer protein, but they offer a challenge. And Tito never passed up a good challenge. Sure birds are small, but some types can be a decent size, and often, it's much more about the hunt itself than the full belly in the end. It's like dinner and a show, you just have to earn your dinner by putting on a show. At least that was how the strapping young lupine looked at it.
It had been only a day since he had last eaten. And that was only because that stupid squirrel had made him climb a tree to get to it. Tito may be athletic but he is still just a pup, I mean, that was just rude of the squirrel to have had such high expectations of him at such a young age! Silly squirrel. Heck, it was pretty impressive that Tito even could hold his own, being young and totally alone practically since birth (his mom had disappeared not long after she had taken him on his first "hunt"). He had since developed this crazy obsession with staying fast, fit, and full. It was his center. He always told himself that if his feet weren't moving he might as well be dead. Although he did allow for such times as sleep, nap times, hunt times and small increments of rest times because no one has paws made of steal okay.
Anyways, back to birds. Tito had been wandering along through a new grove of trees. Making patterns of running through a particular group of trees, or hopping from certain roots and rocks at different heights and distances, starting over if he slipped or missed his target. It was one of Tito's games he played to pass the long hours of the day. It was only after he had started over his exercise of jumping from a particularly slim root to an oddly shaped, thin bolder when his practiced auds picked up a specifically large sounding flutter. He froze his body and whipped his head and ears around to find the source just in enough time to see the sunlit tail of a blue-jay disappearing through an opening in the canopy.
His feet were already off the ground and in full blown run in the blink of an eye. The little pup propelled himself forward with his still developing haunches, allowing his body to extend itself fully before letting his front feet reach the ground followed closely by his back legs and repeating the process. His tan body was a barely visible blur as it entered the field he had not yet seen until that very moment as his eyes were flooded with light. They quickly adjusted and he trained his focus on the blue bird. It didn't know he was on it's tail just yet and was flitting about aimlessly low to the tall grasses. He followed at a controlled pace for a moment before collecting his not always cooperative little limbs into a heap and shoving with all his might off the dirt. His little front paws stretched forward, his entire body uncurling, stretching, reaching, like a tiny tan accordion as his mouth opened. It felt like slow motion. But before he knew it his little cream body was making it's decent with the small blue fluff in his maw. He rolled as he landed, still not fully in control of his limbs. Crashing down in an unceremoniously loud heap, crushing the spring flowers in his path. He landed with a soft thud looking at the world upside down with a fluffy blue ball in his mouth, and his tail over his face.
TITO
You Don't Smile Anymore
Your A Drifter , Shapeshifter
Let Me See You Run
Male || Lone || Pup
Photo and Table by Rue
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