[Trade] Hunting 101

Today was a great day! Today Boba was bringing her son on their first hunt! Pumpkin came rushing out of the temporary den they had created. Looking out into the sky and the plains around them. His brother, Emu, followed him with a loud yawn. Shaking out his feathers and blinking the sleep from his eyes. “Come on! We're gonna be late!” – “but we just got up? We can't be late to hunting..” emu questioned, pumpkin only snorted. And lowered his head, sniffing at the ground. They had to find their mother first, part of their task today. Was to track her down to find what she wanted them to hunt. Teaching her sons important lessons today. 

The two brothers found themselves stalking through tall grass, which now at their older age, being adolescents. They could see where they were going through the blades before them, unlike in their youth as hatchlings. Pumpkin, kept getting distracted while attempting to track their mother's scent. Emu, on the other hand, helped him pick it back up when he noticed his brother could no longer find it. The two kept an eye out for the other as well.. Pumpkin and Emu taking turns looking up to watch where they where going, to make sure they where not being stalked themselves. As it wouldn't be much use to learn to hunt if you couldn't make sure you weren't being hunted yourselves. 

Eventually, emu spotted something in the distance. Picking his head up, but lowering his body to the grass. Pumpkin bumping into the other with a soft grunt and backing up. Before noticing his brother was crouched, and lowered himself to match. “What is it?” “I see something moving up there.. but I can't tell what it is right now.. I don't smell it either.. that can't be good..” pumpkin looked at emu, opening his jaws and tilting his head to the wind, which, was brushing against the back of his head and horns. “We're downwind.. we should move.. that's what Mom does right?” “I think so..”

For a moment, none of them moved, the dinosaur ahead of them, seemed to lumber around, shifting its head moving a bit, as if it was digging, before finally lifting its head. Looking around, they watched as the herbivore rose its beak up to taste the air itself, before flinching and running off to the trees. Emu began to move again once it was gone. 

The two found themselves loosing their mother's scent by the river. Unable to smell or see any tracks, they had lost the trail.. pumpkin snorted and three his growing horns into a fallen branch. Emu, stepped into the creek and looked ahead. His tail twitching a little, balancing his body. Before something caught his eye. “This way!” And like that, the chase was one. The young adolescents crashed through the creek, and into the soft dirt and grass again. Chasing something, rushing forward. Emu kept his body straight, his head low and tail high, allowing the top of his tail to swing almost in a circle behind him. Allowing to help his balance, his brother, on the other hand, let out a furious snort. A bellow ringing across the field, and the now begging to roll hills. Throwing his head down, horns first, and charging forward, his claws digging into the dirt, pushing him faster, as his tail almost smacked his brother in the face as he passed by. Rushing ahead, was a mistake. 

The grass parted, the small odd shaped deer darted forward, before suddenly leaping down. Pumpkin was unable to stop himself and found his body flying. Thankfully, he didn't fall far, landing on the ground with a thud and a puff of dirt. The deer’s cries could be heard as he ran along the small cliff edge, rushing away. Emu, having slowed down, rushed along the top of the wall, keeping pace with the small creature. Watching as it bounced and threw itself forward, it's ears shifted to listen behind it, and didn't seem to be paying alot of attention ahead of them. As the ridge he was running along started to slump down, meeting it's path with the deer, he threw his head down, to a similar fashion as pumpkin had before. Charging ahead, aiming to land a blow… only for the deer to let out a terrified bleat, and a darker head to crash against his own. Both brothers loosing traction and falling into the dirt. 

“Ow! Pumpkin! Why did you do that?” “Why did I do that!? Why didn't you stop! I had it!” “No I did!” – “well none of us will have it if we just sit here!” Emu groaned and got up, shaking out his feathers and rushing after the way he spotted the prey run. Pumpkin whined as he stood up, shaking himself out and looking at his legs, before jogging after emu. Once again, after traveling for a short distance. They also the scent, and had to stop and rest. Laying for a little bit against the shade of a tree. Out of breath, and hungry. “Do you think mom is gonna get worried and find us?” “I hope so.. but we gotta catch something before she does!” Pumpkin added. “If not to make her proud, but to show her we can do it!” “I know brother..” 

After the sun had shifted in the sky, the two where on the move again. Stalking the grass, having now found a deer again. This time, it sported something they could only guess where horns on its head. This time, emu insisted on trying to get closer before attacking, and splitting up to try and corner it. Pumpkin had crawled his way to a spot ahead of the animal, while emu was carefully making his way behind them. Against the tree’s and the open to keep it from retreating, as chasing in it in the woods would be dangerous on their long legs. After a moment, the carntosaurs let out a bellowing roar, and burst out of his spot. The deer panicking and rushing just the way he wanted it too. It didn't make it too far before pumpkin leaped out and grabbed the medium sized animal and violently dragged it to the ground. Emu rushing over to help hold it down to secure their kill. Once it stopped, the two sat down. Catching their breath. 

“Looks like you boys got your first hunt!” Boba cooed, stepping out of the tree’s, where the boys turned to look at her. Had she been there the whole time? “MOM! where did you go??” “Next time, we’ll practice how to hide your scents so it's easier to sneak up on things” she chuckled and trotted over. Nuzzling her sons gently. “Good job boys, I'm proud of you” “thank you mama!” The two cooed. After a couple more exchanges, their mothers praise and tips on how to hunt better, the family started to share their meal