Moff Wandering: Hunting 1

            Finally rid of the dust and ash that covered the village like a blanket of death, Moff stood on the bank and wrang the water from their shirt before struggling to put it back on. The air was still, but it was growing colder as the light continued to fade. Night would be upon them soon. They needed to get back.

            Tag had also retreated from the water, content with the fool’s gold and sand dollars she’d fished out of the stream. Her treasures piled up near her feet as she preened, head craned around so she could fix the feathers between her shoulders.

            Probity had finished his bath long before and had been patiently watching from a nearby tree. However, as Moff retied their bandana around their neck, he swooped down and landed heavily on their shoulder.

            “Yeah, we’re about ready to head back,” Moff told the little dragon. They reached up to scratch under his chin, but Probity just leaned forward and nipped their hand.

            “Ow! What was that for?”

            The little dragon nipped their ear (a bit gentler, but still) and then took off again.

            Moff looked up and realized Tag was standing beside them. She was watching Probity fly. When he was out of sight, she looked to Moff.

            They were going to ask, but then they heard her stomach growl.

            Oh.

            Though the group hadn’t lingered beside the water for long, Moff hadn’t seen a single fish the entire time they’d been there. It wasn’t surprising; given the state of things, they didn’t really expect there to be.

            The forest might have something, though. At least, they hoped so.

            “Alright,” they said, and walked around to her side so they could jump up onto her back. “I guess we’ve earned a good dinner, right?”

            Tag snorted. She didn’t seem optimistic as she started following Probity. He was still out of sight, dark plumage making perfect camouflage against the dark branches crisscrossing over a dim gray sky.

            Was it still day? Or was evening approaching? It was impossible to tell. The air was cool and still, but it had been that way ever since Moff woke that morning. Or, at least, they were pretty sure it was morning when they first opened their eyes. Thinking back, the world had looked much the same as this back then too.

            Movement outside of Tag’s footsteps and Probity’s distant wingbeats broke them from their thoughts. Something small was darting through the trees, though Moff couldn’t tell what. By the time they could tell where the sound was coming from, all they saw was the flickering tip of a black tail as it disappeared into a thick patch of brambles.

            Tag didn’t need to be told to go after it. Moff barely had time to hold on tight to her collar before she dove forward, racing toward the noise. She paused briefly beside the bramble patch, hissing in irritation when she realized she couldn’t break through. Whatever it was, it was right there! She could hear it moving beneath the thorny vines!

            Probity swooped in out of nowhere, divebombing the bramble patch from above. Though much smaller than both the raptor and the winged dog, he too couldn’t get through the thorns. However, he got close enough to scare whatever was hiding beneath. At the sound of his vicious wingbeats and hissing, the creature started running again.

            It was one of the stranger hunts Moff had been on. Probity continued to drive the prey toward a far edge of the thicket while Name Tag and Moff chased as best they could from outside, keeping close enough to track the noise and yet far enough not to discourage the thing from getting close to the edge.

            Moff was beginning to get frustrated as the fruitless chase continued. The light was beginning to fade, gray sky going from silver to charcoal. They couldn’t tell if it was from nightfall or the oncoming storm, but either way, they shouldn’t be out in the open when darkness fell completely.

            As the shadows grew, they realized that the thing in the brambles was glowing. A faint blue light could be seen between the thorns.

            Probity gave a frustrated shriek and dove even lower. He crashed through the brambles, ignoring the thorns even as they tore at his feathers. His wings beat wildly, sending dust and feathers flying into the air.

            His prey gave a startled squeak and burst out of the thicket right under Name Tag’s nose.

            “After it!” Moff yelped.

            Tag didn’t need to be told twice.