The Hunt | Kevin

Aaron turned back again to the black wolf that was following him. Knowing that he couldn't speak in wolf-form, he ignored the question.

He pricked his ears and lifted his head, senses alert for any sign of prey. With a silent wave of his tail, the wolf headed towards the river he could feel was nearby. He had seen how the undergrowth grew more lush the closer they got, and his suspicions were confirmed as he caught sight of the stream and heard the sound of rushing water.

He caught sight of a large bird of prey who had just swooped in and caught a fish. It landed on one of the large rocks that made a kind of stepping stone bridge across the stream. Without waiting for Kevin, Aaron crept up on it and leaped onto the stones, springing up to bite the bird on it's neck before it had the time to lift a feather. He watched his footing carefully as he killed it, not wanting a repeat of his past.

Aaron disliked the plan. He liked hunting alone. And hunting too much large prey could disrupt the balance of this forest a bit. He was unaware of how large the population of deer was. Perhaps he could risk it this one time.

The gray and white wolf stalked away, keeping himself low to the ground as crept behind the creature. When his was close enough he let out a loud howl, spooking the creature into running straight towards Kevin.

Aaron might have internally face-palmed himself normally. This kid was definitely acting like a human. What do you do with a dead deer? You eat it.

He crouched down and starting eating.

(LArzeh. More concerned with Dami getting murdered right now.)

|Me too. That stuff is too fun. It ended up turning so much better than I thought it would so far. xD Did you hear the song I put up? It's so perfect for the moment. Is it bad I like abusing my characters?|

Aaron paused for a moment, slightly surprised that Kevin had started to eat as well. He couldn't tell if the other half-blood was simply following his example or actually going enjoying it. He might ask later.

After Aaron finished his share he grabbed his bird over and tossed it to Kevin, seeing as though he had decided he had enough food for a while. The wolf looked around again, searching for landmarks that would help point him in the direction that he had gone earlier. It led him up a small cliff, free from surrounding trees. When he reached the top, he stood still, observing the territory that Animalia Academy had laid claim to.

Soon he let out another howl, this one louder and more majestic than the first.

After a minute Aaron stopped and looked at Kevin again. His amber eyes were locked on him with a thoughtful gaze. A small smile might have tugged his usually neutral face if he weren't a wolf. The half-blood couldn't help but feel like he may have taught something about being a wolf to Kevin. And maybe the reverse had happened. Perhaps being in a pack wasn't too much of a bad thing.

Time would tell.

For now, however, the wolf gave a small nod before stalking away again. He planned on trying to show Kevin how to read the terrain better, if the teen wished to let him.

(Idk. If you want it to be xD)

While trotting back to the stream, Aaron slowly shifted back into his human form. We wouldn't be able to speak as a wolf. He slowed down as they reached the area, crouching down next to the undergrowth and waiting patiently for Kevin to approach.

"Remember the stream we were at earlier? Well, usually when there is a body of water nearby, there's more lush undergrowth," Aaron explained. "You can see how there's more of it the closer we get to the stream." Aaron pointed in the direction of the stream, showing that the undergrowth became more dense the closer they got.

Aaron stood up again. "I left home to live in the mountains. I was taught how to read the terrain, how to get along with other animals, how to hunt better. I decided I didn't want to be a human," he explained. "I'm not going to deny my true nature." He looked around again, shifting only halfway into his wolf form. His hair remained the same, only ears poked out of them that were also midnight black. His fur was his skin color, as opposed to gray. He landed on all fours, nodding to Kevin to follow him. He traveled deeper into the forest until Aaron spotted a bear and it's cubs. Silently he watched, making sure that Kevin made no move to attack.

"To show you that every creature has a family. If we kill for no reason, it disrupts the balance of the forest. It keeps families like these apart," he explained. "Bears can be a threat, but only if you provoke them or their families. They only will attack if their kin is in danger."

He looked at Kevin again. "I understand that lately you haven't exactly been following this principle. I've heard the news about you harming others."

(Ooh, Aaron is a perceptive one. If you were wondering what his half-wolf form is like, it's right here.)

"Yes, I do," Aaron admitted. There was an argument he'd had with his sister that had ended up with a vicious wolf-fight. "I've been like that before. You want to go for the kill, all you can see is red. I'm surprised Adam didn't get anything worse. And that other...was it an owl half-blood? (Poor guy isn't out of the hospital yet.) You probably had the chance to do much worse. You just need to work on controlling your defensive instincts more."

"When approaching a mountain, if you pay close enough attention, you can feel how the earth becomes sharper and harder as you approach a mountain. The shrubs get a bit more course, since they have to be able to withstand more harsh weather and cling to the mountain side," Aaron explained, deciding to respect the fact that the other half-blood was uncomfortable talking about it. He nodded upwards, though didn't move since there weren't any mountains nearby.

Aaron had to think for a moment. It was hard to explain how it felt. "Liberating, I guess. I never had to act like something I wasn't," he admitted. "I didn't have to hide who I was."

-Aaron muse just died-