A quiet tune was hummed while the young miqo'te carefully sliced through the freshly-skinned meat. The raw odour invaded her nostrils and prompted a discomforting, feeling of hunger. The occasional, discreet growl from a displeased stomach made its presence known all too regularly and only served to remind K'nahli that she was growing even more hungry with each passing sun, regardless of how well she managed to distract herself in between.
The scorching, hot afternoon was like any other. She and a few others had been busy with skinning and preparing meat for later. In the past, in better days... she would normally have cut large chunks of meat and placed them in storage, keeping them preserved in sacks of salt for the next day and still have plenty left over to place toward the current day's feast. Those days were long gone however. Meager portions that could barely sustain the tribe were all that could be scavenged from the desolate sands as game grew more and more scarce as time went on. There was hardly ever such thing as "storing food" these days.
A sigh escaped past her licked lips as the final clack of steel colliding against the sun-baked rock mocked her. The portions were as small as ever; even bringing in larger game didn't seem to make enough difference. The absence of a few tribe members had remedied the situation a little, but now that small blessing was growing unnoticed. It still wasn't enough.
"Can we really continue like this...?" K'nahli lamented softly to herself as she stared through the plump and bloodied meat blankly, her mind wandering elsewhere in silent thought.
The girl's ears suddenly flickered a number of times as distant vibrations resonated through the stifling air and tickled the fine hairs on the tips of her ears. Perking up slightly now, they involuntarily turned towards the source of the sound as crimson eyes gazed sideward to behold the easing sight of returning kin.
"Ah... they're back.." was all that she could say as a modest smile formed across her face.
Its intensity gradually faded, however, as her relief to see her family return safe and well was slowly bested by the realisation that, once again, they'll be enduring even smaller portions. The girl blinked slowly as her eyes traveled downward to behold the miniscule portions once more.
Another sigh passed over her lips, softer this time and infused even more deeply with worry. How long could they last before they became too weak to endure the intensity of these pitiful hunts? The mere thought of this vicious cycle... "intimidating" was an understatement.
The scorching, hot afternoon was like any other. She and a few others had been busy with skinning and preparing meat for later. In the past, in better days... she would normally have cut large chunks of meat and placed them in storage, keeping them preserved in sacks of salt for the next day and still have plenty left over to place toward the current day's feast. Those days were long gone however. Meager portions that could barely sustain the tribe were all that could be scavenged from the desolate sands as game grew more and more scarce as time went on. There was hardly ever such thing as "storing food" these days.
A sigh escaped past her licked lips as the final clack of steel colliding against the sun-baked rock mocked her. The portions were as small as ever; even bringing in larger game didn't seem to make enough difference. The absence of a few tribe members had remedied the situation a little, but now that small blessing was growing unnoticed. It still wasn't enough.
"Can we really continue like this...?" K'nahli lamented softly to herself as she stared through the plump and bloodied meat blankly, her mind wandering elsewhere in silent thought.
The girl's ears suddenly flickered a number of times as distant vibrations resonated through the stifling air and tickled the fine hairs on the tips of her ears. Perking up slightly now, they involuntarily turned towards the source of the sound as crimson eyes gazed sideward to behold the easing sight of returning kin.
"Ah... they're back.." was all that she could say as a modest smile formed across her face.
Its intensity gradually faded, however, as her relief to see her family return safe and well was slowly bested by the realisation that, once again, they'll be enduring even smaller portions. The girl blinked slowly as her eyes traveled downward to behold the miniscule portions once more.
Another sigh passed over her lips, softer this time and infused even more deeply with worry. How long could they last before they became too weak to endure the intensity of these pitiful hunts? The mere thought of this vicious cycle... "intimidating" was an understatement.
![[Image: ecec20e41f.png]](https://puu.sh/xvMxb/ecec20e41f.png)
Characters: Andre Winter (Hy'ur) / K'nahli Yohko (Miqo'te)
