Fog rolls in from the east, covering the thick woodland within a few hours. Dew from the dawn rain covers the grass around a visibly abandoned, rusted trailer in the middle of a clearing. This morning is different from the others. There are only two people in that busted-up old trailer: an older man named Hare and one of his daughters, Jasmin.
Jasmin, a tall girl with a triangle-like body shape. Olive-ish skin mixed with a roman nose and wider spaced eyes made this teenager around 17 blend in with her father. With very thick brown hair and a pair of bear ears, tail, paws, and claws. She goes on fixing her father's pants while looking around the nasty trailer, her eyes falling upon her father's sleeping form. She watches his ears flick upwards as he rolls over into the thin blankets and flattens the pillows.
Looking away, she goes back to patching up his pants before huffing and setting them down. Standing up she walks to the dirty kitchen and pulls out a few small sacks of dried meat out, taking a handful and puts them in her pocket. Shaking her father's paw, and laying out a clean-ish pair of clothes as she says.
“Father, awake. The morning is in tune. It is time to look for Birdie,” her voice slow and quiet. Looking around once again, her claws click against the metal flooring as she stands up with a yawn and puts away any dishes in the sink from last night. Huffing, she puts on her jacket, shaking her father's paw again. Hare finally wakes up, grumbling, slightly irritated and sir up a small bit resting on his forearms.
“Wha... what is it now, Jazzy?” Rubbing his eyes and licking his gums while sitting up. Stretching his arms and shifting to sit on the edge of the old mattress.
“It is morning, the time to look for Birdie is today,” She mumbles and takes his hand, pulling his hand to help him up and brushing off his ears and arms, she states.
"You are going gray, Fathe." Before looking around and grabbing his wire glasses and setting them on his face. Fixing his black and graying hair while brushing down his mustache.
“I know, Jazzy, but we do not need to worry about that now, do we?” he questions and pulls on a jacket, grabbing his bag as Jasmin picks up her own bag, making sure to have her med kit, loaded pistol, map, duct tape, radio, and sturdy strips of blue fabric. Turning back to her father, she grabs his hand and picks up a bow and arrow.
“Come on, Father. It is time to search where she is now.” She makes sure that he can hear her, and she walks out into the clearing, closing the door behind her and letting her father's hand go. Walking into the woodland keeping their ears perked as they stay alert and in case of other pelt shifters.
They both look around to see if anything is out of place. They start to follow the older ribbons tied around the tree trunks, their paws making imprints into the damp ground. Hare looks around closely, observing their surroundings, keeping Jasmin close. A few deer can be seen behind a few of the larger trees, hiding in the fog, the eeriness of the woods feeling oddly comforting to them.Jasmin tugs on her father's jacket sleeve to point to a fast-moving river.
“You think we can get fish there one day?” Jazmin asks, wanting confirmation from her father. Hare nods as he keeps his eyes and ears alert in case of any potential danger. While walking through the woodland, she sees glimpses of other pelt-shifters. Their own pelts wrapped around their bodies: wolf, deer, elk, moose, bear, bobcats, and coyotes.
“Father, look the others,” She points to the other pelt-shifters around them. Watching them move as the continue on their own journeys in the searching season. Their pelts keeping them blend in and hidden in case of emergency.
“Yes, Jazzy, I see. Seems like they are also looking for the others this season.” Hare responds as he takes her hand and continues on their journey. Jasmin, after a while of walking, starts to tie the fabric strips around the tree trunks, adding onto a trail of other strips to help find their way back when it is time.
Jasmin looks at a small stream and the smaller animals. Her downturned dark blue eyes glance at her dad's paws and then her own. Seeing the mud caked on our claws and fur on them. Watching him closely she notices that her father as gotten a bit of a limp now, unlike when he was younger before the searching seasons took a toll on him
“What pelt do you think Birdie has this season?” She asks as she tilts her head slightly, her ears flick downward and watches the sun peak though the fog, cascading down and across the few covered grass and logs.
“Possibly a coyote, but that depends where she is this searching season,” he mumbles as he kneels down to touch an arrow stuck in a target.She looks around through the trees to see if anything is out of place or unusual.
“That's Na't's arrow, right?” She questions as she looks down at the arrow, noticing the blue and green dyed feathers on the end of it. Placing a hand on her father's shoulder and rubbing the feathers on the edge of the arrow with her other one.
“You think he's still here, Father?” She asks as she shifts on her paws, claws digging into the soft ground. Her small tail shifts while she kneels down next to her father. Glancing around to the other pelt-shifters making their own way during the searching season.
“What do you think Na'ts is this season, a buck or perhaps a ram, maybe a bull?” Jazmin questions softly watching the others before standing back up yanking the arrow out. Patting her father's shoulder softly and looking ahead for any other signs of Na’t.
(I know it's not good but I just wanted to share, leave comments and kudos if wanted <3)
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