Alone

The Journey

-Third P.O.V.-

The pair walked for what seemed like hours, following the tracks and tiny signs of where their target went as he fled.

Tonoko groaned loudly, "Tanoki!" He drug out the last syllable of her name, "We've been walking forever! Can't we take just a short break?"

"No Tonoko... We've only been walking for thirty minutes!" She exclaimed annoyed, glanceing up at the sun to check the time.

"Besides, The more we walk, the closer we get to him, therefore, the less time it will take."

The blue tiger blinked, dumbfounded at her words, seemingly not understanding a single part of it. He shrugged it off and continued to complain.

"But if we rest, we can go longer afterwards!"

"No, Tonoko."

The rest of the day, Tonoko groaned and whined and complained until the sun reached its highest point in the sky. By now, Tanoki had long since lost her patience, but it was only now that she was about to show it.

"Tonoko!" She snapped, " Stop complaining! You're the one that wanted to come along on this trip! If you didn't want to walk this much then why do you join me?"

"Because! I just want to rest! I'll be fine and stop being so loud once wE STOP FOR A WHILE!" Their voices had begun to raise during the argument and by the end, they were shouting at each other with angry voices. Their eyes locked in a silent argument, and neither of them was going to back down. They glared for a good five minutes before Tanoki gave signs of holding back laughter;Tonoko began giving the same sings. Soon enough, they both burst into chortles and giggles, unable to be serious while so close to each other.

"Let's just take a break for a while, I suppose I could use a short rest," Tanoki stated while heaving a defeated sigh.

"Ahhhh finally!" Tonoko dropped to the ground and laid there while Tanoki just chuckled. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small slice of salt dried salmon she had caught and prepared before meeting the tiger. Munching on it, the huge feline caught the scent and quickly lifted his head to stare at her and the piece of meat longingly. She noticed his gaze and tore the chunk tossing him the other half which he snapped between his jaws mid-air, savoring the rich flavor. The pair rested for several minutes before heading on their way again.

-Time Skip-

Night had begun to fall, and the two showed no signs of wanting to continue their so far fruitless task. They decided to settle down for the night, and Tonoko was begrudgingly elected to get their dinner. He trudged off into the woods attempting to find something that he could catch and haul back to their makeshift camp. He finally caught wind of what smelled like a suitable meal as he crept forward and into a bush; looking through the bush, he found a small herd of Elk merely thirty feet in front of him. The tiger sunk to the ground, his white belly fur brushing against the grass as his paws noiselessly glided towards the herd. He got about fifteen feet away, close enough he figure that he could charge them. A large male Elk lifted his head and nervously glanced around, giving Tonoko the sign that it was time for him to make his move. He burst through shrubbery and raced forward, alerting the Elk instantly; they didn't get far though, due to the tiger's incredible speed. He pounced on the nearest Elk, which happened to be a big male, and dug his claws into its back. The prey gave a cry of pain but was cut short when Tonoko's razor sharp teeth sunk into its neck and bit down hard. The big herbivore died immediately and fell to the ground. Tonoko thanked the animal's spirit for the food and lugged it over his shoulder before heading back to camp.

--

The feline arrived back at camp and let the haul slip to the ground with a loud 'thump.'

"Whoa! Great job Tonoko! With how big this one is, we won't have to hunt for days," Tanoki congratulated him and began to skin and clean the Elk. Tonoko nodded and flopped onto the grass, tired from chasing down and carrying the huge beast all the way back to their temporary resting place.

Tanoki seemed to notice this as she looked his way and said, "You take a rest, I'll let you know when the food is ready."

"Thanks," he mumbled quietly, before drifting off into a light sleep.