Fallownose was a charcoal shadow as he slipped into the rustling grass, folding himself effortlessly into the landscape and orbiting the flock of birds in perfect predatory silence. Shattervenom made note of his position as she too flowed into an optimal spot; her mottled pelt offered some camouflage--a mixture of shade and dappled light--and with her quiet paws, the twittering avians hardly knew what hunted them. So far, so good. The corner of her vision tracked subtle flickers of Fallownose's form... she did not smell or hear him while he moved, but nevertheless she
sensed the moment that he'd found the most advantagous spot to attack... a wave of his tail, swaying with the tall bluestem surrounding them, signaled Shatter to go. With a liquid flex of muscles, she did.
The warrior's long, lithe body sprang from the undergrowth like a striking serpent, utilizing the impressive stretch of her physique to startle the birds into scattering low in panic. Her slashing claws batted a few of the sparrows closest to her out of the air--their wings milling desperately, feathers flying--and she balanced on her hind legs for as long as possible to act as a flight deterrent. Any sudden motion, no matter how stealthy, would've triggered the flock to flee in a split second; utilizing
grander techniques to take advantage of their prey's inevitible drive to escape would hopefully yield the hunting pair a higher kill count and more delicious poultry to consume.
Here and there Shattervenom darted and leapt, throwing herself high over the ocean of bristling gold. Feathers were torn by her quick claws; she practically herded the flock, stirring their shrieking swarm into a more compact bundle for Fallownose to pick from. Whenever she could, the skinny fighter scooped tiny plumed bodies out of their trajectory with her talons... most escaped, shedding soft plumage of black and brown and brilliant yellow, but Shatter
did manage to down two sparrows and a fat meadowlark. Their plump bodies were torn back to earth and pinned under her weight--dispatched with merciful swiftness before Shattervenom jumped toward the sky yet again. The dirt beneath her bore the raking tracks of her hind daggers scraping her back and forth--visual testimonies of her agility. Feathers and specks of blood stuck to her visage. Shattervenom panted roughly, grey eyes alight with crazed energy, and only when all the songbirds had finally escaped her attention did all four feet
thum back down to the soil.
A broad smile cracked her usually expressionless facade. She gathered up her three lucky birds by a wing and dragged them to the deputy, purring low in her throat.
"A bit unorthodox, but... did that work for you? I usually go after fatter birds, hah."