The day had been hot. Scorching, even. But those with plenty of experience with the desert knew that even with the hottest of days, the night could be the exact opposite. Braith had found herself sheltering from the sun and heat in the oasis during much of the day and exploring elsewhere at night. After all, this was her home. The desert was where she was born and it was where she had always stayed. She never ventured further, enjoying the chilly air after such a hot afternoon. After all, why did she need to? It may have been hot and dry, but there were plenty of cacti to bite into for hydration and she never strayed too far from the oasis to risk otherwise.
This night was the same as always. The starts were bright in the sky with no clouds in sight and the moon was her guide, silently creeping through the dusty terrain with practiced skill, taking care to avoid any snake trails or sharp rocks. Her goal wasn’t snakes today, nor was it bugs or antelope. It wasn’t like she could easily catch one of those by herself anyway. Her goal for tonight? Cactus. Not just any cactus. Nopal.
Braith knew exactly where the paddle-like cactus thrived in the Badlands. She had walked this path weekly on her hunt for nutrients, trying not to take from a single area too much. It didn’t take long in her nighttime stroll to catch sight of her goal. Her tail wagged as she pranced towards the cactus. This path was one rarely traveled, so the prickly pears growing on her cactus of choice were everywhere.
With careful precision, Braith used her teeth to remove any spines from the fruit before she carefully pulled them off of the cactus. She took her time in grabbing four small prickly pears before turning to retrace her steps back to the oasis. It seemed like a normal night so far - not another wolf in sight. Peaceful. Quiet.
At least, it was quiet… until she heard some rocks get kicked nearby.
Braith stiffened for a moment before doing the only thing she could think of and ran to hide behind one of the larger cacti, dropping one of the prickly pears as she sprinted. The nopal plants were large, thankfully, so she could only hope her hiding spot was good enough for now. The desert was harsh on a good day… if it meant fighting or fleeing over a few prickly pears, she’d choose the latter every time.
ooc: