Amber
*Mizu own heart was also beating rapidly, though it wasn't from fear, but rather her fight response. She wanted to kill, she needed to kill, how long had it been since she had a good hunt? The adrenaline pumping through Mizu's veins was slowly eating away at her rationality*

"You're right, mother nature doesn't allow weaklings to survive. I'm probably more aware of that than anyone alive on the continent. That's why I'm strong, the survival of the fittest is the universal law of the wild. By being strong, I can take what I want and ensure mine and my child's survival. I can help my weak child."

*Mizu would motion with her free hand to the wide expanse of the woods around them* "Are you strong 'Lady'? Strong enough to hunt in these barren woods and bring enough food for not just yourself but two others?"

*Mizu would then hold up the small morsel of jerky* "From my perspective you're not. You said you're lost in the woods yet the only bit of food on you is some jerky? Are the only prey you've been able to hunt of so small quantity that you've been barely able to feed yourself this entire time? How can I expect someone like that to bring more~"

*Mizu would then take a readied stance again, taking another step up the tree* "You may think you don't have much to give, but in my eyes you can feed my child and I for at least a week."

*Mizu would take another step forward, now a quarter way up the tree, pressing her offensive onward* "Your 'survivability' has nothing to do with me, it would be because you were too weak. Too weak to properly take care of yourself, too weak to defend yourself, too weak to help others. Perhaps I'm being cruel, but that's simply because mother nature is crueler. So as sorry as I am, this is the end for y-"

*At that moment Yuzu who had been crying and squirming the entire time would bite down on her tail, causing Mizu to let out an embarrassing yelp. She would quickly bring her tail around with a scowl on her face as she coaxed Yuzu to open his mouth*

"No darling, you can't drink Mommy's blood, you'll get sick..."

*Thankfully she had pretty thick skin and bones and the tail didn't have much blood anyway, so it didn't seem like Yuzu drank enough of it to get sick. Or so Mizu hoped.*

*Mizu would let out a sigh and reposition her tail behind her. If she could feed her child with her own blood, she would, but the curse wasn't so kind as to let it work that way. However, an idea suddenly popped into Mizu's head, and she looked back up at the canifor with less hostility in her eyes*

"...You're concerned about your survivability, right? That's why you won't even spare a bit of blood to my child? Then how about I propose another solution. It might revolt you, but it will resolve your concerns about survivability."

*Mizu would motion to her slightly bleeding tail that was quickly closing up the bite wounds Yuzu made* "If you feed my child your blood, I shall let you drink some of mine. I'm aware it sounds disgusting, and if I could feed my child directly I would, but nature isn't so kind as to let that work. My blood seemingly has restorative properties for those that aren't my kind. Would that satisfy you?"
Catherine
*Juna quickly clung to the tree as Kyuu began making her way up, prepared to climb even higher if need be, though upon seeing Kyuu having to stop to tend to her child, a realization occurred to the Canifor. She was stuck. Not herself but Kyuu. It would be near impossible for her to get all the way up to where Juna was with her having to tend to child as well. Juna lowered her hands, bringing them near her sides as she tried to shield them from the cold with her shirt.*"Miss I'm afraid to say that you and I are both aware most of the animals have been scared off from the crying..."*And bargaining nonetheless she wanted to add. Juna was never one to bargain that much whether it was for her sake or someone else's. The thought almost brought her back to the Goblins, but she quickly shook it away.

She figured Kyuu knew what misfortune they had brought upon themselves in this stalemate, but she doubted she cared so much as she found some sort of food for her child. She watched the Vampire try to stop her child from eating at her, not quite sure what's become of them. After all, the Canifor knew little of vampires. At Kyuu's offer of her own blood for the Canifor's, Juna grimaced, drawing her head away to stop herself from gagging in the view of the desperate mother.*"No miss... Please, that's not-"*Did Juna really need to explain her disliking of tasting blood, the mere thought of sending her into a spiral of a grotesque feeling. She could think of several things she'd rather do than such, one of which taking her chances down below, but no she instead shook her head in response and sat back atop the tree.*

*It felt cruel to punish the child in her inability to give away what rightfully belonged to her. She sat there and thought for a moment, thought of considering, thought of simply leaving. She tapped at her arrow, finding herself staring at the tip of it. It could have been so easy and yet, the Canifor couldn't bring herself to do it. It was odd to think they could have been halfway to the town by now if not for the woman's insistence on Juna providing for her child, almost worsened by the woman's willingness of giving away something Juna couldn't bring herself to take.

And so she sat there in silence, pondering over her predicament. She may be considered a liar now, but she wasn't lying on her inability to come up with ideas, much less one that satisfied the both of them, but maybe patience really was a virtue. She'd cross her legs in a more cross crossed position, partially wrapping her tail around the branch as she removed her bow from around her and notched the arrow in it. She stared out into the forest and sat and waited.*
Amber
*Mizu's heart sank upon seeing the canifor shake her head. So that's how it was doing to be...*

"I had thought beggars can't be choosers... But I suppose you don't feel as desperate as me."

*She would look up to the canifor with a sad smile but still ever-hungry eyes. Her tail would completely curl up into a ball of fur around her child, prioritizing stability and defense over comfort*

"Sorry sweetie, please endure it for a couple of minutes. Mommy needs to move swiftly"

*Mizu would then start running up the tree with frightening speed. No more words were said, cus there was no need. They've both made clear their stances and neither of them were willing to budge.*

*In Mizu's eyes the canifor was the unreasonable one. The canifor would've been able to survive, and even maintain their health if she could just endure the disgust of consuming blood, but it would seem the canifor prioritized their own comfort over practicality. The canifor was asking her to just trust that she could hunt when all this time she had failed to do so, and only had some jerky as any proof of potential hunting skill. The canifor had also lied to her and led them astray.*

*Mizu would let out a slight sigh as she extended her spear toward the canifor as she ran toward her, now halfway up the tree. She wish she didn't get to know 'Lady' It would make hunting her so much easier if she was just viewed as some prey. It also appeared that the canifor was preparing to defend herself, having pulled out a bow and arrow. All of this was a pain for Mizu, not the fun hunt she was hoping to have. But for her child, it was a pain she was willing to endure.*
Catherine
*Juna scanned the forest floor, taking the moment of alone time to truly get a better look without the stress of a hungry mother on her back. Her index pressed against the shaft of the arrow, ears twitching for the faintest sound of wildlife. She kept silent, allowing the sound of crying to drown out in her ears to the faintest sound of animals scuttling about. Patience. The moving of feet, the shifting of undergrowth as the smallest animal sought escape from the terrifying group, fleeing, fleeing from the scene. 

Juna kept her gaze locked on the small mouse-like animal, watching it with cat like intensity from the distance she sat away from the grounded creature. She drew the string back to her bow, taking a deep breath as she tried to retain calm. Hitting a creature that small would be difficult, but she simply needed to choose her shot.

She sat there, aiming at the creature, unbeknownst to the woman making her way up towards her. It came as a silent rustle, soon growing to a louder and louder disturbance. Her gaze broke away from the animal, turning to see the progress Kyuu had made in a feeling of shock. Her heart beat rapidly, not expecting the mother to close distance in this time.*"*For a moment things seemed to slow for her, between the angered mom and frightened prey.

The Canifor fell still, her ears folding back on themselves as the feeling of fight or flight flowed through her. It would have usually resulted in flight, however, unless she could actually fly that wouldn't have been the best option for her. Her fingers quivered along the string of the bow with her time quickly running out. The aim becoming shaky as it shifted from its target.*

*The spear remained etched at the edge of the Canifor's vision, threatening her will to not do everything in her power to get away from this woman. Her grip tightened, muscle flexing and sure enough she'd let the arrow fly. It whizzed through the air towards the unknowing creature, vanishing into the ferns with it. 

Juna had no clue of whether or not it hit, but she didn't have time. Her hand went to her waist, grabbing the dagger that sat there. She doubted she'd be able to fight with it, but it wasn't what she was planning on using it for.*"Please, stop-"*She yelped.*"We'll all fall-"
Amber
*Mizu keenly watched as the canifor took aim with her bow. As expected, a cornered rat would fight back. But that didn't matter, she was going to feed her child one way or another. She would be about three-quarters up the tree at this point, getting closer and closer to striking range. She would watch as the canifor took aim and set the arrow flying. She scoffed at the canifor's aim, seeing the air fly through the air nowhere near her.*

"And you expected me to trust you to hunt with aim like tha-" 

*A sharp yelp would be heard and Mizu would suddenly stop in her tracks and quickly turning her head in the direction of the sound. Her nostrils would flare up and her mouth would salivate, picking up the scent of the thing her and her child desperately needed. Blood.*

*With her sharp nose she should focus on the source of the scent and dead mouse, pierced by the canifor's arrow. Despite the stress of Mizu coming up to hunt her, not only did the canifor still prioritize on hunting food but also successfully hit her target...*

*She would give a sideways glance to the canifor who had now taken out her dagger and then back to the mouse. Perhaps the canifor was just lucky, both in their shot and that prey had shown itself just now. But Mizu considered luck an important skill to have as well*

"...It looks like I owe you an apology. Perhaps I was a bit brash"

*She would turn around and start climbing down the tree again. As she reached the ground she would wrap up her spear and put it on her back once more and loosen her tail's grip over Yuzu. She would step away from the tree and look up to 'Lady'*

"...I'm sorry for trying to hunt you. I won't excuse it by saying I was desperate and that you would do it also if you had a child. In the end I fully intended to take your life. Even still, I see there is some truth in what you said about being a skilled a hunter, and that you had chosen to hunt prey instead of defend yourself against me has shown me your good nature."

*Mizu would then take a deep breath and sit down*
"I shall put my trust in you and wait here. So please, go out and hunt for me and my child."
Catherine
*Kyuu definitely owed her more than an apology for trying to kill her, yet Juna couldn't do so much as let a word out. With an exhausted, albeit relieved sigh, Juna allowed her head to rest itself along the trunk of the tree, whispering silent thank you's to nature for the sake of it providing one measly mouse for her. She was starting to get too lucky with nature, it was bound to run out at some point, but she's already accepted that she was at Nature's mercy and nature decided to let her hunt another day.

It took her a long while to consider the fact that Kyuu was allowing her to come down from the tree, her arms quivering and sore from that one shot alone. How long has it been since she's last hunted? Probably since she first left Salvania to come here. The realization concerned her. She grabbed at the branches to begin her descent down with such shakiness that she felt as if she'd fall on the way. The branches groaned under her weight, threatening to give way but sure enough nature had allowed her a peaceful descent back to the earth.

At first, she didn't say anything to Kyuu as she walked over to her kill. She brushed back the ferns gently, noting the arrow shot directly through its torso. Dead. A clean kill. She grabbed the shaft of the arrow, removing it from the prey with such familiarity that she couldn't help but miss the times when the forest were full of life. She closed her eyes, eventually turning her head back towards Kyuu but not daring to meet her gaze, never daring to.*

"There is food here if you need it... I will return..."*Juna never said when she would return, deciding to take the stressful weight she's been putting herself to find something in such limited time off her shoulders. She would return. Never promising with food, never promising soon. Simply return. The Canifor rose back up to her full height before turning away. She'd walk off from the two, feeling the sense of cold once more brushing along her arms and forcing her back into the reality of winter. One more hunt.*
Amber
*Mizu would take the dead mouse and simply nod. In reality she felt plenty of unease in her heart, as she wasn't used to trusting others. Perhaps becoming a mother had weaken her both mentally and physically. Alas, she had decided to stop relying on her animalistic tendencies and instead be more humane*

"We shall be waiting. Don't take too long though~" *She would a smile, reverting back to her more playful nature to ease the tension in the air. She would watch has the canifor walked away and simply continue cradling Yuzu.*

*She would squeeze out some of the blood from the mouse, of which there was very little, but it would seemingly be enough to calm him down for the time being. He was also pretty exhausted from all the crying and lack of food anyway. Still, she would let out a sigh of relief, having missed the silence of the woods.*

*For herself, she would consume the jerky the canifor had provided. It wasn't tasty, but as she had told the canifor, beggars can be choosers. As for the body of the mouse, there was still miniscule amount of blood inside, but was worth the effort.*

*Instead she would toss it out into the open and instead focus on concealing herself with the nearby underbrush. No point in waiting helplessly after all. Perhaps mother nature would be kind enough and have a predator approach the bait, attracted by the scent of a kill. Other than that, all she could do was wait...*
Catherine
*Time would pass, the darkness eating away at the forest with the coming of night. It was a much colder time and even now few animals arose to give their nightly song. The Canifor had not yet returned, time drawing out with each passing moment she had remained out of the sight. Perhaps she could have found her way back to town now, finding comforts in the housing of civilization, but no, she said she'd return and sure enough the Canifor eventually would.

Moving as a shadow against the darkness, the Canifor would gradually make her way towards Kyuu from the side suggesting that she must have gone at least a quarter circle around the forest. In her hand, though hard to see for any normal eyes, was a limp rabbit. It was most likely one too busy fattening itself up for the winter without realizing a predator near. Juna would carefully place it on the ground a short distance from the vampire as if the Canifor couldn't bring herself to move any closer. Placing it down, she would take a couple steps back and tug at the shawl around her shoulders for warmth.*"It was all I could find... Most animals have returned to their homes for the night..."*Just like Juna should have some time ago and yet she remained out here in her unintentionally extended search through the forest.*

*She walked over to one of the trees, leaning against it as the aching feeling surged across her back before she could let out an exhale of air and allow herself to slowly lower to the ground. She sat across from Kyuu, the gap between being either a sign of her timidity or her caution. It seemed she needed both out here. At the very least she completed one of her promises. Now it's simply time to find a way to return home, have a hearty meal, and maybe finally get some rest with the comfort of her Jackal near her. It was a blissful thought that warmed her a bit against the cold. She brought her legs close to her, wrapping her arms around them as a sort of shield against the breeze. Such a peaceful night, considering all that has happened.*
Amber
*Mizu's heart would flutter with relief upon picking up on the scent of the killed rabbit as 'Lady' approached. She would reveal herself from her hiding locating so as to not let the canifor believe she had left. She would approach and pick up the rabbit. Looking over it, she would smile at seeing the amount of fat it had*

"No, this is more than enough to feed my child. I was wrong to doubt your abilities. Thank you"

*She would pull out a knife and would skin the rabbit with relative ease, a task she was very familiar with. She would then tear the lean meat of the rabbit along with the fat, and grind them together till it became soft and tender. She would then further breaking it down into smaller pieces and feed it to her child. Thankfully Yuzu had inherited her hardy stomach and didn't need to cook the meat. Yuzu would nibble on the food and for the first time upon meeting up with the canifor, smile. The smile was infectious and Mizu would also smile down upon her child, a loving smile*

*After Yuzu had eaten his fill he would quickly fall asleep. Satsified, Mizu would turn her attention back to the canifor*

"There isn't much left, but there is still some of the intestines and organs of the rabbit if you wish to eat. I'm sure you're exhausted from your hunt" *She would say as she pushed the remaining bits of the rabbit toward the canifor. Her tail would be wagging, indictive of her much more pleasant mood. It would seem all hostilities she had bore before had vanished after feeding her child*

"I suppose we should head to the next town after this. Looking at my map, it will be about a two day journey. Shall I lead you there? Though I get the impression you aren't actually lost~"
Catherine
*Juna gazed over to Kyuu, taking in her sudden change of mood with a slight feeling of curiosity. It was rather odd how quickly one can turn when a child was involved. Is this what motherhood is like? Juna isn't even the mother here and even she felt exhausted from it. Caring for animals were much easier it seemed. At least, in her eyes anyways. She watched Kyuu skin away the rabbit, something she was often used to when having food cooked, but sure enough the two ate it as is, which caused Juna to look away as they did.

At Kyuu's offer of having what remained of the rabbit, Juna would offer a half smile before saying:*"No no... It's fine... You should keep it in case you get hungry later..."*Them getting hungry again was the last thing she wanted, even thinking about it causing the smile to fade away. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to eat the organs anyways. In fact it was the one thing removed when preparing the animal, but she wouldn't state it aloud for the sake of seeming wasteful.

She scanned the forest with a sleepy gaze. Juna had to admit, it had been a while since she's got any good sleep, but even now she couldn't bring herself to give way to exhaustion. Sleepless, maybe even partially insomniac after going a day or so without it already. Either way, she doubts she'd be able to sleep through the night and in being an early riser, she didn't want to miss the sun beginning its journey across the sky.*"I'll keep watch..."*She'd say, the words sounding foreign to her as she had never found herself doing such nor did she consider why others do it. There was a first for everything, however. Maybe she'll come to understand the purpose for staying up in the night. With Kyuu teasing over whether or not she actually knew where she was going, she'd give a smile.*"Who knows?"*She asked.*"Nature... Likes to work in mysterious ways and I along with it."