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Someone was stealing his food.

At first he thought it a miscount. Idle snacking. But it kept happening. Never when a lost morsel would leave him empty-plated, but especially after the fellahin had just refreshed him with a full meal. Only when he slept, or had left his nest long enough for a theft to occur. Never in the middle of his work.

And more than that… he had noticed things left behind in their place. Herbs he’d never seen before. Piles of seeds. Once — a very large green bug.

Trading, he decided. Someone was trading him items of… varying usefulness, in return for morsels.

Curiosity grew. Especially when they carried on along the road, keeping pace with the caravan. He never saw a single track. None percieved an uninvited visitor to his place of shelter. Did an untethered Ba take offerings to Duat?

Hotep was determined to ascertain the truth of it.

So on an overcast night with no moon, under cover of utter darkness, he left supper untouched and lay with his back to the slab of laden stone. Slowed his breathing, and felt his Ab beat slower in answer, feigning sleep.

He nearly slept in earnest — had begun to doze, as the hour dragged on.

Then came a russle.

Large desert ears swivelling to the sound, it took only a moment to pinpoint. There! By the dried fruits fellahin had provided him for supper.

Lifting his head oh-so slowly, sesh rose quiet to his feet, into a crouch. Still ears stayed fixed on the sound.

A mouse, he was certain.

Though no great hunter, Hotep remained a wolf, and the instinct to stalk and chase was in his blood.

He was also mindful of the hour, and potential mess to be made if he miscalculated. A wait, then, for the creature to be undoubtedly in open space.

But… Hotep was no great hunter.

The brush of his tail across the grass alerted it, rustling turned to fleeing, and Hotep leapt in a hasty bound for fear of losing his one and only chance at catching it in the act.

There was a clamour of scattered food and the loud crack of woven branches snapping against the brunt of sesh’s stumble. Followed by a loud squeak as he trapped prey beneath his paw — and then a louder YEALP as tiny teeth bit very hard between his toes.