super prompt lizard hunt

Dantalian was hunting her favorite animal: the humble baja blue rock lizard. The baja blue rock lizard was one of the biggest lizards found in Aeris' territory and the biggest kind Dantalian dared to hunt. It had a nose to tail length longer than one of her legs and was thicker around the middle than two ankles combined. In other words it was a big, big lizard. Catching one was no joke. Though the lizard may have been big it was fast and it could squeeze into teeny tiny crevices in a flash. More than one had escaped her grasp by disappearing down a gap she had thought too small. To make the challenge even more difficult, the lizards were unafraid of dropping their tails. The first time it had happened to Dantalian she'd been alarmed. The strange, lizardless tail flopping around all over the place like it had a mind of its own. So weird. From that point on though she considered the tail to be a consolation prize. It made a tasty little snack once it stopped twitching.

The lizard in question this day was laying stretched out atop an outcropping. She had spied its tail hanging over the edge and recognized the coloration immediately. Every baja blue rock lizard Dantalian had ever seen had a tail that was banded in rings of tan and gray and that tail poking over the side of the rocks? Tan and gray rings. It was a chunky tail too. Had to belong to a big lizard. Which meant it would make a good little meal! It was probably nice and fatty too. Yummy.

Dantalian dropped to her belly and crept forward on silent feet. She was certain she hadn't been seen yet because the beast hadn't so much as twitched as far as she could tell. And - she paused to recheck - yep, the wind was in her favor. The conditions were good. She just needed to be sneaky. If she could stay quiet and get up nice and close Dantalian thought she had a chance. She'd have to climb that outcropping though and that was the real challenge. The outcropping may not have been very high up off the ground, but as a tiny pup with runty legs it was too high for her to jump. And if she couldn't jump she was going to have to climb. And if she climbed? It was a near vertical challenge. Was it doable? Yes. Was it going to be hard? Yes, yes, double yes. But she could do it. That lizard was as good as hers.

Choosing each step with care, Dantalian inched towards the outcropping. She stepped around small stones and fallen leaves, and was careful to keep her claws from touching the ground. Not a click or a rasp escaped her feet as she sneaked up to the outcropping. Dantalian paused at its base to consider her next move. The tail was hanging down directly overhead. From this angle all she could see of it was the last inch or so and it hadn't moved at all. The climb was going to be tricky. Even if she made it to the top there was still the problem of getting over the edge before the lizard bolted away. And she knew from experience she couldn't just grab the tail. She wanted the whole lizard this time, not just the tail. An idea struck her. Maybe one of the other sides of the outcropping would be easier to climb.

Dantalian began to walk around the left side of the outcropping. When the top started to slope down to her level she paused. From here she could jump up there no problem but then there was the problem of getting back to the lizard before it ran off. So it was a trade off. Climb the wall and be close or jump up the short side and make a run for it. She flopped down to consider her options. It was a tough choice! Was she faster than she was stealthy or was she stealthier than she was fast? The answer to that question would determine which option she picked. Honestly she wasn't sure of it. Dantalian liked to think of herself as both pretty sneaky and pretty fast. She tried to think of which skill she used most often. Let's see... she successfully ran away from mad bees that one time and she'd caught other critters by being fast. But most of the lizards she caught she'd caught by being extra sneaky.

Fast or sneaky, fast or sneaky...okay, okay. She was going to go with fast.

She dropped into a low crouch and took a deep breath. 3, 2...1... go! The tiny pup was off like a shot. She sprung up onto the outcropping and took off running as fast as her little legs could carry her. Gone was the care that had kept her paws silent. Her little feet hit the ground with a rhythmic slap and small pebbles were sent skittering away as she flew over the outcropping. The lizard was on its feet in an instant. It darted towards the opposite edge fast enough to kick up a small cloud of dust, which Dantalian blasted through without a care. She flung herself at the retreating scaly back and was elated when her paws hit skin. The girl squealed. She got it!