A Bloody Farewell

Birna crept through the red forest, grateful for the shade provided by the extensive canopy of the redwood trees. She was not built for the Boreas summers and before she could get down to Auster a heat wave had hit. She now lingered in the north for the season, waiting for the weather to change before she dared chance a trip south. However, it was worth nothing that autumn was around the corner in the northern continent where as Auster would soon be experiencing its spring. Perhaps sit would be better to just stay put and wait for the season change to come to her. After all she had no real plans. Birna had toyed with the idea of joining a pack or a band but still she hesitated. She was uncertain of what would be a good fit and so she lingered on the outskirts on her own. She trusted that fate would eventually guide her to where she needed to be and in the mean time there were plenty of lands to explore. She had little in the way of a mission and some times her best days were just spent taking in the beauty of the land around her, the miracle of life's design. Some might think that foolish but she was a solo creature, at least in upbringing. She could content herself with things others might take for granted.

Birna paused near a tree showing signs of white tail deer prints at its base. This was the fourth such trail she'd come across in the past half hour and a quick test of the scent marked it as a different deer from the previous trails she'd come across. Birna wasn't starving but she was hungry and knew she'd be a fool not to take advantage of the explosion in the whitetail deer population. Birna opted to track this one and she crouched down, examining the trail before she started to follow it. About fifteen feet down the trail she came across a pile of droppings which a quick sniff informed her were fresh. Good, this was a trail worth following.

Birna paced along, her large paws padding her movements, allowing her to move silently as she followed the trail. It wound through the forest before ending at a small clearing where a large red wood had fallen. It lay across the ground like a massive wooden cave. The loss of the tree had allowed sunlight to reach the forest floor and small meadow to start growing. Within the meadow was a small herd of deer grazing peacefully. Birna settled down amongst the lush grasses, hidden behind one of the trees huge roots.

It was a peaceful summer day. The sun was settling low in the sky, offering some additional relief from the heat. As the air cooled the prey and predators became more active. There was a gentle breeze and luckily for Birna it was in her favor, bringing the scent of the deer right to her while diverting her own away. Birna basked in the peace of the moment before gently tucking her legs beneath her, limbs coiling like springs. The tip of her tail twitched as she sized up the animals, her sight eventually landing on an older doe. Yes, that would be her target. If she had anything it was patience and Birna waited until all four deer were distracted with their grazing before she leapt.

Her leap was silent. No growl of excitement, no claws clicking on ground, just silent paws and the rush of wind as she closed the distance between herself and her prey. The deer scattered as soon as the sensed her but it was too late for the doe. The cervid tried to dodge but one of Birna's agile paws snagged the doe's back leg causing her to stumble. That slip up was all Birna needed to prep another leap and land on the doe's back. The sudden pressure of weight caused the doe to stumble and as she hit the ground, Birna slid forward, jaws latching around the doe's throat. Moments later it was over and the snow leopard had her meal.

Birna released the doe's throat, licking the blood from her lips. The wind shifted bringing the scent of more deer to her nostrils but the hunter would content herself with one. As a nomad she had little place to store preserved meat and instead would eat as she needed to, storing the kills for a few days before moving on to her next location. Tempting as it was to take advantage of the bountiful prey in preparation for harder times she had little choice at the moment. Instead Birna bent her head and began to eat, eager to get in her fill before the scent of blood lured in other predators as well as scavengers. She ripped into the meal, snarfing down meat chunks. Moments later she could hear ravens cawing and circling. She would share within reason but she would get her fill, one way or another.


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