Stepping over that territory line was the first thing Bancha had ever done to possibly break a rule. At first, he hadn't noticed he was even leaving Valta territory. Too busy following a butterfly that floated over the flowers of the plains that opened up before him. The trees here were different though. Sparsely places, not in a large cluster like the forest behind him. They looked different too. A different color with different leaves, a different scent. Amazing!

Stopping in his tracks, he looks around with those wide aquamarine eyes. Blinking a few times, he starts to feel that surge of anxiety build in him. His lungs constrict, chest tightens, throat closes up. "Papa," he whines quietly, taking a few steps back until his butt hits a tree. The Valta scent is still strong so he knows he couldn't have gone terribly far, but the idea is still terrifying. Attempting to maintain a calm demeanor, the pup closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. He is okay, he can do this. Being in the plains right beside the rapids surely would be okay with his dads. Right?

This place was so cool that he really, really wanted to explore it. Taking a few steps forward, he looks around again. A sound like sand falling over a cliff catches his attention. Instinctually lowering himself to appear smaller than he already is, Bancha inches toward the sound and sight of grass being thinly parted. Once he's close enough, he sees a long scaly creature that he can't quite put a name too. His eyes go wide as he freezes and watches the snake slither away. Letting out a mixed sound of awe and fear, he holds still until another sound catches his attention.

A few feet away, down by the flowing creek, a wild hog sips the cool water that leads from the lake. Curious, Bancha perks up, floppy ears twisting lightly as his tail wags. Was this a friend? His head tilts, paws slowly moving him forward  toward the hog. When the hog lifts its head to look up, Bancha quickly ducks down into the grass to hide himself. He didn't want to get caught yet! Holding still, he watches the hog finish its drink from the creek and start to walk along the shore toward the lake. Other animals come and go, but he's most interested in the rotund creature that makes loud snuffling noises.

wc: 408/1500

In the vast expanse of the Serpent Plains, where the golden grasses swayed and whispered in the wind, Taiga stalked. The enormous lioness wasn't your typical feline. She was of a species foreign to the lands upon which she hunted. The cave lioness' size put all other felines on the continent to shame. Being such a large cat, she needed to hunt often.

On this particular day, as the sun cast its warm rays across the plains, Taiga prowled silently through the tall grasses. Her ruby eyes gleamed with determination as she tracked her prey—a massive wild hog that had the unfortunate luck to cross the hungry feline's path. The wild hog, unaware of the danger lurking nearby, lowered its head to drink from the cool waters of the stream. Taiga crouched low in the grass, the stripes and rosettes of her pelt blending in rather well with the wavering shadows of the tall grass.

Time seemed to slow as Taiga bided her time, her muscles coiled like springs ready to unleash their power. The pig drank its fill, then stood erect once more. It gave little grunts as its nose wiggled, testing the wind. Thankfully, the breeze was in Taiga's favor and blew the pigs scent towards her rather than her scent towards it. The porcine morsel began moving straight towards her, ready to get back into the long grass where it likely felt safer. Big mistake. With a sudden burst of speed, the lioness launched herself from the tall grasses, her powerful legs propelling her forward with astonishing agility.

The big boar sensed the danger too late, its beady eyes widening in terror as Taiga closed in on her prey. Near silently, gigantic paws carried the feline quickly across the distance between herself and her prey. Hind legs tensed and she leaped, powerful muscles propelling her quickly forward like a torpedo. Taiga tackled the hog to the ground, her sharp claws sinking deep into its flesh as she brought it down to the ground with her. The boar squealed, screaming bloody murder as it was... bloodily murdered.

The struggle was brief but intense as Taiga fought to subdue her quarry. The size of her snowshoe paws helped tremendously to hold the squirming hog in place. Wide jaws wrapped around its thick throat, canines digging into flesh as she cut off its air supply. The hog struggled, but its strength was quickly waning. With each gasp, the huntress was able to bite down harder and harder. Soon, the kicking and thrashing of her prey ceased. She was the victor.

Breathing heavily, Taiga surveyed her kill with pride, her soot and snow fur stained with the blood of her prey. The big cat sank to the ground in a puddle, giving a very pleased roll through the crumpled grass. If she'd been capable of purring, she would very well have done just that. When her roll of satisfaction was completed, Taiga lay on her side and began grooming the blood away from her pelt. A cat could never be too clean and it wasn't as though her meal was going anywhere, right?

WC-523
Total- 931/1500

"Taiga"

Hidden in the grass, Bancha looks around. The hog is content to drink from the stream nearby for now, its nose digging through the muddy bank for minerals and bugs. He is surrounded by vegetation, hardly seen with his creamy colored coat aiding him in camouflage. Off to the right, in a brightly lit area, he sees a brightly colored flower that he believes is called Agrimony. From what he remembers, the buttercup flower is bitter to the taste and one he doesn't want to try ever again. There's also boneset too, those white lacy flowers that prefer the shadier areas near the trees. The pup even notices bunches of marigolds with brightly colored petals, the perfect kind of flowers for dyes and flower crowns! Not only does he see a variety of flowers, but there's different grasses too, bushes aplenty, and a few different types of trees.

When he looks down at his paws, he notices how the soil is soft, easy to sift through, but not too muddy or wet or too dry and crumbly. Well drained by the rolling hills in the area and the winding creek that he nestles nearby. From his hiding spot, he can see how the creek bed is full of different sized river stones, round and smooth. Small fish make their way back and forth, their scales glimmering beneath the water's surface. If he listens closely, he can hear the slither of snakes in the grass, lizards scrambling across rocks, evading the grasp of birds that swoop in from above. As the breeze dies down, revealing a rather stifling heat that he hadn't noticed before, he sees rabbits and gophers peeking out from their own hiding spots. Little furry heads peeking out over the tops of grasses to ensure they were safe to travel.

The breeze picks back up, he's not sure which way though. Clouds shift across the sky, his sea foam green eyes squinting hard as he looks up to the soft blue palette of sky. With the breeze picking back up, his eyes are suddenly drawn back down to the hog he had been watching. Was the animal ready to be his friend? Had it had enough drinking of water and searching for snacks along the creek bed? Bancha peeks over the grass, his senses taking in the scene in front of him. Unfortunately, the lioness is too silent to be heard by his ears, he can only hear the rustle of grass, the flutter of birds, the snort of the pig. His paws feel the ground beneath him, a slight tremble as the hog begins to move back into the grass. Oh, this could be his chance!

Excited to try and make a new friend, the pup's eyes suddenly go wide. Frozen in fear, he leans back into a hunched over sitting position. How had he not noticed the giant cat stalking the pig he had wanted to befriend? His mouth goes dry, chest constricting, heart racing fast as he watches the scent in front of him. One moment the pig is ignorant to the situation, and the next its frightened squeals are filling his ears, drowning out any other noise around him. Yes, he's a wolf. Yes, he knows predators hunt for food, but he had not... expected his day to go like this. Blood flying through the air as the lioness expertly grabs the hog and ends it life within moments. Its frightened squeals coming to a stop. Terrified, but also so angry, Bancha turns his gaze to the lioness as she begins to lick her coat clean. How dare she!

Torn between bravery and fear, Bancha chooses to be brave. Marching over to the feline, as massive as she is, more massive than any wolf he'd ever seen, he comes to stop in front of her. "Miss! I was going to..." he stops, eyes averting over to the dead hog laying nearby. Swallowing hard, he turns to look back at the feline and suddenly all words fail him. Taking a step back, he lowers down onto his belly. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you," Bancha's voice goes quiet as he turns his gaze down to his paws. Hopefully she wouldn't make a snack out of him either.

1645/1500