Serpentine! Serpentine!

She hadn’t bargained for this when she stepped foot into the cave. Probably the biggest bear she had ever seen in her life rushed behind her. Only thanks to a couple tiny corridors was Deathbelle even an Alivebelle right now.

Her curiosity had gotten the better of her this morning when she was almost done travelling for the night. She was still used to the desert rhythm, sleep in a sheltered place during the day if you could and travel during the cold of the night. The sun hadn’t quite peeked out over the horizon when her midnight paws carried her over the threshold of the cave entrance. Belle delved deeper than she intended as well, she had been entranced by the glow of the mushrooms. The smell of them must have masked the musk of the she bear and her cubs as well.

She didn’t see the mother at first, her gaze was caught by movement just out of reach of the glowing mushrooms. Her nose only then decided to work, and the strong scent of bear overwhelmed her. Had she not noticed so fast she wouldn’t have dodged the silent blow of mom. Belle ducked as soon as she realized there was a cub, and that instinctual movement saved her from a crippling if not deadly blow.

Instinctively her form shifted, taking on a defensive stance before realizing her best course of action was retreat. Belle wasn’t a small wolf, but this was close quarters with a huge bear. Her brilliant amethyst gaze caught sight of a small tunnel, and as the bear recovered she dove for it. Even through her panic her movements were precise and sure, ensuring she missed yet another swipe from the mother bear’s other paw.

Her claws scraped against the rock as she shimmied through the narrow tunnel, her heart threatened to beat through her chest. Her breath came quick and adrenaline surged through her royal veins as she appeared on the other side of a thick wall. She found her scent here, and felt relief begin to pour over her. Deathbelle had made it away from the bear and had conveniently found her way back to the path.

With her first step the fear returned as the musk surrounded her again, this time coupled with a deafening roar. Deathbelle would never admit that she had screamed in that moment, right before trying to seek out another lucky tunnel. She didn’t have to to retreat back into the tiny tunnel as the bear threw its clawed paw her way. Belle narrowly escaped past the enraged bear and back down the original tunnel she had come down. She had to find another small tunnel or get out of this place if she wanted to survive the day.

The bear didn’t hesitate to give chase, its huge form would easily overwhelm her lithe body if she didn't hurry. Finding some kind of tunnel was more difficult than it sounded. With the very dim light and exaggerated shadows Belle had a difficult time seeing anything. She begged to deities she didn’t believe in to help her as her paws carried her through the unfortunately straight tunnels. Then she saw it, the second tunnel to save her life.

This one was not level with the floor, and Belle wasn’t even sure if she had enough time to climb up the rocky incline into it. She went for it though. Rushing like her life depended on it Deathbelle squeeze into the tunnel just in time to feel the bear’s paws clawing at the entrance. She stifled another frightened scream as she pushed through, thankfully she wasn’t claustrophobic.

This passageway was thinner and longer than the last one, and she panicked that the bear would be at the end just waiting on her. She never realized that cave bears were real, she always figured they were just big brown bears. This thing seemed monstrous. Belle wondered if it had left the cave this year with the smell it possessed. This is what she tested for as her head poked out of the end of the tunnel. She sniffed lightly, feeling better about emerging with this action.

She took a tentative step out, and slowly brought her second paw. Belle paused for a moment, listening and smelling the air lightly before bringing the rest of herself from the hole. Slowly she started in the direction of fresh air when the sound of claws on stone sounded behind her. Belle wasn’t ready for this again, but rushed forward. She had to outrun it this time, she knew she was close to the entrance.

The bear roared again, closer than she would have liked but farther than she expected. This brought her hope for her goal and she put on a burst of speed as she caught light in the distance. The corridor was twisting enough that she stayed in front of the enraged mother as she shot out of the cavern like a bullet. She didn’t stop there either, her gallop continued as she oriented herself northward. She spared a glace behind her about a mile out, and didn’t see anything following behind her.