Put Out the Cat

Lúta worked her way south, the heat of summer was impressive here but it was still far cooler than it ought to have been. There was still a smokey stain in the sky to the north where the volcano still stirred. She'd been sure to give it a wide berth. She did not now where Ragna had gotten to or why the macaque had been delayed but hopefully she could catch up with her companion at a later time.

The noon sun beamed down, it's light greenish as it filtered down through the trees and moss to the swampy ground below. She froze. It was quieter here than it should have been and her ears stood erect, her head twisting around. She had the distinct feeling of being watched.

A growl alerted her to the presence of a tiger just a moment before it lashed out at her. Lúta dove to the side, avoiding the brunt of the beasts attack but it's claws still grazed her shoulder leaving light lacerations. There was something in the beasts scent, something about its mannerisms… there was something definitely not right with this cat and she knew it had every intention of killing her.