At your door

The rapids. Perfect. She knew every stone and ripple here like the top of her paw. It had been a playground once, then a graveyard... and she hoped it would one day be a playground again. But today blood would be spilled once more. Theo took comfort in the fact that this was in the name of safety and prosperity - not that she ever turned her nose up at killing a predator. There was nothing saintly about letting chaos run amok because you were too scared to make that first move or end your enemy when you could. There was no glory in that. "Alright, help me corral it towards that spot there, between those three rocks. It'll be slippery." It was a warning, she wouldn't underestimate him by telling him to "be careful." The terrain may be strange, but he was a seasoned warrior. He'd likely trained in worse. But the rocks of the rapids were tricky - slick and wet with hidden moss that made things all the more treacherous. Just when you think you'd get purchase with your paws or your claws, you'd skid right on over the edge. The water had frozen nearly solid places, but the spot between the rocks she'd gestured too was far deeper than the rest of the river. A well-trained eye could see that only a thin layer was frozen on top. Theory snarled and raced towards the cougar, guiding it towards the rapids and that deep, dark spot in the water that was disarmingly still.