humpty dumpty had a great fall :)

She had spent probably, like, a year preparing for this. You haven't been alive for a year. Idiot. Fable ignored her (frankly) very hurtful inner monologue and continued on her short, brisk walk. Today was the day! The Big Day! The Big One! Fable kept hyping herself up as she strode from the quiet family den area towards the cliffs. Last time they'd gone on a walk around this area, she'd witnessed something that had inspired the plot for her first Big Solo Hunt. It had been a chilly morning, but she was used to the cold by now. They'd been born during the great winter and had weathered it just fine. In fact, the idea of it being sunny and hot seemed like a complete myth, but she was giving her parents the polite benefit of the doubt. She'd believe it when she felt the sun beating down on her.

Anyway! Back on track. The last time she'd been to the cliffs, she'd spied a small herd of deer grazing extremely close to the perilous edge. The wary deer had kept half an eye on them until they'd been ushered further along. Fable hadn't been able to get the image out of her head: they were just so close to the edge. One wolf - unless they were like, a complete expert and totally legendary hunter - often had trouble separating out a single target from a herd like that. But what if she managed to spook them just enough to slip over the edge? The fall was almost definitely lethal; her parents had warned her time and time again to keep away from the edge of the cliffs. Fontamo Bay roared far below. It was a rocky beach for quite a stretch before petering out into soft sand. Definitely not a soft landing.

If she thought about it for too long the whole situation made her a bit queasy. Sure, she'd caught plenty of fish. Trapped tons of rabbits. A squirrel, here and there, but they were fast little buggers. Deceptively difficult to catch. Even if you could manage to get on top of one, they always seemed to be close to a tree where they could escape beyond her reach. Thinking about squirrels made her mad, anyway. They tasted like garbage. Stringy and flavorless. Pushing squirrels out of her head, Fable refocused on the mission at hand. As she crept towards the edges of the plains that met the wide open grass before the cliffs dropped down to the ocean, what she saw almost made her turn back. It wasn't a group of deer, still stringy and weak from the long winter. It was a single lone badger. Sometimes they made their way through the Serpent Plains heading north towards the craggy steppes and Rock Garden before passing further afield. What was it doing down here?

Fable gulped, realizing she fully had stopped breathing for a good thirty seconds. He was scary. She'd seen how fast they could go when they really set their minds to it, but she'd never been quite this close. He was by himself, rooting around in the grass grazing quietly. At least it was just one badger. With one well-placed head butt, he could probably launch her completely over the side of the cliff without breaking a sweat. Like she was nothing more than an annoying little fly.

Guh. I'm gonna puke. Completely puke. Fable screwed her eyes up tight and tried to stop her heart from racing. Just because her prey had changed a little didn't mean her plan should. Right? The basics were still the same. Stay under cover, low to the ground, be quick about it, and herd him right towards the edge. She just had to remain completely unseen right up until the pivotal moment or... he'd charge right for her, and she'd be a goner. But she was faster, right? And smaller. Easy enough to dodge and weave if she kept her wits about her. Fable took a deep, deep breath and opened her eyes wide until the air stung them and she was forced to blink a few times in rapid succession. I can totally do this. Steadying herself, she dropped into a hunter's crouch and began weaving through the tall autumn grasses towards the nasty badger.

She had to stay downwind. If she stayed downwind, everything would be fine. The breeze worked in favor as she closed in on him, blowing up from across the ocean. Salty air stung her nose and Fable lowered herself further into the grass. She crept closer, closer...

All at once the wind shifted. A stiff gust came from across the plains behind her, rustling the grasses and scrubby bushes, bringing her scent right to the badger's nostrils. He shifted at once, planting all four paws and facing Fable's direction. The badger could smell her, it just couldn't see her. She let out a soft breath of thanks and winnowed just a little bit closer. The badger huffed threateningly in her general direction before bellowing. He reared back slightly on his hind legs to get traction for a full charge - and a brief look of surprise crossed its face. Something indeterminable flashed in his eyes as the cliff behind him began to crumble from the sudden shift of his weight. All at once the cliff gave way behind him.

The badger staggered and slipped backwards, front claws violently gouging the ground as he fought for purchase. It was too late. Loose stones and rocky soil finally gave way and the front half of his body fully hit the soil with a sickening thud as he slid over the cliff's edge. Fable's head shot up from where she had hidden, her eyes wide. Yes, she'd hoped it would work... but part of her still hadn't expected it to be a success. She blinked and the badger finally went over the edge completely. A sickening thud was heard from the beach far below and a small group of seagulls screamed out, flying out from where they had roosted on the cliffside. They soared up, up into the sky and disappeared.

She finally caught her breath, her heart beating so quickly and heavily in her chest that she thought she'd break a rib. Fable headed towards the scrubby, wall-travelled trail that led down to the beach below, her paw steps quick and sure. She'd have to see this thing dead to believe she'd really done it. The young huntress picked her way carefully down the pathway. Beach grass grew along either side of it, the roots gripping so tightly to the cliffside that the path remained intact year-round. Once she hit the beach, she was stunned by the sight of it: the great badger, its legs twisted at unnatural angles. Blood leaked onto the sand but she wasn't sure where it was coming from. Carefully, she walked a wide circle around her prey. There it was - he'd crashed onto a craggy, sharp rock and it had pierced right through his ribs. Dead on impact. Fable sat dumbly in front of the once powerful creature. "Wow," she murmured under her breath. "I really did it."


TWC: 1,199