all a matter of perspective

*Silverback* · 08-12-2013, 02:12 PM

~*~

The snow leopard took a step back and surveyed her work. The cave wasn't terribly high or large, but she could walk around without the front without bumping her head, and the cranny went far enough back into the cliff side to be well sheltered from the northern elements. In the back, off to one side, was a bed of fresh pine branches, their evergreen needles, filling the space with a sweet, spicy aroma. On the other side of the back, a trickle of ground water seeped down the cutaway of rocks, and was begining to pool nicely in the little ring of stones that Silverback had made. Shelter, comfort, water, all that was missing was food, and she was about to set off on a hunt now. She'd only just dragged in the last mouthful of pine boughs from above. Now, everything was set. She couldn't have done better if the expectant occupants were to be her own pups.

She was quite fond of this idea of hers. It catered to every part of her: the huntress, the queen, the predator, the lonely, the slightly sadistic, the helpful. It was all too perfect. She just needed to choose the right wolf. None too young - she wasn't lactating last time she checked. But not too old either - wolves died like flies compared to her and she didn't want to get attached to something only to have it go belly up. Even if she got a yearling, in eight or nine years when it died, she'd only be 12 or 13, that was middle aged for her. She wouldn't focus on that though. The lonely years were behind her! From now on she would have something to cuddle with or groom or talk to or feed or terrorize as she saw fit. It was perfect.

Now for the missing piece. Like a spider, Silverback began her decent towards the Pass and the surrounding slopes of forest. The cliff appeared sheer as ice to any on lookers - and would prove so up close to anything but a cat, a goat or a bird - but the leopardess made it look incredibly easy. That was what she was counting on for this whole plan. What was impassible to a wolf was simple climb for her. She even sprang the last fifty or so feet on her own without a thought - leaping downwards and across the narrow chasm, to ricochet halfway down the opposite wall and then land smoothly at the bottom of the first cliff. Four years old was young adult as far as her kind was concerned. If she was this good now, she'd only get better. A smirk twisted neath her whiskers as she removed herself from open sight and went to lounge in her favored ambush position above the perfect, trap-like pass. Already she'd met with two wolves coming through here. And one she'd even carried up the slopes to the cave to watch the sunrise from. She hadn't thought of her plan back then - but that encounter had started the ball rolling.

Now to let it land home.

~*~

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