Tyger Tyger, burning bright

Auster was no longer such an unknown. The ground was starting to feel familiar beneath Hattori's paws as he approached the overflowing creek, water rushing by as though it couldn't reach the sea fast enough. It spilled over its banks, flattening the cattails and forcing them to lay flat as though waving along with the flow of water. Beyond the sound of flowing water and the ever falling rain, it was quiet here. Arguably too quiet for such a dependable source of water, like something had scared everything away. A dire wolf was a worrying sight for most herbivores, so it made sense they'd all made themselves scarce, but the feline paw print smushed into the mud on the other side of the bank told Hattori all he needed to know.

There was a tiger about, somewhere, and just out of reach of sight and smell. But where?

Tensing slightly, Hattori strained his senses, ears flicking forward as his perceptive gaze roved over the rain tapped foliage. He would not be taken unawares and perhaps that would be enough to put the tiger off, force it to find another target.

"Speech"