The late morning breeze wound its way through the thick maze of trees. It carried the scents of a spring meadow and a lake. The eerie wood was still dark in its depths and the sun barely made a difference to the mists within. Even though many of the branches were still thin and sparse with buds there were still many places of deep shadow under the towering conifers.
Eltrys had previously spent an uneasy and active night hunting a young buck barely budding. After taking his fill he felt it a shame to leave most of the carcass there, for the bears and foxes and coyotes. He worked hard for his kill and since he could carry it with some effort draped over his back, he would.
He followed the scent of the meadow and lake through the maze. He was not frightened of the mists and the twists and turns, it was unnerving for sure, but he spent so much of his life honing his senses for other things, that he didn't feel overly scared of it. Spending most of his days in caves certainly helped him hunt in the darkness of these woods.
He emerged from the dark recesses into the light of the meadow with the fawn on his back. He saw the lake as his ice-blue eyes adjusted and licked his lips with a heavy thirst. He let the carcass thud onto the grass next to him as he approached the lakeshore and tested the waters with a sniff. It seemed clear and pristine. His mouth watering he began to lap the waters, unknowing if there was company upwind of him, as his eyes were still squinting at the bright morning light, he had only seen the green of the meadow and the sparkle of the lake.
Professor
