Otter Creek I can be as contrary as I choose

She lingered above the water, eyes searching to and fro for whatever culprit was playing these tricks on her. Some animal certainly. She only prayed it was not infected with something so terrible as rabies for she could not afford to let herself go mad. No. Her mind was far too valuable a thing to deteriorate under the effects of some disease. Her knowledge could not go to waste and so, she would get to the bottom of this like it or not.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the creature emerged from the water. It's brown head and rounded nose peered back at her with curiously large eyes before it pursed its lips at her and blew a raspberry. Was it? Was it really making fart noises at her!? How vulgar! How crude! Not only were the wolves in these parts uneducated but the animals were just as foul! It was absolutely unimaginable as to how uncivilized these wilds were.

Nevertheless, the rodent slipped beneath the water and and darted away. She snapped at the spot where it submerged in vain. Her teeth met nothing but air as she growled and turned her attention to the river. Would it appear elsewhere? Could she kill it and fashion herself something nice from its fur? She contemplated these things as her ears swiveled a top her head and her eyes skimmed the waters surface. Surely it would reappear somewhere.

Ah ha! There! She spotted it further down the riverbank and too off towards it as a sprint. If she could catch it, she might make a shawl of it. Or a purse. A nice otter skin would serve her profession well.