Fox's Glade lush life

the cougar carried his victim with the focused stride of a patient creature -- in time, the stink of her mess faded. she swung from his jaws silently -- he felt her spirit closet itself for the present -- and this he preferred to her shaking voice and shrinking body. in quietude they traveled, for time that the silver panther did not bother to measure. the sun had fallen from its perch when they arrived at the foot of the stone circle and thus shardul wasted not a moment lifting her to a higher ledge.

out of the reach of wolves, the cat's lemon-yellow eyes searched in the gloom for a depression, an alcove, and with a pleased grunt his gaze fell upon a small cave cut by wind erosion into the side of the mountain. nares flaring above the prickled hairs of the pup's nape, shardul searched the air for the scent of a resident predator, and, finding none, he carried his charge into the darkness and deposited her upon the cold stone floor.

outside, the winds whipped the skies into lightning-sliced storm-clouds; rain began to patter upon the ground with growing force. "thou shalt remain here," shardul growled, before his silver frame departed into the wet blackness.

he returned some time later bearing a brace of geese who had foolishly nested in the lee of a small nearby peak for shelter from the storm; throwing them limply to the stone underfoot, shardul searched for the small body of the injured girl.