taltos had not ventured from the comfortable shadows of the plateau for some time now, but the venture of a herd had caught his attention, and he had followed the proud creatures out into the open. a proud elk stag had laid claim to five females, and stood guard as they and the few fawns they had between them grazed with surety that they would be rescued from any jawed evil.
lasher watched them from his perch on a rise, his body slack with the unwillingness to hunt — not yet. for now, he was pleased to merely watch them, though his murkwater eyes had already assessed the herd and found one of the little elk with a hitch in its gait. it would be worthwhile to bring the fawn down for the caches, but the day had grown hot, and beat down upon lasher until his tongue was forced from his jaws in a languid loll.