Bearclaw Valley now that i'm old, i breathe for it

indra had missed the cat in the boughs, and as she blinked back the brightness of her surroundings she suddenly felt a chill nip at her neck. she froze as she noticed her hairs stand on end, and slowly turned around in time to watch the svetle and leggy frame of a cat land effortlessly in the snow.

indra had never come this close to a lynx before, and she was immediately captured by the length of the cat's legs and the powerful shape of the cat's haunches. such conformation was so different from her own -- so alien and unknown. she caught herself staring, and brought her gaze to the cat with a sense of apprehensive wonder. her hackles were still raised, but she made no aggressive move.

she was aware this might be another apparition come to haunt her, so she kept her posture still and conserved her energy. she was actually convinced the cat might be an imaginary figment until it mewled a greeting to her. indra's ears cupped forward abruptly and she tilted her head. she had never spoken to anything other than a wolf before and was confused - had the cat just said 'hello'?

"you can talk?" she asked in disbelief -- her wonder fading to confusion as she considered perhaps this was a new trick her troubled mind had delved up.