Heron Lake Plateau We might fall in love- or fall apart

As anticipated, Niamh's leg took a few days to heal- a few days longer than she'd wanted it to, of course, but giving it proper rest had at least kept her from injuring it further. She moseyed alongside the creek, following it toward the lake where she hoped she'd find a meal, still mindful of her right ankle, lest it should twinge or weaken. Her ears perked when she caught the scent of elk, though, and looked down to the ground, zig-zagging this way and that, looking for any signs of them in the mud along the creekside until she finally saw them- elk hoofprints. Her tail swished; it would be birthing season soon, and the cow elk would be dropping their calves, making both mother and calf vulnerable to attack. It was good information to know, that they'd made their way to the plateau. 

She abandoned her trek along the creek, then, and followed the hoofprints, keeping her posture low just in case the leggy herbivores saw her coming before she could see them. There was no point in her hunting them, or calling out- it would spook them. But this information could be passed on quietly, and would spread through the entire pack, so a hunt could be formed. Stalking her way through the long grass slowly, she continued to tail the herd of elk, hoping to get a bead on them so she could see how many there were- and how many calves could be expected.