Phoenix Maplewood There'll be things you never asked her

you're good!

Tapeesa found her eyes drawn to him again, observing as he watched the deer with something akin to anticipation. Intensity seemed to radiate from the bear and she found herself unable to stare for too long, as if looking at the sun. Her gaze flitted between Tomkin and the distant deer, mere flickers through the screen of grass. Adrenaline coursed in her veins, setting her slender limbs to trembling. Her ragged ears turned in Tomkin's direction as he spoke, her eyes shining with silent excitement as she listened. 

Her gaze, which had wandered to the deer again, snapped back to the Ateneq - surprised he had asked for her opinion. Her lips parted, as if to speak, but she remained silent - considering if she even had an opinion, if she had ever had one about anything in her life. Her argent gaze found the buck again, studying him. 

"I can do it, we can do it," she answered with certainty, shooting him a last smile before disappearing silently into the grass. 

Despite being smaller and more fine-boned than the other northerners, especially in their group, Uki found it worked to her advantage. Pressed close to the ground on her belly, the berserker crept through the grass on careful steps - ragged ears twitching in response to the stomps of hooves and a long, low exhale from the buck. She could imagine his head lifting, crowned with budding antlers, his breath whooshing from his muzzle as he sensed that something wasn't quite right. 

The spearwife froze, waiting until it had gone still again. When finally, she had crawled through the grass to crouch just behind and to the side of the buck where he grazed, Uki paused, waiting. She held her breath, watching the buck for any sign that he knew he was being hunted, and silently offered a prayer to Siqiqniq.

When the spearwife leapt from the screen of grass, landing just to the side of the deer as it balked. The buck turned its antlers to her, as if to charge, but the tundrian recognized the inexperienced ruse. The young buck had hardly any antlers to compete with, nor was he familiar with predators. 
She pressed closer, snarling and baring saber-like fangs in the buck's face. 

With a panicked bleat, it wheeled away from her with Tupilaq on its heels. With sharp nips to its underbelly, she managed to goad it in Tomkin's direction.