Meadowlark Prairie someone to rely on as thunder comes a-rolling down

astara of course, had a feather's chance in hell of bringing down a male deer -- but she was interested to study this specimen, and learn of his mannerisms. she paused on the brow of a low rise, sniffing the air cautiously.

some distance behind her, the pale wraith tread.

ahead, she saw the shape of the buck as it moved through the thicket. its head was low, the proud crown of antlers on its head scratching and catching the canopy as he walked under. he was browsing in the snow for the first sign of spring grass, absorbed in his task. perhaps he knew as a male in the height of his power that he was unlikely to be challenged - least of all by a yearling.

astara stole one glance to heloise and then went wide -- the buck ignored her as she went.

positioning herself so that she was directly across from heloise, but on the other side of the buck, the fiendish child smiled and then sprung with a racket --

the buck, lifting its head, instinctively turned away from the noise and its path appeared to be headed directly for heloise in its panic...