Panther Park there's a humming in the restless summer air

he is smarter, it appears, than she'd initially given him credit for. his agreement earns a flick of her auds, but the fire-swept does not shift the stony expression on her features. " we begin. " they separate, and leanly muscled limbs carry her downwind, out of sight as the male takes position. far enough as not to startle them, but near enough so that they take notice, their attention stolen. 

a moment passes, wavering. a cicada screams, the huntress coils tightly in on herself, shifting, forward leaning. she unfurls. explosive leap carries her easily over the ground-hugging bracken, and the deer start. the collective flinch passes through the group, and they swerve to the right. she is a banner of fire, arching toward the doe as she tries to follow. she collides with a haunch, dagger-like fangs tearing loosely across the skin there. the doe screams, shrill. the birdsong is ended. 

the fire-swept needs only a few more moments to cut her away entirely, the rest of the herd flying through the trees, towards the plains. for a moment, the doe is stubborn, but finally, does she shift to run in the direction of the mountain-wolf, artemis at her heels.