Blacktail Deer Plateau somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond

✹☾❂

 

Umi seemed friendly enough, but Eleuthera wasn’t entirely convinced. She had never known cougars, or bears, or wolverines — hell even squirrels — any animal that was in direct competition with wolves to be overly friendly. In fact, the stories she had heard in her travels of large predators devastating packs and killing wolves were heard more often than Eleuthera really felt comfortable with. She had only met a few animals other than wolves in her lifetime, so Eleuthera knew there was a good chance she was being biased. 

Eleuthera did not respond for a moment, letting the feline’s words hang adrift in a suspicious silence. She regarded the sandy, short-furred woman hotly — but only for a moment. The lady of lilacs was an intuitive creature, and she did not read this particular cougar as a threat. Maybe others, but not this one. Eleuthera allowed herself to soften, shook her pelt as if ridding herself of the tension, and broke the silence.

“Well," she gave an offhanded explanation, explaining why a wolf might be afraid of a cat as large as she. They, seemingly, attacked at random. “It wouldn’t have been the first time."

For some reason, it was difficult for Eleuthera to put down the idea that this cat was a bad creature, despite presenting herself entirely as the contrary. Eleuthera knew it was only her memory working against her and tried to swallow it all once more. She immediately felt bad about her little quip — but Leu had heard of cougars senselessly attacking wolfkind, but never the other way around. 

“I’m Eleuthera," she returned. Then, almost instinctively, she inquired “Deer—?" Eleuthera had scented the herd but hadn’t even considered them to be a potential meal. In fact, she hadn’t realized how hungry she was until that very moment.