when you wake up on your own.

Feel free to find some Ferdie-bits in your next post if you want ^_^

Jace wasn't offering him any help, and suddenly Summer was highly aware that he was being tested somehow. His nerves prickled painfully in his heart as he stepped forward towards the stream and lowered his nose, now more determined than ever to pick the scent back up. He paced along one side of the stream before hopping across and continuing the search. The land sloped down towards the creek on the opposite shore before dropping a foot to the level ground the faded from mud into flowing water. After pacing the area above the creek for a little while, he turned his attention back to the stream to put his eyes now to the test and see what they could find.

It took him a few minutes, but finally he found the beast again. Further upstream from where the pair had started, pressed into the mud were tracks that smelled strongly of cat. Summer whuffed gently to Jace to bring his attention to the imprints and the story they suggested. "Here we go," he said softly as his friend approached, his gaze drifting back down with concern, "It's hunting now." An involuntary shiver ran down his spine as he said the words.

"It wasn't before. It was searching before, but it's found something here by this stream. The tracks," Summer said as he gestured with his nose, "It's watching it's steps, placing it's back paws in the same spots as it's front paws. Trying to leave less of a trace, and trying to keep quieter by stepping where the ground has already shifted from it's weight."

An ominous feeling fell over the boy as he looked back to his friend. Summer's bright eyes drifted off towards the woods and he took a deep breath, now able to focus on the faded scent of the cougar since he had found the trail again. He stepped forward again finally, his heart thumping from a feeling of dread that he couldn't seem to shake.

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