Shy Deer Steppes Heavens on fire

Trying to pick up the scent from the air was in vain: the winds were constantly changing direction. Akari had been walking across the plains all evening, her nose brushing the sandy ground, sniffing.
She knew she was tracking an antelope. An old one. A sick one. One that, with luck, would fall soon enough. If it hadn't already.
This was the treasure everyone was looking for.
It was hard to stay on the scent of this particular animal, as the plains are trampled by dozens of them every day.
Akari did her best to stay focused. From time to time, she would stop to sneeze out the excess dirt and get a breath of fresh air, only to stick her nose back into the ground and taste the dirt with the tip of her tongue.
She was getting close. She could feel it rushing through her veins. A wave of adrenaline strong enough to make her fur bristle.
It had been far too long since she had tasted the flesh of a hoofed animal.
And time wasn't in her favour either. Dawn was at bay, and she had only a few hours of darkness left before the vultures joined the search.