Neverwinter Forest River, O River

Luhtar steadied his breath, sliding another step forward until he felt twigs crackling beneath his paws. He froze briefly, heart pounding, but the deer seemed oblivious in its foraging.

He lunged.

In a heartbeat, he burst through the last of the foliage, jaws parted in a snarl that cut through the grove’s hush. Leaves scattered, twigs snapped, and the deer’s head jerked up, ears flinging wide in alarm. For a moment, it hesitated, torn between fight and flight.

His strong limbs pummeled the damp earth as he barreled toward their prey, blocking its escape route deeper into the grove. He barely noticed Y’var’la’s lithe form moving in tandem. The deer leapt to dodge him, but his momentum was too great; he hooked its flank with a fierce nip, aiming to drive it toward Y’var’la’s waiting jaws.