Heron Lake Plateau you should see me in a crown

the air was sharp and brittle as mictec stood at the edge of the plateau, her breath curling in soft tendrils against the cold. before her, the vast lake stretched wide and glassy, its frozen surface shimmering beneath the pale winter sun. patches of frost-covered wetlands framed its edges, tangled brush and reeds rising like sentinels from the frozen ground. the herons were fewer now, their numbers thinned by the season, but their cries still echoed faintly across the still expanse, haunting and lonely.  

mictec’s marigold eyes scanned the horizon, where migrating herds clustered near the lake’s southern edge. their bodies moved in quiet rhythm, their survival etched into every cautious step and every wary glance at the open expanse. the plateau offered both bounty and danger—water to sustain life and a predator’s paradise.  

her stomach groaned softly, hunger a gentle nibble as winter had made prey scarce, but she remained motionless. this place was alive with stories, etched into every footprint in the snow, every broken reed swaying against the breeze. to act without thought here would be folly. she needed a plan, something that would ensure her survival without drawing the wrath of other predators who might also be watching.  

her gaze settled on a small herd of elk clustered near the frozen shallows, their breath fogging the air as they drank. she crouched low, the skeletal patch on her face blending with the snow, and let the silence of the plateau surround her. mictec would wait for the right moment—patient as the winter itself, her marigold eyes never leaving the herd.