Wapun Meadow Mouth full of gum

She watched the squirrel scurry up the cottonwood tree with hungry eyes, panting to catch her breath. It was a familiar sight. She'd gotten better at catching the bushy-tailed bastards over the months, but they were still tricky catches, especially when their escape route was every tree in the vicinity. With a huff, Dianne lowered her nose to the ground to search for something else to eat. Maybe she could find something more filling than a measly squirrel. Her sensitive nose informed her that there were a few hares around. Perfect, She thought. Now, it was a matter of snagging one.

It was difficult to make out against the snow backdrop, but her keen eyes managed to pick out a snow-white hare snacking on the branches of a bush. Dianne lowered to a crouch, stalking towards it on silent feet. Her icy gaze was intense and unwavering. Every time it stopped its chewing to glance around, she froze. Only when it resumed in eating would she continue forth. Dianne was a few feet away now, directly behind the delectable thing. Coiling her muscles, she leapt forth, pushing off of the cold ground to bound for it. She caught it by the back in her merciless jaws just as it was starting to dash off and crushed its spine to paralyze it. Then, she moved to its throat to end its life.

Pride swelled within her at her accomplishment, though it wasn't apparent on her unamused face. Dianne knew the next coming months would be difficult and that she'd need to join a pack soon to survive. Shoving that abhorrent thought aside for the moment, though, she began to tear into her meal and absorb herself in consuming.