Siƞteska Creek Pack

The heat of the desert sun made you weary.
There wasn't much to explore today anyway, all the larger prey animals were hiding in the underbrush or cooling themselves off in the river close by and critters just weren't worth wasting your energy.
You wandered to a group of trees, who were growing next to a larger hill. A short nap wouldn't be such a bad idea now, you could continue exploring when the sun was gone.
Once you left the open plains behind you and entered the shrubs, you smelled a well known desert dweller. Cougar.
The hair on your back bristled slightly, just a few days ago you had an encounter with one of those over a deer carcass, but it turned out just fine and you were able to fight it off. You weren't looking forward to meet one again.
Careful, and well aware of your surroundings you wandered deeper into the small, dry forest. Small branches and crunchy leaves gave in to your weight.

You noticed an opening in the rocky wall of the hill, seems like you found the hideout of the cat. You mustered the dark hole, maybe there was something valuable in it? A few grouse feathers wouldn't be bad, the snake still wants them. Even a few small meat chunks were welcome, you felt a little bit hungry.

But before you could finish you thought, a purring voice came from above.
'There's nothing in it, just a few bones. You might want to look somewhere else for food or treasure.'
Taken by surprise, you started to growl quietly and searched for the stranger in the trees.
You looked to your right, and in one of the trees you saw her. She stretched her limbs, like she just woke up a few moments ago. The cougar looked different than all the others you've met before.
Her face seems to be split in half by different colorated fur, one side was brown and showed off the normal dark and light markings on the muzzle, but the other side was white as the snow in winter. Not only her strange fur color stood out, but a large nasty scar decorated her face too. Her right eye was blinded and almost as white has her fur on that side.
'I'm not interested in your stinking cave, cat.', you were still a little bit sour from that cougar you fought off a few days ago, who knows what this one is planning.
'Oh, seems like someone doesn't like cougars. A bad day? Or is the sun going to you head, heh.', the cougar fletched her teeth slightly. She was smiling.
'My name is Inmutanka, and this is my territory. You might want to find another spot to nap.'
You relaxed a little bit, this cougar wasn't hostile as it seems.
'I wasn't planning to stay here for any longer anyways, but your fur would be a nice addition for my collection', you said jokingly. You weren't planning to engage in a fight in this heat, and Inmutanka doesn't seem very interested either.
'I could assert the same to your skull, I'm still looking for a light-headed one', she chuckled.
'Ah well, I'll leave now. But I'll keep an eye on you, I don't trust cougars.', you told her, while turning around slowly.
'Likewise, stranger.', you heard her saying.
You wanted to crack a joke about her just having one eye to watch and looked back to the spot where she was, but the tree was now empty. Inmutanka left.
You hurried to leave the underbrush and watched the surroundings, just incase you misjudged her and she planned anything weird, but the cougar was nowhere to be seen.

If you would meet her again someday maybe you would ask her about her bizarre appearance.
What a strange cat.


^ by #31454


^ by #125856