The day was ordinarily bright in this part of the swamp. Here, the cover of the trees was minimal, the open swampland laid out for those who would dare to wander it, only a few clumps of mangroves here and there to provide shade and shelter. Breezes were few and far between, the air warm but blessedly free of heavy humidity. Songbirds and finches flitted among the tall grasses that dotted the muddy dunes high enough from the water, caimans basking on the small banks that were provided...all in all, an seemingly uneventful day.
Hiding away from the brightness of the sun, was a doe with eyes that glowed celadon in the shade. Her posture was relaxed, but her ears were perked forward and alert, head held high as the shallow swamp waters lapped lazily around her cloven hooves. Her pangolin rustled in the trees above her, dropping down mangrove seeds into the water below. Rot lowered her head, picking up the seeds and placing them into the tortoise shell she was using as a bowl on the muddy banks, next to a dead rabbit she had caught earlier. She gave a warning snort to a caiman that swam too close to her bowl, tossing her antlered head at him in a graceful, threatening motion. The caiman knew better, and promptly disappeared into the water and away from the doe.
She shook off lightly, a few leaves that had fallen onto her back drifting to the ground as she dipped her snout into the shallow water to pick up the last few seeds, water dripping from her chin as she added them to the growing number in her bowl. She kept her ears alert in case any of her Tribekin wandered too far- she was on the very outskirts of their territory and even if it was still within the boundaries, it was still dangerous.
Aric Val
