The green leopardess lounged lazily in the shade of the tall grasses. She had managed to give the annoying cheetah from earlier the slip and was now enjoying her time alone. It may not have been her favorite spot to lay, but it was better than having to lay around enduring the persistant prattling of a cheetah that just could not take a hint. Moeras was now one for turning to violence in a situation, though she had only tried to hit him hard enough to confuse so she could get away. However it had worked, and that was good enough for her. With any luck he would not come looking for her, or should their paths ever cross again he would hopefully leave her be in the fear of getting another paw to the face.
With a loud yawn Moeras rolled over on to her back, blinking lazily up at the sky between the grasses her body pushed aside. It was still as clear and hot a day as it was before, and still quite a perfect one for napping. With a wide grin she stretched her legs out around her and settled in for the nap she had been trying to get.
The nap was a peaceful one, perhaps boring to some. As she slowly drifted back in to consciousness she recalled the dream being about her napping. Vaguely she wondered if it meant something. Probably that she needed to nap more, or something along those line, which would be fine with her. With a loud yawn she rolled on to her feet, stretching each leg one at a time, and pausing an extra few seconds on each. The only part of being awake she enjoyed was stretching out sleepy muscles. Also food, and as a small rumble started up form her gut she could tell her stomach was thinking the same thing. After such a nice nap an equally nice meal should surely follow. After a last glance towards the flattened area of grass she moved on. it had been a nice spot to rest, but not as good as her tree. She would have to make sure the tree was free of any unwanted guests after a meal.
Moeras moved lazily, ears perked forward and eyes scanning the area for any signs of a possible meal. She could catch a faint scent on the air, possibly some zebra. She certainly hoped they were still around, she was rather fond of the taste of zebra meat, and it would certainly make up for the bad start she had to the day. The smells were rather old, but it was possible they were still near. As she followed them she tried to remember how many watering holes were in the area, and almost chided herself for not having remembered them already. She was sure there were at least a few small ones in the area, as well as one large one she could recall. The large one was pretty frequently used, more so than the smaller of the lot, and surely if they were around they would be in it’s general area.
After stopping to gain her bearings she made her way towards the large watering hole, ears and eyes still keen for any sign of prey. She certainly didn’t want to end up walking up on them without realizing, and losing a meal because they happened to be closer to her than the water was. It would be a shame to lose a meal so quickly, and by a way she could have easily avoided.
as the day wore on Moeras neared the watering hole. She had not seen any sign of the herd yet, nor any other possible meals, but the scent had become stronger, and more recent. They had certainly been around here recently, and were likely still nearby. As she came to the crest of a hill she peered beyond it, seeing the large watering hole. There was no immediate sign of the zebra, though as her gaze shifted to the right she saw them grazing some distance away, though it appeared as if they might be slowly moving towards the water as they ate.
Moeras lowered her body and slowly backed off from the top of the hill, rising quickly after as she made her way down and around it. She was not going to descend the other side and risk being seen before even getting close. After finally coming around the hill to where it flattened off to meet the plains she lowered herself once more. The grasses here were not as tall as those she had slept in, and though they gave enough coverage in a crouch she would be sure to be seen if she stood. Walking around the hill had brought her closer to the herd, though they were still some distance away, and not only that but they were indeed moving as they grazed. She lay still for a moment and watched them. Their progress was slow, but most of the herd was facing the water, and some had even started towards it for a drink. As the number of those still grazing dwindled she slunk forward, pausing after half a score of steps to watch them before continuing forward.
Once the zebra were close enough she paused, eyes locked on the one closest to her. She couldn’t possibly fail at this distance, it was so close now. After another few moments of waiting she flew up from her hiding spot, making a mad dash for her targeted prey. She could hear their cries of surprise and warnings as she flew forward. With a mighty leap she hit the zebra just as it turned to run, claws digging at it’s back to hold her on to it. She totally had this, and what a meal this would be. Her grip slipped and she hit the ground, moving quickly for another attack as the zebra raced towards the rest of it’s herd, who were also panicking. Splashing could be herd as some thought to escape through the water. With one more attempt she leapt, managing to catch hold of the beast’s hide closer to it’s neck. It stumbled and fell and she took advantage of the opportunity.
Moeras lay stretched out along another tree branch, belly fool and eyes dropping. She glanced happily down at the meal at the trees base. Hopefully it would still be there after her nap, though she was sure some annoying scavenger would be around. With a stretch and a yawn she settled in for a nother nap.
( Word Count: 1104 )
