Two peppered paws, now more sticks and dirt than paw, flew through the crisp spring air. They landed squarely atop a small field mouse, which squealed in horror at its sudden fortune. Ara bent to pick up the creature, snapping its life quickly and easily. She laid it down, staring up at the rocky terrain above her in the distance. Her paws itched to climb its dangerous slopes. Her pale eyes traveled to the top with a dreamy sense to it. They flickered in the dull evening sunlight, the pupils so small it seemed as if she didn't have eyes at all. With a sigh she returned her attention to the furriness beneath her paws. She picked up the small rodent and carried it a short distance to a moss grown tree and plopped down rather ungracefully. She chewed her meal without much enthusiasm, but food was food for the yearling and her patience to catch larger prey was worn thin.
She cleaned her paws after she finished and then stood. She had only taken a step before a noise caught her attention. Her narrow head tilted to the side as her large, grey ears took in the sound. After a moment she added the help of her nose to pinpoint it, but by then she was quite certain it was water. She followed the noise through the shadows of the trees growing above. They blew softly in the wind, rocking and creaking and whispering to Ara. She ignored their haunting calls as she came upon a quick moving stream. She bounded into it without thinking and was quickly swept off her paws. Her head plunged under and then her paws scraped rock, which gave the white woman the needed momentum to right herself. But now she was quickly swirling downstream. She paddled against the current to no use, the trees whipping by in her side view. She could feel her lungs begin to sting and her legs grow tired. Still, it posed the idea of adventure. Who knew where this water would lead her. It sparked a curiosity in the yearling that was perhaps very out of place. She stopped paddling against stream and instead let it lead her downward, spinning her around and around, occasionally sending her under, until she wasn't sure which way was which. This had grown rather dull to the pale female by the time she heard the sound of water plummeting downward. A waterfall! Ara hadn't seen one in ages and it excited her. But first she would need to avoid riding the dangerous if not deadly waterfall down. Her paws spread out like paddles as she began swimming sideways toward the bank. Her mouth held open in a tired pant, she finally felt solid ground beneath her and her sweeping ride came to an end. She pulled her soaking body from the river, water streaming off her and plastering her white coat to her sides. She shook out her coat, which puffed it up like a strange blowfish on land.
"Whew!" she breathed, panting as she followed the stream down. Her paws reached the edge of a steep cliff and she stopped, peering down over its edge. Sure enough, there was the waterfall she'd heard. She made her way down the edge, finding that she had to go all the way around to get to the bottom. When she reached the bottom, she climbed into the much stiller waters and slurped up its cool relief. Well that was fun, she thought, her eager eyes glancing up at the waterfalls top. What next?