CYOA November 2020

Day 4, Choice 3
Hualiama, 933

Li shook himself with a grumble, Shayde and Tree helping him stash the pinecones away. The black cat was glaring up at the water and drenched - there was no hiding from the rain anymore. Li just picked his companion up and moved into the trees for the only shelter they could find. The scent would be washed away by the rain, there was no point in going any further tonight unless he wanted to get soaked. He enjoyed swimming, but not with loudly complaining burrs attached to his back. Traveling quickly under cover of the trees, Li found some shelter from the rain as the cats huddled beneath him. The thera heaved a sigh, peering out at the deluge, more curious of his journey and what the scent would turn out to be. What sort of animal was he tracking? The area was quiet but for the pelting rain, the native wildlife hunkering down from the storm as much as they were. Tree peered out from beneath the granthera's neck ruff. "It is near," he offered, softly, reaching for Li's four ears alone. Li only shook himself, fluffing up slightly to keep him and his companions warm. "The clouds are moving swiftly past. It could pass over us, but the worst is over," he responded, tucking his tail around him and giving himself another shake. The large leaves above him protected them from the majority, but the pelting rain got through too often.

It wasn't too long before the worst of the storm did pass, the cold rain hitting Li with less force than it had been and he gave himself another shake. Tree darted out to look around as the rain faded entirely, leaving just the dripping from the trees as a pseudo rain. When Li ventured out, Shayde began complaining about the remaining water and promptly hopped back into cover, becoming as tiny as possible. Tree returned with a mouse in her mouth, which she offered to the two smaller cats. "There is time," Tree offered and the granthera nodded. The scent of rain still overpowered the area, but he sniffed, idly scratching himself on the nearby tree. Though wet, it was enough to push his mane back, out of his face. Li decided to take the moment and hunt for himself. Prey occasionally was less than aware just after a storm, so hopefully he'd be able to catch something larger than a mouse. The others might be able to subsist on small prey, but he certainly could not. Moving quietly through the silent woods was like an ethereal dream, bringing Li back to wonder just what he was following. What would he find in the end? There was no recognizable signature throughout his entire journey beyond the faint scent that continued to taunt him the closer he got to the mountains. The drumming of a rabbit caught his attention and his ears flicked up, easily pinpointing the stupid hare with all four ears. Li crouched, stretching his attention forwards. Inching closer until he was within sight, he spied the rabbit through a berry bush and launched himself across the remaining space. Snapping its neck was a quick death and Li briefly closed his eyes, giving thanks to Maia for the easy kill before digging in.

Stomach satisfied, Li returned to his companions with the remains, which Tree happily dug in and finished, tossing the entrails to the crows. "We should continue on," Li hummed and looked around, then gave himself a brisk shake before Shayde and Moss hopped on. Tree looked up at them, amused by the instant option and shared a look with Li, who only shook his head with a snort of his own. "What do you know about the area?" the granthera asked their newest companion.

"There are no local granthrows within the mountains, though many pass through here," she explained, taking point as they found another path. Li followed as the strange scent slowly returned. The lynx followed his direction passively, occasionally pointing out areas of importance. "Something strange has been seen on the darkest of nights, but no one has seen precisely what it is," Tree offered. Li could only shake his head and pray to Maia he wasn't making a fatal mistake in following the odd scent. As if on cue, the occasional flashes of lightening brightened the area as they broke the tree line, briefly silhouetting something up ahead. Li pinned his ears and slowed his advance, casting about for the protection of cover should the creature attack. It vanished the next lightning burst and the granthera shook his head. The feeling of the creature watching him did not fade, however.

Li continued on, taking an off path that held cover in tall grass, should the unknown creature attack. It had looked far too large to be real and anything that big made the thera wary. Was that what he was following? What did it want, in general or with him specifically? As he padded through the tall grass, his ears remained pinned against the rain, Shayde and Moss were little more than small, sad burrs on his back, likely regretting coming with him. Rounding a large rock, Li stopped a good hundred yards away when he looked up and realized the creature was much closer than he'd expected. Li tried to inspect it, but the shadows and lightning prevented him from seeing too much more. More wary, Li moved a bit more defensively, but watched the shadow above him for its next move. "What do you want?" May as well attempt diplomacy.