[ IP ] Hunter [ x-post from /r/Art ]

The watering hole was busy, and that was good. The winter had been short. Spring had skipped out almost entirely, and the valley was racing to catch up with the heat of the early summer. From her perch on the ledges above, Temitani counted not one or two, but three *dozen* buffalo and elk. Intermingled with the larger animals, the edges of the lake seemed to pulsate as one huge and insurmountable beast. 
 
 
 Temitani felt the hair raise on the back of her neck as the static of excitement spread over her body. This would be excellent news to take back to the encampment. Though the winter had n't lasted long, it had been incredibly brutal; news that their food source had weathered it favorably was a blessing. The Elder would be overjoyed to hear it, and would send the hunting party out to slaughter as many as they could for the ceremony that night. 
 
 
 Her stomach grumbled. Temitani quieted it with her open palm. She knew that when she returned to camp that there would be no time to eat. She would have to join her bothers and sisters in preparing for the festival before the other tribes arrived. It was a tradition she held no adoration for, and though she hated every moment of it, she knew she'd have to do it. Her eyes grazed the watering hole again. That's when she spotted it. 
 
 
 The little elk was far from the edge of the water. Its mouth tested the leaves of the new growth that had sprouted along the edge of the canyon walls with a sort of fevered urgency. As it tasted from the wide selection it would spit out anything thorny and bitter, it's thick pink tongue flicking in and out like a fish. Temitani giggled to herself, and her stomach rumbled again. Her lips pursed. She was going for it. 
 
 
 The ledge on which she had been sitting was not so far above the valley floor, and sloped gently enough that she was able to step quickly down. The last ten feet she had to jump but, thanks to the recent explosion of grass, she landed with a dense thud. The little elk had not heard her, busy as it was with its late breakfast. She readied her spear and crept forward: she was late for breakfast, too. 
 
 
 Careful not to make a sound as she inched her way forward, choosing her footing among the fresh twigs and branches. A thorny stick found its way underfoot only once, and with a huge effort Temitani was able to choke back her pain into a soft whine. The elk's ears perked, but he did not move. She was nearly upon him, and she readied her spear. She saw her reflection in his eyes, and he froze. 
 
 
 Then her stomach unleashed a deafening howl, and the elk broke into a run. `` No!'' Temitani shouted, forgetting all caution as she raced after it. She wanted desperately to chuck her spear and bring it down, but she only had one throw. One chance. She had to be sure. `` No no no!'' The elk was racing towards the watering hole, but Temitani kept up the chase. He was hers. She would get him. A blind fervor overtook her as she ran. The wind whipped past her hair, pulling strands from the knob she kept tied at the back. She would get him. 
 
 It was not meant to be. The elk she pursued reached the edge of the hole and soon the entire group was alerted to her presence. In one sweeping movement, the pulsing body of animals was alive. It fled, braying and barking and snorting, a stampede of hoofs and horns. This was bad, Temitani knew. The hunters would be furious. She'd scared away the food. And the festival... 
 
 
 A thundering *CRACK* snatched her from her thoughts. For an instant, the stampede froze. Temitani's eyes scanned the horizon. Thunder? Another crack and she whirled around to face the mountains behind her. The ice caps had begun to slide. Huge chunks of snow and ice began to break free. Temitani gaped as the snow trickled towards the valley, before it clicked in her mind. 
 
 
 She ran. The animals around her ran. And as they ran, the thunder came rushing after them. 
 

