It had been about three days of continuous walking before Anippe had seen anything resembling society. Despite the cool breeze hitting her face, every step was agonizing and exhausting. The only thing keeping her going was a small blotch in the distance beyond the wildflowers, moving almost in unison. Her weary body hoped that it was a group of travellers who would offer her help. The thought that they might not help her had crossed her mind, but... Oh, that's too depressing to think about now! Perhaps stopping to smell the flowers would lift her spirits. For a moment, the broad lynx flopped into a small patch of yellow flowers, then inhaled deeply.
The wind wafted the delicate scent of yellow violets toward Anippe, the smell of sheep's wool, and...
Sheep?
...Sheep.
Of course! Sheep are meat! Sheep are food! Anippe gave a big stretch, a heave, and off she went toward the source of her next meal. The burning sensation of tired muscles was nothing compared to the burning desire to bite into some fresh meat! Her massive paws carried her swiftly over the planes before her, dislodging dirt and clumps of earth with every step. Before she had even realized, her hunger had carried her across the grassy knolls until she was practically close enough to see every individual curl in each sheep's coat.
"Okay, Ani," she whispered to herself, "Make this one count."
Anippe huddled behind a large stone. It wasn't quite large enough to hide herself, but sheep were stupid, stupid creatures. It would suffice. Her clear turquoise eyes scanned the flock for what felt like an eternity before her before settling on a straggler. There he was, just outside the edge of the herd. This sheep was old, weary, he clearly would like to retire from his grueling hard work of eating grass. That's it. That one's dinner. Anippe took a deep breath and readied herself, arching her back, stretching her claws. The thrill of the hunt was already getting to her, the sound of her heart pounding in her ears, breathing unsteady... With a wiggle of her behind, Anippe finally let loose and dove toward her meal.
THWAP!
Anippe had underestimated just how powerful her leap was, and found herself tumbling along the plane, sheep in tow. Not only did other sheep notice, they were screaming, bleating in fear of the huge predator suddenly toppling over half the herd. In the scramble, a few sheep kicked and thrashed on top of her, loosening her grip on the ancient ram between her jaws. Panicked, Anippe realized there was only one thing she could do to save this attempt. Scrambling to keep the sheep down, Anippe swiftly kicked her hind legs up at its neck, hoping to snap it and stop the struggling. Nothing else could go wrong, she finally had the upper hand!
... Until her eyes met with a pair of icy blue eyes above her.
Shit.
