Timestamp: 43rd of Spring, 516 AV, Mid-morning
People...everywhere...
Urkut had known, coming down to the water's edge to hunt, that it would be crowded. Just the day before, a massive fish had been spotted, and despite the potential of it being a fish-tale, people were swarming all about. No one wanted to miss their chance at the prize. Urkut, however, was looking after a different prize.
With the fish abundant this time of year, and this time of day specifically, birds of prey, bears, and big cats alike were all out too. They were gathered by the water's edge, hunting after the large population of fish, virtually unaware that they were being hunted as well.
Urkut slipped through the muddy bank barefoot as quietly as one could sneak through the wet and sticky ground. She knew it would be less conspicuous to walk through the forest's edge, but she was relishing the feel of earth between her toes. She was so busy admiring the feel of the earth that she almost didn't realize when her feet began to walk in someone else's tracks. When she did notice, she eagerly squatted to examine the prints more closely. They were the distinctive prints of hooves, and rather small ones at that. Mountain deer would be excellent game to hunt, and were about that size, but if she were tracking an elk, she could be risking her safety.
Urkut rose to her feet and glanced around. The tracks seemed to continue on, toward the river's outlet into the ocean, but she could not see how far. Because the creature was not within sight, she decided to gamble on her stealth. Hopefully, she would see the animal before it saw her. To make sure of this, Urkut stepped farther away from the river, onto the quieter, firmer ground. She walked more slowly on the grass, too, to take extra care.
However, as she neared the river's end, she felt she was no closer to the animal. She had yet to spot it, and the tracks meandered lazily about, making them difficult to follow. Still, she had no other leads, so it was the deer or nothing. Begrudgingly, Urkut carried on, her scimitar hanging loosely in her hand.
Just as Urkut felt she was at a loss, the tracks fading and Syna reaching ever higher, she spotted it. A glaringly white deer, lonely at a gathering of brush. Urkut instinctively ducked lower, her eyes widening in excitement. Finally, She thought, Now is my chance.