Flashback Curiosity Killed the Cat?? Not this one. (Kiasha)

[Kiasha]

10th day of summer, 512 a.v

The scent of damp earth, left by the early morning rain over powered Kiasha's delicate nose. It made it nearly impossible to smell much else. She didn't mind much, it was the scent of temporary freedom. Dierth had left to meet with merchants for supplies the night before and wouldn't return until Dawn. Kiasha was never allowed on these trips, Dierth liked to keep her away from the riff raff as he called it. Come to think of it, Dierth also forbid her from wandering alone, But Dierth doesn't ever have to know. A smile crossed her lips, as she found a sort of humor in her disobedience.

Stopping beside a large tree Kiasha eagerly shed her clothing and shoes along with the choker she wore, stuffing them into the back pack she carried. She took care in making sure the pack was closed securely before she allowed her true form to emerge. Where once had stood a young girl, now stood a Leopard. Taking the pack gently between her jaws Kiasha leapt forward, using her sharp claws to cling to the trees rough bark. Evan naive as she was she knew her possessions would be relatively safe from any unwelcome guests if she nestled them in the branches above. Less than gracefully she used her powerful hind legs to maneuver herself up the trees trunk. Her claws slipping from time to time as the bark smoothed the further she climbed.

Finally reaching her goal, nearly 15 feet up Kiasha found a sturdy branch that suited her needs. Clinging to the tree Kiasha used her mouth to place the pack on the branch, settling it on the branches widest part, where its base joined the trunk. Satisfied it was safe Kiasha repeated her climb in reverse. It was a difficult feat to shimmy down the tree in reverse. Dierth had spent many hours teaching her this trick. He had drilled into her head that it was a skill she needed."Any cat can climb a tree, only a smart cat can get down." His words rang in her ears. She had mastered running down a tree, but climbing backwards had and still made her anxious.

Her heart was racing by the time she was safely back on the ground, but it didn't take her long to recover from her feat. Carefree knowing her things were safe she turned her attention elsewhere. Among the scent of damp earth a new smell lingered on the breeze. She knew the scent, it was rabbit. Her skin prickled in excitement, her eyes focused forward and her tail swaying softly, every part of her instantly focused on catching the rabbit. Kiasha didn't move, the scent grew stronger and she knew the clueless thing was moving towards her. She'd caught plenty of small game before, but never alone. Dierth was always near, bow ready in case she failed, which she often had.

Every sound amplified as the predator in her took over, her heart drumming in anticipation, her body crouched low to the ground. She was ready. Finally she heard it, a faint rustle as the rabbit disturbed some unknown plant in the distance. Kiasha pounced, claws out and jaws open, ready to deliver her deadly blow. The rabbit, wiser than she'd predicted had caught her scent and fled. Her pounce missing it's mark Kiasha gave chase to the furry creature.

[Kiasha]

The small rabbit expertly darted through the trees and ground plants. It knew what it was doing as it bobbed and weaved through the maze of nature. Kiasha was less equipped to pursue a high speed chase in this environment. While fast and and agile the obstacles slowed her down and the unknown terrain was a great disadvantage. More than once she nearly clipped a tree.

Before long Kiasha had to admit defeat. Her pride slightly wounded. Her large paws came to a stand still and she panted heavily, her sides heaving. Exhausted she settled on her haunches, then lowered her body to the ground. The scent of earth was fading and glimpses of the sun through the trees told her that it was near mid day, if not later.

She'd chased that silly rabbit a good distance, now far from where she'd left her back pack. She wasn't familiar with this area. Seemingly unbothered by her lack of familiarity Kiasha lounged lazily, kneeding her large paws into the earth. Rolling onto her side she rubbed her face against the ground. A deep throaty purr emitting from her throat. She found it peaceful here, surrounded by nature. She pondered what to do next. Go home, or continue her adventure? She could easily follow her scent back to her tree later.

[Kiasha]

Kiasha pulled her body from the ground, deciding to continue her adventure. She wasn't ready to return to the confines of home and await Dierth's arrival. She padded slowly through the trees, taking in every thing along the way. Above her in the trees she could hear the sounds of critters. Some familiar like the chirping birds or bickering squirrels and others that she wasn't sure exactly what creature made them.

The breeze brought along a new smell, one that stopped her in her tracks. It was human and it was close. Her fur prickled and every muscle in her body tensed, as she listened. A brief wave of fear passed over her, humans were dangerous unpredictable creatures. A single human posed her no threat, even one that was armed would be little of a problem, pending it's intentions. Her fear was a hunter, surely she wasn't food, but her fur on the other hand could fetch a good price. Dierth had brought home furs before and he'd told her stories of pelt traders.

The scent was growing stronger on the wind and the faint crunch of boots to her left hit her ears like a gun shot. Hiding wasn't an option, her white and black coat offered her no protection in the green and brown terrain. Nature designed her to blend with snow, not trees. Scaling a tree would only leave her cornered, she had no choice but to run.

[Kiasha]

Kiasha stood frozen, everything was silent now. The bickering squirrels had ceased their racket and it seemed even the breeze had revoked its presence. This confirmed her fears. Silently she scanned her surroundings. Tail low and ears pinned, her stance was not one of a predator, but of prey. Her keen eyes searched and waited. Standing still was a fools move if she was being watched, but to run could mean death if she hadn't yet been spotted.

The slightest of sounds set her off. Without looking back Kiasha darted. Pushing herself as hard as she could. She didn't know where she was running and she didn't care. A primal fear drove her need to run. Incoherant thoughts jumbled in her head. She ran until her muscles ached and the trees broke into open space. In her fright she'd ran all the way to one of fields that broke apart the sparse woodlands. Knowing she was far from the human calmed her a little and she collapsed into the lush wild grass that grew in the open space.

She felt safe now, the human couldn't run as fast as her, he couldn't smell her. In her mind this meant he had no chance of finding her. The long run had exhausted the young leopard, both physically and mentally. Laying in the soft grass she could feel sleep pulling her mind away from her body into the place of dreams. Unable to fight it in her exhausted state Kiasha gave in to her bodies demand and fell asleep.