It ran quickly on its leathern paws, fur streaking in the sharp wind. The creature sniffed at the gust, noting many unusual smells. No pursuit. It slowed slightly, taking measure. It was exhausted, hungry, returning from a long hunt. It was not its habit to starve, running wild through the woods, but it had recently lost its mate to a larger male, and had no nest.
Its conqueror chased it for days, out of the woods and into a rocky tundra. Now it seemed to have gone away, having achieved its torment. This was the creature's first time in the region. Days of no hint of competitors meant it was time to rebuild a nest.
The creature ran on, looking for a suitable nook. Occasionally it would slumber under the cover of a thicket, or catch a wild cat to eat, but days passed without it stopping the trek through this rocky, freezing place. Rain came and went as it chose.
Then, after several days, the wind stopped its frantic progress through the rocky forest. A warm hint, a smell, a waft promising a little collection of pleasures, enticed it. It stopped running, and crouched, doglike, manlike, on its paws, crawled carefully, its large dog snout digging at the ground.
It took a few hours, but finally it picked up a trail, following it quietly, sleekly. The trail pointed to a solitary traveler making the trek. A human, female by the scent.
The creature knew humans, but only vaguely. Odd tales of dangerous powers filled the rude lore of the creatures passed to their young. They were delicious and frail when surprised, but could be a menace from far off. The creature stalked, attentive to every twig, every pebble, letting itself have the occasional distraction of feasting on the nests of birds that hid in the small rocky crevices of this land.
Finally, after days of following, the creature caught up. Day was almost over, and through the rain it saw a solitary female, decked in leggings and tunic of hard skin, thick boots, trudging forth. A little mage light lit her path, and it could see the slim outlines of the human's legs, a lithe form with a short staff and a clanking sack against her shoulders.
The human was searching for something, and judging by its shivering, shelter could be the only thing on its mind. The creature followed, a huge, silent shadow, stalking behind. The land here was hilly, and rocky crevices wide enough to fall through were everywhere among the thickets.
Trembling and stumbling, the human finally found a ragged stony mouth of a cavern hidden in the short trees. The human looked at the cave for a while, muttering. She turned suddenly, and the creature froze, hidden partially in the foliage. Her glance scanned the area behind her, and she lingered, but finally turned back to the cave and entered.
The creature waited. The cavern seemed a good place to escape the rains. The traveler within would rest, cook, perhaps sleep. Either way, its instincts told it to hold before it moved in.
