Post by Goanna on Jan 30, 2013 7:53:43 GMT -6
This was nothing like home.
No, the doe thought, this was far different. It had taken several hours of wading through ankle deep, green water, before the realisation had dawned on her that she'd found herself somewhere new. And how? That question, she couldn't seem to answer. For some reason, her mind was blank. Only now memories and thoughts were beginning to swirl into consciousness, yet still she couldn't remember why she was here, or where exactly she was.
The creature was a barasingha deer, a native of India, who went by the name of Badal. Her everyday routine had always been the same, something along the lines of: wake, graze, doze, graze, sleep. She did not explore, she did not wander. She had her territory and she stuck to it. That territory included a swamp, for her species' more common name was "the swamp deer", and a swamp deer she was through and through. It also incorporated a few plains here and there, some forest, but no more. Now, for being a creature of habit, she knew perfectly well her own swamp, and this was not it. Everything seemed stranger here, the very air tasted different. She was afraid.
The situation might have been better if there'd been some sign of life. There wasn't. Perhaps it was this particular day, or a particular time of day here, that Badal didn't know about, but the Bayou was utterly silent. Not even insects stirred. It was about mid-afternoon, Badal guessed. Had she been here all morning then? She couldn't remember when she was last home. Perhaps... perhaps she had been here for longer than she thought. Hours, or days even? She didn't know. Couldn't remember. The doe furrowed her brow in frustration. She moved slowly, as though considering each and every step before taking it. From left to right her eyes travelled in a wide sweep of the area in front of her. She listened and watched, as alert as any animal was that found themselves in a new environment. After some time the water around her heels turned to mud, and she leapt nimbly onto the bank, finding her footing on more solid ground.
She looked behind her, casting her gaze over the water. There was nothing but flat, green swamp, of a different hue than she was used to. The doe sighed. All of a sudden she felt tired. She brought her head near her hoof to graze on a small ground-cover plant she'd almost trod on, when a sudden noise startled her. Immediately Badal looked up. Her pulse quickened as she surveyed the horizon. She snorted softly, ears twitching. No reason to run...yet.
No, the doe thought, this was far different. It had taken several hours of wading through ankle deep, green water, before the realisation had dawned on her that she'd found herself somewhere new. And how? That question, she couldn't seem to answer. For some reason, her mind was blank. Only now memories and thoughts were beginning to swirl into consciousness, yet still she couldn't remember why she was here, or where exactly she was.
The creature was a barasingha deer, a native of India, who went by the name of Badal. Her everyday routine had always been the same, something along the lines of: wake, graze, doze, graze, sleep. She did not explore, she did not wander. She had her territory and she stuck to it. That territory included a swamp, for her species' more common name was "the swamp deer", and a swamp deer she was through and through. It also incorporated a few plains here and there, some forest, but no more. Now, for being a creature of habit, she knew perfectly well her own swamp, and this was not it. Everything seemed stranger here, the very air tasted different. She was afraid.
The situation might have been better if there'd been some sign of life. There wasn't. Perhaps it was this particular day, or a particular time of day here, that Badal didn't know about, but the Bayou was utterly silent. Not even insects stirred. It was about mid-afternoon, Badal guessed. Had she been here all morning then? She couldn't remember when she was last home. Perhaps... perhaps she had been here for longer than she thought. Hours, or days even? She didn't know. Couldn't remember. The doe furrowed her brow in frustration. She moved slowly, as though considering each and every step before taking it. From left to right her eyes travelled in a wide sweep of the area in front of her. She listened and watched, as alert as any animal was that found themselves in a new environment. After some time the water around her heels turned to mud, and she leapt nimbly onto the bank, finding her footing on more solid ground.
She looked behind her, casting her gaze over the water. There was nothing but flat, green swamp, of a different hue than she was used to. The doe sighed. All of a sudden she felt tired. She brought her head near her hoof to graze on a small ground-cover plant she'd almost trod on, when a sudden noise startled her. Immediately Badal looked up. Her pulse quickened as she surveyed the horizon. She snorted softly, ears twitching. No reason to run...yet.