⚔️ For @clawedxmoon ‘s Zeza! ⚔️
The first hints of green in new grass shoots and new leaves is a turning point in the seasons. The herds will be shifting their migration patterns back to lush plains and forests after a harsh winter. Soon enough, she’ll be able to retreat back to the wilds as she likes and go back to hunting her usual assortment of elk and deer and fish. But not yet.
Until her primary food source has returned and stabilized, she’s still stuck lingering on the outskirts of the many holds and scattered towns of the region. And that’s a problem. Because she’s wanted in every single one of them. Her manner of sneaking into shops for food, picking off cattle from farmers, and stealing crops has earned her an infamous title across the land. The only thing stalling her capture, of course, is the inability of Nords to tell one member of a species apart from all the others. It’s not ideal for anyone- least of all her. But it’s a matter of starving or staying alive.
That’s what drives her to circle the settlement one more. With little cover, she’s left to stay low and move slowly, stalking just as a wild cat would. It’s risky, but a scent has her intrigued. Persistent. Warm. Sweet.
A purr builds in her throat at the idea. She hasn’t had such a treat in so long. Her mouth already waters at the thought of biting into the soft, fluffy cake and tasting the familiar sweetness of the vanilla icing. Her nub of a tail is already wagging with delight, eyes growing wide with the prospect. And then she spots them. Chilling in the cool air on the ledge of an open window. The other scents of yeast and flour tell her this is likely some sort of bakery, and she makes a mental note of that fact as she approaches.
Slowly, silently, she makes her way over to the wall and presses against it. Ears rotate and flicker independently, listening for any signs of danger before she finally makes her move. She rises slowly, keeping her ears perked and alert and moving quickly. She grabs one sweet roll and shoves it in her mouth to hold before moving on to anything else she can grab, hoping to fill her bag as much as possible before she’s caught.
It goes about as well as expected.