Mira Meets a Snake

It was another day in the tundra for Mira, walking along and picking her way through the plains and over lichen-covered rocks. It was going to be a long day already, she could tell, with the sun high in the sky and not even beginning to touch the tops of the mountains in the distance.

Today, she just hoped she would be able to find something interesting to take home for her time spent exploring. First, she planned to visit the base of the mountains, where a small town lay nestled in the valley - perhaps there would be something the humans dropped there that could be worth her time.

Mira nodded, setting off, confident in her abilities. The ground of the tundra was frozen cold and buried under a light dusting from the snow of last night, with small flowers attempting to poke their buds through the packed dirt due to early spring. She leaned down and nibbled some grasses, poking her nose through them to investigate for any shinies in the dirt. While she was unable to find any, she did get a few bites of a meal, and continued on her way.

Sooner rather than later, she had reached the base of the mountains where the village sat. It was homey, and she could smell baking bread and hear the snorts and whistles of other, tame Rukaan in the distance. She did not envy them, and would rather be free and wild, able to explore. But, regardless. Mira shook her head, ruffling the blue and white fur that covered her body. Her quartz antlers caught the light, and she began to walk along the outskirts of the town, looking for anything to bring home to show her efforts.

There was a small fence where she dug in the ground with one of her front hooves, grimacing as the dirt barely showed the imprints of her hoof, frozen as it was. Mira sighed and moved to the backs of the shops, skirting the edge of the village proper. A moldy loaf of bread? No. The jeweler's shop? No, there was nothing to be found here - no one would throw out jewels anyway. A cloud moved over the sun and temporarily covered everything in dimness, making Mira blink to help her eyes adjust.

She kept walking forward, but nothing popped out or was clear to her until the cloud finished floating over the sun, and something glinted in the dirt.

Mira walked closer, needing to investigate - was this the thing that was going to be worth all of her trials and paths down long-forgotten trails? The shiny object began to move, and the piebald Rukaan remained hopeful. Perhaps this would be a shiny string of metal? A woven bracelet dropped to the ground?

Instead, the treasure made a hissing noise. It seemed to move sideways, and that's when Mira saw its eyes, slit pupils and brightly colored irises - it was a snake. Its scales glimmered brown and orange in the noontime light, and Mira shied away from it, kicking with her front hooves. It hadn't threatened her or coiled up upon itself to strike, but the potential threat of the snake was enough to make Mira's primal prey instincts kick into overdrive.

Dashing back down the way she had come, Mira looked over her shoulder as she ran, making sure that, somehow, the snake would not be pursuing her. It wasn't, instead settling back into its docile sunshine sleep. Mira finally started to slow down once she exited the outskirts of the village, panting.

She hung her head low and flopped down into the tall grass with a huff. What an exhausting day. No treasures, and only a snake to show for all her searching. She relaxed for a moment in the grass, trying to decide where to go next. Perhaps back to the village? Not into the area with the snake, but perhaps into the main thoroughfare itself?

Yes, Mira decided she would head back into the village, and she slowly got to her hooves and headed back inside the fences and walls of the village. The main path of the village was crowded with people selling wares, Rukaans and mules walking around with packs full of things.

Mira made her way over to a stall selling vegetables, and nosed around when the seller turned their back. Sniffing over the greens, Mira selected a mouthful of apple slices, chewing them up and dashing away before the seller noticed her theft. She kept walking down the market street, raising her nose into the air and trying to catch the smell of anything she could take for her efforts.

Finally, she found her way to the bread stall, and remembering the moldy crust she found in the back alley, Mira was skeptical - but the bread stall was fresh, and she managed to nab a loaf. Trotting off proudly (to the chagrin of the vegetable and bread sellers), Mira made off with her treasures.