Hello Deer

Darkness.

That was all Ritz saw as he slowly returned to his senses, into a groggy state of awakefulness. The first thing he felt was a gentle warm breeze, tugging at his sensitive whiskers.

Ritz opened an eye.

And found a deer shoving its black leather nose into his face, it's hot breath smelling of grass.

“What’s the big idea?” He groaned.

The deer flicked its ear at him, Ritz swiped a lazy, clawless, paw at it just to get it to shoo. The deer seemed to take the hint, and wandered off as Ritz pulled himself up-right.

Where he slept had made an impression in the tall grasses and ferns of this forest.  The vegetation was so thick in this spot Ritz had trouble navigating it, in some places having to make very large strides for his small cat body. And there were so many deer- Elk probably, with how big they were- who gracefully walked around with their tall thin legs and grazed like it was no problem at all, the spiteful things.

Ritz scrambled up the bark of an oak tree, he had no idea where he was and would get nowhere if he kept trying to see through grass that was eye level with him, and bushes that were even taller.

He crept along the branches, accidentally placing a pressure on a weak twig that snapped loud enough to make him flinch, before falling to the floor. He sighed and crouched on the branch, squinting at the singing birds fluttering between the various types of trees, more elk, and diffused light breaking through the canopy. He didn’t recognize this place at all, how did he end up here?

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The strangest oddity was that while a wolf was to be expected, instead in the distance was that of a gray cat. Surprise be struck, she did not consider the thoughts of others waking up within this land, but suppose no longer should that be a shocker. Though the issue be, whether she should treat it as a threat, or but a passing by animal. How she knew at times the felines were very similar in nature, creating territorial groups, and often at times there was never just but one. No scent clung to the air of a sign besides that singular being, but she held a wariness.

The Deorwine woman didn't particular hide herself from the other, rather she stood by a tree's shadows, merely observing the other.

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Ritz’s eyes narrowed in on a figure, at first he overlooked it and thought it was another elk taking rest in the shade due to the similar color, but the creature had much longer fur in a darker shade, with the distinctive snout of a canine.

And unlike the elk, who paid him the barest of mind, the wolf watched him.

It made Ritz’s hair stand on end.

Ritz leaped from branch to branch, creating a cacophony of noise when he made a hard jump and crashed down on a branch above her. Didn’t need stealth when she already saw him, at least.

Ritz stabilized himself, he actually couldn’t see her very well through the leaves, he made sure he was still a few branches up and well away from her reach, but that was fine.

“Hello there, do you know where we are by chance?”

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She would think the cat was polite if it were not for the factor he was high in the tree, above herself. Closer to the ground but standing on the branch, she peaked through the leaves to his silver fur. It was like a light shining down through the oaks and redwoods, peering and flashing as a blinding light onto the cat. She had to squint while looking up, stepping further away to adjust her eyes away from the sunlight Closer to the deer as well, and the ungulate bounded away.

"You are in King Elk Forest, claimed by Elkshire."

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Ritz thought for a moment, “Huh, never heard of it.”

“Anyway, I just woke up with no idea how I got here, and a shady-looking wolf staring at me.” Ritz laid out on the branch, soaking up the sun lazily. He peered down at the wolf undistracted, keeping his suspicious eyes on her as she moved under the leaves and slightly away. “You’re not a weird kidnapper, are ya?” he tilted his head, his tone light like a smile.

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"I saw a cat awakening in my forest, I do wonder what their motives are?" A slight chuckle escaped from her maw as the Deorwine wolf countered with her own tone. She heavilu emphasized on 'my,' indicating of trespassing so, and hinting likewise that she is the Queen of so. A slight hummed was sounded out from her amused tone.

"My my, do I look that type?" She didn't think she looked as sadistic was Vengeance was, who actually did kidnap another wolf. Though Célnes didn't have a particular need to do so, especially to a cat. She couldn't very much find the use to keep one around, even if they were unholy-like with gray. The feline was a rather gray-zone in a literal sense, she didn't hold the High Elk's standards to him as she would to a wolf.

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“Your forest, huh?” Ritz looked around, surveying the temperate forest, picking out the details. There were a variety of trees here, and if he listened closely he heard streams and the sounds of elk prodding around, birds singing, and the sound of a gentle breeze’s soft whistle in his ears, but not much else. But wolves rarely kept territory on their own, so… “You have a pack nearby, or something like that?”

“How am I supposed to know?” he said, honestly he could never tell with the bigger animals, they could throw their weight around all they want and do what they want with as much disregard as they pleased for small creatures like him. Would they be kind, or would they crush him if he got too close? Even if they were kind, they could change their mind in an instant if they liked. He licked his paw, dabbing it across his scarred ear. The consequences would be his own, that’s what bothered Ritz...

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"The forest is claimed by my pack - Elkshire." Not nearby, but the settlement was the place the very cat was touching upon. In the way they were intruding, like a small fly pestering by one's ears. Though so much bigger, laying and relaxing by the high trees. She could only circle, a head going up to the sky as it occasionally caught the birds in-between, and the squirrels wandering away, "I have no interests in cats, though I will say, visitors can only stay for a few moments."

It was a warning that she gave, that it was in-fact her forest, and he would have to leave soon. A devilish smile upon the pretty Queen, and while none were around, there was still wolves to the name of Elkshire. A warning to give, an easy say to watch for the cat, and make sure to leave. An advantage of being sneaky and high to the branches, but their numbers would out-do a feline. No cougar, just it's lesser being.

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