Friday Fiction Flash

Amy C at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie atTink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you publish your Fiction Flash  on Friday - 350 words, give or take. Below you can find the picture posted last Monday:

What could be done? I had to write a new story! I promise it will be relatively short and I will try to finish it.

Nothing was better than great golden oaks growning among enchanted fields. They were home of so many animals that every hunter, seeing one, was almost sure of a catch. It was practically a matter of when rather than if. Verran, seeing one, smiled. It was late but not too late - all she had to do was to get closer, prepare some snares, find a comfortable bough and wait.

She went hunting to relax and distract her attention from the problems surrounding her like the thick folliage of that majestic monster of a tree. It was time for her to get married. She didn't wish to do so but her mother has already found a suitable man and chose the date. Tomorrow. Verran had no say in it unless she committed herself to a lifelong service of the Goddess. She didn't want to do that either. Priestesses couldn't hunt and rarely travelled for one thing and she enjoyed every moment of it. 

A white squirrel run past her snare. Verran smiled. She wanted to impress her family for the last time and catch something  bigger and more dangerous so squirrel was definitely safe tonight. Small animals were just for children or beginners. She close her eyes and focused. She saw a dark shape among the leaves, way above her. A black panther. It was it - a prey worth her skills, as dangerous and canny as herself.

She centered all her attention on that beautiful, nimble predator, drawing it to her with elven mesmer powers, luring it into approaching her snare. The cat looked straight into her eyes and she felt an unexpected pang of grief. The animal was so luscious and graceful. Saddened by her own deadly plans - how pathetic it sounded? She was falling apart but despite her anger at herself she decided to save the pather's life. Yes, she will return home with empty hands and her head hung low in shame, her fierce pride making her blush. She will cry while agreeing with her mother's final argument for marrying her off- her being not really good for anything else.

A sudden shimmer of air and a wave of heat made her look up. The panther was sitting right above her, far more comfortable than any wild animal had a right to be facing another predator. She heard his voice in her head. A voice without words, just images and suggestions. Let's not return. Let's go to the mountains, hunt together and get away from it all. Let's keep only each other's company. Let's terrorize smaller animals around and share hot, fresh meat of the victims.Verran smiled although there were tears in her eyes.  She said aloud: "agreed" and the cat understood her instantly, purring with content, rubbing against her shoulder. She followed it out of the tree and towards the mountains, as happy as a lark.