Rain softens to steady dripping around the hollow. The slain beast lies beneath the stone shelf, slate hide gleaming, its horned head turned toward the mud.
The improvised stakes have broken beneath its weight. Three broad toes mark the entrance and circle the carcass, revealing a heavy gait and cautious approach.
Xalli Tekuani
The horn is worn smooth at the tip, but the hide is thickest along the shoulders.
Xalli examines the creature’s wounds without disturbing the deer’s skull. The punctures beneath its body came from the trap, while the glaive wound ended its struggle.
He draws a clean strip from his supplies and binds the shallow cut beneath his yellow-orange cowl. The pressure steadies the bead of blood.
With the hollow quiet, the tracks become easier to read. The three-toed beast came alone from the stone shelf, but older impressions vanish among roots beyond the rain-dark trees.
The deer skull remains intact beside the carcass, antlers caught in the ferns. For now, no pursuit disturbs the hollow, leaving Xalli time to recover and decide what the signs mean.
✓ Quest Accepted
Discover what left the older tracks