The merchant’s wagon rattled down the bumpy road, and the clattering sound woke Lady up. Have they been on their way again? What part of the day was it? Ah, morning, right. Last night she snuck out of her hiding spot - a perfect comfy place between bolts of soft cloth, hidden under a thick sheet. Quietly... --[i]Like a ghost![/i]-- Quiet like a ghost, she moved around the merchant’s camp… --[i]No, wait, aren’t ghosts white? I was… like a shadow. Living darkness. A creature of the night![/i]-- Sigh. The majestic creature of the night quietly moved around the merchant’s camp, stealing bits of food from sleeping humans. It was nothing fancy, certainly not the fresh Xandalian eels she was used to, but hunger is hunger. After at least partially satisfying her needs, the living darkness crawled back into her hiding spot and fell asleep. It was just a few days since they left the city of Grada. They passed on a few villages on the way, but none of them really caught Lady’s interest. What life could a cat like her have in a farming settlement? Spend her days protecting the grain storages, hunting mice and rats and other nasty rodents? --[i]Eww.[/i]-- No, that was definitely not the life she imagined for herself. The bumpy road got better and better, indicating they were coming close to civilization. Lady curiously peeked from beneath the sheet covering the wagon. It was definitely better than the last village they passed through. So many interesting scents - mostly humans, of course, but many other creatures as well, some of them completely unknown to Lady. It was certainly worth investigating. The merchant parked the wagon in a small town square and went away, most likely looking for a mayor to get a permit to set up a stall for the day. She could look around all day and still be ready to hitch her ride in case the place turned out to be just another dump. The black cat crept out of her hiding place, running across the street and jumping up on a fence pole. It was always safer to have the high ground. Her whiskers kept twitching as she sniffed the air around her, trying to identify each scent to see what she was dealing with here. The smells coming from a local inn were especially distracting, but a lot of people seemed to be gathered there and Lady preferred to avoid crowds. --[i]Humans are clumsy and keep stepping on my paws. Wait, what is THAT?[/i]-- Catching a glimpse of a sudden movement in the grass behind the fence, the cat froze, her eyes squinting at the location. Soundlessly, she jumped down and snuck towards her prey, her body so close to the ground that only the tips of her ears were visible above the grass. Perhaps it was a bird? Lady didn’t really love raw food, but birds were somewhat acceptable. Fish were better, but who would jump into cold water to catch them? Her body wiggled, ready to pounce, and she jumped on her prey, claws and teeth ready. It was a dry leaf. Being in a hunting mood anyway, she kept scratching and biting it until it turned into a pile of tiny pieces on the ground. One dead leaf neutralized. --[i]You are welcome, townsfolk.[/i]-- The grass was full of morning dew which brushed off on Lady’s fur, getting her quite wet. Smirking uncomfortably, she jumped back up on the fence pole, elegantly traversed to the nearest building, and climbed to the roof. It was a nice observing position, plus the rising sun would have her dry in no time.