One paw was placed in front of the other with careful precision as the shewolf moved across the fallen log that spanned a wide and rather deep gorge hidden within the bowels of the grotto. All those years ago when the earth had shaken, the tree had been lodged there, and over time cemented in place by settled dirt and dust. Her paws seemed almost to grip the bark, keeping her firmly upright as she made her way. Tauriel had crossed fallen logs plenty of times, her balance a honed and perfected trait, but crossing this particular log never failed to make her stomach clench to some degree. A paw put out of place could send her plummeting over the side and surely to her death on the rocks far below.

Why bother at all, then? Tauriel's sights were set on a small alcove in the stone wall on the far side of the gorge. Within was one of her many caches, this one strategically placed to deter other animals from finding a stash of food. Most would not gamble their lives to make the crossing, but Tauriel was agile and smart enough to ensure safe crossing.

The wood groaned beneath her, and the woman's ears flicked, listening closely to ensure time had not finally gotten the better of the long dead tree. But it was simply the usual flex of the timber, and so she moved forward, reaching the far side of the precarious bridge and stepping onto the shelf of rock. Once she had all four paws safely on solid ground, Tauriel glanced over her shoulder. If the tree trunk bridge were to fall from its place, there would be no way to get back to the other side. From here there was no space to get up enough momentum to leap the gorge - and even from the other side it would be a hard distance to leap.

Confidant that she was still alone, Tauriel moved forward and nosed behind some well placed rocks that kept her cache hidden. Withdrawing a scrap of meat still attached to an unidentifiable bone, she circled and laid down on the stone outcropping to gnaw on her snack. Green and orange eyes roamed what she could see of the dim cavern from her perch, but she doubted she would need to defend herself from ny interlopers here.