A Mirrored Intruder

A dark, still puddle cut across the damp dirt path. Sss... click. Inside the brown water, another pair of yellow eyes flared up instantly. An intruder crouching low in the mud. I froze, tail locking rigid straight behind me for balance. Step. Halt. Belly skimming the wet ground, I stalked right to the water's glassy edge. I whipped forward with a lightning-fast snout strike, plunging straight into the cold reflection. The rival shattered into ripples, splashing cold droplets across my scaly snout. Just water mimicking a hunter. Satisfied the pool was conquered, I shook my jaw free of grit and planted a claw on the sodden bank.