Northstar Vale gone squatchin'

@Cupid

layer of virgin snow crumbled underfoot as she-wolf wandered through the valley, woods closing in around her, gnarled branches bending under the weight of snow that still floated down in pale sheets, hiemal cataracts -- not the best time to be hunting and still she followed the path that her and her Undómiel had once traced. 

the same wretched stench floated from crevice, memory of bones that lingered there immediately filling her mind and she wavered for a moment, brows furrowed, concentrating as she wonders if this is truly the best idea. from the strength of the smell emanating from the sorry excuse for a cave she can tell the beast is home, sleeping as winter crawls along outside, waiting for spring to finally bloom and she unfurrowed her brow, took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and crept across the snow to the entrance of the cave.

the firebrand disappeared into the shadows, pausing to let seaglass eyes adjust to the darkness, everything verglas and weeping as muted sunlight filters through the entrance to the cave, illuminating piles of bones, some so old they were sun-bleached and others so new that bits of sinew still clung to them.

in the corner, mop of brown fur lingered, sides rising with each heavy breath, slumbering deeply. she hesitated -- the thing was so peaceful, ragged fur chocolate in the sunlight instead of the murky brown that she recalled from when she had seen it, featureless and monstrous. in her hesitation, she shifted, kicking a rock across the ground and as it skidded before her the beast awakened, black, beady eyes slowly opening, blinking away their sleep before focusing on the russet fae in the corner. and there's a roar soon coming from its jowls and andromaque squares herself, joints bent and muscles coiled like snake ready to unfurl and sink fangs into flesh.

she lets the beast rise to it's great paws before springing forward, lunging into the darkness and sinking teeth around it's left ankle, blood welling around her teeth and the taste of iron on her tongue only fuels the fire burning in her chest. she rips flesh from bone, jerking head backwards and skidding backwards a few feet on the rock beneath. the beast yowls, rears backward, clawing the air but missing each strike as it flails through the air. andromaque lurches forward again, this time aiming for it's neck, and misses. the beast comes down hard upon her, teeth scratching against her shoulder, ripping flesh. she hissed under her breath and rears back, latching onto the thing's neck and perhaps because it's tired, woken from its hibernation, but it was not able to dodge and jugular was ripped from neck and blood spilled onto the ground.

andromaque took a step backwards and one last blow from the beast ripped the skin along her neck and she shrieked, watching as blood pooled around the beast. she stumbles, blood spilling from her wounds as she stumbled to the entrance to the cave, falling at the mouth and letting out a weak howl that she hoped would call someone from the court to her aide.