Redhawk Caldera i wait by the door like i'm just a kid

Winter came, and it was gentle. The things his parents had told him of winters past had made him worried, and wary that it might grow to cold, or the snow might fall too thick and powdery. Concern still dogged him- a thing that he'd known known in his earliest days. Now he knew a fear linked to survival, and it made him grow more distant from the others. 

He invested his time in hunting, and felt a bit of his anxiety pass with each successful kill. One step closer to survival, he thought. Risks were not worth the chance that something could happen and cut his life short. He chose to only hunt creatures that would not likely pose a threat, but found that even the smallest ones still had a sharp bite. 

A mouse had managed to nip one of his toepads when he had pounced it, landing one foot into the snow on either side of it. As he walked now, one pawprint for each pace left behind a small spot of bright red blood. He considered trying to find Eljay, but figured he ought to toughen up, at least a little bit. A mouse bite wasn't something that would merit medical attention. 

So he wandered, and the cool snow felt good against his throbbing pawpad. Eventually, it numbed, so he couldn't even feel the little perforation. 

When he spotted Sylvie, his first instinct was to meander in another direction...But then he reconsidered. Sylvie was never too much. Often, she was more sombre than anything- and he found that attitude appealing. Not too cheery, not likely she would demand too much attention. He approached, tail swinging gently. "Hey Sylvie," he uttered quietly, ears planing so she would know he wasn't going to be the pain-in-the-ass he'd once been.