Broken Antler Fen last smoke before the snowstorm

the sun had set long before the wildcat made wolf had set to prowling across the moor. the dull yellow of his eyes lingered only on the vast stretch of mountain that seemed to climb upward and jut out to the end of the earth. it seemed a fitting place for him, if he'd ever imagined there to be one. so, the mercurial brute set his pace to a lope and found a rhythm in that for some time. it was only when he found himself near the presence of water that he paused on his trek and lowered his crown toward the earth to draw in the scent of those who might have passed recently.

nearing to the water, tusk felt the cold grip of the ice against the edges against the rough pads on his paws. the touch of winter caused his wild coat to stand rigidly along his back, creating spikes that rose from his neckline to the base of his tail. already, his earthy coat had gotten thicker and had prepared for the chilling embrace of heavy snowfall. already, he had felt his instincts shift toward survival, and in this he had put on a considerable amount of weight to his normally-lean frame.

once he had dipped his limbs into the water, he exhaled a plume of breath into the skies. dipping his skull, tusk drank in the frigid liquid until the back of his throat was numb from the touch of it. the cry of a nearby bird pulled his attention upward, water drizzling from his chin. tusk sprang from the edge of the water and back onto land. his long legs made easy work of the movements. he shook his ragged coat and set his sights back to the mountains.