Northstar Vale pale widows

yet another comes, apparently beholden to the man. and they are defensive, ha. he knows winter brings out the worst in beasts, but god. . .how unsettled they are, over just a single wolf! stanislav resists the urge to laugh, for he knows its edge will be knife-sharp, not suited for the tension that has fallen upon them.

instead, he hears out the ringleader, words going in one ear and out the other. damned if this wasn't wasted time and energy all for the sake of a meal. he preferred action, not conversation.

hunting is all i wanted to do today, stani announces, meeting the man's measured stare, his own ice-blue gaze gimlet. not battle, be it with words or with teeth. i am hungry.

he wheels and takes off, plowing through the snow that has blanketed the valley so early in the season. he does not keep his pace slow, only turning his ears back in idle curiosity as to whether they'll follow. suicide mission or group project, he cares not. the former was the only thing on his agenda when he rose today. anything more is just. . .oh, how to put it?

icing on the cake.

the herd has traveled far, scattered by the leader's summoning howl. but not so far that stanislav finds himself hopelessly trailing. with some time and effort, his long legs churning, he finally catches up, and darts like a lead bullet through the panicked animals, avoiding the sting of their hooves. his nostrils flare, eyes wander, looking for sights and smells of weakness. a stumble here, the scent of decay there. . .

there. an older female, too ancient to breed in the coming season. her life has been fruitful, and now it will end. she ambles along but slower than her youthful counterparts, her eyes half-glazed over. stani begins to nip at her ankles, drawing her away from her family.

on and on. relentless. how terrible it must be to die this way—a demon at your feet, never ceasing. she begins to veer off path, putting distance between them and the rest of the herd, too frightened by his presence to stay close.

will the man and his followers come, now?