Greatwater Lake tourniquet

For @Burke

The plains were eerily still as Atreyu made his way across them, the only sounds he could hear being the crunch of snow underfoot and his breath as he panted from his long trek. He was getting used to travelling further and further away from the coast and the Bay now; his exploring taking him away for days now instead of hours. While he had been hesitant to roam the valleys and forests of the Wilds, he had grown rather fond of them, yearning to venture up into the distant mountains one day.

For now, though, he was content to mill around the lake he had just come across and take a break from his travels. The sun was high in the sky and the clouds were finally beginning to let it peak through, the light hitting the surface of the lake and making it glimmer enticingly despite the lingering coolness of winter. Seduced, the boy waded in with a wag of his tail, promptly spotting the telltale flicker of a fish.

Ears swivelling forward, Atreyu stopped, watching keenly as the fish swum close to him before he pounced forward, expertly catching it within his jaws. He returned to the bank to place it on a flat rock for later before turning his attention back to the lake's depths. He fancied a feast — perhaps two or three. Or ten. He was hungry, after all.