it looked back at me

*Lyssa* · (This post was last modified: 03-01-2021, 12:22 AM by Lyssa.)

A hunter’s blade was the most important tool on their belt. A dull blade was a useless one and it needed to be sharpened often to fulfill its purpose. Despite his absence, she continued to hone the skills that he passed down and while he could not be there to finish his teachings, she would never let herself settle with the same knowledge. The world had many hidden secrets. Lyssa would have preferred to uncover them together, but she would carry on with or without him. They had started their journey together, but it seemed to her that she would have to finish it alone. Papa always said that dependence was a weakness. A hunter needed not but rely on anyone but themselves. That was where her kind faltered and how they would inevitably meet their downfall. While she would honor him in memory, she would not allow herself to fade in his absence, for it was not what he would’ve expected of her.

These strange and unconquered lands called to her and after some time she could no longer resist its pull. By then winter had arrived, rearing its head, and baring its teeth with a ferocity like none she had ever seen. The blight rolled in swiftly, its icy touch turned the world pale and sucked the warmth out like marrow through cracked bones. In a matter of moments, the skies would turn a sickly grey, and everything would be swallowed whole. Though she could not truly feel its bitter caress, the wilds groaned and creaked in the complaint. Bits of ice and snow stuck to the outer rim of her eyelids, leaving her not only blind but disoriented, unable to find a way out of the white maze. Weather like that was not common where she came from, but a true predator adapted to any environment. The thick and downy material filled in under her natural coat already providing some protection against the elements. However, that would only provide so much protection. She concluded that she needed shelter. A place to hold the line until the season turned.

After some time looking for papa, she began to experience the side effects of what many called ‘hunger’. Her search ended abruptly to satisfy those bodily desires but with no sign of her preferred prey, she settled for smaller game. The hunt began as it usually did with her trying to position herself downwind. Large pointed ears pulled keenly forward, and fern-green irises focused intently on something in the distance. She circled around from behind, careful not to disturb pockets of unpacked snow beneath. Lyssa flexed her toes, stretching them wide enough so that the impact was less concentrated and evenly spread on the surface as to make less noise with each step. The creature shifted slightly jaw churning quickly as it nibbled on fragrant spruce-needles. Lyssa had no desire to drag the dull affair on longer than necessary. There was no enjoyment to be found in hunting simple-minded prey.

She crept forward slowly getting as close as she could until… The hare turned its head, ears swiveling completely forward as it suddenly realized the danger. Its predator lunged, long powerful legs propelling her forward. She glid across the snow's surface with ease, thick fur on the undersides of her paws keeping her from sinking. The chase began and it was the prey that held the advantage. It was much swifter than its predator, easily outpacing her. She could only hope that it made a critical mistake that flipped the odds in her favor. The creature made a sharp turn around some rocks near the underside of the mountain. It had fewer options here, yet the rocks provided more of a challenge for her to overcome. She dug her back paws into the gravel pushing her up and over a large stone that blocked the direct path. Her jaw stretched open and snapped together but instead of flesh and bone, she caught something soft between her teeth. Tufts of soft white fur dangled from her clenched jaw. She was so close now that she could hear the flutter of its panicked heart.

A barrage of paw steps struck the ground with intensity. Right when she thought she had the creature trapped it turned sharply, disappearing into the rockface. The huntress skid to a complete stop, head snapping around to where her kill should have been, visibly confused. She lifted her head and her nose twitched attempting to retrace its scent. Where she expected to find an earth-coated mountainside there was pitch-black emptiness. A hollow where the mountain should have extended. Lyssa peered into the darkness and it almost seemed to look back at her. Within the abyss, the echo of claws scraping against a hard surface.

A stale and earthy scent wafted out from within the cavern. She took a step forward into the darkness but paused wondering whether the reward was worth the risk. It was an ancient structure built long before her time. Only layers of deteriorated stone held the weight of the mountain and it could collapse at any moment. In the end, the decision was made on her behalf. She would be going inside whether she wanted to or not. Mother nature had little mercy to spare for someone like her. It started as a single snowflake and it grew and grew until it was coming down in great sheets. She slipped further into the cavern to escape the roar of the wind outside. From within the cavern, the storm screeched and howled like a demon. Her eyes darted around adjusting to the change in light. The darkness seemed to squirm in her presence. Unnatural shapes contorting as if it were alive. Unlike most, she found comfort in the darkness, but there in the pitch-black, she could feel the presence of something else. Whatever it was, wherever it was, whether it had noticed her or not, it decided to remain silent. It was Lyssa who broke the tension. “Am I trapped in here with you? Or… Are you trapped in here with me?” Her voice bounced against the stone-walls; her velvety tone playful but seasoned with something much more threatening.

"speech" | whispers | nothingness

OOC: Getting to know Lyssa and how to write her. It's rough, bear with me.

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it looked back at me

AW [OPEN]

Lyssa