At the break of Dawn

Andromeda walks next to her large father, pale eyes beginning to scan the area before they even hit the forest. There is no fear in the lavender girl as they leave the col behind, and, when her dad turns to nudge her shoulder, she simply lifts her gaze to meet his. His words are quiet, the tone pitched low so that the creature they are hunting won’t hear. A grin tugs her lips up and, in the slowly dawning light, the girl’s pale blue eyes sparkle with determination.

With that, she begins to move them onward, scanning the snow banks that have collected underneath trees in search for prints that do not belong to wolves or the prey animals she is used to seeing. The hint that creature climbs has Andy thinking that they are after a predator and, when the scent of a leopard hits her nostrils, the girl realizes her guess was right. The pair move silently through the snow-covered landscape, careful of where they place their paws so as not to create any unwanted noise.

Andy follows the scent deeper into the forest, silently pointing out spots where tufts of fur have gotten stuck in the bark of trees or where the feline sharpened it claws. With Sirius at her side, the girl leads them toward the predator, vigilant for the moment the leopard appears.


"Andromeda Fatalis"