The Dead Won't Die

Isa was out in the woods, her nose working to hunt for early spring mushrooms. It was no secret that the woman liked to cook. Feeding others made the blue fae quite happy. Even feeding stubborn cuss's like Sirius made her happy. The first mushrooms of the year would be tasty, plus they brought good luck. The 'slave' woman could use all of the luck that she could get and so could her captor, lest she end up murdering him in his sleep.

Being out on her own, the cerulean woman's senses were on higher alert than if she'd been at the heart of pack lands. Dark ears swiveled, catching the sound of birds flitting between the trees and small creatures scurrying along the quickly melting snow. Rounding a tree, Isa found exactly what she was looking for. Turkey tails grew in rows on the dark side of a thick oak. The fae began peeling the striped mushrooms off of the bark, depositing them in a basket that she'd brought with her. That was when she smelled it.

Putrid rot mixed with vomit and old blood hit Isa in the nose and the woman instantly coughed, dark nares wrinkling as she brought a paw up to shield herself from the stench. It smelled as though something had died and rotted, which was odd, considering it was winter and there shouldn't have been any waste. Even if there was, there shouldn't be such a horrifying smell. The ground was still frozen. Isa turned and was ready to leave the area for the sake of her nose, but she heard the trees and bushes shake as a massive body pushed between them. Through the foliage, Isa could see dirty white fur and a hulking body. Mixed in with the scent of rot was the scent of bear. Right after that scent was the scent of Andromeda.

Skirting around the bear, Isa pushed into a clearing to see the purple child standing there, eyes wide, staring at the approaching ursine. The fae's head turned and she saw the mangled face of the bear. The rotten flesh that she'd smelled was coming from a gaping wound in the beasts face and side. As it turned to look at Andromeda, she could see the eyeball hanging by a thread, the action squeezing puss from the wound which then dripped onto the snow beneath.

The roar that the bear released shook the very earth and stole Isa's breath. She expected Andromeda to run, but the girl was frozen to the spot. Dropping her pack, the blue fae ran out into the clearing. With its attention focused on the pup, Isa leaped up, sinking her teeth into the side of the face opposite the oozing wound. The bear roared in fury and began to shake its head. Blood and puss flew, spattering both the ground and the trees that surrounded them. The action sent Isa flying, but thankfully she landed on her paws. "Andromeda, run!" She attempted to snap the girl out of her stupor. If she was still frozen in shock, Isa would continue to attack. There was no way that she could kill a creature this large on her own. Not even with the girl's help. For once, she wished that Sirius had followed her.

"Isa"