damsel in distressin’

El’s life has undergone some vast changes since the last time she’d seen Red, when they’d shared that tender kiss at the festival. for a start, she’d still been a princess, all her siblings had been alive, and her father hadn’t been sick. in fact, her life had been practically utopian compared to now, where she wanders, cold and alone, uncertain of every step. it’s exhausting. El casts tired eyes up to the pale sky, brushing a snowflake impatiently from her nose. “just a little further,” she tells Princess, though the words are more for herself. “his home isn’t far.” she craves him. his warmth, his strength, his scent. Red. the last time she’d been in his arms, everything had been right in the world. in fact, that was the last time she’d felt some semblance of okay. makes its weak, to go running to her…Red. but she can no longer deny the parts of herself that yearn for him, that wants him to hold her close and promise her everything will be okay. maybe it makes her weak, but El’s past caring. i’m coming. i’m almost there.

of course, that’s when everything goes to shit. something slams into her, knocking her to the ground as pain explodes up her side. a scream rips from her throat, more from the shock than anything. El clambers you her feet on shaking legs, blinking as blood flecks her vision. lifting a shaking paw, she feels a gash along her cheekbone, cleaving her fur in two. beside her, Princess snarls.

“w-what?” El turns, slowly, and freezes at the sight before her: a coyote leers at her with a hungry grin, drooling as it wipes the blood from its claws. her blood. terror shivers down her spine. El gulps, stumbling backward a step. the coyote follows at slow pace, a predator toying with its prey.