“Up and at ‘em sweetheart” He told Andy, bending down so he could whisper into the young girl's ear without disturbing her siblings. He nudged her gently and helped the sleeping girl navigate over the cuddle pile and out towards the den door. He then led her in silence down the trail towards the Col. not speaking until they reached the bottom, and had left their fen far behind them.

It wasn’t unusual for the Warlord to grab one kid and squirrel them away. Choosing them for a training session or life lesson for the day. Today, he had picked Andy, and they were going to go after a predator. A young male leopard had come down from the North, pushing out in an attempt to find territory of its own. He had caught the musk of it at the border, and recognised the type. “We’re heading towards the forest. What we are hunting climbs, so keep your nose up and start tracking as soon as we reach the woods, alright?” He instructed the young girl.


"Sirius Fatalis"

Andy usually doesn’t mind getting up early but, it just so happens that last night, she had stayed up a little late, star-gazing. A whisper pulls her from Morpheus’s realm, gently guiding back to the waking world and her pale blue eyes soon blink open, groggily. She finds her father gently nudging her and the pup offers him a sleepy grin as a yawn pulls her maw open. With his help, she untangles herself from the sleeping forms of her siblings and guides her out and away from the family den. The shock of hitting the frigid, winter air, has the girl sucking in a breath as the warmth of mere moments before is leeched from her body.

Now, wide awake, Andy looks up to her father, waiting to hear what he has planned for them this early in the morning. His voice fills the air, breaking the silence and her pale blue eyes hold her father’s bright blue gaze as she listens intently. Nodding along to his instructions, a small smile worms its way onto her lips when he mentions that what they are seeking climbs, she has an inkling of what creature they might be seeking today. Giving a firm nod, she says, “Okay. I will keep my eyes open.” With that she readies to go hunting.


"Andromeda Fatalis"

The small wolf at his side was growing faster than he would have liked. He needed to prepare her. To prepare them. He needed them to be ready enough to face the world. Strong enough to survive it. It was very, very important. They had already learned how fragile everything could be.

He directed her towards the woods. His larger frame sticking close to her. A silent shield even as he led her into danger. As they left behind the safety of the Cole, he turned to her and gave her shoulder a nudge. His voice was as quiet as the night. “Start hunting, little tigress.” He ordered softly. The leopard’s scent would reach them soon.


"Sirius Fatalis"

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"