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Nov. 25th, 2018 10:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
44pistolundermyheadEllie stared at the stag, heart in her throat. Its antlers hung threateningly above. Beady black eyes stared ahead, glinting strangely in the cold light.
Shuddering, Ellie turned away from the stuffed deer head as Theseus growled. It was disturbingly large and lifelike, filling her with an unsettled energy. The snow blowing through the dilapidated house didn't help either, collecting on the fake animal's fur, its hair. She couldn't tell if she wanted to cry or to destroy the thing, but all options were tempting.
It was a bad day to be lost, Ellie thought. There was nothing but snow and the ruins of some village. She and her coywolf stood out like blood on the snow, painfully red and an advertisement for all who could see: come get me.
Ellie knew she could - and did - kill anything in her path. But winter always left her feeling like she was prey. Deer made her nauseous at the best of times, and this made her feel like she was fourteen again, being hunted through a blizzard and knowing if she was caught it was death or--
Ellie realized she was sitting down, back to an old stone wall. When had that happened? She looked down at her lap, seeing Theseus had shoved her head there. She was shuddering, her ears pinned back and eyes wide, white.
Ellie leaned forward, running her hands over Theseus’ head and back.
“It's okay, girl. It's okay. I got you. It's okay...”
The two of them huddled into each other until the storm settled, out of sight of the stag.
Shuddering, Ellie turned away from the stuffed deer head as Theseus growled. It was disturbingly large and lifelike, filling her with an unsettled energy. The snow blowing through the dilapidated house didn't help either, collecting on the fake animal's fur, its hair. She couldn't tell if she wanted to cry or to destroy the thing, but all options were tempting.
It was a bad day to be lost, Ellie thought. There was nothing but snow and the ruins of some village. She and her coywolf stood out like blood on the snow, painfully red and an advertisement for all who could see: come get me.
Ellie knew she could - and did - kill anything in her path. But winter always left her feeling like she was prey. Deer made her nauseous at the best of times, and this made her feel like she was fourteen again, being hunted through a blizzard and knowing if she was caught it was death or--
Ellie realized she was sitting down, back to an old stone wall. When had that happened? She looked down at her lap, seeing Theseus had shoved her head there. She was shuddering, her ears pinned back and eyes wide, white.
Ellie leaned forward, running her hands over Theseus’ head and back.
“It's okay, girl. It's okay. I got you. It's okay...”
The two of them huddled into each other until the storm settled, out of sight of the stag.
