The close of winter was quite possibly his favorite time of the year. It wasn’t the promise of a new birth to the land nor was it promise of another year of life, but instead the promise of a new hunt. With spring came life. Mothers would be pushing their young that had been birthed that winter out into the coming grass and begging them to fatten up and grow only to push them away for next season they would repeat their cycle of birth and abandon. Krampus’s lips curled into a smile. The little ones always gave the best chase. Fawns were quite possibly his favorite. A doe would do nothing but stand by idly if their beloved was picked off by such a beast as he for they did not want to be caught in his crosshair. His lips flashed a sly smile at the thought.

It was that exact reason that he had travelled through the muck and mud to the riverside on this fine morning. There would be many mothers out and about on their morning stroll to teach their children how to actually survive. No more nursing at the teat, he thought. Perfect. Babies were oh so tender and oh so sweet.

Krampus’ eyes flicker to the horizon at the foggy shadows approaching him upwind. As he had predicted, a mother and her fawn stepped cautiously toward the river to drink from the rushing river. It had been frozen not three days before and it was only natural for them to take advantage. Krampus rose from his sitting stance ever so slightly and crouched low in the tall river grass. His head outstretched to smell for anything unusual and in smelling nothing he crept forward. His toes dipped into the icy river, almost silent.

Little by little the boy moved and stalked and prayed to the Gods for his next meal. Everything was working perfectly. Too perfectly. And that’s when he heard it.

A loud snap let loose behind Krampus and the deer and her fawn’s reflexes took hold and they sprang from their cover and took for the meadow. There would be no breakfast here. Krampus grumbled and flung his head back, his teeth exposed and his hair raised. But to his surprise it was only a yearling, he assumed.

He was angry and upset but the girl had meant nothing by her actions. Krampus straightened his stance and eyed the small girl before walking to her side and pressing his nose to her shoulder and stepping back. “Hello little one.” Krampus’ rough voice bellowed from below and his grin grew toothy. “Why have you scared away my breakfast?”