The crags were eerily beautiful in the pale light of dusk, washed a muted orange with the setting of the sun. Every stone stood stark against the skyline, both foreboding and beckoning, a true paradox. Winter's chill had begun to abate slightly, and only the powdery snow lying in the shadows of the arcing boulders remained. Even the icy breath of the wind for which Susil was famous did not bluster there, although that was one mercy which never lasted long. Fiammetta gazed around in silent awe as the shadows swallowed her, moving quietly and without purpose as she hadn't in a very long time. With the passing of the weeks, her wounds had begun to heal and pain no longer dogged her every step. She still had moments of agony, but they came and went and did not linger as they had before her dunking in the Aplos. Even the fresher wounds administered by Tobias' nameless imprint had crusted over and begun to scar, although the one above her shoulder still wept clear liquid and she turned to lick at it, barely managing to brush it with the side of her tongue. Frustrated, she shook herself and started forward afresh, unsure of her destination.
Despite the rapid meshing of her outer wounds, her inner ones did not heal as swiftly. Were someone to peer into that single, glowing orb, they would see amongst the red and orange a smouldering anger enough to make them cringe, as well as regret. She wasn't sure exactly what it was she felt so strongly about; Tobias' raping of her or the fact that it hadn’t resulted in pups. Still, true to the form of a female in oestrus, she was deeply saddened by something and it clawed at her innards. She attempted to distract herself by gazing at the scenery around her, huffing the crisp air and following prey trails. Most of these came up fruitless, but one was fresher than the rest. It was the sweet, dewy scent of rock rabbit. Fiam wasn't hungry, but she thought that tearing at something might improve her mood, and so she dropped into the hunter's crouch.
Her keen ear flicked to and fro, picking up the faint chewing noise as the rabbit pulled at straggles of grass clinging to life amongst the grey. He seemed to be just ahead of her, although a jut of stone hid him from her view. With reckless impatience she gathered herself for the spring, forgetting that she had yet to adjust to her impaired senses, and darted forward swift as a hawk. The rabbit had not heard her approach, but he certainly heard her land some way off to his left and he turned in a blind panic at the onslaught of sound, disappearing like a flash into the narrow gap between two rocks. Annoyed at her foolishness, and angry at the world in general, Fiam growled and launched herself forward, one paw extended, towards the gap. Her left shoulder smashed against the higher of the two boulders and it shifted, closing the gap around her leg and trapping her paw. She let out a pained yowl and back-pedalled, but the earth held her fast and she soon gave up, wary of risking anymore injury to herself.
A snarl of frustration shook her tiny frame, but there was nothing she could do to help herself. She was well and truly stuck.
Fiammetta - Female - No Home - No Family - 4YO - 28 inches, 32 pounds