She tore through the halls of the college. Her breath came in shallow, frantic pants. Blood dripped from her neck, down her foreleg. The crimson liquid was shocking against her snowy coat. Adrenaline numbed the pain so that she could focus on her escape. Terror consumed her, sending her into autopilot as her body chose flight. Her mind took a backseat, instinct kicking in to ensure her survival against the monster that chased her.
The wolf was a stranger, his scent was to intermingled with soldiers and Jacobites for her to know the which side he stood on. But she smelled of the college, he should have been able to identify her as a student. Even if he did, it wasn't enough to stop him. He had still cornered her, his blood lips lifted in a cruel smile. When his fangs had first sunk into her neck, she had cried out in pain and shock. He attacked her! After that, everything was a blur. Somehow, she had managed to wrestle free of his grasp and burst from the room in a flurry.
His presence was looming, his own ragged breaths seeming to nip at her heels. Thankfully she knew the halls of the college well. She tore down corridors and through courtyards with a clear destination in mind. She needed to get to the wing where most of the Imperial soldiers resided, even in the days following the war.
Turning a corner, she did so blindly, her claws scraping wildly for purchase. Colliding with another body was the last thing she expected. Like hitting a brick wall, it knocked the air from her lungs and sent her tumbling down. A wild gasp was ripped from her throat, sucking air back into her lungs so she could speak.
Immediate relief came in to the form of a singular sob parting her jaws. Aurelius. A familiar face. A face she had been seeing more often than not lately. |
He lost track of everything: familiar faces, who had fallen on the battlefield, what hurt and what didn't, where he was bleeding, what he was doing. He was dragged off by an unfamiliar wolf, he didn't save time to thank them or even get a second glance to remember their face. He only remembers running-running until his lungs dared to heave and force himself to slow down. But his young heart, how it beat so and sent blood through his veins and fueled his battered body with adrenaline. He was determined to make it back to the highlands before any of the imperials could reach him. He found himself lost in the ruined halls of a structure that still held other lost bodies or Imperials storming them to find any stragglers.
A voice would break his confusion, it was frantic and loud and familiar. It was hard to mistake, but he second guessed it, having never truly heard the voice in such a distressed tone. He was left with two options: keep running in the direction he was, or run towards her voice. He tried convincing himself that he owed her nothing- she was one of them. But a sharp image of his mother came to mind from when he last saw her because of Sienna. And his mother's words were the deciding factor. One he still tried fight, but gave in. A growl erupted from his muzzle, his head tossing as he fought with himself. And then, a huff from his lips escaped as he finally tore off towards her voice. She was running from someone, frantic and shook and distracted, leaving her to collide with him, causing a sharp snarl to erupt from his chest- a reminder that his own body was still reeling. He didn't take the time to try and decipher her words, there likely wasn't time for either of them to do that. His jaws part and he aimed for the nape of her neck, being mindful of his grip so as to not break skin. But he was not gentle when he helped pull her to her paws. He would pull her into the opposite direction of where she was coming from. fade exit aur via running to the highlands |