Frostbite
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Jorg's neck, over his shoulders and down his spine as he crouched puffing in the snow. Great white clouds of mist formed in the freezing air as he wheezed, catching the light of the full moon. He tried to slow his beating heart, quieten his ragged breath. He stilled, to ensure that wedged as he was between to thick bushes he did not shake them, betraying himself to them.
He listened, sharpened his focus until his ears sung with ringing. The branches far above creaked, the leaves whispered, in a gentle wind that scattered the bright light across the powdery snow. A twig snapped and Jorg duck his head involuntarily, but it was distant and the song of the forest continued without indication of fell movement.
He waited, eyes watching the movement of shadow and light. A few minutes quietly passed and eventually he stood, confident enough to stretch and relieve the acid burning in his legs. He sighed blowing another great cloud. Something tickled his hair and the great cloud swelled around him. His knees almost buckled as the stench of rotting meat filled his nose. He let one knee continuing bending and fell forward. Fire lanced across his shoulder the tips of the creatures claws raked him, tearing his leather jerkin and slicing his skin open. He rolled awkwardly, rolling to a crouch, facing back towards....it.
His eyes seems to slide across it unnaturally, its ebony skin absorbing the pale light. The creature stretched, the movement dizzying Jorg's eyes, causing a sharp pain in his skull. Fighting vertigo Jorg dug his hand into the biting snow and flung it at the creature. Where the snow clung to black flesh, his eyes began to understand curved and lines. Its dark skinned stretched taught over corded muscles, dark fur growing only from the forearms and shoulders in impressive, straight standing peaks. It growled again, its face twisted in a bestial scowl; an almost canine jaw housing needle point teeth that pointed in countless directions.
He listened, sharpened his focus until his ears sung with ringing. The branches far above creaked, the leaves whispered, in a gentle wind that scattered the bright light across the powdery snow. A twig snapped and Jorg duck his head involuntarily, but it was distant and the song of the forest continued without indication of fell movement.
He waited, eyes watching the movement of shadow and light. A few minutes quietly passed and eventually he stood, confident enough to stretch and relieve the acid burning in his legs. He sighed blowing another great cloud. Something tickled his hair and the great cloud swelled around him. His knees almost buckled as the stench of rotting meat filled his nose. He let one knee continuing bending and fell forward. Fire lanced across his shoulder the tips of the creatures claws raked him, tearing his leather jerkin and slicing his skin open. He rolled awkwardly, rolling to a crouch, facing back towards....it.
His eyes seems to slide across it unnaturally, its ebony skin absorbing the pale light. The creature stretched, the movement dizzying Jorg's eyes, causing a sharp pain in his skull. Fighting vertigo Jorg dug his hand into the biting snow and flung it at the creature. Where the snow clung to black flesh, his eyes began to understand curved and lines. Its dark skinned stretched taught over corded muscles, dark fur growing only from the forearms and shoulders in impressive, straight standing peaks. It growled again, its face twisted in a bestial scowl; an almost canine jaw housing needle point teeth that pointed in countless directions.