FIC: Prey
Prey
Author: firechild
Rating: PG
Characters: Shhhhh....
Disclaimer: Do I look that lucky to you?
Warning: Fungi ahead....
And of course I'm two minutes late.
Catergory: pic prompt 02
He'd been here before.
He'd been here before and so he knew that he couldn't afford to move because the slightest sound would bring the hunter; he'd be caught, and if he was caught, that was it. That would be the end for him.
Not twitching, barely daring to breathe, he glanced around, moving only his eyes. It'd been years since he'd been inside this small cave, and not much had changed. The first time, he'd been hiding from Zero. He'd had nightmares for years afterward about Zero finding him. He still did, at least a couple times a week. Especially since he was still hiding.
The stone, the smell, the drip of water somewhere in the shadows hadn't changed, but one thing had--somehow, in this unforgiving environment, a cluster of templefoot had grown up. The family of faintly golden fungi stood guard over their home, tiny in context but majestic from this close perspective. He hadn't even known that templefoot could grow this far south; he'd seen it only once in his travels, and he'd visited hundreds of places like this over the annuals.
He was trying to recall the old legends about it, the ones he hadn't heard since he was a child watching his father whittle, when he heard a crunch from outside the mouth of the cave. Gritting his teeth, moving as silently as he could manage, he tried to pull himself in, to melt into the shadows, his heart pounding and his thoughts fully in the moment. He couldn't be caught. It couldn't end here. If it did, then everything he'd planned, everything he'd worked for, everything he'd hoped would be--
"Conquered!" He shut his eyes, biting back a groan. "I have conquered you! Come out, little rat, and face your fate like a man, if you even know what that is." He didn't move, held his breath, but the ploy didn't work. The voice came nearer, dropped lower, dripped with scorn. "Still hiding in the shadows? Wouldn't your father be so proud?"
"Hey, now, none of that. You found him--get him out and let's go. He won't be any good to us if he dies of exposure."
The deeper voice was a surprise, not for being there but for showing a touch of mercy. Usually, the master hunter had sympathy only for his apprentice. Not that it would help--it was still over.
"I'm comin,' I'm comin'. Great Gale, the way you're carrying on, you'd think you had fresh fudge waiting for you or something." Jeb pulled himself out of his hiding place, for once glad that he'd never reached his father's height, as he'd never have fit. He looked down at the apprentice hunter, solemnly holding out his wrists. "I yield."
"Yippee!" His pursuer clapped her small hands, her eyes glittering with triumph.
Author: firechild
Rating: PG
Characters: Shhhhh....
Disclaimer: Do I look that lucky to you?
Warning: Fungi ahead....
And of course I'm two minutes late.
Catergory: pic prompt 02
He'd been here before.
He'd been here before and so he knew that he couldn't afford to move because the slightest sound would bring the hunter; he'd be caught, and if he was caught, that was it. That would be the end for him.
Not twitching, barely daring to breathe, he glanced around, moving only his eyes. It'd been years since he'd been inside this small cave, and not much had changed. The first time, he'd been hiding from Zero. He'd had nightmares for years afterward about Zero finding him. He still did, at least a couple times a week. Especially since he was still hiding.
The stone, the smell, the drip of water somewhere in the shadows hadn't changed, but one thing had--somehow, in this unforgiving environment, a cluster of templefoot had grown up. The family of faintly golden fungi stood guard over their home, tiny in context but majestic from this close perspective. He hadn't even known that templefoot could grow this far south; he'd seen it only once in his travels, and he'd visited hundreds of places like this over the annuals.
He was trying to recall the old legends about it, the ones he hadn't heard since he was a child watching his father whittle, when he heard a crunch from outside the mouth of the cave. Gritting his teeth, moving as silently as he could manage, he tried to pull himself in, to melt into the shadows, his heart pounding and his thoughts fully in the moment. He couldn't be caught. It couldn't end here. If it did, then everything he'd planned, everything he'd worked for, everything he'd hoped would be--
"Conquered!" He shut his eyes, biting back a groan. "I have conquered you! Come out, little rat, and face your fate like a man, if you even know what that is." He didn't move, held his breath, but the ploy didn't work. The voice came nearer, dropped lower, dripped with scorn. "Still hiding in the shadows? Wouldn't your father be so proud?"
"Hey, now, none of that. You found him--get him out and let's go. He won't be any good to us if he dies of exposure."
The deeper voice was a surprise, not for being there but for showing a touch of mercy. Usually, the master hunter had sympathy only for his apprentice. Not that it would help--it was still over.
"I'm comin,' I'm comin'. Great Gale, the way you're carrying on, you'd think you had fresh fudge waiting for you or something." Jeb pulled himself out of his hiding place, for once glad that he'd never reached his father's height, as he'd never have fit. He looked down at the apprentice hunter, solemnly holding out his wrists. "I yield."
"Yippee!" His pursuer clapped her small hands, her eyes glittering with triumph.