Spring day 50, 513 A.V. Fear. The emotion gripped and twisted deep inside the Kelvic as she walked through the streets of the great city known as Avanthal. She kept her head down and her cloak tight over her head, the last thing she wanted was to be stopped. She had been forced into the city walls due to the slavers that had been spotted around the lands surrounding the city. Terrified of being caught, Brighid had taken refuge within the great ice walls. Now she wandered aimlessly through the streets, unable to read the signs on the buildings and above shops she followed the scent. She knew she was close to the main market, if her nose hadn't picked up on the bombardment of scents then the noise and sight would have been enough for even the most base of creatures to understand. She shook her head and put a hand to her abdomen, her stomach was aching with hunger. She had not hunted in over a week, the toll the empty stomach had on her body wasn't severe but could become worse if she did not eat soon. Her hand slid to her waist where she felt the reassuring weight of her coin pouch. She was silently hoping she had enough for a few meals and lodging. If she were to choose between the two, she would rather eat. Considering she was adept to the cold she would have no mind sleeping out in it. Her mind was wandering, she wasn't paying close attention to her surrounds and found herself in the midst of chaos. There were too many scents, too many voices, and by far too may people. She became stiff, and if she had been in the form of her snow leopard, her hair would be up on her back, and her teeth bared. She tried to search for an opening in the large throng of people, desperate for solitude and silence, but knowing neither were possible in her current situation. She let out a low hiss, even in her human form the sound still traveled through her with ease rumbling low deep in her chest. A few people who were standing close enough to hear her backed away cautiously, she turned pale eyes on them, hissing again. She felt the approach of someone from behind her, turning she growled, her body was trembling. Her muscles were burning with the effort she was using to restrain herself from shifting and attacking the people around her in a fit to escape. She let out a shaky breath, shifting her gaze to the one who approached her. It was a man, he looked deadly, his eyes gleaming with intent, it was a look Brighid had seen all too often. The man wanted to catch her, she backpedaled, her feet catching on her cloak causing her to fall backwards and land on her bottom. The man simply laughed and continued his approach, he was the kind of man that thought a simple Kelvic could do nothing to harm him. It was an arrogance that was the reason so many like him died or were killed. Brighid hissed again, only this time instead of a human there was a female snow leopard where the woman had been. The feline was crouched low, her stomach brushing against the ground, her ears were pinned against her skull and her eyes were mere slits. She was stiff, her hair raised on her haunches and her back, a few women in the crown gasped at the sight, backing away further from the Kelvic and the man that was bent on catching the beast. The man gave a growl of annoyance and used the rope in his hand to try and slip it over the Kelvic's neck, the snow leopard reacted. Her muscles bunching as she sprang at the man, her body compacted with his chest. The force added with the weight of the large feline sent them both to the hard packed earth. The feline on top. Brighid wasted no time in sinking her teeth into his throat, her teeth tore with ease through the flesh of his jugular. She tore out his throat, blood began to pool around the feline, it stained her paws a bright and sickly pink, the ground soon became covered in a slick and sticky coating of dark crimson. |