even after they have been stepped on
It had snowed last night - the clouds were still hanging low and heavy in the sky, blocking out the sun and drenching the world in an overlay of gray. Ipomoea’s breath came in frosty puffs, climbing like smoke into the sky with each exhale.
He shivered, wings wrapping tightly around each fetlock. It was going to be cold today if the cloud cover never broke - cold and quiet. The sages expected more snow by midafternoon, and as the appaloosa lifted his head towards the sky he couldn’t help but wonder if the clouds would be able to wait even that long.
The meadow felt unnaturally silent as they crossed it, and Ipomoea struggled to convince himself it was only the snow, and the early hour, and the cold keeping all the animals hidden in their dens. He didn’t want to think of the other reason - the more prevalent one, the threatening one, the reason that had dragged him out of bed at dawn to check what news had happened in the night. “Only snowfall, sir,” the page had told him with wide, sleepy eyes. “Nothing new to report.” Nothing new that they had found. Yet. Ipomoea could still see the red of the kill pit Emersyn had led him to, how the blood had stained the snow. He did not believe that the forest had been as quiet as the page had wanted him to believe; just because the scouts had not yet found anything suspicious, did not mean it was not lying in wait for them.
“Emersyn’s map had a few different areas listed,” he turned his eyes to Maerys, regarding the soldier walking beside him. “We can start on this side of the Rapax, and work our way across?”
He shifted his weight, snow crackling under hoof, eager to be off and moving. The trees waited for them, canopies shivering beneath the fresh blanket of snow. Somewhere in the distance a branch broke, its crack echoing over the meadows, breaking the silence.
He could feel it reverberating through his chest, like a piece of him were breaking along with it. With a stubborn shrug, he turned towards the forest trail that led away into the shadows.
@Maerys
hope this is alright! sorry it's a little short ;o;
