Wolf, Wolf, Kill The Wolf... [Catherine/Anders] [SOLO]

A burning hunger comparable to no other pain or sense that could ever be felt directed the canid Hollow through the woods, to that enticing scent. The man who had been holding back this instinct with all his might and will, for years on end, was pushed to the furthest end of the Hollow's mind. Feverish steps, a slight limp in one of the beast's feet had led it's gait to falter. Even so, it stalked the mountainous range, a spray of cold rain immediately freezing as it touched the creature's icy exterior.

There it was, the thing it craved; having burrowed itself into that crevice. Snapping jaws eagerly descended upon the opening, a swiping claw seeking to tear the soul out from this thing, this important thing, this thing he must have, must eat..!

Water suddenly burst into the crevice it reached into, kicking feet seeking to fend it off as a momentary daze enthralled it's senses. Lungs filling, the beast instead snapped it's jaws at just the right moment, firmly with it's hapless squirming prey's foot pressed between jaws, a coming flavor of iron trickling as it gripped harder and yanked.

As if for a brief reprise of sanity, the wolf froze in realization, eyes widened as the coming of dawn leaked through storm clouds, it's head risen mid-swing to end the life it caught.

The opportunity was seized. A sharp pain bubbled to life, in that spot snug between where his mask ended and throat began, where that wound was placed earlier. Blood went from a trickle to a roar as the blade's place was reinforced, stabbing and twisting to open the wound up as much as possible, a stream of red splattering on the cold wood's floor. The hollow's grip loosened as it made a wandering descent to crash onto the ground, crimson bubbling in it's cerulean jaws.

The beast had fallen. The hunter won.

Thank goodness for adrenaline, it kept her moving and thinking even as she crashed to the ground, quickly assessing the damage to her leg. Foot nearly disconnected, gradually losing blood - she ripped her suit's top with little additional thought, putting her stamina into manipulating the fibers into a rope, circling the wound. A makeshift tourniquet was created from the smoldering sparks of her stamina, uneven red locks splayed over her shoulder as she bit through nauseating pain and cold to haphazardly patch her foot up.

"...Anise." A pathetic, wet grumble of a voice spoke out.

She froze as she was midway into forging sticks and stone into a crutch, forced to acknowledge the Hollow in the clearing.

"...Closer.. Girl..."

She wanted to put him out of his mind, but she went against her better judgement yet again. She dragged her pained form over to him cautiously, keeping a safe distance. He was definitely bleeding out, but she didn't want to risk it.

"Look atcha... Killed yuh rotten Farfar..." The wolf let out a labored laugh as more blood came up. He'd definitely expire from blood loss soon, yet he still found the will to keep talking unbelievable words, "..Girl, don'tya turn out like me now... Died a long, long time ago... Regrets aplenty... You? You aren't one."

"What..?" She'd breathe out, eyes wide, a hand tightly clutching soil.

"M'proud of ya, Anise... Didn't think ya'd make it... Yet 'ere ya are... Provin' ya foul man wrong again... Yer not that sick thing pulled from that filthy river no more..."

Eyes that once burned sulfur had cooled to a dull yellow, his milky gaze risen to the sky, "May I... Be thuh worst thing... Ya ever are tah face... Keep shining, cross that murky blue..."

Catherine was speechless, sitting in her spot; she nearly thought she'd gone crazy from blood loss. Those words were like a strike to a vein in a dried well, that forced water upward.

"...i''m not sorry for what it's come to..." Her ragged voice spat, "...If only I had been faster.. I could've... No. It would've been too late to fight you as a man, huh? I'd long missed my chance..."

"..Hadn't ever... FInished tat story for ya..." The death throes of the massive wolf were apparent, as he'd loose his final breath, "..Yuh can come up with yuh own endin'..."

"Oh... Right.." That was the only thing that pulled her out of her loop. He hadn't ever finished that story about that many-legged hollow, huh? "You could just..."

Silence followed the thaw of dawn.

"..Farfar..." Tears collected in her eyes, the warm reds and extinguishing purples reflected. She couldn't hold it back anymore.