He prances among the trees, a macabre apparition coated in grave rot, hollow eyes forever searching for life. His massive tail writhes behind him, stirring snow into large swept patterns and erasing his hoofprints. He does not blend in, starkly green against his wintry backdrop, but that doesn't seem to bother the beast. Long black legs carry him easily through snow drifts, none reaching higher than his knees. He halts suddenly, skull lifting higher as he scents the air, breath pluming behind him like ghosts. Slowly, he turns, moves, seeking out whatever odor has caught his attention. He finds the source soon enough, the remains of a rabbit inexpertly buried at the base of an oak. He pauses, seemingly thinking, before pawing away its cover and carefully grasping a hind leg between his teeth, dragging it onto the more sturdy crust of the snow. He examines his prize for a moment, only to begin mutilating the thing, ripping the mostly bare skull from the rest of the carcass and stripping away what little flesh there is. This takes less than a minute, obviously a talent he has cultivated over the years, and once finished he picks up the skull, careful not to crush the fragile thing.
His gristly task complete, he resumes his trek, dancing steps betraying his delight over his new acquisition. He is so distracted that he fails to notice the pale mare until he almost runs into her, shielding violently to the side as her form suddenly reveals itself to him. Defensive, he pins his black-rimmed ears, tail lashing like that of a startled cat. He cannot speak past the trophy he carries, but his posture is clear. Don't fuck with me.
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