on a cold winter's morn [inc]

He’s not really much of a fighter, for all that he shows himself to be. He’s not strong – neither physically nor mentally. He is simply a coward. So afraid that the things he is running from will catch him up that he will do anything to protect whatever little peace he has found. Even if that means completely contradicting his whole existence in the process. It’s far too late for him to be saved, anyway; he’s already broken.

Slowly, the setter’s eyes opened to the cold glare of an early sun streaming through dreary branches. The undergrowth he had managed to settle in had provided some shelter from the cold of the night, but it did not stop the stray bits of ice and snow from accumulating in his fur. Moving out onto the once well kept path, the dog shook himself, both to clear his head and his russet coloured fur from the things which had gathered in the night.

It was funny, he thought, as he stretched out his slim body, that he would come to this place, the ragdog home, to seek comfort in the night when his previous self had never once imagined being in a pack. And to be ranked as a Knight, of all things! A rueful chuckle escaped at that. He had never been much good at protecting anything in the past. He was a destroyer, but he wanted this. His servitude to this pack was not one of atonement; it was simply a selfish desire to not be alone, coupled with the need to keep his mind occupied. And, what this pack was, it suited him.

So, with a final yawn, Ruadh set off along the paths of the park. He was new to this, certainly, and had not yet stumbled upon any other members of the pack (by his own doing, mostly), but patrolling was something he could do, if not something he looked forward to. He had pounded these routes yesterday, mainly to get to know the area, and his explorations had kept his attention and therefore kept the demons at bay. But, he could see this duty becoming monotonous – his mind would wander to places he did not want it to. At least he had other duties to focus on as well. Like-

gruuumble

-the hunt. Perhaps it was time for breakfast.

The air at this time of day was crisp and fresh (more so in the absence of the humans) with only a light breeze, scents filled his nose as if it were the venue to some sort of important party. Furthermore, the thin layer of snow was decorated with all sorts of tracks and crunched under each step. With such conditions, t did not take the canine long to pick up on the trail of a rabbit.

As he neared his target, Ruadh began to creep along at a painstakingly slow pace; he did not want his footfalls to sound too loud and scare his prey off. The closer he got, the more nervous the rabbit seemed to get, until it finally noticed his presence and took off. But it was too late. He bounded after it and leapt, grabbing it in his jaws and efficiently snapping its neck. He lay down with it between his forepaws and licked his lips in anticipation of the meal.

But wait.

Putting himself first was all fine and dandy when he was travelling alone, but he was in a pack now. He was unsure of the proper etiquette to such formal pack life, but the canine did not want any bad blood between them so soon. With a reluctant sigh, Ruadh rose to his feet and picked the rabbit up once more. He knew where the chase had led him; if he headed for the rocks, he might have a better chance at running into someone, and if not, well he could enjoy his meal in peace.

Reaching the central point, Ruadh was only vaguely disappointed to find not a sign of any others – it wasn’t really too surprising with what he knew about the ragdogs. Just as was about to turn back and find somewhere to eat, a rustle in the undergrowth caught his attention along with the scent of another canine.

Ruadh was still unfamiliar with the scents of the pack members, and the rabbit’s blood coating his nose made it harder to identify. Dropping his catch, Ruadh twisted half his body towards the bushes. "Show yourself." His voice was cold, harsh and set in a low growl – it was always better to treat the unknown as an enemy, that way he would be prepared.