There were aspects of the Vale of Shadows that were beautiful – and yet, there were aspects within the valley that were absolutely grim. Of course, the Deep Forest was an entirely different scenario altogether, and the word ‘atrocious’ came to mind as the ivory male propelled himself through the thick forests of the Mosses. He lost count of how many dead and rotting trees he had to leap over, and at times, crawl over, despite his large stature. The entire land left little to desire, and as his fiery eyes scanned the gloomy terrain before him, a soft snort escaped his muzzle.


Scouting out nearby possibilities for the migrating herds this upcoming winter, he came to the decision early on that the land was unsuitable for such a thing – no beast would want to be confined to such a space. Yet he could not stop his exploration just yet – it was a twisted curiosity that kept him moving forward, even with threatening grey clouds that rolled overhead.


Suddenly, the stench of blood pooled to his senses. The scent that was usually intoxicating churned his stomach, though lured him forward now in curiosity. Metallic and bitter as if he could taste it upon his tongue, his rolling stomach did a lurch then as he came upon the scene. Tattered and torn, the body of an elk lay in a heap just past one fallen tree – such a sight was manageable, except for the fact that the skull was entirely missing. A pool of red was on the forest floor, nestled in the thick mosses that bedded the ground.


Circling a tree, his eyes remained fixated upon the beast before him, his eyes narrowing slightly. The scent of death was overwhelming then, and what little thought he had of salvaging the carcass quickly dissipated with the rot that filled the air. His eyes drifted from the animal to its surroundings, wondering if any signs of what had happened had been left behind.. Instead, his eyes met with red trees – this had been no simple hunt, but a slaughter, and a shiver suddenly coursed his spine as his thoughts drifted to what could have done this.

his eyes remained riveted to the beast -- or what remained of it. The scent of death continued to fill the air -- the coppery taste of blood penetrating his senses to the point he felt he could taste it. As juch as he desired to pull himself away, to simply leave.. he almost could not tear his eyes away from the sight before him.


A noise suddenly shook him from this trance. His gaze darted instantly to the direction of the sound as his figure tensed, hunkering down lower. Every muscle in his body screamed with the tension, his lips pulled back to reveal his teeth at any threatening creature that might come lumbering from the shadows. Whatever the noise -- the drop of something, the fall of a paw or hoof, seemed to silence suddenly. No sounds came to him then, and only when the gentle push of wind drifted past him once more did he release a low growl.


The stench of rot consumed him then, and while close to heaving the meal he had eaten earlier from the day, it was the scent of another dangerously close that captivated him. Masked almost completely by the scene before him, his muzzle swung around, his gaze darting to the foliage as he attempted to seek out his company. "Come out," he snarled lowly, his tail lashing the air as he remained rooted to the spot -- if his demand went unanswered, he considered the idea of flushing the other creature out. Perhaps whoever it was had an idea of what had happened here.. or at least a theory.


Or perhaps.. they were the cause of it.