Յյ 𝔇𝔞𝔶𝔰 𝔬𝔣 ℌ𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔫 [𝔄 𝔗𝔚𝔖𝔗 𝔉𝔞𝔫𝔣𝔦𝔠]

𝟗 | 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐥

ʰᵘⁿᵗⁱⁿᵍ ʳᵃᵇᵇⁱᵗˢ

𝔖𝔬𝔫𝔤: ℌ𝔢𝔯𝔢 ℭ𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔚𝔬𝔩𝔳𝔢𝔰 - 𝔏𝔬𝔩𝔞 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔠

Warnings: Blood, hunting, implied death

♥♠♣♦ ——　☠　—— ♥♠♣♦

Y/N dove into a nearby bush, ignoring the brambles as they scratched her skin, leaving their mark in needle-thin lines of blood that covered her skin. Shreds of fabric hung from the pins, taunting the small bunny as she cowered in the brambles, holding herself close as she peered out through the small gap in the leaves. 

- Flashback -

The night had started like any other. Y/N had left the burrow cloaked in her darkest cloak, hoping to become one with the night and avoid any unwanted attention. The moon overhead grinned down at her, its normally pale white face glowing with the colour of pumpkins and squashes, its eyes deep and hollow as they followed Y/N's timid form. She could only be thankful for the small amount of light that was able to pierce the inky leaves, and for the scent of the forest that clung to the trees like spiders in their webs.

Y/N paused by the base of a willow, her gloved hand pressed against the bark as she waited, her h/c ears twitching, looking for any sign of danger. She certainly hated being the oldest. As the eldest of five, it was her task to travel to the village on the night of every full moon and collect the rare moon blossoms that her mother needed for their medicine. Herbs were rare during the autumn and winter, and moon blossoms were even more rare. They would only bloom on the night of a full moon, and even then, one only had a few moments before they would wither, lest they be picked before their death. 

When she heard nothing, she moved away from the willow, her hand reluctantly leaving the firmness of the wood. She delicately leapt to the other side of the path, her feet landing silently, despite the shoes adorning her feet, and she paused once more, ensuring that there was nothing that could pose any threat to her. There were few predators in the woods that she had to worry about during the day but at night... Night was when the wolves came out to play... 

The crack of a branch echoed through the forest and Y/N froze, her ears turned in the direction of the crack. Behind her. Not too far away. She would have preferred it to be further. She dared not turn around. Instead, she pushed forward, her eyes glancing over her shoulder every few minutes to ensure that nothing was following her. She hated the forest at night. She much preferred her burrow. The place of comfort where she could curl up next to the fire and ignore the dangers of the forest. No one dared to enter a rabbit's burrow. Defensive magic was a rabbit speciality.

Another crack and Y/N froze again, her foot paused mid-step. A shiver ran down her spine. There was something following her. It was closer this time. Only a few trees behind her. She turned her sight back to the faint flicker of the village before her. Torches lined the outer edge of the village, used to ward off predators. They didn't dare show their faces in a village, especially when everyone within was armed with pitchforks. 

Y/N took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart, the twitching of her nose, the mist that was starting to creep in, and the low growling that filled her ears. Carefully, she stepped over the branch and set her feet down on the other side. It was a clear shot from here to the village. All she could do was hope that she was fast enough. 

She ran for it. Nimble and quick, she darted through the undergrowth, head down and feet moving as fast as possible as she wove through the bushes and low branches. She leapt over a thorn bush, wove around a large boulder, and vaulted over a branch. The stone bridge of the village came into view and she let out a breath of relief. She was going to make it. With one final push, spurred on by the feeling of a claw scratching her back, she sped forward and crossed the border, into the human town.