EYES OF FIRE AND ICE

Chapter Two

He scowls and shakes his head at his incapability to stand without feeling weak.

He hates being like this.

His memory of life before the cell is extremely fragmented. They are not enough to be able to tell him who he is or how he even got into the hands of the Pack of Evrópi, which angers him.

The man would wake up in a cold sweat as his memories would meet him in a dream. His tormented life in the cell was momentarily forgotten as he would experience the solace of the outside world. He only knows, for certain, that he does not deserve what had been done to him and he shakes with vengeance.

Using the cave wall for stability, he makes his way outside to the fresh air and view of the thick, surrounding forestry. His ears twitch at the sounds of chirping birds, rustling leaves and flowing water invading his senses. He takes a step forward and inhales deeply, his eyes closing as he welcomes the sun's calming warmth.

The feeling is out of this world.

It is a stark contrast to the chilling temperatures of his past environment and he wants to stay like this forever, but his need for sustenance overpowers his want for a moment of comfort.

Reluctantly, he opens his eyes and the bright light of the sun allows him to notice the dried blood that still covers his body. He'll have to wash it off soon. The blood can be used to track him when the Pack try to search for the three young wolves. He knows that they won't find them for no one has even come close to the entrance of the facility since the day they had left him to rot. Eyes hardening, he begins his search for food.

The man isolates the sound of flowing water and decides that going there would be his best bet. There should be a few small animals nearby and the fast flowing stream can also be used as a water source.

As he makes his way through the large forest, his hand rests on nearby trees whilst he carefully manoeuvres over fallen branches, large rocks and thick, protruding roots. He cant afford injuring himself any further, he needs to survive.

The man's eyes scans his vibrant surroundings as he nears the flowing water and even though his view of the stream is obscured by foliage, he knows he is close.

The incoming scent of a lagomorph makes him halt and his body becomes stiff as he slowly crouches to the ground. He listens for the movements of the animal, trying to pinpoint its location and, soon enough, the rustling of nearby bushes does not go unnoticed.

Cautiously, eyes trained on the bush containing the animal, he reaches for a relatively large rock and just as the lagomorph uncaringly hops out of the thick plant, the male swings the heavy rock with such precision that it is fatally hit on the head with a crunch. He scrambles from the nearby tree and reaches the animal - his kill.

After closer inspection, he concludes that the animal is a hare and he grins. It will feed him well. Roughly grabbing the dead animal, he bites into its flesh and, as his canines have elongated, his sharp teeth tear easily through its rough skin. Blood leisurely drips down his chin as he eagerly feasts on his prey, it's bones crunching underneath his strong jaws whilst his eyes close with pleasure as he swallows the delicious, succulent meat. His body is crouched next to the bush and the hare's blood heavily stains the floor underneath him.

All too soon the hare is fully devoured. His tongue licks the blood around his mouth and he stands, having gained enough energy to help him manage the day ahead, but he will still have to eat later on to maintain it. He plans on travelling further towards the borders of the territory tonight and will need all of the energy he can get.