Entering the Cave

You walk through the ice cold creek making red stream with the clear water from your blistered feet. Once you've past the frigid water you move quietly into the cave not knowing what lies within. It's dark and damp, but there's no wind pressing against your chilled skin. You hear dripping of water and critters clicking. You search deeper into the cave, making sure that you are alone. A quick noise that sounds like feet moves across the dark side of the cave and it makes you jump into a defensive position. You're practically blind in this cave, with next to no light to see by, only what's coming from the mouth of the cave. Then you see the eyes of what make the noise. A beast that hunts within these lands. The most feared predator of Atmor.

A dire wolf, this one grey, with emerald green eyes and lethal claws. The beast growls and slowly walks toward you with its head low. You are clearly trespassing, and it wants you gone, but this is not a choice you can make. The night wind has become a blizzard and you would not last more than an hour out there. Your only option is to fight this beast. You lower your body and raise your dagger, trying to put on a threatening stance. The wolf notices your challenge and accepts with a snarling bark. You give a growl of your own, ready for what is to come.

The tiger-sized beast rushes you, mouth open, jumping forward to pounce you. It was fast, faster then any human could match, but you were ready for this. You rolled out of the way just at the right moment. The wolf turned and growls loudly in frustration. You grin in with joy that you lasted this long. Most men would be dead or on the ground dying at this point. The wolf jumps at you again in anger. You roll once more but this time you knew how the beast would attack you, so you thrust your dagger up into it's side. The wolf yelps, landing awkwardly before turning towards you again. You see the pain in it's eyes as it breathing becomes more quick and raspy. You must of punctured its lung. The wolf still puts itself in its defensive stance, but soon it growls for the last time, and collapses to the ground.