Valor perched on the ranger-knight’s extended arm unsteadily as they’d investigated along the cavern entrance, stretching his broad wingspan against the cutting wind before he closed in on himself and hunched to shuffle higher along Quinn’s shoulders. His unblinking gaze was focused behind them back out into the white wilderness but Quinn was fully attentive to what was ahead, trying as well to see through the veil of darkness and strain her hearing. She could practically hear her own heart thudding with the tension of waiting, listening to the echo of the rock’s tumble before that resting eerie silence. Then it became clear their shelter was not vacant.
She pulled aside her cloak and leveled her crossbow to aim, taking a couple paces back not too far from Ashe’s side. As the creature’s footsteps drew closer a dark beaked muzzle was revealed in the low light flooding into the cavern followed by two gleaming eyes that were as inky and empty as the depths behind it. Initially the beast reminded her of a silverwing, but the face was too closely structured to that of a bear and the neck was too thick. Its white-furred stocky front body followed, supported by two thick short legs with heavy paws wider than Quinn’s torso and claws that suited their size.
It certainly did not appear to want to share or invite them in.
The beast skulked closer to the lighter part of the entrance at the sight of them, revealing its rear legs to be equipped with sturdy three-toed hooves. It irritably waggled a stocky tail while all the long fur on its back shoulders stuck up in a threatening display. Quinn realized with both alarm and fascination that the back shoulders were covered in quills rather than just fur, so fine and white that it was hard to tell at first. They brushed against the top of the cave as the creature rose up a bit.
The cave space was small for the creature, and for all they knew it was cornered in the cavern and willing to fight like it. Quinn slowly began backing up again as she corrected her aim to its face, though not choosing to attack and provoke just yet. It wasn’t often that she was around a queen either, so giving an order to Ashe was almost a thoughtless second nature in the situation just as much as heeding orders was. “Get back and move to the side. We should either give it an option to run or get more space to move when it moves.”
