ADDER
x
The rivers trickle was muffled beneath a thin sheet of ice, the surface glimmering in the night. He listened to it for a moment. A cold wind dragging its claws against his glossless, oil-stripped fur, whipping up the scents of fish and sea brine.
He crept along the bank, ears perked for pawsteps. Adder wanted to see his family again, more than anything, but they couldn't see him now. Adder hadn't felt right since sending Shellkit off. He heard things—saw things—dreamed things. It wasn't real, just his mind playin' tricks on him. Maybe he had just been spending too much time in the shipyard and it was drivin' him mad. Besdies, Adder knew that he looked rough. Wavesong told him to take care of himself, and he was trying, but there were days he just couldn't find the energy.
Though he'd gotten better at it since finding Rune. There were things she still couldn't do on her own. She still relied on him and Adder supposed he didn't completely mind. Having that brat around at least reminded him to eat and to go to bed on time. If he didn't, then she wouldn't, and he wasn't gonna be the one to teach her more bad habits. Whoever raised her before already taught her some colorful words, and that was bad enough.
All that and... there was something he needed to do. The river was his last stop and maybe his last visit for a while depending on how things went.
He glanced around before tipping the contents of a small bucket onto the bank. A few mice rolled out, along with several shells—smooth blues and creams, one curling into a strange little spiral. Rune complained the whole time they gathered them, but she helped him carry them from the shipyard anyway. Adder nudged them closer to the reeds, making a noticeable pile in the patchy grass across from a patrol path he remembered. Even stacked up, didn't look like much, but he hoped his family could make use of it. He was sure the offerings would be too tempting to throw away, at least.
The tabby was just about to turn back when a rustling caused him to freeze. Adder straightened, hackles bristling and amber eyes narrowing upstream.
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x AND ILL BECOME THE MONSTER 
LIKE NONE THEY'VE EVER KNOWN x
@Russetfall