NOBODY’S LISTENING // trying to walk

[ATBASH CIPHER.]

ATBASH CIPHER

i know i should stop believing
i know there's no retrieving

Atbash only really had decided to step out when she noticed that Stryker left and wasn't seemingly lurking around. Of course, little did she know that he was likely out there somewhere, completely aware of what she was doing. The fact that he simply 'allowed' her to walk around so freely was torture in of itself. It was almost as if he was toying around with the Snowbounders, teasing them and provoking them.

Nui's presence startled her a bit and Atbash tried to scramble to her paws as quickly as she could once she heard Nui's paws shuffling about in the snow. The Hailcaller blinked at Nui several times, as if trying to register that the Polarheart was in front of her. It wasn't that she couldn't tell Nui was there, it was just she was so damn blurry at the moment and Atbash wasn't sure how far or close she was, and she believed that blinking away this fuzziness would work. Luckily, her hearing was normal and Atbash visibly relaxed once she recognized Nui's voice. The blanket made her jump a bit, but again, the she-cat relaxed and allowed its warmth to wash over her. It was a relief to feel the warmth the blanket gave her, rather than the cold floor of the cabin and the chilling wind that Snowbound's territory provided naturally.

Food? Atbash echoed the word in her mind, suddenly realizing the gnawing feeling in her stomach. Of course The Pitt would not allow her to eat under their watchful eye, but god was she hungry... Should she risk her tribemates' safety just for a bit of food? "Y-you... need it more." Atbash responded vaguely, as if she was trying to avoid the question on whether or not she was hungry. She should eat, yes, but her tribe needs it much more. She was disposable, a weak link in the tribe, as evident by the takeover. Sure, everybody in Snowbound seemed to care about her and her well-being, but she still stood by the fact that things would be much easier if she just... wasn't here. Would all of this had been avoided if she had just followed Caesar? Probably.

Izuku was next to approach, although he was much more easier to identify due to his scale color and size. It still spooked her a bit, but she was almost reassured by Izuku being here. He had been here in the beginning and helped Snowbound prosper, he should be the Hailcaller instead of her. He had been here longer than her, even! But because of his rank as Tenderfoot, it seemed like Jacob completely disregarded that. "A-are you okay?" She asked him, trying to keep her voice as quiet as she could despite trying to talk up to a dragon.

bio | female | hailcaller [leader] of snowbound

© madi