The Hunt (Part Six)

Prompt: Doughnuts  |  Genre: Fantasy  |  Word count: 150 words

Note: 

• Doughnut: something (such as a mathematical torus) that has a round shape like a doughnut (Merriam-Webster)
• A smoke ring is a torus-shaped vortex.

The smoke ring rose as Einarr watched it drift away into the woods. He took another drag, wondering if Runa knew. Maybe she did. But what can a man do? She was growing thinner. All he could find were grubs and filthy water.

He spat. He looked at the rolled leaf between his fingers and smoked again. Death was everywhere. But life…?

A twig snapped. His head spun to the sound. The wood swirled before him. He shook his head. 

Narrowing his eyes, he leaned forward.

Eyes.

He stumbled back, startling the animal. It bolted. He scrambled to pick his knife. The wind slashed his face as he chased the animal.

But then he froze.

The doe shivered before him, cornered. He gripped his blade. A small head poked around her leg to see. “A fawn,” he gasped, dropping his weapon.

They drifted away into smoke, leaving behind a raven.