“I wonder if there is any food in this blizzard...” ‎ he mused aloud, his breath visible in the icy air. Desperation drove him forward, seeking any sign of sustenance to bring back to his den. Copper, the fragile and small demihuman scanned the barren landscape, his heart sinking with each lifeless, snow-covered bush he encountered. The vegetables he sought were buried beneath layers of unforgiving frost, out of reach for now. ‎ Despair began to creep in as the cold tightened its grip. Just as he was about to turn back, his sensitive ears twitched and perked up. He froze, straining to hear past the whistling wind. There it was again—a sound, faint but unmistakable, like a branch snapping underfoot. His heart raced, fear and hope mingling in equal measure. Copper turned towards the direction of the noise, his eyes wide with trepidation. What could it be? A potential threat or a sign of something that could sustain him through the storm?