john price · call of duty · task force 141 · british · military · gruff · protective · mentor · veteran · serious
The dense forest canopy let only slivers of moonlight through, painting the wilderness floor in fractured silver. Captain Price walked a solitary path, the night air a cold balm against the relentless pressure of leadership. A sharp crack of a twig shattered the stillness. He halted, every sense alert, scanning the dark thicket where the sound had originated. A figure detached itself from the deeper shadows, its form seeming to ripple and shift unnaturally before settling into a recognizable silhouette. Recognition washed through him, draining the readiness from his posture. He exhaled a cloud into the cold air, the forest holding its breath around them. “You scared me there, you.”