[WiSPer] From the Sky, Death

by **Valkyrie** on October 20th, 2012, 2:14 pm

WiSPer: Fall 35, 512
Plot Group: 3
Closing Date: October 25

A woman and her young son walked slowly through the snow, path had been made partially already from many others trudging back and forth so their steps were not as difficult as they might have been. They were walking near the edge of the main cluster of Avanthal’s buildings, heading toward the small gathering of evergreens that indicated Frostfawn Hold. The two talked amiably amongst each other. The banal chatter of their day’s thoughts and events swirling up with the lightly falling snow.

The attack happened so quickly the woman could only stare dumb-founded at the empty space where her son had previously stood. The frost hawk had plummeted to the ground silently, its white body camouflaged by the falling snow. It had firmly wrapped its talons around the boy’s shoulders and with a sharp kreeeee it had heavily beats its wings to lift the boy into the air. The boy’s screams were the first to alert those walking near to the trouble though the woman’s screams soon joined him. She stared at the large hawk carrying her young child, unable to get the sickening sound of cracking bones as its talons wrapped around the boy’s shoulders out of her ears. Another woman dashed up and wrapped her arms around the woman’s shoulder comfortingly as they watched in horror as the eagle tried to fly away with her son.

Several near the area happened to be Kelvic, a small handful of the winged variety. The winged ones shifted quickly and sped into the air. The frost hawk had been slowed by the heavy boy it carried its usual targets and weights that of fish and small reindeer. The winged Kelvic quickly caught up with the hawk and screeched at it, pecking at its talons and eyes until it was forced to drop the boy with a regretful screech. Relieved of its heavy prey the hawk quickened its pace and sped towards the coast and its nesting ground. The young boy plummeted to the ground heavily and landed with a sickening thud. The woman screamed again and ran towards her still son. The winged Kelvics that had come to his rescue landed nearby and watched silently with beady eyes.

The woman dropped to her knees and gathered her son into her arms, his body broken from the vicious talons. No cloud of breath pushed forward from his nostrils or mouth into the chilled Northern air. His screams had ceased as soon as the snowy ground had kissed his body. Awkwardly, a group formed around the mother and son in the snow. No one was quite sure what to say or do. Finally the woman who had comforted the mother approached and spoke quietly to her, reminding her of the boy’s need for a proper resting place and getting cleaned up preparation. The mother nodded numbly and stood, the boy in her arms, to carry her child back toward the city.

by **Sliver** on October 22nd, 2012, 1:39 pm

Things had just begun to look up, at least from where they had been before. The increased patrols and more tightly knit grid patterns had seemed to really increase the cities morale, no more fatalities rendered even if social tension was increasing by the day.

The wolverine was even whistling to herself, a sound rather grating and out of tune: a horrible mockery of some little ditty she had heard a Snowsong musician playing on a lute. The whistle did not block out the piercing shriek of a triumphant hawk when it had found its prey, however, and it had stopped by the time she heard the boy's screams of anguish. Her muscles bunched, and she shoved people out of her way that couldn't hear as she did, her eyes telling anyone to shove off or get shoved down as she raced through the streets towards the sounds, a few other grounded Kelvic brethren racing alongside her.

She knew as she looked up into the sky that it was too late. The only way that boy was returning safely to earth was if the hawk landed, and as she saw the claws let him go, her face turned into one of soured anguish, putting all her effort into moving faster toward the dead drop, while knowing she was much too far away for it to come to anything.

The Wolverine Kelvic skidded to a halt a respectful distance away from a grieving mother, assessing the broken body of the boy as she tried to put her emotions away. She did not wish to fly, for that was an idiotic thing for a creature who burrowed to wish, especially since it would have done this boy no good, but she did wish she could fathom why all of this was happening. So many attacks and no one was closer to knowing why. She knew better than to offer her sympathies to the dumbstruck woman who began carrying her boy away, and turned slowly and stiffly to begin a long walk back to her guard route.

Days passed without fatal animal attacks: 0

by **Briar Holden** on October 25th, 2012, 6:49 pm

.

For once, he had no interest in selling himself for money today.

He wandered quietly and slowly through the streets of the city, visiting locations of note and even slinking in to get a look at the public-access areas of the various holds to introduce himself to them more properly, being on his way before someone could remark on his presence too much and so he wouldn't get in anybody's way. While he lived a very special kind of life and much of what he did for a living was to forcefully intercept people in their daily lives, he needed a break from that kind of lifestyle once in a while. It wore down on you mentally, and it wasn't like he enjoyed being a pest to the people around him. Briar had learned, many years ago, that eye contact was necessary to make a good point and to be, well, convincing. But he could never look someone in the eye honestly. It'd burn him too much. There were things in his eyes, he imagined, that he didn't want anyone else to see. When he was working, he could let them see what he needed them to see; desperation. Oh, he was desperate, alright. Just... perhaps not for the reasons some people had been made to believe.

Briar didn't really register at first what was going on nearby. He lumbered on slowly, the screech of the bird bouncing against his ears. It was pure luck that he'd looked up at just the right time to not miss what was happening since the sound hadn't quite reached him. His eyes widened slowly as he struggled to comprehend what he was seeing, watching the bird fly off with the boy in its claws, the astonished and panicking mother looking along with him and the rest of the crowd who'd stopped to watch helplessly as the bird flew off with its prey.

His mouth went slightly ajar, eyes transfixed on the bird even as the other Kelvics of the city flew up in an attempt at saving the boy. He could see in the corner of his eyes how the boy fell to the ground and the sound of his landing sent disturbing chills and shivers up his spine. He shuddered and swallowed down the lump in his throat, only casting a brief glance over to the boy's lifeless form in the distance before turning himself away. He didn't move away immediately, simply standing there and listening to what was going on behind him for a bit. His limited knowledge in Vani, once again, prevented him from fully understanding what was being said. He thought he knew, either way. After all, he once knew a little boy. A little boy who also died. Perhaps not in such a violent fashion, but...

Grunting, he shook his head. Then, he moved himself away from the scene while the mother carried away the broken body of her son.

.

by **Valkyrie** on October 26th, 2012, 6:30 pm

Sliver :

Briar Holden :

You Will Be Collected if Worthy

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