The Crows and the Crone

Featuring Tanwyn and Kiska (NPC)
Early Spring, Y753NA
North Shore of River Bend, Silverthorne

-Tanwyn-
She did not know how long she lay there, a trembling little ball covered in soot and ash, huddled against the massive boulder. Luan had made her forlorn procession across the night sky and Grain had risen again by the time the filly had come to. The sound of cracking embers and hissing coals lured her back to conciousness.

Tanwyn blinked open her bleary eyes, cheeks streaked in the stains of ash and tears she'd shed even in her sleep. She felt disoriented at first as she lifted her head and peered around, shocked by the devesation she found herself in. The stones around her were scorched black, and the stag's carcass had been reduced to a pile of ash and partial bones. Only bits of his antlers were recognizable after the carnage. Beyond him, the cat lay sprawled upon the ground, it's fur burned from it's body, and blackened flesh burned to massive ugly boils that gave off a putrid, fowl smell. The meadow looked more like the Ash Plains then River Bend.

Tanwyn stumbled slowly to her hooves, though they shook tremulously and she feared they might buckle beneath her again. Nonetheless, she moved forward, looking around in a daze. Where was her mother? She crept towards the big cat, her gaze sliding across the morbid sight. It made her sick and yet she could not seem to tear her eyes away.
Then, she realized the lion was stretched over another body. This one golden, with a flowing white mane, both of which were entirely untouched by the fire. "Mom!!" Tanny gasped, lunging forth and attempting to push the scorched feline off of her mother. She could only manage to move the great hulking beast a few inches, but it was enough at least to reveal Genevieve's face. Tanwyn's breath caught. She stared down into the vacant, lifeless eyes of her mother, her heart feeling as though it might implode. Her wonderful, beautiful mother! Her face had been ruined, mutilated by the cat. It was obvious Genevieve had died of injuries she'd sustained trying futilely to defend herself against the lion. She'd used the last of her magic to protect Tanwyn.

Tears flooded her eyes anew, and she let them fall. Suddenly, Tanwyn did not feel the sun upon her back, nor hear the birds in the sky. Suddenly there were no such things as dreams or adventures. Suddenly, the world had become a dark, frightening place. And Tanwyn was completely and utterly alone.

lying down beside her mother's body, Tanwyn laid her head over her mother's, and let the darkness take her again.

-Kiska-

Kiska had noticed the black billowing cloud smoke the moment she woke that morning. The aging old firebringer had been camped at the edge of River Bend, and now her fierce eyes scanned the horizon as she made her way towards the source of the fire to investigate. Overhead, a crow did what crows do best when something is awry, it's hoarse voice barking out alarm calls over and over again until Kiska thought she couldn't stand it anymore.

"Alright Mort! You daft bloody bird! I know! These old legs of mine can't move any faster!" She hollered at her avian companion as the smoke became denser in the blue sky and started to blot out the sun in front of her.

Kiska blinked as she came upon the seen, her greying muzzle creasing in a grim line as she recognized bodies strewn along the ground. "What in Adhar's name...?" She wondered aloud, it seems even as old as she was, she still had the capacity to be so shocked. Mort descended to land upon one of the bodies, and kiska trundled forward to see that it was of a huge cave lion. Beneath it, she spied the long tassled tail of a fallen fawnling.

"Oh dear..." She spoke woefully. "What a grim fate to be had..." Mort cawed and hopped down out of eyesight. Kiska made her way around the big cat to have a look at whom the fawn was, so that she might travel to the Vale and bring the mournful news to the herd and any family the fawnling may have left behind. But as she rounded the bodies, it was to discover Mort perched on a tiny, shivering body of a fawn!

-Tanwyn-

Ka-raw!Tanny's ear flicked. Kawraw Kaw Kaww! She felt a sharp beak prodding at her mane and pecking at her shoulders. But the filly hardly flinched.

"Well... what've ya got there, Morty?" a rough old voice echoed in her ears, but tanwyn could not even get up the energy to open her eyes. She didn't want to. Her mother was dead, and it was all her fault... and nothing else mattered. A cold nose pressed against her shoulder. "Hey, you alive?" That same scratchy voice raked in her ears. Tanwyn winced. "Aye... your alive alright. Come on then, get up now..." It persisted. Tanwyn scowled, her eyes suddenly flinging open to glare up at the old, scarred face of the doe that stood over her. "Go away!" She grunted.

The doe arced a brow. "Easy girlie. You can't stay here anymore than I can leave you here. Get to your hooves now." She said, firmly nudging Tanwyn's rump. "No!" Tanwyn wailed, a new assault of tears streaming from her eyes. "Leave me to the crows you stupid old hag! I won't leave her!"

The old crone's eyes stared down at the filly, sparks of flame lighting there depths. But then she blinked, and gave a resigned sigh. The girl had just lost her mother afterall, there was not sense in getting cross with her because she was in a state of raw grief. Kiska brushed her muzzle over the girl's shoulder. "There there, little one... I honestly couldn't care less if you want to be left for crow fodder or not, but the truth is, if I let you stay, then your mother's sacrifice will have been for nothing child. Do not let her death go in vain."

"You don't get it! She's dead Because of ME!" Tanwyn shouted, even as she got to her hooves. The doe shook her head adamently. "now you listen to Ol' Kiska kid... this is nobody's fault. Death greets us all at one time or another, your mother chose to meet hers protecting that which she doubtlessly loved most. You cannot blame yourself. Come on now, I will take you back to the Vale where we can see about finding your father."

Tanwyn looked sullen."I don't have a father." She stated flatly. Kiska once more raised that scarred brow. "I see. Well, what of an aunt? Older siblings perhaps?" Tanwyn stared at the ground and shook her head, her voice very quiet. "There is no one."

The gruff old crone slapped the stubbed tail of hers against her flanks, mulling over her options. there weren't many. This filly couldn't hardly be more than into her 3rd spring. She couldn't very well be left on her own yet. Mort flew over and perched on the doeling's withers, chortling and ruffling his feathers, beady eyes cast her a pointed look.
"Don't take that tone with me ya daft corvid! I'm too old for that sort of thing." She growled. Tanwyn glanced at the bird and back to the old doe, her brows furrowing. This doe was a bit... odd, to say the least. The bird crowed again and hopped along Tanwyn's neck to perch between her ears, pecking at her forehead just between her eyes. Tanwyn shook her head. "Ouch! Hey, stop that!"

Kiska regarded the girl, and glanced down at the dead bodies. A sigh rent from her lips, and she rolled her eyes skyward. "Oh for the love of Adhar! What am I getting myself into...?" She muttered, eyes flicking back to the girl. "Come on kid, looks like you're going to have to stick with me until I can figure out what to do with you...let us leave this place, and leave the dead to their rest."

As Kiska led them away, Tanwyn knelt over her mother and gave her a final nuzzle... this was her final farewell. Farewell to her mother, and her Life as she'd known it. Tanwyn wasn't just leaving her mother behind. A part of her soul had died with her, and the innocence of a child had been forever lost.