#shadows play

[madc0w]

Dance Of Days — “Shadows Play" (Official Lyric Video)

[cafe-sao]

〈shadow play〉

園の帰り道

見てぇー！影がカエルさんみたいだよぉ！

[drunkenworgen]

Return

They were up before the sun rose, both parents getting their children up and ready to go before worrying about themselves.

“Mum-ma,” a sleepy Rose muttered while her brother rubbed at his eyes.

“Yer gonna go with daddy fer a bit,” Gin muttered, pausing as she finished buckling the straps to her leather shoulder piece.  “Both you an’ yer brother.  Somewhere fun, yeah?”  She bent down, scooping up both children in her arms to snuggle them.  “Ah’ve jus’ gotta run a quick errand, then we’ll all ‘ave a nice lil’ family vacation, yeah?”

Gin stood, handing the twins to their father just as Finnegan fluttered over to his perch on her left shoulder.  “Stay safe, love,” she muttered the words against his lips before picking up her pack.  “Four days.”

“Four days,” he repeated as she shouldered her pack.

Once more, she took off, soaring through the skies on the back of her rylak, Finnegan flying along nearby.  While much slower than portal travel, the flight itself should only take the day, landing on the edge of the country before making her way to the Ebonsteed lands.  The cover of nightfall would make it easier for her to sneak into the city, but also more dangerous.

One stop was all she granted herself, long enough to eat something and rest for a bit, stopping in the forests of Loch Modan.  “...go t’th’estate t’nigh’, Finnegan, we’ll worry ‘bout th’rest tomorrow.”

The black raven pulled his head from under his wing as his mistress spoke, letting out a soft caw in response.  She’d found a secluded clearing, leaning her back against a tree as Fluffy rested nearby, chewing on some unfortunate rams he’d found.  “Be nice t’sleep in an estate, yeah?  Too bad ‘s run down, would loved t’see - ‘ey, stop tha’, yer beak ‘s sharp.”

The raven had nipped at her ear, beginning to hop about on her shoulder as he noticed the white raven resting on a nearby tree branch.  And ravens - while not uncommon - were not usually white in the wild, the mutation making them a bright beacon for predators to come find.  Gin immediately stopped talking as she noticed it, staring at the unusual eyes on the creature.  Violet eyes.  She resumed eating, acting as if she’d noticed nothing as she repacked the rylak’s saddle and took to the skies once more.

“Still followin’ us, Finn?”

An answering caw from the bird, atop his special perch on the rylak’s neck armor.

“Figures,” she muttered, urging the flying beast onward.

The white raven struggled to keep up, her wings flapping as hard as she could to try and keep up with the large beast.  She was clearly exhausted, but determined not to let the woman out of her sight.  There was a moment through the Wetlands that Gin thought she lost the second raven, only to have it reappear moments later, sluggishly beating its wings.

There were no more stops in her journey, the sun getting lower and lower as she got closer to Silverpine Forest.  The plan now was to lead the bird to Pyrewood and hopefully locate  some form of cage and blindfold.  If she was correct in her assumptions - while the bird was a natural bird - those eyes held Void magics in the them.

It didn’t take long to reach Silverpine, making sure to land far enough away from from the town that she could remain somewhat hidden.  And as if on cue, the fluttering of wings was heard behind her, followed by a flash of white.  Again, Gin gave no indication that she knew she was being watched, simply beginning to search through some of the houses.  What she was looking for was unclear, but she was clearly searching for something.

The pale raven would be able to keep her in sight until she entered the chapel.  Every other building had taken her only a few minutes to search while this one seemed to be taking longer.  The white raven let out an annoyed and tired sounding caw, hopping around on her perch.  What was taking the woman so long?

The answer came shortly after as a bag was placed over raven’s head, quickly flipping her over and tying the end.  Gin was rewarded with angry and tired caws of protest, fighting against the damp, musty smelling sack weakly.

“At’s right, y’bastard, y’get t’come with me,” Gin muttered, pulling a small needle from the special pouch on her belt.  This one was tipped in a mild sleeping potion, enough to knock the bird out long enough for Gin to blindfold and cage it.  There was a quick jab at the flailing bag, waiting until it stopped moving before removing the bag.  “Hmph, who’s bird’re you, then?”  She didn’t take time to contemplate, using a bandage to wrap around the bird’s eyes before locking it in a metal cage she’d found.

“C’mon, Finnegan...we can still make it t’th’estate ‘fore nightfall if we ‘urry.”

( @terrick-ebonsteed, @areniaagn, @lucentlycanthrope, @confessor-caleb. @dear-dark-sister for plot purposes)

[wolf-queen]

What if you had broken the raven's wings?

“I do not think you understand, little shadow. The Raven’s wings are a lot stronger than you and I think. However, I do feel as if I have already broken them. The world is never as it seems, with every step we take we must make a choice of direction. His direction placed him in the path of a storm that changed his life. There is no going back now, what is done is done.”

“Mend or not, he will rise and rise. He will. Just be sure to watch what side of his you are on, there is no telling what a powerful man like that would do to his enemies should they even threaten to put a hitch in his day.”

[ mentions: @theron-darksunder ]

[wolf-queen]

" Does he make you happy... Does he set fire to your skin as you do his? Do you miss him, did you give up on him? "

“You have so many questions, shadows. You are digging into territory that has not been brought up in weeks if not months.”     “Yes, he makes me happy.”

“Yes, he sets my skin ablaze.”

     “Yes, I do miss him.”

“No, I have not given up. That is not to say that it will ever be what it was again.”

[wolf-queen]

Who would win if the Rat King went against the Wolf Queen?

Celestine snickered to herself as the question was presented to her slender tunnels, “Oh, dear. I think you have this all wrong, my sweet shadow. If the Rat King and I were to fight, it would never be against one another. The Ratz and the Wolves are very much interested in retaining our loyal allegiance. Even if we were not allies, there is no reason I have to go against him. He is someone protected in my eyes. I’d do a lot to keep him and his own safe. Keep that in mind should you decide to try and tear a rift into that.”

[ @hmratking ]