Fable - Ask Where the Crows Fly

[Malachi]

Somewhere in the Tundra
Nukpana
​

Even though the thick mist, the light of the watchtowers could be seen from several kilometers away. The flames and smoke rose high, a signal light for travelers arriving along the borders of Teldvor, a town along the western shore nestled within one of the many fjords of the Eretejva Tundra.

From behind a small thistle bush, Malachi's wide, hazel eyes staring up from sunken hollows at the watchtower's illumination. His stomach churned in growing hunger, his limbs barely covered in scraps slightly protested the chill. He was scrawny but nimble. Appeared malnourished, but there was a vibrancy in his eyes.

Part of him, that curious bit that wondered just what Men were and their abilities tempted him to draw closer. To investigate. The other, the one where Lohik's voice drone in him the perils and treacherous hearts of men, urged him to leave.

Yet, the small, shrill cry of alarm caught his attention, drawing him from his thoughts. The boy immediately frowned, wariness carving his features as he sank a little deeper within the briar thicket's protection, disregarding the pinches of pain as thorns dug into his skin.

What was that? Another cry cut the silence. It's origin somewhere near the tower.

 

[Nukpana]

"Oh GERROFF!!"

Three days. Three days it'd taken her to catch this damned rabbit and now the putrid smell of burning fur filled the air in black plumes of smoke that the child choked and gagged on. Animalistic growls of sheer frustration forced their way through her gritted teeth as she swung the burning carcass around, and she smacked it on the ground in attempt to extinguish the fire. Catching it had been difficult enough, but cooking it? That was an all together different story.

The flames caught, as flames tended to do, on everything they touched, and in moments the dead underbrush was alight with a ghastly orange grin of unfettered inferno, devouring hungrily, licking and lapping at the thicket, twisting and swaying in a dance without rhythm. It seemed to chase her as she ran from it, bare footed through the snow, as though trying to catch the smoking carcass that she clutched in her arms for dear life.

It was spreading faster than her spindly little legs could carry her, the blaze dragged along the spiny tinder by the cold evening breeze that fanned it's terrible temper. Tremulous little whimpers escaped her with each panicked puff of air that cast misty plumes as she sprinted toward the shallow stream that cut through the briar and left nothing more for the flames to devour.

Her cloak billowed behind her, already charred and badly patched up from her previous mishaps, and once again the ends of it were aflame and slowly creeping up the scratchy fabric, threatening to engulf her scrawny little form entirely. She let out a mousy meep of a sound before rushing straight into the stream and falling face first into the frigid water with a loud splash and a scream in shock at the sudden bite of cold.

 

[Malachi]

Nukpana

The acrid, scent of smoke, was carried by a gust of chilling wind, followed by the swirl of ash and floating embers. There was a rush of footsteps, a faint whimper, and then the sudden splash.

The sound of a sodden struggle followed the choking, sputtering flails of some sort of creature. Wariness and alarm grew within the boy's eyes, his rather emaciated figure still tucked low. From his thistle bush, he could barely catch the sight of what appeared to be a small creature, with wisps of smoke rising from the doused flames. From the area from where it had originated, the lick of fire seemed to spread even in the cold, trying its best to cling to whatever tinder it could catch.

The fire didn't frighten Malachi. Men did. Part of him told him to leave. The fire would likely spread, and with the tower being so close, it meant that Men would probably come to investigate. Yet another wanted to figure out what it that had caused the earlier ruckus was?

Crouching low, he slowly began to make his way over towards the river, where Nukpana 's abrupt splash and fiery wake had literally now caught the nearby forest on fire.

 

[Nukpana]

Nu got to her feet with a few stumbles, her soaking hair falling in a frigid curtain that concealed the look of utter horror on her face. Her shoulders bunched up against her ears and her arms were stiff, splayed by her sides as a long, gasp of revulsion filled her lungs only to be let out in a frustrated growl that only a bratty girl like her could make. She kicked at the water as though she could hurt it, and she stomped out onto a patch of frosted grass that sparkled like diamonds, and plonked herself down with a huff before slamming the charred, soggy rabbit carcass beside her.

"Dammit!" a fist pounded into the hard ground hard enough to prompt another feral little growl.

She swept the dripping hair out of her face and wrapped her arms around herself, deciding that this was the perfect moment to feel sorry for herself. Her face contorted, as though it took effort for her to cry, but she would damn well try! She let out a quiet whimper, her breath casting staggered plumes into the freezing air as she looked around for shelter. Instead she saw eyes.

A startled meep of a sound left her chest involuntarily and she fumbled onto her feet and grabbed up her rabbit to take a few stumbled but quick steps back. "Hey!.. Who's there hm?.." she demanded, and bared her teeth with a wrinkle of her nose..

"I'm warnin' yeh i'll bite yeh I will.." she promised, a foot stamping into the ground as if to emphasise her seriousness..

"Show yer face coward!" she frowned, hugging the sodden bunny to her chest like a nightmarish toy.

 

[Malachi]

Nukpana

The boy's nose gave a twitch at the scent of a slightly charred, if damp, rabbit. His stomach gave a grumble. Even if it was wet, with burnt bits of fur, it was still more food than he'd seen in a while. Catching them himself was a struggle, especially across the cold tundra. While the cold didn't bother him as much as it would with others, it made him sluggish in his movements.

At Nukpana's abrupt stomp of her foot and threat, Malachi gave a sudden jerk, startled. It wasn't due to fear, but just by the sheer amount of passionate force, the tiny figure gave.

At least, that's what the boy thought it was. With how wet and sodden it was in its charred clothing, it was hard to determine if this was a man, a halfling, or any other small sort of creature. In the years he'd been raised by Lohik, he'd never seen another child, so he wasn't sure what to make of Nukpana. He didn't even realize she was a girl.

However, her small stature made Malachi consider the chances that he could run up and take that rabbit she clutched on her chest. Manners were not a part of his early education. He had been taught to hunt and take what he wanted when he wanted to ensure his survival.

Mind set, the boy's eyes would narrow, twin gold orbs hyper-focusing on the child. With a sudden lurch of muscles, a dark brown and blue blur shot from the thistle bush right at Nukpana, every intention of trying to tackle her back onto the stream.

Overhead, the ash falling through the air would thicken, and the path the girl had left in her wake now flickering with flames as they danced from limb to limb. The fire was spreading.

 

[Nukpana]

She hadn't expected it. Her teeth had been bared, her feet stomped, her warning clear. Suddenly she was barrelled straight off of her feet and back into the cold water with an 'oomf' and a ragged scream in terror that was cut short as her body submerged.

Nu thrashed and kicked in the water like a wild animal caught in a trap, her mind reeling with panic as she pushed and pushed at the boy only a little older than she. She'd forgotten all about how hungry she was for fear of drowning instead, and she released the charred and sodden rabbit in the process of shoving and throwing blind fists at the boy.

As soon as her head was above water again she dragged a long gasp of air into her starving lungs and coughed up the water she had swallowed.. "OW!! Gerroff me!!!" she growled out, teeth snapping and limbs flailing, trying to hurt him as much as she could. Sparks attempted to ignite on her fingertips only to be doused by the water, the power that she lacked any sort of control over, rendered useless..

"GERROOOOOOFFFFF!!!" she demanded, terror-stricken, with tiny sobs catching in her throat.

 

[Malachi]

Nukpana

To be honest, Malachi hadn't quite taken into consideration that the small creature was still standing near the river, or that their subsequent tumble would cause them both to go floundering into its icy grasp.

A gasp of air brought with it a mouthful of water, causing the boy to choke and sputter. Not only that the shrill, high-pitched cry along the shell of his ear made him immediately yelp and grimace, letting Nukpana go. The half charred rabbit would float to the side, half-forgotten, for the coughing took temporary presence.

He shook his head from side to side, the now wet locks of his hair sending drops everywhere. He was like a wet dog, the rags he used for clothing along with the ragged cloak clinging to him like a second skin to his skinny frame.

Alam rose over his face, those twin golden eyes staring at the drenched thing in front of him, hair packed to the sides of her face and body trembling in terror. Skittering back on all fours until he was on the shore again, Malachi did his best to keep his distance... until the floating dead rabbit went by.

Immediately, stomach growling, he would dart forward again to try and grab the rabbit, sending a splash of icy water in all directions with his flails. He didn't know how to swim, but that wasn't at the forefront of his mind.

Just food.

 

[Nukpana]

After a few stumbles and splashes, Nu clambered to her feet and stood rigid and panting little puffs of frozen fury and glaring with all the venom she could muster at the boy. Her fists raised in front of her chin and she squeezed them so hard they trembled.

"I so swear if yer try anythin' like tha' again yeh gobshyte I'll .. I'll sock yeh right on the beak!" she warned, her voice cracking a little with uncertainty as she threw a jab at the air in front of her in demonstration in case he didn't understand her.

The child's gaze narrowed on the scraggy boy and she glanced to the blazing shore behind her as she felt the air blow hot against her back. Her shoulders jerked upward in fright as she heard the splash again and her hair whipped around to watch the boy flail back into the water.

The rabbit...

"Hey! That's mine!.." she called after him and slammed her fists into the water but made no move toward him. Besides, she couldn't swim, and the water there was too deep for her.

"You know you coulda just asked!" she yelled and kicked a spray of water in his direction before marching to the bank, plopping herself down with a grumpy squelch and folding her arms with a scowl. She let out a groan in frustration as she watched, trying not to cry though her lip quivered in threat as her belly growled at the thought of her lost meal.