Pool of Dark Magic ~ Part I
Windspirit
had chosen who was to search the woods for more of those monstrous creatures.
Blackfeather, Brushwood, Freecloud, Redwolf, and Howler all left the Holt wary,
not sure what they’d find. They stayed on alert all that morning as they casted
out further and further from the tribe.
They passed through an area of sticky web-like stuff, and still as if Death stalked the area. A few hours of exploration yielded no creators of the webbing, nor any monsters. Though they had learned that the many cocoons that were abundant in the area, held live creatures. Thanks to Blackfeather’s constant curiosity and finally cutting one open to find a dazed and easily killed boar, for an afternoon meal for elf and wolf alike. Soon after, they gave up on the mystery for the time being to continue scouring the forest for any more monster creatures.
Not too long after leaving the area of webs and cocoons, Blackfeather started to get a strange feeling. It was a faint sensation, like ants crawling all over her entire body. When the group turned to start searching one direction, the sensation disappeared. When they backtracked it came back and grew stronger. Suddenly it disappeared, and Blackfeather stopped. *Hold up.* Everyone stopped and looked back at her quizzically.
Blackfeather dismounted Trailfinder, and on foot backtracked yet again, until she felt that disquieting sensation. Once she found it, she started walking in different directions until she lost it. Always coming back to her starting point and picking a different direction. The others looked on in puzzlement, until Redwolf asked impatiently, *What are you doing?*
At that point, she had picked the direction that it kept getting stronger. *This way.* At some silent call, Trailfinder came up to her. She mounted, and Trailfinder started walking in the direction she had indicated. The others were getting impatient.
*What is she doing?*
*I don’t know.*
*What’s that way?*
*What is she following?*
*High Ones knows!*
Finally Redwolf got irritated enough. *SISTER! What is going on?*
He had just come abreast of her and Trailfinder, and noticed that she seemed to come out of some sort of trance at his sending. Blackfeather looked towards him oddly. *I’m not sure how to explain it. In this direction only…. it feels like…. the tiny crawly ones…. are all over me. It was faint at first, and in other directions it goes away entirely, this way the feeling is getting stronger.* With that she lapses back to silence, a look of distaste on her face.
The rest of the hunting party looked uneasy and uncertain at her send. Everyone but Blackfeather kept a wary eye out, not sure what they’d encounter. Blackfeather, unfortunately, was in no condition to even be vaguely aware of her surroundings. She had lapsed back into the trance-like state and seemed to be twitching some. Had she been aware of her lack of observation, she would have been disgusted with herself as a huntress.
Before long, Blackfeather seemed to be almost in some sort of bizarre dance from all the twitching and jerks her body was doing. It was all Trailfinder could do not to stumble or fall with her rider behaving so. By that time Redwolf and Brushwood rode on either side of them, in case Blackfeather convulsed herself off her wolf friend.
Shortly all the wolves came to a stop. Before them was a dark and stagnant pool of water. The other elves looked at each other in confusion. Was this what Blackfeather followed? The wolves snorted, sneezed, and huffed as they stood there. Blackfeather climbed off her wolf friend still in a trance, and started walking towards the pool.
*Sister? Is this what you’ve been following?* There was no answer from Blackfeather, and when Redwolf peered at her, she seemed to not be seeing. He noticed she was about to walk right into the pool. Out of fear for her safety, and disquiet in her condition, he tackled her.
“Oof! What in blazes?” Blackfeather blinked a few times in confusion and disorientation. Looking around, her gaze finally settled on the stagnant pool. Her eyes narrowed and she sent. *That’s wrong. It radiates wrongness.* The vegetation around it was an odd yellow-orange about a hand’s width around the pool. Even the rock seemed a blackish orange.
Blackfeather looked around and noted the landmarks, she knew exactly where she was from the Holt. Looking back at the pool speculatively, *This didn’t used to be here. I don’t like it. We need to let Windy know about it. And you, you bull branch-horn. Off.* She prods at her brother until he relents and gets up, helping her to stand once he himself is upright.
Redwolf watched Blackfeather warily, waiting for her to fall back under the influence of the pool? What? He didn’t know for certain, but she did. She wouldn’t be so susceptible to its call again. She had danced the pool’s dark dance, and while it had taken her brother to tackle her back to herself, she still remembered its subtle ways. She wouldn’t fall prey to it next time, now she knew it and what to watch for. Yes, there’d be a next time, only without the others. Blackfeather meant to know more about this pool.
She looked to the others thoughtfully. *While we haven’t found any more monster creatures, though that Place of Webs suggests there may be another, I believe this pool has something to do with that creature that attacked the Holt.*
Of course it would be Howler to ask. *But what?*
Blackfeather shrugged. *I have no idea. It’s just a feeling I have.*
He scowled at her reply, but then so did Redwolf, while Freecloud and Brushwood looked uneasy. Blackfeather didn’t really care. She knew what she felt, and it felt right thinking the monster that had attacked the Holt, and the pool they stood before were connected somehow.
She looks around the area one more time, then turns back to the others. *Let’s finish our search, then head home.* The other’s nodded, climbed on their wolf friends and continued on.
They returned home and reported to Windspirit that they had found no trace of anymore creatures like the one that attacked the Holt. Though Freecloud brought up the stagnant pool that seemed to call Blackfeather to it. All eyes turned to Blackfeather, and Windspirit asked. “Called to you, Feathers?”
He looked puzzled, she for her part, showed no expression, and shrugged. Inwardly, she wished maggots would take Freecloud’s tongue. It hadn’t been something she wanted babbled to the whole tribe, until she could talk to Windy about it and let him decide. “It has the feel of wrongness.” She pauses thoughtfully, “Like magic gone bad.” Any Wolfrider with magic would know what she meant. Those without would be puzzled, as many expressions showed.
Windspirit nodded thoughtfully. “I see. Then perhaps for the time being, we should steer clear of it.”
Blackfeather nodded. “I agree. Unless you know what to expect, it would call one into it. It nearly did me. Redwolf had to tackle me to keep me from entering the pool. I didn’t even know where I was at first when his tackle broke the hold it had on me.” Many in the tribe looked uneasy, a few even frightened, like Starburst.
Blackfeather’s thoughts drifted idly on Starburst for a moment. While she hated to frighten the lass, she also knew she was still a cub for a couple more turns. Soon enough Starburst would come into her own. She stood on the threshold of adulthood, it was a scary prospect.
Blackfeather remembered herself at Starburst’s age, she was going to be fine. Judging by the growing closeness between her and Bear-Axe, she’d be more then fine. Bear-Axe would be a positive and steady presence for the girl. Blackfeather came to one final decision. *Sorry Jai. I think I’ll leave Bear-Axe for Starburst. She needs him more right now.* For Hollythorne’s part, she just gave her soul sister a look, but nodded in understanding.
They passed through an area of sticky web-like stuff, and still as if Death stalked the area. A few hours of exploration yielded no creators of the webbing, nor any monsters. Though they had learned that the many cocoons that were abundant in the area, held live creatures. Thanks to Blackfeather’s constant curiosity and finally cutting one open to find a dazed and easily killed boar, for an afternoon meal for elf and wolf alike. Soon after, they gave up on the mystery for the time being to continue scouring the forest for any more monster creatures.
Not too long after leaving the area of webs and cocoons, Blackfeather started to get a strange feeling. It was a faint sensation, like ants crawling all over her entire body. When the group turned to start searching one direction, the sensation disappeared. When they backtracked it came back and grew stronger. Suddenly it disappeared, and Blackfeather stopped. *Hold up.* Everyone stopped and looked back at her quizzically.
Blackfeather dismounted Trailfinder, and on foot backtracked yet again, until she felt that disquieting sensation. Once she found it, she started walking in different directions until she lost it. Always coming back to her starting point and picking a different direction. The others looked on in puzzlement, until Redwolf asked impatiently, *What are you doing?*
At that point, she had picked the direction that it kept getting stronger. *This way.* At some silent call, Trailfinder came up to her. She mounted, and Trailfinder started walking in the direction she had indicated. The others were getting impatient.
*What is she doing?*
*I don’t know.*
*What’s that way?*
*What is she following?*
*High Ones knows!*
Finally Redwolf got irritated enough. *SISTER! What is going on?*
He had just come abreast of her and Trailfinder, and noticed that she seemed to come out of some sort of trance at his sending. Blackfeather looked towards him oddly. *I’m not sure how to explain it. In this direction only…. it feels like…. the tiny crawly ones…. are all over me. It was faint at first, and in other directions it goes away entirely, this way the feeling is getting stronger.* With that she lapses back to silence, a look of distaste on her face.
The rest of the hunting party looked uneasy and uncertain at her send. Everyone but Blackfeather kept a wary eye out, not sure what they’d encounter. Blackfeather, unfortunately, was in no condition to even be vaguely aware of her surroundings. She had lapsed back into the trance-like state and seemed to be twitching some. Had she been aware of her lack of observation, she would have been disgusted with herself as a huntress.
Before long, Blackfeather seemed to be almost in some sort of bizarre dance from all the twitching and jerks her body was doing. It was all Trailfinder could do not to stumble or fall with her rider behaving so. By that time Redwolf and Brushwood rode on either side of them, in case Blackfeather convulsed herself off her wolf friend.
Shortly all the wolves came to a stop. Before them was a dark and stagnant pool of water. The other elves looked at each other in confusion. Was this what Blackfeather followed? The wolves snorted, sneezed, and huffed as they stood there. Blackfeather climbed off her wolf friend still in a trance, and started walking towards the pool.
*Sister? Is this what you’ve been following?* There was no answer from Blackfeather, and when Redwolf peered at her, she seemed to not be seeing. He noticed she was about to walk right into the pool. Out of fear for her safety, and disquiet in her condition, he tackled her.
“Oof! What in blazes?” Blackfeather blinked a few times in confusion and disorientation. Looking around, her gaze finally settled on the stagnant pool. Her eyes narrowed and she sent. *That’s wrong. It radiates wrongness.* The vegetation around it was an odd yellow-orange about a hand’s width around the pool. Even the rock seemed a blackish orange.
Blackfeather looked around and noted the landmarks, she knew exactly where she was from the Holt. Looking back at the pool speculatively, *This didn’t used to be here. I don’t like it. We need to let Windy know about it. And you, you bull branch-horn. Off.* She prods at her brother until he relents and gets up, helping her to stand once he himself is upright.
Redwolf watched Blackfeather warily, waiting for her to fall back under the influence of the pool? What? He didn’t know for certain, but she did. She wouldn’t be so susceptible to its call again. She had danced the pool’s dark dance, and while it had taken her brother to tackle her back to herself, she still remembered its subtle ways. She wouldn’t fall prey to it next time, now she knew it and what to watch for. Yes, there’d be a next time, only without the others. Blackfeather meant to know more about this pool.
She looked to the others thoughtfully. *While we haven’t found any more monster creatures, though that Place of Webs suggests there may be another, I believe this pool has something to do with that creature that attacked the Holt.*
Of course it would be Howler to ask. *But what?*
Blackfeather shrugged. *I have no idea. It’s just a feeling I have.*
He scowled at her reply, but then so did Redwolf, while Freecloud and Brushwood looked uneasy. Blackfeather didn’t really care. She knew what she felt, and it felt right thinking the monster that had attacked the Holt, and the pool they stood before were connected somehow.
She looks around the area one more time, then turns back to the others. *Let’s finish our search, then head home.* The other’s nodded, climbed on their wolf friends and continued on.
They returned home and reported to Windspirit that they had found no trace of anymore creatures like the one that attacked the Holt. Though Freecloud brought up the stagnant pool that seemed to call Blackfeather to it. All eyes turned to Blackfeather, and Windspirit asked. “Called to you, Feathers?”
He looked puzzled, she for her part, showed no expression, and shrugged. Inwardly, she wished maggots would take Freecloud’s tongue. It hadn’t been something she wanted babbled to the whole tribe, until she could talk to Windy about it and let him decide. “It has the feel of wrongness.” She pauses thoughtfully, “Like magic gone bad.” Any Wolfrider with magic would know what she meant. Those without would be puzzled, as many expressions showed.
Windspirit nodded thoughtfully. “I see. Then perhaps for the time being, we should steer clear of it.”
Blackfeather nodded. “I agree. Unless you know what to expect, it would call one into it. It nearly did me. Redwolf had to tackle me to keep me from entering the pool. I didn’t even know where I was at first when his tackle broke the hold it had on me.” Many in the tribe looked uneasy, a few even frightened, like Starburst.
Blackfeather’s thoughts drifted idly on Starburst for a moment. While she hated to frighten the lass, she also knew she was still a cub for a couple more turns. Soon enough Starburst would come into her own. She stood on the threshold of adulthood, it was a scary prospect.
Blackfeather remembered herself at Starburst’s age, she was going to be fine. Judging by the growing closeness between her and Bear-Axe, she’d be more then fine. Bear-Axe would be a positive and steady presence for the girl. Blackfeather came to one final decision. *Sorry Jai. I think I’ll leave Bear-Axe for Starburst. She needs him more right now.* For Hollythorne’s part, she just gave her soul sister a look, but nodded in understanding.