The #Broken_Dagger Forum

"Ain' one blas'ed thing lef worth huntin' 'ere," muttered the Houndsman to his mate, who had sent the dogs loose. the old, rhummy-eyed man shrugged his shoulders, spatting into the leaves,

"Aye, but wot 'is larshi' wonts, 'tis wot 'is lardshi' gits," he answered, sniffing wetly, much to his younger partner's chagrin. Ick. "An' 'is larshi' be wontin' venison on 'is table t'noit, so's wes gots t'do our bes', eh?"

"Feh. 'Is lor'ship c'n go jump in th'... eh? They's on t'sumthin'!"

The suprised lit in the younger's man voice turned into a holler of encouragement as he darted into the brush, leaving the old man to hobble along best as he could towards the racious baying of the hounds.

And it was, of course, that he came upon the scene rather late, seeing only the back of his compatriot as he backed up crazily, knocking the man off his feet.

"Wot? Wot th' 'ells yew..." The old man's protests died out as the younger man, pale as a ghost, crooked forward a shaking finger into the bush.

The dogs were perched in a neat circle, squirming thier bodies and tails full-wagging, tounges lolling. And in the center...

What they had dragged out of the bush was a monstrosity. They couldn't have done it themselves, of course; such a short time, to rip out a young woman's throat, to send blood spraying onto the trees and the surrounding brush. Bare, maggot-white ribs jutted obscenely towards the sky, cavity sunken and bare of entrails. Her had had been almost untouched, lolling obscenely from the torn neck, clouded eyes blank as they greeted the new morning.

So proud of their find, the hounds chose not to pursue the scent of blood... and something else. The trail worn, weaving from the scene drunkenly.

Nightgawns swirled, bare feet making as little noise as possible against the loamy dirt. She glanced over her shoulder cautiously, stopping for just a moment, allowing triumph to sweep over her. Well! She had proved her brothers wrong tonight, hadn't she?

It had all started harmlessly enough; well, not all. They had all snuck out of the farmhouse, open defiance to their parents insistance that they go to bed. As if any child could sleep on such a fine, warm night!

They had quickly grown tired of their game of hide-and-seek before they gathered about the wood's edge on the far field, they boys starting to make furious, whispered dares against eachother. -Stupid- dares, at that, and she had swiftly lost her patience with the lot.

"Look, <i>I'll</i> do it!" With a toss of her long hair, and ignoring the boy's startled opinions, she had dove inwards without a second thought.

She crossed her arms, a small smile playing in her lips as she watched the path she had just come from. She had already decided she would wait here until they gained up enough courage to come after her; oh, and then the <i>teasing</i> that would occur!

A slight sound drew her attention soon enough; after all, despite all the stories, the woods was positively boring at night. The hem of her nightdress scraped along the mossy ground, eyes bright with curiosity. her small hand shoved back brush and bramble as she plowed forward - only to trip across something still-warm.

With a small shriek she lept backwards, pressing her back against the trunk of a tree, a hand pressing against her lips to keep from screaming. Soon enough her heartbeat fluttered back to normalacy, concern taking over as she knelt.

It was a man, sorely injured, curled on his side. His breathing was shallow, his body mutilated and raw - as if something had tried to tear him to pieces. Though matted hair draped across his features, a single eye glazed outwards, half-lidded in pain. Her tender heart cried out even as her hands reached forward, grasping the man's shoulder as she drew even closer.

"Sir! I can get y'some 'elp, sir, are y'alrigh..."

A little too late did she finally take in <i>all</i> of the man's features, her voice trembling to a stop, her eyes widening. At her very touch something flickered behind her; a <i>tail</i>, bushed as a wolf's; that eye that had been so unattentive before rolling with a snap, amber eye with pupil dilated to a pinprick focusing on her; teeth writhed back in a rictus, fangs too large for an unwilling mouth. She barely had time to scream before blood-slicked claws found her throat, only a muffled shriek allowed release.



"Stupid girl. Pro'lly foun' something pretty t'look at or somethin'," muttered a boy to his brothers, they all traveling warily in a tight-knit group.

"Aye. We'll fin' 'er soon nough."