Fahrad, the grand master rogue of Ravenholdt, stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the practice ring below and took a long drag on his cigar. Master Kang was working through his quarterstaff practice while the groundskeeper, Simone Cantrell, pottered about the yard. The quiet routine of the early morning, just as every morning for countless years, spilled out before him. Soon the air of the training grounds would be ringing from the clash of weapons and rank with the smell of blood of those training to be among the best of Ravenholdt's rogues. He found it amusing how the mountains cupped the hold as a pool of poison in the heart of such a naturally beautiful setting.
Someone was flying towards the mountain; to Tauren Mill perhaps or Aerie Peak, but he made no effort to confirm either direction. To do so might raise questions, dangerous questions. The gryphon suddenly lost altitude at the back side of the Durnholde ruins and he hazarded to guess someone had important news for him. He dropped the cigar butt on the wooden floorboards and crushed out its fire.
The messenger found him perched on the balcony railing and held out a small square of paper to him. He reached out to take it just as the man stepped backward and away. He bared his teeth in a wolfish smile at the other's cautiousness.
The paper still had it's original seals unbroken and a single word was revealed when he opened it, 'Winterspring'.
His prey had been found.
The wind buffeted Ceawlin where he stood among the bare, stunted trees, carrying with it the promise of a storm in the swirling snowflakes briefly obscuring his vision. Winterspring was not as harsh as the far regions of Northrend but it would do, he thought grimly as he set his cleaned sword back in its scabbard, especially now with night on the march. He packed the fresh hide on top of the others and then adjusted the covering over them before tossing the meat from his latest kill in the storage hole in the snow bank.
He had lost count of how many days he had tracked the bear, who was proving to be damned elusive. The hunt had gone on for longer than it should and now what little money he'd had was almost gone. It had been bad judgment on his part to agree to payment in full upon producing its head. He looked to the west where the setting sun glowered behind the mountains. There was time enough for one last tour of Ursius's known haunts he decided, and then he would have to withdraw to Everlook for the night.
He packed more snow over the meat, then reached for his spear and gave it a look over. Its broad head was made from white ravasaur claws and the short crosspiece of twice forged iron. A sharp tug confirmed both were firmly seated on the long, heavy shaft. A final check of the rest of his gear, then he hefted the spear and headed downwind from the cache. He had positioned it north of Everlook's flightpath, knowing the bear often prowled there looking for scraps the wind riders dropped. It was also on the way to the town's one entrance and if his hunt proved fruitless then he would just go in for the night. The hides and the meat, or at least most of them, would keep until morning.
With the last of the sun's light the snowfall grew thicker and he scrambled up the knee of a low rise for a better view. He saw something move through a vision blurring spate of snowflakes and he stopped to see what it was: bear, owlkin, yeti? The white on white form resolved into a four legged animal – a bear! Excitement coursed through him as he wondered if it was indeed his quarry. He climbed higher to get above the animal as it stopped to dig at something in the snow. He stood up and readied his spear but before he could attack, the bear looked up at him and charged, snow flying as it clawed its way up the slope.
Sylvie's tits, he silently cursed as the animal came closer, the damn thing was a monster! No other bear was that big; it had to be Ursius. He set the spear's butt against the ground, steeling himself for the rush of at least two thousand pounds of angry bear. At the last second he raised the weapon, its point aimed dead center at the animal's chest. The impact shattered the set point and he leaned on the spear's shaft as the force of the impact pushed him across the top of the rise. With a teeth jarring slam the butt of the spear caught again and he could have sworn the hardened shaft had bowed. The bear's roar was deafening, its snout inches from his face, but the crosspiece held it back. He turned away from the mouth full of sharp, white teeth.
There was another roar from behind him, a yeti by the sound of it, and he had bare moments to brace himself before it struck him on the back. Just his damn luck one of the large humanoid creatures had been close enough to have been drawn by the noise. Another blow landed, slewing him to one side, and he blessed the strength of his plate armor to absorb most of the damage. In front of him the bear strained against the spear again, determined to work its way up the shaft to reach him. The yeti hit him on the back of his helmet, making his ears ring, and he put out one arm to steady himself. The bear lunged again, catching his arm in its teeth and he roared in pain as its teeth punctured his gauntlet's plating.
He kicked the bear in the face and it released his arm to shake off the blow. His second kick hit it in the eye, stunning it just long enough for him to use the animal's dead weight to push the yeti back far enough for fighting room. He drew his sword as he got to his feet and slashed the large apelike creature's belly open, turning with the swing to slice through both legs. The yeti crumbled before him and he remembered how his drill master would bellow 'put your back into it' as he brought the weapon down on its head with all his strength.
The bear struck from behind, bowling him over and sending him sliding across the snow to crash against a boulder. Dazed and shaken he tried to stand but his legs would not obey him. Ursius weaved from side to side as it studied him, gathering itself for a final charge. The spearhead had caught in its heaving chest but the shaft had been broken off too short, rendering it useless. The massive bear lumbered towards him and he realized that if he couldn't out run it, all it had to do was fall on him to kill him.
Cursing, he gave in then to the will to live and called upon the Light to heal. The holy power, long denied, poured into his body bearing with it the corruption of fel magic and for a moment the sacred and the profane fought for dominion of his mind. He opened himself up to both and the hunger in every particle of his being roused with such ferocity he groaned out loud as the demon magic's seductive fire coursed through bones and flesh, threatening to overpower him.
A rumbling growl from the bear brought him back to the here and now and he saw that it had crawled closer. It coughed and a trickle of blood ran down its jaw. He looked into its dark eye and saw his death waiting there. A laugh burst from him then as he wondered what was the use – why not end it here.
He couldn't do it. He could not lay there and let the beast kill him. Allowing a small thread of magic to seep through his control, he cast a minor heal and then the aura of devotion, the protective spell enveloping him with a faint ringing of chimes. He got up on knees trembling with the joy of new found strength but he dared not try to stand.
The bear had managed to shamble close enough to attack him. He called upon the Seal of Light and he could not help smiling as its glow enveloped him. So shall you be judged, he whispered and released the seal's energy. The huge bear's head went up as the magic tore through its body and then with a groan it collapsed in the snow and slid to a halt against him.
Settling back on his legs, he stared into the empty eye of the dead beast. He had vowed to never use his stolen Light given abilities and yet here again that promise was broken. Apparently his honor was not so great that he was willing to die rather than break said vows. He raised his hand and with one finger traced a slash in the air, thinking, there's one more sin on the pile.
