Snow Hawk: The Death of Snow Hawk

[sharringtonm]

One look at her set his blood boiling, and the strange thing is.. he didn't know why. He'd seen horned creatures before, helped hunt a few with his tribe too. But this girl, her very presence made his teeth grind. His senses reeled and his fingers tightened around the grip of his bow as he approached.
"No.. my oath prevents this.. and this is not like me."
There was no doubt she felt the same towards him, her words betrayed the supernatural tension between them, as if they were ancient enemies from heaven and hell, brought forth into this time to battle.
Snow forced himself to be civil, but he let a small amount of humor into his voice, just to irritate her, and he smiled as it worked. Finally he forced himself to look away and check on another traveller thru the grove.
Looking back he saw the woman in fierce argument with an elf, their voices raised in fury. His first instinct was to let them destroy each other by committing violence in the grove, but then he felt Nes'Anah in his mind. His brain quieted and his heart stilled and he focused on what was important here.
Approaching the fueding two, he was surprised to find he was forced to defend the rights of the horned woman, much to his non amusement. Finally, he saw the situation calmed, and the peace of the grove was restored, as was his oath to keep.
Flexing his claws he climbed into a pine tree and stretched out on a limb to watch over the grove from a lofty perch and perhaps gain a few moments of sleep in the sunlight.

[sharringtonm]

The tension in the woods grew every day. He could feel the anger and the distrust pulsing through the woods like a heartbeat. The rot the ate away at the forest was affecting everything in it. Twice he had seen travellers nearly draw blood, in the grove, of all places. If only they knew, that what was most dangerous to them, was not the things that hid in the darkest shadows of the deepest glades, nor the orc friends that made their homes in the fens, but the forest itself.

The forest was awakening, and when it finally rose up, all that was in it would be terminated and absorbed, except those few who were bonded to it. For this small miracle, he knew he would owe his life to the druids. Already he had seen elves, who called themselves the woodland masters, fall victim to snaking limbs and twisted trunks. He ahd seen the mightiest warriors running in fear out of the woods to the relative safety of their corrupt cities.

His oath was being tested almost daily now, to keep the peace of the grove, was becoming impossible, now that the very air was raising the tempers of the visitors to the Enedesque garden at the heart of the woods.

His thoughts kept sweeping back to the terror that had killed everyone in the group, yet spared only him, and only because of his oath and bond at that.

[sharringtonm]

His heart ached at the decision that he had been forced to make. He hoped that honoring his oaths would be seen some day as the strong thing to do.
He had been afraid of this day for sometime. That they would ask him to abandon his tribe and adopt their ways for their own. And he knew he couldn't. Wincing he wondered if he would ever be permitted to see his love again. If their favor would be withdrawn.
Returning to the grove he took his postion to watch others to ensure that the peace of the grove was kept.
He couldn't help feeling like he had betrayed his new friends, even though he knew he had warned them previously he could never do anything to endanger his tribe. And what they had asked of him would have done exactly that. Couldn't they see if he broke his oaths for them, that he could not be trusted to do what they wanted? That by their very words they had forced him to refuse their request?
"If I was a liar and a dishonest man.. I would have power, respect, and my woman now. Instead I have nothing but my oaths.

For a moment he privately thought "I wish she would decry me and release me from my oath and her love, so that I may return to the north, and the ways of my ancestors". Almost immediately he dashed the thought from his mind, recognizing it as self pity and not something Tempus would respect.

"Tempus preserve me, I have kept my faith to you, and allowed none to come before you. May you strengthen the Tribe for my sacarifice."

Smiling sadly at a leaf fluttering to the ground he added "I hope Silvanus will not think me wrong in this..."

Over the next few weeks, the Keeper always seems to be busy when Snow Hawk is around. The Aspects are civil, but they seem distracted, as if ******** **** *********, and no longer stop to nuzzle him or play

Slowly Snow Hawk begins to realize the magnitude of his decision, and what the loyalty to his oaths has cost him. He begins spending more and more time away from the grove losing himself in the forest, hunting and fishing, travelling the cold climb to his tribe's camp.. and finding himself by himself.

[sharringtonm]

It had been a long week. So many assumptions had been shattered, so many preconcieved notions broken.

The halflings.. the shaman spoke of them as friendly ever happy and trusting folks, perhaps a bit to lazy but strong of heart. But then he had met a band of them in the forest. Approaching them honestly and in peace, as was his oath, he had treated them as friends, without any requirements. He had opened himself to the forsest's blessing to change his outward self, so to speak to them eye to eye. He was rewarded for his attempts with insults. First they accused him of wizardry, then they refused to speak to him in the common tounge.. excahnging words in front of him in some other tounge. If they wished to hide things from him, then he would leave them be. He had duties elsewhere that needed him anyways.


The keeper. He had come back and tried to explain things, and though much was left unresolved, at least their bond of friendhsip and trust was being repaired. And Snow Hawk had the Keeper's Oath now. He could count on the oath to protect her.


His brothers had been in the vale more and more of late.. though he worried that too many of the tribe in the vale could lead to one of them being influenced by the luxuries the locals lived on.. and grew soft by. Such weakness could infect and destroy the tribe. And to make matters worse, Moon Calf had vanished, none of the tribe had heard or seen anything of her for a few weeks now.


And then the poison in the glade, its very presence a threat to his love, and how powerless it made him feel. He couldn't find a trace of it, and couldn't begin to fathom a way to defeat such underhanded and cowardly a thing as poison.
And then the mysterious woman who had so easily snared all those travellers, convincing them to ignore the keepers warnings and led them into a crypt. No Rhemoraz would ever allow themselves to be taken in like that. He is sure shes connected to the poisonous ones though.. both being in the forest at the same time would be to big a coincidence to be seperate occurences.

[sharringtonm]

It was strange, that such a memory would come to him out of nowhere. Snow hawk perched on the limb of the tall oak, trying to find a comfortable spot to close his eyes when the shaman's terror tale came back to him out of nowhere.

"Years ago, the Tribe of the Rhemoraz was the strongest and largest tribe on the tundra, before the wicked bear tribe weakened us all with their betrayals. Our men were all tall and strong, fierce in battle and fierce in celebration. We were proud of the blood of the strong orc in our tribe as well as others *looks piercingly at the seven year old Snow Hawk*. Giants among men we were and our women were strong and beautiful. But then the night came when we learned that pride could be a weakness as well as a strength. In our pride we declared proudly to the heavens that we were the chosen of Tempus and feared no other god or goddess. It was hard lesson to learn. One of the bravest men of our tribe, he who would have been chief next, and his woman, beautiful as she was strong, were expecting their first child. All knew this child would be the strongest, most fair child ever born to the tribe.

At least we thought we knew that. Our pride had insulted the fickle temper of the Ice Witch, Auril and she came upon the woman that night, and worked her powers upon the child.

When the child was born, it was to much celebration.. until the its first cry was heard. The shaman were speachless, the mother crying. The father was in a near state of panic and rage, unable to be calmed by any words. For Auril had brought out the ancient orc blood in this child, the worst traits of the Orc were repesent. This was no Beautiful child, as strong as an orc and beautiful as a human, no this was a horrible beast.. hideous as a Orc, and weak as a human.

Long, long debates were held on this child, but in the end, there was only one answer, to preserve the strength of the tribe, we must cast out the taint and let Tempus decide it's fate."


Snow Hawk blinked his eyes, realizing he had nearly drifted off thinking about the story. It had caused nightmares for him ten years ago, and had nearly come back upon his dreams again. "How very strange. I will have to seek out Night Owl about this. Perhaps I can find Red Bear and see how the hunt for Moon Calf goes."

[sharringtonm]

"RRRRHHHEEEMMMOOOORRRAAAAZZZZZ!" The cry inthe woods had startled him. Few knew of his tribe in this lands, and of those that did .. he knew of none that would scream the name and then flee into the trees. It was time to seek wiser minds.

The first leg of the journey went well enough.. the storm had abated enough to make good time and he reached the ***REMOVED FOR LORE VIOLATION***land and the camp site with little difficulty. With night closing in he quickly sparked the fire and pulled his woolen cloak around him.

A small friend joined him at the camp.. more burrowing thru the snow then walking in it. Hubei. It was a good thing she was here.. it helped the night pass easier. Easy conversation and idle chatter were all that should have happened this night.

Then the ***REMOVED FOR LORE VIOLATION*** lands opened up.

The man was pale as the snow around him.. and spoke in riddles. Snow Hawk had tried to offer him the warmth of the fire.. and engage him in conversation. ***REMOVED FOR LORE VIOLATION***

But the man had other ideas. For whatever reason... he used foul foul magic to extinguish the flame cursing the travellers to a cold lightless night in the cold climb.. then out of the darkness he attacked Snow Hawk...

Snow Hawk could feel the vitality drain away from his body as his very life was sucked away.. his memories of Nes'Anah.. of the keeper .. of all that had happened in the last few months.. faded into nothingness.

Gasping out a last command, he ordered Hubei to flee to the valley. Reaching up he rubbed the horn of his helm and felt the air around him rip open as it sucked him into the relative safety of the etheral plane. His last consious thoughts as instinct overwhelmed him was that he needed to reach the tribe.. so that they might ***REMOVED FOR LORE VIOLATION***
Wings ripped from his back and his skin took on the sheen of stone .. and what remained of Snow Hawk.. bestial rage and fury launched itself from the etheral plane and up the mountain.

[sharringtonm]

Drip, drip, drip....
An irritating droplet of water tickled his nose.
Cracking his eyes open and seeing only the pitch black, he closed them again glad that morning had not arrived yet. Turning over to move away from the attack of the misreable leak in his tent, he reached back for his blankets to pull the tighter around himself, but couldn't find them. Groaning softly, he felt pain in his arms, legs, and chest begin to arise. Not wanting to remember what had hurt him so much he relaxed his thoughts and drifted back to sleep.. of dreams of strange beautiful women in forests and friends he didn't know.

[sharringtonm]

Screaming in rage and fury he clawed at the tiny crevice in the ice hardened snow above him. If not for that crevice his air would have run out days before.

It had taken many hours of practicing the druids art of shifting to be able make enough room for himself in the icy tomb. And if he had not been laid down with his pouches still attached .. he would have starved already.

He had long since destroyed the nails of his finger digging at the icy crack, in his feeble attempt to escape.

And even thru the sheer panic and terror of being buried alive.. he still knew something else was missing, something had been torn away from him and was lost. He fevered dreams gave glimpses of it... but nothing that didn't dissapear int he fading of dreams when exposed to the light of wakefulness.

Amazing or not.. his dreams had shown him new insights into himself. By concentrating alone.. he was able to produce a small amount of light.. enough to see by. He could feel a song in his head when he did this.. as though a choir of angels were singing in heaven.

His food wouldn't last forever.. fish.. though for the life of him he couldn't remember where he had found the fish. He could only hope.. that someone was looking for him. He knew deep down.. that if no one came for him.. he would find his eternal rest in this cavern of terror and solitude.

[sharringtonm]

The ice above him had taken on a glow as the daylight pierced it. Blinding in its intensity, even when he shut his eyes it seared his brain. How long had it been? Hours? Days? Weeks? Surely not weeks... At least now he had found a companion. In the dawn and the dusk, the light hit just right that if he turned he could see his only friend staring back at him, his friend in the ice. Without his friend, in whom they shared so much in common, who would surely have been driven mad by now, yes... surely mad? Sometimes during the blinding day and soothing night... he would imagine sounds, like digging or clawing, but he knew to trust his hope in those sounds... would be to give in to insanity. The bag of food was almost empty, and his tongue was raw from licking ice for water. Perhaps soon he would die. Smiling inwardly he remembered the sweet feeling of battle, when the God would inspire him to victory, what was his name again? It was becoming harder and harder to separate dreams from reality. Looking down at his scales, he decided they made him sleepy, and he wasn't ready for that sleep yet... not the long sleep. Sprouting fur and claws, he made more room for himself in this prison, but even he could not imagine anything small enough escaping out the air flowing crevice that tortured him at all times with its sweet promise of escape and it?s damning guarantee of death.

At times he would see a beautiful woman reaching out for him, whether it be dreams or real, he wasn?t sure, and at other times he would see blades of poison descending on him, coming within inches of his skin, teasing him like tickling whisper. The light dimmed now, his friend in the ice was back. He smiled at him, and his friend smiled back. He was glad his friend was here, they had so much to talk about.

[ThePaganKing]

Tellesian was at the meeting place, kneeling beside a tree, hidden from pyring eyes as was his wont, waiting for Snow Hawk. "Where is Snow Hawk, just like a human to be late." Tellesian chuckles as he waits patiently.

Hours later, Tellesian begins to get worried. This is not like Snow Hawk, he is a stalwart fighter and companion and they had many things to talk about. Tellesian remembers the talks they have had, about his homeland and all the snow and ice. Tellesian himself hated the extreme cold of the north, but had fought and tracked there before.

Tellesian stopped at the outfitter in Aquor to purchase supplies for survival in the extreme cold. He bought a thicker cloak, hide boots, and a fur lined hood. He also bought some fur lined gloves. He had also picked up some extra healing bandages and water and food.

With a last look behind, Tellesian began is ascent into the cold, looking for any sign of Snow Hawk. Tellesian's skills as a tracker were very good and he had tracked just about everything known and unknown to man. "Will I be able to find Snow Hawk? Something must have happened to him, because he would have made it to our meeting otherwise. I just hope I am in time."

[sharringtonm]

His friend in the ice had returned. He was always there when he needed him the most. They talked of many things, of wars and pigs, mortals and pies. But lately they spoke of only two things, gods and food.
The food had run out. And his god, whoever he was, could not or would not feed him. He could feel his strength draining as the hungry angry pain in his stomache enveloped him. His friend in the ice smiled at him and he smiled back, or did he smile first? No matter. Somewhere deep in his head, he recognized the insanity of his situation, but it didn't matter. What did matter? No help was coming, his life would end here, hungry, frozen, and broken. A noise had been heard for a few days? hours? weeks? now. It came from nowhere and all sides at once. A rythmic pounding and scraping, it burned like a hot blade searing his flesh.
"Make it stop, please!", he mumbled thru bleeding, frozen lips to his friend in the ice.
"Are you sure you want it to stop?" the smiling image asked him.
"What could be worse then this?", he pleaded feverishly.
"Remember the silence, the isolation, the dark? Do you want to return to that?" The face smiled at him and he felt himself smiling back at it.


He looked back at the man trapped in the ice, knowing he was his only friend, the friend in the ice. Wait, no.. wasn't that him? Who ... where... when...?
*Crack*, something... had snapped. Was it a noise from the ice? Was it a sensation from his own mind? He couldn't tell.
He could feel it though. There was something there.. something he knew but couldn't place, and it grew stronger each passing second.

Finally it overwhelmed him.. hope flooded thru his veins and his mind, refilling his muscles witha strength he had long since thought lost.

Thats when the face in the ice vanished. Yet he could still see it. but now it was everywhere. And his friends voice, it doubled,t hen tripled, and contued to grow... it became as if a thousand voices were speaking to him all at once, to go with the thousand faces he saw everywhere.
*Snap*
Now a single voice, his own he realized, was speaking.
"Will I/you/we be saved? Do I/you/we want to be saved?"
Deep in his mind came the answer, a deep resounding "YES!" forced its way past his lips.
"Then I/you/we will be saved."
Cool water flowed over his mind, wiping away the burning fever, the crazed ramblings, the voices in his head, the oscillation of faces.
*CRASH!*

...

Hands upon him, a voice, not his own,"I found one! Hurry!"
Other voices around him,"Its him." "He's alive" "Hurry get a healer"
A lifting sensation and the cold retreated. He felt his mind drift as his body finally relaxed and left him drift off... his only friend, the face in the ice, nestling deep, deep, deep in his breast.

He dreamt of only one thing that day, the face in the ice.

[sharringtonm]

* As Snow Hawk sleeps in the warmth of the Sanctuary, he is tormented with dark and twisted dreams.
In this dark dream, he stands before two versions of himself identical except for the color of their eyes. The version to his left looks back at Snow Hawk with brilliant blue eyes, and has a look of compassion on his face. The version to his right has red eyes, and looks back with a serious expression.
The versions of himself argue, and it becomes violent.
Snow Hawk awakes with a start, and blurts out a word: "Segm!" He is confused, as he realizes that the versions of himself were speaking in odd languages, and that he understood them... *



His eyes open and he is aware. The birds sing, the leaves fall, and the wind whispers to him. Gone is the ice, the hunger, the pain. Smiling to himself he lets himself snuggle coser into the embrace of Nes'Anah and drift away into a sweeter dream.

Days pass and his limbs begin to regain their strength. He is shaken to the core to learn of the death of his tribe, his mother, his father, adn all those he called friend and brothers. Gone and lost forever, a mountain cast down upon them like a blow from the gods above. He visits with the last Warrior of the tribe alive, Night Owl and they speak of less serious things. He knows the pain that the strong half man must be feeling, but to his credit, Night Owl keeps it inside. Of Red Beard and Moon Calf nothing is heard, and it is feared they may have been in the village at the time. Only time would tell.

Each day brings new struggles inside him as well. He can feel two sides tugging at him. One that urges him to resists, curse, and rail against the dying of the light that was once called The Rhemoraz, and another that counsels peace, acceptance, and patience. The memories come back slowly of his time.. of his twin in the ice.. and of the words that were spoken.

Once, he tried to speak of these hardhsips to a learned druid, but the druid was unwilling to listen, too set in his ways, and was very eassy to state that Snow Hawk's sanity was playing tricks on him and that all that happened was a fevered imagination. Of course when he showed him the ring of light that he had awoken wth, the druid was unable to explain it away.

And now today passes, the moon is full, and the path thru the forest is quiet. The stranger with the comfortable voice should have surprised him, but curiously, it was as though Snow Hawk expected him. They spoke of many things.. until at last the veil was ripped away and the truth exposed.

Bathing in the power and majesty of Jayadim, Solar of Lathander, he finally found the weapons to fight the darkness that had begun eating away at his soul.

He now knows a famliy.
He now knows a woman who loves him.
He now knows friends who will shed their blood for him.
He now knows that Eldath, Silvanus, Tempus, and Lathander all have blessed him.
He know knows that Others gaze at him with hungry eyes.

He now knows the path ahead of him.

Now finally.. he knows what he is.... and what a terrible terrible thing it is indeed.

[ThePaganKing]

Tellesian looks about the snow covered landscape, his fur lined cloak close about his body and a thin veil across his eyes to protect from the sunlight, an old trick he had learned from a fellow ranger.

"Gods, I hate this cold and snow."

Tellesian moves with quite ease, looking at tracks as he quickly moves over the landscape, finding little, but enough to track Snow Hawk. He had been tracking him for over a day now and now he thinks he has found the area that used to be his village. Tellesian finds an overturned pot, a crushed wooden...something...a hand sticking out of the snow, a crushed cradle.

"It seems nobody escaped this landslide."

But......Tellesian hears it, a chuckle, a mad bubble of laughter, some low talking, and thinks it may be Snow Hawk. Tellesian moves towards the sound and knows he cannot dig his new friend out by himself. And, he also knows that he doesn't want to be closely associated with Snow Hawk at this time.

Tellesian leaves a trail that a baby could follow and then leaves a notice at the ranger outpost.

"I am sure the rescue team with find Snow Hawk and set him free. I am happy that he is still alive; however, I hope he is still sane."

[sharringtonm]

The sky was dark, and the rain came down in torrents, though neither fact slowed Snow Hawk from movinf deeper into the forest. Still struggling with the loss of his family and tribe, the errand he had taken was a goo dsitraction for him. The wind pushed thru the trees and lightning flashed, creating shadow forms in his vision, where he knew there to be none. He was on edge, and he knew it. He also knew he couldn't keep going like this, his mind couldn't take the strain forever.

The man was waiting for him. Tall, pale skinned, with dark eyes, he made no secret he was waiting for Snow Hawk. And Snow Hawk was expecting this for some time now. His Celestial great great grandfather had warned him this would happen.



Lifting his hands to Snow Hawk's temples.. Vachbathus unlocked the memories buried so deep....


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The vampires attack had left him hurt and weak.. operating on instict alone. Over and over he launched himself feebly into the sky, his granite colored wings flapping madly. Again and again he crashed down into the side of a hill or tree. Finally.. he attained some great height.. flapping, gaining more height, more speed, a feeling of relative safety came over him.. and the instinctual senses lifted. What was left of his mind knew right away that this was bad, when the adrenaline stopped.. so to did his strength.




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A grey streak in the night sky arrowed dowanward past the encampment of the Tribe of the Rhemoraz. Slamming into the nearby mountain with the sound of thunder and the force of lightning. The resulting avalanche destroying every living thing in the valley



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At the fire with Night Owl.. he was ready for the end. "Take my axe, take my head brother. I have earned nothing less."
But Night Owl in his infinite wisdom knew better. He knew who was trully to blame. And he knew to push the young warrior on the path to redeem not only Snow Hawk's soul, but to avenge the tribe.



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Nearby, a gentle hand scooped two rings, tied together by a simple leather string, out of a river, one bound in evil, the other bathed in goodenss, where the young warrior had thrown them, when he had rejected his fathers fathers and all they stood for.

[sharringtonm]

Years in the future.....

"How strange is it, that on that day, the woman with demon blood counseled peace and forgiveness of demons and angels alike, while the Paladin of Honor would urge the destruction of the Demon, even if there was a chance it would destroy a Angelic Being in the process.
How little could each know that my heart weighed heavy that day and the promise of the demon, know matter how vile, began to find seed in my heart.
Seeing the rings in the hand of the woman I love, how terribly that scared me, to know their influence extended past me and affected my family as well. To protect them, I would give anything, but would I, could I, give my soul in that sacrafice?
Tempus taught me to make my answers by forcing it from others by show of strength. But Eldath taught me that answers will come by extending peace to everyone, no matter who or what.

It is amazing how confused I was then. How hard the choice I made was. Knowing now what I knew then, I would do it again, without hesitation. So much drama and wrongs in that time. The Ice hag, who haunted my footsteps, the face in the mirror haunted dreams, the rebels druids who thought to alter the world in their own image. Dust now, like so many others I thought important then. How little their contributions at the time matter now. I can look back and see the intentions in each of them, and how decieved I was in struggling against them, when in the end, we are all forgotten and gone.
My love, her time came and went, when all along I prayed she would out live me.

Even the holy man, faithful of Torm, I too have visited his grave, his name emblazoned with many honors, yet... my day of visitation... none but I knelt by his side to mourn the lost days of his life.

Who will remember me when finally I too succumb to the ravages of time, not even the rarity of my blood enough to keep my body alive.
I was so concerned with who I was, when all along I should have been more concerned with who will remember me when I am gone? What will my legacy leave the world?"