Snow Hawk: The Death of Snow Hawk

[Leaving Hope]

* The Keeper and Nes'Anah are seen as confused and saddened over Snow Hawk's departure, and can be heard speaking to Night Owl about him being deceived.

The Keeper is visibly bothered by the fact that Snow Hawk would believe he was banished from the forest, especially when hearing through a third party. The Keeper is not known for making rash decisions, especially without weighing all sides, and to see Snow Hawk act so oddly concerns him so. *

[ThePaganKing]

Tellesian walked out of the shadows of the trees, clearly disgusted by this turn of events. Of course, nobody had seen him sitting under the trees, in his accustomed spot, hidden in the deep shadows of a tree - nobody usually saw him if he didn't want to be seen.

"How could the keeper do this? How could the keeper banish Snow Hawk, after all he had done?" Elric thinks of confronting the keeper, but disgards this idea, he would merely shrug or say some supposedly wise word that meant nothing to Tellesian. Tellesian had the idea that rangers were not really on the top of the Keepers list anyway. "Mayhap I should confront Night Owl, but no, with Snow Hawk gone and his protection gone, Tellesian would most likely kill Night Owl instead of talk to him." Tellesian knew his hatred of Orcs would win out in the end.

Looking confused, Tellesian looks at the armor he had been given by Snow Hawk and sighs. "Was this all a lie. Was all that Snow Hawk and I attempted hollow?" Tellesian feels a rage welling up inside. With tears streaming down his face, Tellesian opens a secret hollow in the tree that he had made long ago and places the armor inside. He then turns his back on the glade and Sundren, seeking out answers.........

[Leaving Hope]

* The Keeper makes it clear that Snow Hawk was never asked to leave the Grove, and that something is amiss. *

* He is also quite clearly saddened by the rash decisions and judgments made by those unwilling to query the false claims from their supposed source. *

[Gamling]

The fool of an orc Night Owl ran franticaly all over sundren that night, looking for his brother, to tell him of his lies, his jump to a conclusion... Maybe he secretly wanted Snow Hawk to leave the glade, to distance himself from nes'anah, to become one of the Rhemorhaz and not of the Grove, but he knew what he had done was wrong, so he continues to run, looking for his brother to tell him the truth in all of it.

[Leaving Hope]

* Somewhere, a man with intense eyes delights in the chaos, a chaos he created. *

* Somewhere, a young girl with kind, blue eyes is saddened. She wraps her arms around herself like they are wings. *

[sharringtonm]

He still thought of her every day and every night. Her eyes, her skin, the softness of her breath and the music in her voice, would follow him into his dreams. True to his word, he never ventured closer to the forest then seeing it on the horizon. In the pouch around his neck, he still carried the emerald and the two rings, all seemingly lifeless and inert, where once they dominated his decisions.

He did what he could to aid those in the forest, even if was remotely. He had thrown his hand in with the Sundrenites to throw down the terror of the Talonans, and in such he truly hoped it would help the forest and his once family within it.

Sitting on the docks in Mirakus, he stared out over the water, and contemplated where life had led him. He had suffered many losses the path he had chosen, but in the end, he had something no one could ever deny him. He had his honor. No matter what path lay before him, his honor would walk it with him.

Looking down at the pile of armor and weapons at his side, he took a deep breath and began cleaning them. One week of scrubbing them without wearing them, and he would remove the stain of magic. Somehow, for some reason, magical powers had been forced upon him and its corruption had aided him. To cleanse himself, he had to keep himself focused and free of such influence for the week as well.

It was a shame that one of his allies had ignored his demand, had taken it upon themselves to determine what was best for him. It was a blow to his honor, and another strike at the foundations of friendships he had once forged. He hoped someday they would learn to respect honor, though he wouldn’t hold his breath.

And where were his ancestors now? Had they finally taken their war elsewhere and abandoned him to his own life. He had sworn to follow the path of Jayadim, as long as Jayadim remained honorable. And with that oath, he would not call out to him, but would wait till Jayadim chose to summon him.

[sharringtonm]

Reconciliation


Enlightenment

[sharringtonm]

Snow Hawk, kneeling on the hill, waits till just as the dawning sun peaks over the horizon and then whispers, "Jayadim, I need you", to the sky.

Thinking hard on what he wants to say he organizes it in his mind while waiting.

"I need to tell him of Kathryn's plan to to deliver some cube she talks about, to unknown persons, that when Calowyn asked her who they were, she evaded the question, and see if he is in favor of it. If not I must inform her so she knows I will not be able to help her. I'm pretty sure he will refuse it, since she was so evasive and even asked me to swear an oath, when my word should have been good enough for her. But I said I would bring it to him, and I will not deceive those I call friends."

"I must tell him that no progress has been made locating Elric, Night Owl, or Vachbathus. For all that can be determiend all three may have left the valley entirely for parts unknown."

"I must tell him that my attempts working with the Hands, the mages, to produce weapons to fight Vachbathus have ended, no word has come from them. I fear I was ignored and not taken seriously"

[sharringtonm]

Pyras, Red Wizard of Thay

"I really should patrol the forest more often. Its amazing the things you see when you do", Snow Hawk muttered to himself as he jogged up the hill towards the glade.

==========================Later=================== =======

"Its amazing, but I saw Kathryn working side by side with a Red Wizard in the forest, the same one that has been spying on me. Foolish as he is, I would still rest easier if he wasn't in the forest ever again.", he let out to Cirion once they met up around the pure waters of the Ever Spring.

==========================Later=================== =======

"Perhaps I need to rethink my blind trust in her, perhaps I have been played for a fool by the Red Wizard all along, her friendship but a guise to learn of the keys to my past. They'll never get that from me, too many lives would be destroyed it got out, what is at stake.", Snow Hawk thought as he bathed in the Icy River, washing away the grime and dirt of the path finding.

[sharringtonm]

Each day that passes for me show me more and more clearly where the battlelines are drawn, and where honor and trust are kept and where they are tossed aside as weakness.
This very day I have been offered a Devil's Deal, so to speak. I was offered information to help fight my personal demons, from a source that I have come to have absolutley no faith or trust in. The fact that the information was offered freely, made me realize that I would pay greatly for this in the future.

I will not lower myself or debase myself to seek aid.
I will not sell my soul nor my honor to seek aid.
I will not over look the corruption, diabolical intrigues, and overwhelming spite of the Red Wizard Pyras, for my own gain.

My honor is my life.

[sharringtonm]

The Blade:
Forged of Adamantine, it had never been used before, lying dormant in its sheath since its birth.
The Sorceress:
Tiny even by hin standards, this powerhouse of magical energy was not to be trifled with.
The Magic:
Ancient skills lost for generations, they controlled the very elements and bound them to service.

Snow Hawk watched curiously as Sol Sunderkin, the sorceress, work long hours over the blade. He watched her pour magic into it from each of the elements, the razor edge of the sword crackling with electricity and fire.

At last it was done, a blast of heat erupted from the work bench and when he opened his eyes she stood before him with the blade.
Taking the blade before him he marveled at the power flowing thru it. How a few gems and some pieces of paper had resulted in this mystified him, but the results were clear.
“The Unbound Blade”, he whispered to it. Kissing its steel he sheathed it away, and left to find the others.


“I swear upon my honor, that when we find Vachbathus, I will plant this blade in his heart and pray to every god to that will listen to seal it there for all eternity. This weapon will be the instrument of his final destruction!”
So he swore in front of many witnesses in the middle of the trade camp. And he meant it too.

[sharringtonm]

Looking back at the day, it seemed to have gone by in a blur.
First dealing with the the slippery halfling man that was wanted by the Exigo and was continously irritating them more and more.

Then the halfling woman that had rescued the man openly using magic in the Exigo grounds.

He had tried to show her respect by allowing her to freely do the right thing and present herself to the authorities for aiding a fugitive.

After all this was the powerful sorceress that had enchanted his blade to kill a devil after.

And then she did it. She insulted him. And not just once. She insulted him again, and then a third time. His honor would not allow it. Would not stand for it.

Demanding an apology was the best course he could see, but the halfling threw that back with venom at him.

He remember the regret he felt at that moment, knowing that diplomacy had failed completely. But the men that had trained him in the Eastern Lands had been very clear on this. It had to be settled or else it would eat away at him and destroy his honor.

The fact that she refused his challenge of an honor duel didn't matter. That he had declared it and that it would take place at the crossroads where he would wait for her was enough.

Secretly he hoped she wouldn't show up and so his honor would be appeased by the fear and respect.

But this Hin was different; stubborn and defiant. Not only did she walk with him all the way to the crossroads, she continued to try to belittle and insult him the whole way.

Looking back Snow say Hano and Osclow rushing down the road to catch up. Good it was important that people witnessed an honor duel.

Standing a few paces apart the halfling continued to rant and rave but at this point he had quit listening to her words and had slipped into his battle trance. Sliding his weapons slowly out of their sheathes he set his feet and prepared. He watched her fingers, her lips, her eyes, waiting for the tell tale sign of her magic, that would announce the beginning of the duel.

THERE IT WAS!

A few motions and where she was was now empty air. Closing his eyes he entrusted himself to the blind fighting combat that he had been taught and began a wide sweeping blade arcs. At the last second he reversed his grips on his blades turnng the edges away from swing and using the blunt sides. He had no wish to kill her, only settle this debt of honor.
He felt contact and knew that he had found her. It was strange though as he fought it seemed there was more then one of her, that she was all around him.
No matter.
Swing, bash, overhand takedown, and a spinning move designed more to disorient the enemy then do harm. Eyes closed he kept at it, until finally her heard her cry out.

Opening his eyes he looked down to find her unconsious, bruised, and lying at his feet. Oslcow rushed forward to make sure she was allright, while a cry went up from behind him.
"He's killed her"
Sol's awakening disproved that of course.
Amazing how her first words were not of injury or confusion but of a death threat promised to him. No matter. She could not insult his honor again this day.
"My honor is sated, and I have left you your life. I hope you learn to control your temper little one"
Hano stepped forward and quietly asked Snow to depart so that he might try to calm her.
Seeing the wisdom in this he agreed and travelled back the grove, from behind him he heard her cry out, "...barbarian mongrel"

At that moment he felt proud. Yes, he was a barabraian mongrel, and by that he had become the man of honor that he was today.

[sharringtonm]

His heart was troubled by the imbalance and he knew of only one person who had the wisdom to help him. His 'almost' father-in-law, the Keeper of the Grove.

"Father, I am troubled. Last year we banished Karthus from the grove for using magic to teleport here, claiming it endangered the grove.
Today the mage, Mizrah, freely did so and seemed to think himself unconcerned with the any repercussions.
Please help me understand this, does the grove have a different standard we hold one man to and not another?"

[sharringtonm]

He had been given two tasks to complete, Lord Jayadim having honored him with these tests of his perserverance and struggles.

Firstly to track down the one named Elric who's fate was entwined with the god Bane, and relieve him of the sword, Vanitas Vanitatum.

Secondly to track down and bring in for questioning, his tribe brother Night Owl. To answer for his seemingly unprovoked attempts to destroy not only Snow's life, but break up his newly forged familiy as well.

Elric had so far slipped thru his fingers, but he still listened for rumor of him or his sword.

Night Owl, though, was a different story. The pride he felt as he and Hano marched Night Owl into the grove, where the Keeper imprisoned the horc druid, was one of knowing he had served his lord and faithfully discharged one of his duties.

No greater honor could a samurai look for then to please his lord in dutiful obedience.

[sharringtonm]

The cleric from another land, brand new to sundren swung his wicked flail driving Snow Hawk to his knees.

Waking he realized that he had lost the honor duel.

"My honor is my life", he whispered to himself.

Sliding the Unbound blade that was meant for a demon, he instead plunged it into his own chest, in disgrace.