[SRM] The Wind through the Branches

[tokoz]

Far in the Northern area of Scotland, in a mostly unpopulated area, a small village stands. Nearbye, the giant forest reaches up the mountain, and a single road leads back to civilization. The villagers lead quiet lives, but something has them on edge. Obviously, Bran thought, it was whatever was eating them at night. He supposed that was probably more likely than taxes, or the lack of good TV.

Bran glanced at the mission breifing, contemplating the report. A large bipedal wolfbeast. Fantastic. That sounded like it would be LOTS of fun to fight. He grinned a little, but sobered up in an instant. This was no time for jokes. The main worry he had was this. There was a very low number of likely things it could be. It could be a magical wolf, like his Meister.

It could also be a Kishin egg, which seemed unlikely, based on what he had seen and read. It could be a witch. That would be extrenmly bad. Or... Bran mentally groaned. It could be a werewolf. Werewolves were monsters, and if it was, it seemed not to be strong, from the description. But it would be a BUGGER to fight.
He put his hands behind his head, and looked over at the shorter girl near him."What's the plan? Interview some locals, or head straight out?"

[Singer]

Singer looked around, surveying the village with her strange eyes. This poor people tortured by a strange wolf, it must follow the children even in their dreams. Mother's sitting awake at night terrified for her family, running to the child's aid to stop the screaming before the monster came...before it found them. Father's sitting in the living room with whatever weapon they had to fight back with. They must all be so tired, so horrified. Singer was disgusted, and terrified herself. if that creature out there was one of her own, a magical wolf, she would have to kill it. She would find somebody that isn't so different from her, someone who understands her pain, she would have to kill them. She begged with all her heart that it wasn't the case. She begged it was just some kishin egg, some monster, that she already knew how to hunt. A creature that wouldn't remind her of those cold days with her brother, her mate, with her pack. A creature that wouldn't remind her of her family. A magical wolf, after searching to find somebody who understood her pain, she was finally afraid to find one.

A creature running down from that beautiful mountain to attack and kill people. That wasn't like a wolf, a creature that was shy, preferring to run from humans than hunt them. Only when winter was at its worst had her pack ever bothered to attack a human. It had only come to that a few times, when hunger drove them mad, but still they didn't walk into a village. They hunted down travelers that were well into the forest. It was strange, this wolf had a mind like a human, like a killer. It could think well enough to know that it was in no danger, to want to hunt humans in a town. That forest looked well and healthy enough to support a pack, and all it took was one witch to fool around to make a magical animal. That's all it took to create a wolf with magic. It could just as easily be a kishin egg a magical wolf. Deep in her heart though Singer knew that it was far more likely a magical wolf or a werewolf. Something close enough to her that her heart broke just at the thought of killing it. Singer took a few steps forward, they knew their target, they knew what it was, they didn't need to scare the villagers.

"I believe it would be best not to bother the villagers, they must be terrified as it is. The more daylight we have to catch that thing the better. Lets just head out after it, alright?" Her voice shook betraying her personal fears, and she didn't care at that point.