ULRIC
What had started out as a pleasant morning was soon to take a turn for the worst. He had been southbound to check the perimeter when a young mare in training had chased him down, explaining that something had happened along the Rapax River near the forest and that his presence was required at once. She explained that a murder had happened sometime in the night, and within seconds the roan was a fleet-footed streak of silver across the meadow as he went. On the edge of the forest he caught sight of Tabbris’ impressive form disappearing into the trees, and so that was where he headed.
He hears them first - about half a dozen others clamoring about just ahead, sounding as though they were arguing in firm tones more than anything else. Next, the rotten, putrid aroma of decay assaulted his nose. Wrinkling his nose, Ulric pressed on through the foliage, forgoing all forms of stealth so they would know he was there, and what he saw stole the very air from his lungs like he was suffocating in the fires all over again.
Moore and Casper had become fast, familiar faces to the Warden during his years here, both assisting him on occasion and always a delight to see during Delumine’s celebrations. Moore’s once gentle eyes were now spread wide with terror, frozen in the moment of death by whatever force had brought his untimely demise. Casper was in pieces – the remainder of her snow-like, flawless hide saturated in drying blood. Ulric’s gut twisted and his heart was in his throat, the rest of the world disappearing around him in that brief moment of inspection until Somnus’ voice breaks through the fog clouding his head and he comes back.
“I’ve never seen an attack quite like this,” he remarked, unwillingly casting his gaze across the bloody, wretched scene strewn out before them all. This wasn’t the first murder scene Ulric had seen, but any tragedy such as this would never grow easy to look at. “The only thing I can think that could cause such massive amounts of damage is a bear, but… they aren’t prone to attacking us, and Casper and Moore would have been able to get away. One of them, at the very least.” It had to be something else, but what?
Molten eyes shift then to a red stallion he had never seen before. A stranger having come across something like this was suspicious indeed, and honestly had Ulric wondering if they were perhaps being too lenient on controlling their borders. The trespasser didn’t seem particularly threatening, however, especially after offering his assistance along with that of his court’s, whichever it may be. For the time being, the man didn’t seem suspect. ”Demon blood?” He echoed, casting a circumspect look toward him, ”What do you mean by that?”
The Warden looked then to Somnus and opened his mouth to speak when Sloane’s scathing words pierce the space between them, and instantly his ears fell back, brow furrowed and lips taut. “I would mind your tongue,” he said bitingly, “Now isn’t the time to make assumptions. We need to work together to bring justice to Casper and Moore – not point fingers.”
His eyes fall then to Somnus, ribs expanding with a large breath and then receding as he exhaled heavily. “I’ll do whatever you see fit, Somnus. I can gather a search party to try and track down the monster that did this, or put together a group to take care of the remains. I’m with Eulalie and Pavetta, though – until we have answers, everyone should be inside before dusk.”
@Somnus @Eulalie @Pan @Metaphor @Pavetta @Sloane
He hears them first - about half a dozen others clamoring about just ahead, sounding as though they were arguing in firm tones more than anything else. Next, the rotten, putrid aroma of decay assaulted his nose. Wrinkling his nose, Ulric pressed on through the foliage, forgoing all forms of stealth so they would know he was there, and what he saw stole the very air from his lungs like he was suffocating in the fires all over again.
Moore and Casper had become fast, familiar faces to the Warden during his years here, both assisting him on occasion and always a delight to see during Delumine’s celebrations. Moore’s once gentle eyes were now spread wide with terror, frozen in the moment of death by whatever force had brought his untimely demise. Casper was in pieces – the remainder of her snow-like, flawless hide saturated in drying blood. Ulric’s gut twisted and his heart was in his throat, the rest of the world disappearing around him in that brief moment of inspection until Somnus’ voice breaks through the fog clouding his head and he comes back.
“I’ve never seen an attack quite like this,” he remarked, unwillingly casting his gaze across the bloody, wretched scene strewn out before them all. This wasn’t the first murder scene Ulric had seen, but any tragedy such as this would never grow easy to look at. “The only thing I can think that could cause such massive amounts of damage is a bear, but… they aren’t prone to attacking us, and Casper and Moore would have been able to get away. One of them, at the very least.” It had to be something else, but what?
Molten eyes shift then to a red stallion he had never seen before. A stranger having come across something like this was suspicious indeed, and honestly had Ulric wondering if they were perhaps being too lenient on controlling their borders. The trespasser didn’t seem particularly threatening, however, especially after offering his assistance along with that of his court’s, whichever it may be. For the time being, the man didn’t seem suspect. ”Demon blood?” He echoed, casting a circumspect look toward him, ”What do you mean by that?”
The Warden looked then to Somnus and opened his mouth to speak when Sloane’s scathing words pierce the space between them, and instantly his ears fell back, brow furrowed and lips taut. “I would mind your tongue,” he said bitingly, “Now isn’t the time to make assumptions. We need to work together to bring justice to Casper and Moore – not point fingers.”
His eyes fall then to Somnus, ribs expanding with a large breath and then receding as he exhaled heavily. “I’ll do whatever you see fit, Somnus. I can gather a search party to try and track down the monster that did this, or put together a group to take care of the remains. I’m with Eulalie and Pavetta, though – until we have answers, everyone should be inside before dusk.”
@Somnus @Eulalie @Pan @Metaphor @Pavetta @
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