#baronyofthesilverwolf

Linnea is off with the Baron, and Danica is on duty in town today - Dee can notice that the visiting Treyvon's stallion, Silverdance, is not in the stables.

It is getting towards dinner time, but Dee knows the horses QUITE well enough to know that this isn't their normal fuss.

And then, a scream! Female, and terrified. It's not close, but the dogs all attend, and even Fledges can hear it now - though possibly not the Thane, Baron and others who have returned back towards the manor. Those at the kennels and at the stables both now KNOW that something is amiss.

Dee mounts her horse quickly and rides towards the scream

Ivan is already racing that way

Art looks at Thistle, wide-eyed, as several of the dogs exchange silent conversation and bound after Ivan.

"What should we do??" The young sidhe looks baffled.

Muppet remains at Thistle's side, but the small terrier is bristled and showing teeth.

"We gotta go help." She takes off running towards the scream.

"Right!" Art doesn't stop to wonder how they might help, but takes off alongside Thistle!

Oh, she hasn't thought THAT far ahead!

Arriving at just about the same time as Dee, the Fledges and Knight see a remarkable sight.

A sidhe warrior, full in the throws of battle! The beast that Sir Trayvon faces is the a good twice his height, with a leatherywingspan triple that... wicked claws on the ends of scaled arms and taloned feet, and a whipping tail. The head is monstrous on the end of a long, flexible neck, and with flat, gnashing teeth and eyes that glow. The creature makes a low, burbling cry.

It is held at bay by the warrior, sword drawn and flashing in the sun. His stallion as well is on the attack, lashing out with hooves and teeth, protected by armor! A slash, and a slash again, and the creature is on the retreat!

But that is not the only creature in the clearing... Bluebell is crouched trying to shelter in the crotch of a fallen tree, arms over her head, as a massive bird-like creature screeches and attempted to snatch at her! A creature that would be comical if not for the situation, it looks almost like an oversized dodobird, but for the wicked curve to it's beak. Flaps of the stunted wings only get it a little off the ground, as it tries to peck, or claw, the terrified pooka out of her burrow.

Thistle's eyes widen at the monster... but... Bluebell.

The sidhe can face the dragon. "HEY! Dodo-face! Leave Babs alone, you overgrown chicken!"

Ivan races forward, a snarling fanged dog to position himself to shield Bluebell!

"Jwaaaark!" The dodo-esque creature squawks, turning to face Thistle and Art. THESE two morsels are not annoyingly stuck under branch and leaf!

Muppet leaps forward, as do the other glennies - there is now a thin brindle line of small, plucky dogs between the Jub-Jub bird and the fledges, even as Ivan goes to Bluebell's side!

Dee withdraws a lance, and charges the Jabberwock, "Joust Club never says Die!"

"Yeah, that's right! Get bent, Foghorn Leghorn!"

"You leave her alone!" Art cries as well, and looking around, finds a rock that he hucks towards the bird!

The Jub-jub bird looks offended by Thistles remarks, and plods towards her, only to get it's toes Chomped by Muppet. It shrieks!

Trayvon looks surprised as Dee joins the fight against the Jabberwock, but he grins jubilantly, and redoubles his attacks! Clean of limb and swift of motion, the warrior is a deadly attraction, beauty and danger, weaving and striking. "It came from there!" He cries, and points to where a thin gleam is visible, at first it just looks like a bit of mist, but it trails back up and into the clouds. "Don't let it land, and we can drive it back the way it came!"

"Good boy!"

"Drive it back? I'll skewer the damn thing, it scared Bluebell!" She knows the lance has reach and turnbs her charge into an up thrust

The small rock that Art throws bounces off the bird's chest, and does little but distract it for a moment. There are bigger rocks - that one over there is twice the size of Thistle's head. But too heavy to lift.

There is a large branch overhead that is grey-brown and cracked, it might fall upon the bird, if there was a way to break it free.

"I haven't a vorpal sword on hand, do you?" Treyvon quips back, enjoying the fight IMMENSELY!

Thistle squints. "Art, could you throw a rock at that branch?"

D'Lavender's thrust with her lance skids off the scales of the Jabberwock's chest, but lands right in an armpit which causes it to flinch in pain! The head weaves and snaps, missing the Satyr just barely - and Treyvon takes advantage of the distraction to lunge forward and snap a cut at it's head, severing one long, spindly horn. THAT makes the creature roar!

"I don't know!" He tries another throw, and it skids off the branch - there is a clear crack, but it might take more weight to knock it loose!

"Alas, no" Dee grins , all her emotions running full tilt, then she sees what the kids are trying "Try again. We'll keep it distracted"

And she goes for the eye!

The Bird was distracted by the rock for only a moment, before beady eyes whirl back around and land on Thistle. "QUARK!" It bounds forward, bowling the glennies to either side like pins!

Dee's jab lacks the force of the proper joust and as such does NOT skewer the Beast through the head, but it still punctures the eye of the Jabberwock and causes it to change from roars of anger to squeals of pain! It thrashes without meaning, without aim, wings and tail going wild.

"Hey!" She dodges to the side.

Treyvon is watching alertly and he leaps in the air to avoid the thrashing tail, and ducks to avoid a wing... the other wing might buffet Dee in the head if she doesn't dodge deftly.

She looks over to the tree, searching for a handhold... if she can climb it...

Muppet clings to one foot and drags the bird off balance, and instead of landing on Thistle, the dodo trips and goes beak-first into the ground! It won't stay down long, though...

Art throws more stones at the bird, distracting it as it tries to flap back up, now with another Glennie hanging off the other wing.

The tree is smooth, most of the bark decayed off the dead trunk, but... Art's eyes suddenly go wide, and he yells, "Thistle, do the jumping thing!"

Ivan leaps on the exposed neck, remembering the words his mama told him When it shows it's neck, that's either surrender of a consent to a killing!

"Oh! Right!"

"Up, up & away!" She stomps her foot on the ground and... jumps! (Fingers crossed!)

Dee dodges, and resteadies herself and her horse

Ivan latches onto the Jub-Jub bird, only to find that it's not a proper bird at all with soft skin - under the feathers is thick, scaly hide, and while he can sink in his teeth, it's as wide as his head! And, he is now at prime target range for those back claws, coming up to try to shake and claw him loose.

Thistle feels magic whistle and pop around her, like the flames in her kiln, building up like a bulb of glass that expands as air is blown into it, and she finds herself propelled up through the air, and onto the branch overhead!

Mischka has watched and realized that this Not-Bird has a big fleshy tail instead of just feathers, and CHOMPS onto the bird's butt! It Squeals, and is distracted from trying to disembowel Ivan!

"Yeah-heh! Damn!"

She balances on the branch, and grabs onto a nearby one for extra security before she STOMPS on the crack.

Ivan still gets wounded, but not as bad as he would be if not for Mischka

A crackle, and it seems like the branch won't budge... but then Citrine, the one Never that has stayed with Thistle through this, zips down and stomps on it too with a tiny little yellow foot!

CRACK! That last bit is all it took, and the branch crashes down upon the bird, crushing it to the ground! Thus restrained, the dogs set to, and it is quickly dispatched.

Thistle laughs, precariously clinging to the remaining branches.

"Here, I got you!" Art holds out his arms below.

Meanwhile, the fight against the Jabberwork has become a rout! Losing a horn made it mad, losing an eye made it scared, and it pumps it's wings furiously, gaining altitude and scrabbling to return on the wisps of the sky trod that are quickly fading away.

"Art, I don't think that'll work..."

Treyvor laughs and shakes his bloodied sword after the fleeing beast!

"Uh.... oh!" He goes over to the truck on the tree, and whips his belt loose, wrapping it around the far side of the trunk and using it as a levering agent to quickly climb up. "I read how to do this in a book!" Reaching the height of the branch, he reaches out a hand to help pull Thistle back to where she can regain her footing.

Ivan is bloody but victorious