Eis Fräulein - Lucia (eisfraulein) wrote in st_margarets, @ 2017-02-06 12:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: lucia avery, location: by the ocean |
Narrative: A Body Found
WHO: Lucia Avery
WHEN: A few nights after THIS
WHERE: The forest near the ocean
It was easy to know which way Lucia had been going. When she flew in her small form above the canopy, the treetops bent, heavy with frost, pointing in the direction of the small faerie. Tonight they were pointed east towards the ocean where Lucia was planning to busy herself with transferring shiny rocks into the nooks and crannies of an old tree.
She was singing to herself as she flew, a sweet song of nonsensical nature that was accompanied by the cheerful sound of bells. Nearing the ocean, Lucia ducked under the treeline and zig-zagged through the branches with a trill that was answered by an owl. She paused a moment, listening closely. Owls didn't always know that she wasn't food and Lucia had already had to scold one this month for trying to capture her in its talons. The sound didn't come again. In fact, the forest edge seemed to be much quieter than normal.
Lucia felt a prickling of warning that something was not right. She couldn't pinpoint it, so she set to work cautiously. The pebbles on the beach were worn smooth from the waves and Lucia was looking for the shiniest ones to give to the tree. As small as a wasp, Lucia fluttered over the rocks until she found one that caught her eye. With a tiny grin, the winter faerie dove down to pick it up and inspect it.
An ominous feeling washed over her and her tiny head lifted. There in front of her, washed up against some debris, was the pale face of a man. Lucia let out a shrill shriek. She dropped the pebble, a blanket of frost emanating out from her like a pulse of winter that coated everything nearby. Startled, she darted back to the treeline, taking cover with a family of forest mice. Her heart was beating as quickly as theirs, her eyes just as wide and frightened. Humans weren't meant to see her in this form.
When the man didn't come after her, she cautiously peered out of the mouse den. Clasping the mother mouse delicately by the ear, Lucia whispered, "Don't be afraid. I will protect you." She nodded. The mouse didn't appear to understand and remained frozen in fear with her babies tucked up against her sides.
Lucia would protect them, but who would protect Lucia?
She had to be brave.
Cautiously, flying one foot at a time, halting to listen and watch, and then moving another foot, Lucia approached the man. He hadn't moved. His eyes stared out blankly. His face wasn't just pale, it was ashen. "You there!" She called. No response. "Come out this instance and apologize to my friends!" Still nothing.
Lucia transformed into her big form and stomped closer. She pulled the debris away from the man with a hard tug, grunting as the branch caught under his weight. The body shifted, frost and all, and rolled onto its back in the sand. Lucia gasped and stared with wonderment. He was dead. The human was dead. She was mostly certain it wasn't her that had killed him. The tug hadn't been that hard and the frost would've only caused frostbite. Nothing major.
That was when she saw the deep gashes in his chest and side. Heart and liver were missing. Judging by the marks on his flesh, Lucia thought it might have been an animal of some kind that had ripped him open.
Lucia wished she had her camera. What a wonderful subject to photograph.
"It's safe!" She called to the mice. Rubbing her hands together in front of her, Lucia pressed them against her lips and paced. What was she supposed to do now? She wondered if he could get his body to a safer place to study. It would be fascinating to see what else was inside. Then she would let his body naturally decay when spring came. She would observe the entire process as he returned to the soil.
Right. She had to tell Mr. Cavanaugh.
Lucia transformed back to her small form to fly back, but before she turned, something shiny caught her eye. Something shiny always caught the eye of the faeries. Coming closer, Lucia found a silver chain dangling from his fingers with a pendant of a fox on it. Carefully removing the chain from his dead fingers, Lucia carried it into the air and flew back to the Academy as quickly as she could.
Mr. Cavanaugh's door had a gap at the bottom just big enough for a faerie to slip under.