The creature’s eyes were large and looked panicked, as he tried to loosen the knot holding the anchor. He sure was taking his efforts for his scarce meal, or his fear for an angry mother. But I couldn’t let him take my child!

I put Cebyr down near the shoreline, looked him dead in the face and held his shoulders firmly. His eyes were big and tired, we had been running for a while now and he was hungry, tired, and confused. I think he knew what I was about to say, the tears already filling his eyes. I gave a deep sigh then started:

“Mommy is going to do something dumb and reckless, sweetheart. Stay right here. If I’m getting too far away get RIGHT back to Smorts Indrink, ask one of the nice men over there to make sure you’ll be safe okay?”

His eyes flowed over again.

“You… You’re leaving?”

I shook my head and gave him a tight hug.

“Not for long, I promise. Mommy will be back,” I whispered as I let go of him.

With those last words I turned around. I skipped and hopped along the slippery rocks to get closer to the kobold, trying my best to keep my balance while making haste to get to him.

At some point I nearly missed a boulder, planting my face into the rock. I don’t know what made that cracking noise but it sure hurt! I somehow managed to hold on, those quick reflexes of mine coming to use for once. My head started throbbing in agony, my wet feathers only making my movements heavier. I was nearly at the ends of my wits, but no matter what...

My hands would be the ones holding that child at the end of the day.

He had just gotten the anchor loose, the boat immediately drifting along the stream aimlessly.

“Will you get lost already, stupid owl?!” he yelled, holding my baby in one hand, the other frantically trying to paddle to avoid the rocks.

I took a few steps back, and with the adrenaline rushing through my body I jumped in good faith. I managed to get fairly close by flapping my wings, but soon hit the water, only a few yards from the boat.

A trail of black ink could be seen leaking from my travelpack, as the dry pages from the book soaked up the water. The water soon took me with it, and with a matter of luck I could take hold of the vessel after being bashed into several rocks coming in my way.

In his fear my enemy had dropped my child, tumbling and rolling from side to side.

With every last bit of power I could muster after fighting the currents, I pulled myself on board.

I took the heavy book from my back, my eyes set squarely on the kobold who was scurrying into the edge of the boat. A fear filled his eyes unlike any other I had ever seen, but I’m quite sure my own were terrifying enough to put anyone into submission.

“You know what you’ve done, and you’re getting your well deserved punishment for it,” my voice was strangely calm, intimidating, way deeper than its usual high pitch. Opening the book, my hands got stained with the black liquid I took years to scribe with. “Alno’em aevill!” I exclaimed. My book started to glow dimly, the light flickering. Its magic and blessings seeping out with the ink. But with a simple spell like this even a shiny rock would suffice.

Holding the book in one hand, I motioned at the kobold with the other, a powerful invisible fist clenching around him and lifting him high into the air.

“I don’t know who you are, what your business is… But you made a BIG mistake stealing MY child!”

I had no more interest in my own safety, in Cebyr’s screams for his mother, the other child at my feet... I was beyond furious and this beast would get the worst of it. I shook him around a few times in the air then slammed his slim body into every rock I could find. His legs broke in several places with every slam, the rocks stained with blood after I lifted his mangled and broken body again. His mangled bones popping with every motion, I shook him violently whenever I had him in the air.