And Justice For All

The night was dark and a summer storm shook the land with its thunder. Lightning flashed, lighting the way back home. Bowen was sore and tired and soaked to the bone, but she felt accomplished. An injustice had been done to her family. Her brother, her sister, her mother. Payment was required and so she had gone to collect what was owed.

Through Artorias, Bowen had heard what happened to Gwyn. When her brother had come back, injured and half drowned, sharing his tale of this infamous beast, there was no other path before her. In the dead of night, after she had sat beside Art to ensure that he could sleep, Bowen left the castle. She left The Hallows behind. Tonight, she would slip back into her former skin. Bowen would be packed away and Little Bird would slide into place. She had been this other creature for half of her life, so it was easy; natural. Bowen missed her other self. Stitching the two halves of herself together would be tricky and would take time, so she enjoyed being able to just dissolve into her other self.

It took the small woman some time to first find the place where Art had washed up on the beach. Bowen followed the river upwards until she found Arts scent on shore. From there, it was no easy feat to track the giant brute that called himself  their brother, but she managed. Finding those that didn't wish to be found was a specialty of hers. Killing them was a specialty as well, but that wasn't what she was after. There was another prize in mind and she would have it.

The night was dark and clouded, threatening snow. Perfect for the small fae to complete her task. She could smell snow on the air, but it wasn't there quite yet. She had time to get in, get out, and hopefully the storm would cover her tracks. Not that it needed to. The beast would know right where she was. It was no secret, especially considering her quarry.

Bowen found the man fast asleep, curled up on a big, thick fur. The closer that Bowen came to the man, the more she realized that this fur... was her mother. Emerald eyes narrowed as she stared at the bastard. He looked happy as a clam. In fact, was that a smile on his face? No doubt he was pleased with himself for almost killing her brother. Well, no matter what he'd 'won' in his mind, he was about to lose something too.

Picking up a nice sized rock, Bowen chucked it far off into the trees on the opposite side of the man. The rock struck a tree before clattering to the ground, making a fair bit of noise. From her hidden place, Bo watched the man rise with a spluttering start, and move off into the trees, his pelt bristled. He was big. Very big. She could see the resemblance between him and her mother and knew that their blood was no lie. This demon truly was her mother's son.

While his back was turned, Bowen crept out into the open. She had no time to spare and only glanced at the skin of her mother before taking it between her teeth. She turned to run and ran face first into the chest of the slate and obsidian man. He grabbed her by the throat and walked her backwards, slamming the small fae into a tree and lifting her off of her paws. Bowen squirmed as her breathing was cut off. Both dark paws were wrapped around the brute's foreleg, trying to get him to let her free. She tried to bite him, swinging her head and gnashing her teeth, but he didn't like that. The devil rose up onto his hind paws and struck her with his other paw, splitting Bowen's lip and spilling her blood onto the paw that was strangling her. She was beginning to see spots in her vision from lack of oxygen.

By rising up to strike her, the brute had brought himself just a little bit closer. Still struggling, Bowen managed to swing her lower half outwards, kicking the man square in the throat with all of the force that she could muster. It did the trick. Sputtering and gasping for air, he dropped the girl, who also gasped for air. Her neck hurt, but adrenaline did its job and she was able to move quickly while the brute was still choking.

Grabbing the corner of her mother's skin, Bowen rocketed out of the clearing, the grey and black fur flying behind her like a flag. A snarl of rage sounded behind her as the hellhound gave chase. His legs were so long that he was right on her tail. The air catching her mother's pelt was slowing her down, but she didn't have far to go. Breathing heavily, Bowen ran as quickly as her slender legs would take her, the cold air beating at her lungs. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she could feel the heat of the man's breath on the tip of her tail. Then she could hear his jaws snapping behind her. Maybe it hadn't been her imagination...

The end was in sight. Bowen never stopped running and when she dove over the edge of the cliff, she spun, wrapping her mother's pelt in her arms. Before she crashed into the icy, churning water of the river, she saw the demon's face looking down at her over the side. Bowen couldn't help but grin before the dark water carried her away.

------------------

The river had ferried her away much like it had done to Art, but she didn't need it to take her too far. Just out of reach of the man, she found her way to the opposite bank. She exited the river just in time. The snow that she smelled began to fall. Thunder and lightning soon followed as further south the snow clouds gave way to storm clouds. Bruised and exhausted but utterly victorious, Bowen trudged on. The storm accompanied her the entire way. The young woman was still soaked when she pushed through the doors of the castle. Up the stairs she went, dragging the sopping, muddied fur of her mother along with her. The floor and hall would need to be cleaned later, but it hardly mattered now.

Her legs wobbled from all of the swimming and walking and she eventually buckled, slamming her shoulder into the wooden door of the infirmary. No doubt the clatter would rouse her sleeping family, but that couldn't be helped. She had planned to wait until morning to share the good news, but if they woke, they woke. Tired and unable to move any further, Bowen curled up on the stone floor, still clutching the muddied pelt of her mother. A soft laugh of accomplishment ghosted past her bloodied lips and one might have thought her mad, but honestly, she was just so happy to have been Little Bird again, even if it was for just a short time.

"Bowen"