Migration Patterns

2

In spite of a valiant effort on the part of their sentries the majority of the inhabitants of Kilamon village were slaughtered by the second wave of the invasion. The women and children had fled at the sound of the horn, going deeply into the tunnels below their homes. In a central cavern they gathered as the males fought, and were overwhelmed, by the scalders. Frostwings were by nature sedate creatures. Although attuned to Death and Air they had shunned their dark creator after he spurned them. Since then they had kept to themselves fighting only when threatened and normally driving away invaders. But these were different. These deformed creatures seemed to revel in the destruction they caused, killing with hardly a thought and taking no prizes from the fallen victims. Once downed the bodies were incinerated by the flames exploding from the shields of these imps.

After all living creatures in the village were destroyed the invaders burned the huts in the village without bothering to loot them first. Then they simply moved on in search of a new foe.

Rrawenna and her infant son were among the first to return. Their home was destroyed and nearly all of their possessions were destroyed. She sifted through the charred remains, strewn about by the storm and the passage of many pair of feet. Rrawenna recovered a small carving her husband has crafted. Made from a walrus tusk and shaped like a polar bear it was a remarkable likeness of his battle steed. She removed a small silver chain from her neck, threaded the ivory bear onto it and clasped around the neck of her child. He looked up at her with bright eyes and batted at the white statuette with his front paws. Rraweena smiled at him then returned to her search. She found a chest pack with all necessary straps intact. After strapping it on she picked up her son and placed him inside so he could draw extra warmth from his mother's body. Into the outside pockets she placed the remaining items she found: a few strips of dried whale meat, two iron shuriken (engraved with her husband's crest), a kilogram of seal milk cheese and three sets of clothing for the baby.

After the search was finished she sat down to rest and noticed that he son had fallen asleep in the pouch. She stroked his head lovingly and muttered, "We really need to find you a name."

3

The remaining villagers gathered in the ruins of the town center to discuss the future.

Ghanenna, wife of the chieftain, took charge of the meeting. "There are 37 females, 29 children and 4 males remaining after the invasion. The scouts have returned with reports that the glacial forests have been razed for miles in all directions. We need to leave if we have any hope of survival. We should fly to the south where wood is more plentiful and start anew."

Another raised and objection to this. "The southern climes are inhospitable to us. It is much too warm and we will find no others of our kind there. If our clan is to survive we will need more than 4 males to father the next generation."

The discussion picked up at this and rapidly degenerated into chaos. Rrawenna shouted to be heard above the group. "Quiet!" Once a semblance of order returned she spoke more gently, "Ghanenna is right. We must leave for now but I would prefer to travel as short a distance as possible, just enough to find food and enough material for shelter. That way the children will have enough to eat while we search for another clan and negotiate a treaty to join them."

Further debate followed this but in the end all agreed that this would be the most sensible plan. The remnants of the once proud clan packed their meager belongings and took to the sky, flying low over the surface of the glacier with the setting sun to their right.

Part 4