It would have been better if he could have grabbed a wing, perhaps, to tear and shred and render the bird flightless, to be stalked and taunted and dismembered at his leisure. Instead the leg he had grabbed opened him up to retribution from the frantic fowl as it struggled to get away, and the buffeting of its wings left bruises, even as its beak opened fresh wounds upon the arm he struck with, trying to land a killing blow while his other hand was full of jerking leg and raked by claws.
Then, too, there was his rival to contend with, that insolent child who dogged his heels and tried to steal his kill. He bunched blight-fueled muscles in a rage as he dug his feet into the snow and twisted his body sharply, trying to beat Melita with the struggling bird. Luck was with her, for though it was enough to make her miss her feral attack, striking naught but feathers and padded flesh, she was spared any more than a bruise from being bludgeoned with the weapon most fowl.
The bird was not so lucky. Stunned by its impact with Melita, it went momentarily limp as it reached the nadir of Jigano's swing, and its head impacted the ground with a sickening crunch as its skull met a rock hidden just beneath the thin covering of snow.
Then, too, there was his rival to contend with, that insolent child who dogged his heels and tried to steal his kill. He bunched blight-fueled muscles in a rage as he dug his feet into the snow and twisted his body sharply, trying to beat Melita with the struggling bird. Luck was with her, for though it was enough to make her miss her feral attack, striking naught but feathers and padded flesh, she was spared any more than a bruise from being bludgeoned with the weapon most fowl.
The bird was not so lucky. Stunned by its impact with Melita, it went momentarily limp as it reached the nadir of Jigano's swing, and its head impacted the ground with a sickening crunch as its skull met a rock hidden just beneath the thin covering of snow.
