Jigano shivered as he saw Edy approached him, anger in her eyes. Amalia was right but he didn't know long he could resist the darkness nibbling at the edges of his mind. He tensed to take the hit that he feared was coming towards Rory from the firemage, but the girl faltered, shaking her head as if to knock the buzzing sound out of her ears. The buzzing sound that was growing again in his ears, whining, gnawing, tearing at the edges of his mind. He growled, crouching as he tried to shake off the itching beneath his skin, the laughter underneath his thoughts.
The laughter that he could swear was coming from behind him, from the man lying the snow, the man who had provoked Edy--
hadn't he?
--who had only pretended to get close to him, so he could betray the fox - the bard - the fae - just like the others had--
no, no, Rory would never hurt him, he knew that!
--just like he had been willing to let Jigano die during the deer hunt, and what had the fox even gotten out of it? Nothing like gratitude, no, it had been Vervain who had saved him and healed him, but the only thing Rory had ever given him was scars--
no No NO NO!
--and it was only fair to repay him in kind!
Jigano whirled, white fox on white snow, blue eyes hazy with madness and a rage he fought but could not control. He was small, but he sank his teeth as best he could through Rory's coat into his shoulder, as a wolf had once done to him when he had tried to defend the hunter's kill. Fierce and mad and wild he shook his head, snarling into the night - as much at himself as at his 'prey.'
The laughter that he could swear was coming from behind him, from the man lying the snow, the man who had provoked Edy--
hadn't he?
--who had only pretended to get close to him, so he could betray the fox - the bard - the fae - just like the others had--
no, no, Rory would never hurt him, he knew that!
--just like he had been willing to let Jigano die during the deer hunt, and what had the fox even gotten out of it? Nothing like gratitude, no, it had been Vervain who had saved him and healed him, but the only thing Rory had ever given him was scars--
no No NO NO!
--and it was only fair to repay him in kind!
Jigano whirled, white fox on white snow, blue eyes hazy with madness and a rage he fought but could not control. He was small, but he sank his teeth as best he could through Rory's coat into his shoulder, as a wolf had once done to him when he had tried to defend the hunter's kill. Fierce and mad and wild he shook his head, snarling into the night - as much at himself as at his 'prey.'
