Marbles: The Hawk Who Refused to Die a Virgin

Chapter 40. Snow, Showdown

"That was easy," said Opal as the party traipsed out the back of the Fox God's temple and looked out upon the gentle, shining slopes at the back of Fox Mountain.

The giant had been right, it looked like nice, easy walking. No cliffs. Off in the distance was what they assumed was Boar Forest. A quarter of a mile down the slope was a small, frozen, bright blue lake, surrounded by tall spruce trees.

"Great job convincing that lich, Marbles," said Lucy. "I don't think we could have fought him." "No problem guys," said Marbles, feeling proud.

"I think I can fish us up some breakfast out of that lake," said Opal.

"I am so hungry now it is unbelievable," said Lucy. "I'll get some firewood in the little forest. Marbles, do you remember what wild mountain radishes look like? Maybe you could find a couple? We could eat them with the fish?" Lucy knew that Marbles loved the gathering part of hunting and gathering. This would give him an excuse to stretch his wings and also be a provider for the party.

"On it!" said Marbles, taking to the bright sky. Jezebel flew off after mice in the forest, barely able to conceal her contempt of a fellow bird of prey who went after plants.

"I thought we were trying to help the hawk to lose his virginity, not delicately preserve it like a summer wildflower pressed in between the pages of our family Bible," thought the owl to herself. Not in those exact words, but that's pretty much how she was feeling at the moment.

Opal ran and threw himself on his stomach, body-sledding down the slope with his hands out in front of him. Gnomes are surprisingly good in the snow, their strength to weight ratio makes it easy for them to walk on top of deep drifts. Plus it's hard to get hurt if they crash into things when body-sledding because their tiny bodies generate so little momentum. Opal made it all the way down the slope and to the side of the lake. A copse of sleet stiffened bulrushes stopped him from sliding out onto ice. He got up and wiped himself free of snow, laughing.

Opal walked a little ways out onto the frozen lake and chopped a fishing hole in it with the battle hatchet Languin had made for him. He looked at his reflection in the lake ice. He looked good! A little scraggly, sure. A little rough around the edges, but definitely looking thinner and more rugged. Dashing, I dare say.

Opal was just beginning to dip his bait into the fishing hole when he looked out over the lake and saw his name clawed into the ice.

"OPAL," it read in letters that were almost as tall as Opal was. I take that back, these letters were exactly as tall as Opal was, they even accounted for the blond cowlick he always had hidden under his hat.

"Oh shit I forgot about mountains!" said Opal to himself, suddenly filled to the brim with sickening fear. He had been behaving as if it had been spring, which it was, but this was the mountains, dude. There was snow everywhere!

"Opal!" Lucy shouted to him from the top of the slope, the Fox God temple still visible behind her. She was lying in the snow, clutching her right leg. The questing cat sat next next to her, her blood on its muzzle, her calf muscle in its stomach.

"Opal!" the cat shouted, mocking Lucy.

"Opaaaaaaaaaaal" it shouted again, a yowling semi-serious parody of its own petulant obsession. The cat looked down on Lucy in disgust.

"I'll be back for you in a bit," said the cat. "Say a prayer. Write a note. Do all the things you dumb humans do before you die." The cat took off running down the slope.

Opal tracked the cat running at him like you would a comet in Bizarro World's night sky--an impossibly fast slash of black shooting across the wide bright white.