Clink, rattle, clang, clonk.
As Rune made his way across Verinotte Square, he rattled like a bag of bones with the assortment of luck charms that were draped over him and pinned to his bag. The objects ranged from voodoo charms of bone and feathers, to sparkling gemmed amulets and bracelets of silk. As he crossed the square, his eyes wandered to a couple who were stood beside the fountain at the centre of the area. As he watched, the man of the pair got down on one knee, and produced a small box. The girl practically squealed with excitement.
Unfortunately, at that very moment, a magpie was winging its way across the Cursed Wood towards the Hollow. This particular magpie was in a rather foul mood. He had, earlier that day, acquired a rather marvellous shiny bike-light. Though it had been heavy and difficult to carry, he had managed to heft the thing all the way back to the woods and almost all the way to his nest. It had been then, however, that he found himself accosted by another magpie, who had practically tackled him from the air in an effort to steal his wonderful prize.
In the ensuing struggle, the shiny light had been lost to the woods below, and both had flown away with nothing. And so the magpie was positively fuming.
It was then that a glint down below caught his eye. A diamond, bright as could be, being produced from a little velvet box. Suddenly, the day didn't seem so bad. How lucky for him, and how unlucky for the couple below, that he had just happened to be flying low over the square at that very moment. The magpie swooped. The ring was snatched, much to the dismay of the couple, and the magpie winged away.
And then, on its way up, it crapped itself in happiness. The droppings, to add insult to injury, landed neatly in the little box.
Rune winced visibly, as the events unfolded in the space of the few seconds he was watching the couple.
He was keenly aware that their horrendously poor luck was undoubtedly entirely his fault. But he had to go to the shops at some point, right? Right?
Sighing, he pressed onwards. His eyes drifted away from the couple, only to land upon the fallen form of what appeared to be a young lycan child. He gasped, and swiftly ran over to the fallen boy to crouch at his side. "Hey! Are you alright? Hey, say something!" he urged. Rune looked upwards, desperately searching for someone who might know what had happened to the boy, from whose mouth blood was leaking. His eyes fell on the retreating form of a woman, the only other person in the area aside from him and the couple.
"Hey!" he yelled across to the couple at the fountain, "This boy needs help!"
Taking only a moment to abandon their agonised lament for the ring, with some reluctance the two made their way over. "Get him to hospital, or something!" he instructed, "I need to find out what happened."
The young dark-haired man took off after the woman at a run, grimacing with determination. She had a lead on him, and so he didn't catch up to her until she was disappearing into a house some distance away. Gathering his courage, Rune made his way up to the door and knocked. "Hey!" he called, "Hey! Open up!"