Caging the Bird

[piwakawaka]

When she left the Bar, Tiwa didn't go bird just yet, she could feel a strange sort of Glamour about and being girl was easier. The trail was quiet, no bikers dashing headlong or lost hikers who couldn't find the nice big trail to the top when she found the ball of something.

Carefully she knelt down, it was almost too bright more like a neon light than the warm glow she was used to then someone laughed and the air was suddenly too dense,

"Hello, birdy. No more flying today."

She knows his face and laugh and tries to run and again the air feels solid, hemming her in,

"Oh no, can't have you leaving, much to do with you."

"I'll scream, can't hold me."

Somewhere in her pockets is her poi and she starts spinning and spinning it and starting to chant then she can't breathe, "No tricks though this will make it simpler."

Then the world fades to black as the air in her lungs is stolen.

* * *

The cage is set; beautiful iron full of magic as the floor has been traced with patterns and secrets. He's still laughing slightly when he enters, Tiwa still held in the bubble of air a step or two behind.

Comments

[piwakawaka]

"If we're being completely honest, I thought it would take longer to catch her," he remarks. "But I'm certainly not complaining."

A glance at the unconscious girl.

"You didn't harm her, did you?"

[piwakawaka]

"Drop a pretty ball and the bird will follow the shine. Just played with her air a bit."

With a casual flick, the air around her is removed and Tiwa falls about a foot to the ground.

[piwakawaka]

She hits the floor with a dull thud and he smirks, though it's more of a sneer.

"Birds, always the same."

He moves from the shadows and approaches, circling around the girl like a predator sizing up his prey.

[piwakawaka]

"Yes, foolish things and their lovely sense of honor will call them to save her."

He reaches down and plucks a two feathers from her hair which as they're plucked seem to appear in the air, simple things of brown and white with an extra shimmer,

"They believe their own tales."

[piwakawaka]

"How do you plan on getting word to the others?"

He kneels down and runs his pale fingertips across her cheek, then down to her neck and the shimmer is bending a bit as she stirs, he can hear her pulse in his ears but he reins the urge for blood in for the moment.

"Wait for them to notice her gone?"

[piwakawaka]

"A simple note with our requests to keep them occupied. For they will search and search and not look behind them."

The feathers are rubbed between his fingers with a smile,

"If by the time we decide to let them see her from our place of power, they will be to blame if there is nothing left."

[piwakawaka]

He laughs, a low and threatening sound.

"They'll have no choice."

They will turn over their place of power or they will lose one of their own, it's simple as that and just as simple as a note with their requests. He turns his face upwards to the Mage and grins, showing the barest hints of teeth with the smile.

"And they will search."

[piwakawaka]

"And not find. Wards and iron will blind them."

She starts to stir and with a casual flick, her air is stolen again,

"No one said you could wake. Hardy little thing perhaps she'll last a few days."

[piwakawaka]

"I don't want her harmed," he says. "No more than necessary, at least. If we are to convince them to fall for our trap then they must be able to have hope of getting her back in one piece."

Even if that will not be happening, as far as he is concerned.

He settles back on his heels and watches her from a crouch.

"I am curious," he says.

[piwakawaka]

"The iron will slowly drain her but not kill unless we cut her throat with it."

She's rolled over so the burn on her ankle shows,

"Might leave some pretty marks but they fear it."

[piwakawaka]

He grins again.

"I have no problem with marks," he says. "And a bit of blood might help us if the other Fae need to be...persuaded that we're serious."

[piwakawaka]

"I have always wondered what it is about iron that hurts them."

The scar is traced thoughtfully,

"Does it burn or perhaps it cuts, really must find out."

[piwakawaka]

"We'll have to, it will come in use if the others try to get stupid and cocky."

Which they will.

He tilts his head to the side and studies the scar.

[piwakawaka]

"Its easy enough to find the iron that they fear, so malleable."

With a laugh and the tick, tick of his beads to focus the cage shrinks and grows again.

[piwakawaka]

At the sight of the magic and the swell of the iron cage he laughs, sound echoing about the cold room to break the silence.

"Iron is everywhere."

Even in blood.

[piwakawaka]

His laughter cuts through the air and now Tiwa wakes and her first movement is barely conscious just up and try to fly.

If she thinks about where she's going or is, it won't work so she goes from laying to perched on her toes within seconds as the cage is settled just right.

[piwakawaka]

There's no way she's escaping, the inside of the large building is dark except for a few stray beams of light filtering down from skylights high above, the glass covered by wide strips of metal to keep anyone from breaking in.

(Or breaking out, for that matter.)

"Don't get up too fast, you might get dizzy and have a fall," he says, oh so concerned for her safety of course.

[piwakawaka]

He hurts, nothing good or hopeful left and the Mage is turning to help as Tiwa starts moving backwards, nothing to go up to and can't change yet, but soon and be gone from here,

"Not going to fall."

[piwakawaka]

He doesn't laugh and doesn't even bother moving really, simply watching her. There's no place for her to run or hide in here, and nobody will hear her scream.

"Not going to fly," he corrects, voice still even in tone as he then moves through the shadows, footsteps barely echoing in the quiet.

She's so scared he can practically taste it and it makes him thirsty, but not yet.

[piwakawaka]

Just need one shadow, one something to get behind and fly as she moves ever back.

The Mage grins from near one shaft of light, always a pleasure to watch a master work,

"Sky's still there."

[piwakawaka]

The space is empty, except for the cage and the iron should keep her away from it.

"But you can't reach it from down here," he points out.

[piwakawaka]

She's not looking at the cage and he's making her head hurt, if she can just call enough Glamour, maybe she can shift even with him watching.

One hand goes into her pocket, searching and searching as she keeps moving on her toes, high strung and feathers fluffed.

[piwakawaka]

He's quick and then behind her before she realizes, hand gripped tight around her wrist and his mouth at her ear.

"I don't think so."

[piwakawaka]

Her breath is stolen by fear and all she can manage is a squeak that's almost a chirp before the words spill out, tumbling over each other,

"I'm not important, one little bird, not even a decent bite."

[piwakawaka]

"Lies."

The word is hissed out and he spins her around, hand still firm on her wrist and his eyes are cold and dark.

"You may be a little bird but there are others..."

His lips part to reveal the barest flash of teeth.

"...your family is very powerful, and would be useful to us."