I12DT - Burning Cobwebs

[Samantha McManus]

At that point, it was evident that the trees around the coven had ravens perching on nearly every branch.

"Get away from her. All of you," came dozens of voices in their heads, seeming to come from all sides.

[Trini Thompson]

"Run! Now!" Raven yelled, and it's not like the other three needed much encouragement at this point, scrambling away.

[Samantha McManus]

"You're not going anywhere," the voices rang in Raven's head.

It didn't seem like a request.

[Trini Thompson]

"Raven Bloodwynd," was all she said, sitting down, trying to stop her thumping heart.

[Samantha McManus]

"You're going to release her. Now."

[Trini Thompson]

"Yes, I am."

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah seemed to pick up right where she'd left off, screaming.

"Get away from me!"

The air around her finally does catch fire before exploding outwards in a wave of sheer force, de-leafing the trees and snapping branches.

[Trini Thompson]

...blowing Raven back, slamming into a tree.

[Samantha McManus]

And dislodging a great many ravens, who took flight above the clearing, circling around until it was safe to descend.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah stands at the epicenter for a second, then collapses onto all four, heaving.

[Samantha McManus]

The flock descended, forming into the headmistress. She knelt down by Raven to check on the girl, before looking over her shoulder at Nailah.

"It's over now, love. She stopped."

[Trini Thompson]

Raven did not appear to be fully conscious -- at least, out of it from a knock on the head.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah is still shaking, staring at the ground, burying her fingers in the ground as she forces herself back into the present.

"Is... is she okay?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Hit her head, it seems. We should get her looked at."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Damn misguided little..." she swallows the insult, though it's still written in all caps in her mind.

[Samantha McManus]

"We'll deal with her once she's okay. If you hadn't... I'm not sure what I'd have done."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Sure, I'll pretend that's why I did it..." she mumbles and carefully pushes herself up.

[Samantha McManus]

"I just can't believe she was this brazen after I confronted her..."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Well that explains all the precautions she was taking."

[Samantha McManus]

"I more or less gave her an ultimatum. That this had to stop."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Don't go too hard on her. She wasn't trying to be malicious..." she says, though her thoughts might have a different opinion right now.

[Samantha McManus]

"You know how I feel about this sort of thing. Even if it wasn't you she was targeting."

[Nailah Weaver]

"That's why I'm telling you. She just wants to be accepted so badly."

[Samantha McManus]

"She can't... she can't just do this. We both know where that leads."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Yes... we do." she frowns.

[Samantha McManus]

"The fact that she even remotely thought this was acceptable is going to make this a difficult matter to resolve."

[Nailah Weaver]

"She thought she was just allowing me to see her side. In a very small, almost accidental way it worked."

[Samantha McManus]

"How can you make excuses for her? I know that's... not how you feel about this."

[Nailah Weaver]

"No. It's not. I want to rip her limb from limb right now."

[Samantha McManus]

"And I'm not much better. She made this so damned personal."

[Nailah Weaver]

"She didn't shove me out of the driver's seat entirely until the very end. She wasn't going to harm me. You heard her. She's just... a stupid kid. A really stupid kid."

[Samantha McManus]

"That doesn't change what she did."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Just..." she sighs. "I don't know. This is a mess."

[Samantha McManus]

"Where this goes is going to depend very much on her attitude when she awakes."

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah just nods.