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The animals of Hiisi Island speak many things.
Not many hear them, only the Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions goes out of her way to tend to the needs of the wildlife. Some would assume being able to hear the thoughts of animals would make nature even livelier, but with the exasperated look Lauma sometimes shows when talking to them, perhaps it was for the best that we only hear their cries.
But wildlife speak, and lately, they have seen many things.
The Rimehorn Deers saw bright lights approach Hiisi Island, before it was stopped by an even brighter wall of light. The Sniffer Moles spoke of a Man in Red, tainting the grass wherever he walked.
All of it fascinating stories, enough to interest the children at the Frostmoon Enclave. Whether there is any truth in what they say heavily depends on who's telling it, and how much food is being offered in return. But amidst the tales shared, one seemed most peculiar.
Stories of a lady strolling along the shores of Hiisi surfaced not too long ago. Many, both human and animals, have seen her almost every other night, always when the moon shone brightest. She wore an elegant dress, had a mechanical contraption embedded in her back, and sported a scowl that gave even the most stern of Priestesses a wide berth. Despite her intimidating appearance, anecdotes about her vary greatly.
“That’s actually the Fatui Harbinger running the Experimental Design Bureau,” an employee at the Curatorium of Secrets revealed. “She is SUPER scary and has a robot army! I wonder if she knows Ineffa?”
“She scolded me when I went out alone one time,” a boy from the Frostmoon Enclave said. “Told me I was foolish and then handed me some tea leaves that she said would help me sleep at night.”
“She gave me cake,” a Longplume Ibis fondly recalled.
The lady has certainly made an impression on the inhabitants of Hiisi Island; some were curious, many were uneasy. The Frostmoon Scions and the Fatui held a very tenuous relationship, so it was no secret that some would be on edge seeing her traversing their land.
Despite that, she has not done anything of note.
Every other night, she would walk the same path, along the shores and towards the same destination: a rockface on the western edge of Hiisi. But without fail, the Harbinger would visit it, like a shrine only known to her.
The face she wore changed every time she visited.
She would shout curses and stomp her feet, enough to wake up half of the island, before leaving in a huff, her face red as a tomato.
She would quietly sit on the grass and sip a cup of tea, softly humming a tune.
She would stare up at the sky, reaching out to the glow of the moon with distant eyes.
She would break down.
She would cry
And cry.
And cry.
And cry.
And cry.
Until the tears no longer flowed, and all her emotions washed away into the heartless sea.
The lady from the North cried into the night, with nothing but the faint glow of moonlight to keep her company.
She had lost someone close, many moons spent bottling up her emotions, until she could no longer turn away from the reality that faced her.
She reaches out towards the moon.
Hoping for a miracle that will never come.