Death. Everywhere death. The reports were brought to Queen Serena as many times during the Big-Light as there were seasons. A creature of the night, the queen had assured her feathered and furred subjects that they could interrupt her during her daytime roost, as the grizzly findings were uncovered. Rabbits, hares, pheasants and other ground-nesting birds were being hunted down and slain, but left uneaten. And throughout the dark period when the sun slept and was replaced by the moon, the queen’s night-time scouts brought further stories of the wanton slayings. Queen Serena, an eagle owl and huntress, having once been held captive by man, was familiar with many of the ways of her one-time captor, and knew this was not his work. Man generally took with him his quarry. Having been elected Queen by the forest dwellers, once they had overcome their initial fear of the huge owl, she…