It was hard going today..

Hmmm. I found it hard to further the story today. I'm worried it's getting a little bogged down and as a result I've only added just over 500 words. I'm trying to build towards the first big dramatic event and hope that the writing in the next couple of days will be easier. But here is today's entry, for what it's worth!
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The man was waiting. Camouflaged within the trees at the top of the hillside, he stood looking up into the sky. He smiled when he saw the bird appear in the distance, swooping and dipping its wings. Just as the owl came close enough to make out the markings of its feathers, it disappeared suddenly from view, heading towards a spot at the foot of the hill. Moments later it was back, a small creature caught in its talons.

The man chuckled. His laugh had the same deep, liquid honey tone. “I see you found the one I left for you, my beauty,” he said.
The owl landed on the branches of the tree above and placed the stunned rat next to it, before swallowing it in one mouthful. He looked down at the man, as if to say “I have earned this feed.”
Somehow, the man seemed to understand perfectly. “You deserve a good meal,” he said. “You have done well. Rest now, for our task is just beginning. When the moon rises this evening, we will be ready.”

As if in answer, the owl puffed up its feathers and closed its eyes. By contrast, the man moved restlessly through the trees. He was impatient to be gone. “All in good time,” he muttered to himself. “Once I collect what I have chosen, I will leave this town and never return.” His eyes darkened as he recalled once more the deception of the town from the day before.

From this vantage point, the man could see the entire village. He saw the simple cottages, laid out side by side. He glanced darkly towards the square and the stone buildings of the Town Council beyond. The sun was high in the sky now and the people of the town were going about their daily business. Women moved swiftly towards village markets, selecting fruit and vegetables and putting them into baskets. Men thatched roofs and tended their farms, while closer to town, others sold wares from wooden carts. Amongst all this activity, younger children played and laughed. They chased each other in and out of buildings in the square, until they were scolded by angry parents. Meanwhile older children worked at tasks of their own.

As he watched, the man noticed two children in particular. They were walking side by side, the boy supporting the girl by the arm. In his other hand, a bucket sloshed water over the edge, but the boy didn’t seem to notice.

The man withdrew a pipe from within the folds of his cloak and fingered it thoughtfully. He put the pipe to his lips and blew a few notes…

Troy and Charlotte stopped suddenly. “Did you hear that?” said Troy.
“Yes,” said Charlotte. At once she felt lighter and happier, her fears of owls and curses immediately forgotten. “Where did it come from?”
“I don’t know,” said Troy. “But it is the most enchanting sound.”
Charlotte frowned in concentration. “It seems familiar somehow,” she said.

Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the music stopped. The two friends looked at each other, disappointed. But their disappointment soon gave way to wariness.
“Something strange is happening here,” said Troy and in unspoken agreement, they quickened their pace along the road.
From his vantage point, the man had watched the whole exchange and smiled to himself. “Yes,” he said, “that will work very well indeed.”