Corvus had been alone when the fire had started to spread. A commotion outside his den, which had been not-so-conveniently located in the thicket, should've been the first sign that something was awry... but he had insisted upon ignoring whatever was going on in favor of more alone time, which the sullen male definitely didn't need. He'd been aware of the strong winds, whistling through the foliage outside, and the occasional crack of lightning.. but he was stubborn enough to ignore it all, willing his eyes to stay closed and his body to succumb to sleep that it seemed insistent on fighting. As soon as the smell of burning touched his nose though, he quickly slipped out of his miserably state and became suddenly alert. Something was on fire, something close, and the smell was overwhelming. It wasn't until he stood and reeled around toward his den's entrance that he realized that the fire wasn't only close, it was licking the ground right in front of his den.
Corvus was normally a level-headed wolf, but in the face of something so terrifying he wasn't quite sure what to do. The flames seemed to grow by the second, licking the unusually dry grasses of the thicket until they stood taller than his head. Sitting and waiting idly seemed like a bad idea - and if he called for help, he worried no one would even hear him. He'd never been that great at expecting others to come around when he needed them most, and this moment was no exception. Wincing, he waited for a gust of wind to blow the flames down and dove straight through them, hoping that no more waited for him on the other side.
The pain was nothing like he expected, searing the pads of his paws and singing the fur on his lower legs. The smell was almost worse than the pain, and a low bubbling growl left his throat at the feeling. Luckily the ground was solid on the other side, and his leap through the flames had been so quick that his coat hadn't remained on fire... though the red and orange flames that filled the corners of his vision didn't allow him a break to stop and see what was going on around him. He thought he heard someone crying in the distance, but stopping suddenly seemed like a foolish idea. Limping away from the thicket as quickly as he could muster, knowing he'd be no help at all with the intensifying pain that suddenly wracked his body.
The dark clouds overhead signified rain to come, though a glance behind him told him that the fire wouldn't be put out immediately. His mind immediately went to his family and though he wished he could go back to help them, he feared he could only hinder any progress. Guilty - that was how he felt. If he hadn't been so trapped inside his own head he could've reacted sooner, and he wouldn't have been forced to literally jump through fire to make a hasty escape. Once he moved out of the thicket to quite literally lick his own wounds, and once the heavy rain started, he knew returning immediately to Abaven wouldn't do any good. In the distance the fires had died out, and his presence surely would only be a hindrance rather than any kind of help... right? He had no useful skills, though he wondered if as Blackthorn he ought to stay and assess any damages. Oh well - he'd be home soon enough, and hopefully his injuries would be a good explanation for his brief absence.
Sighing, he headed north. He'd known where Ignis's uncle planned to stake his claim and he hoped desperately he hadn't changed his mind. By the time he reached the pine forest, after traveling farther north than he'd ever gone, he was quite the sight - he was soaked from the rain, his paws blistered and bloody, and the fur from his front limbs had been visibly singed. Truthfully he probably needed a healer, but even more than that he needed somewhere away from Abaven to rest and clear his mind. At least he'd come to the right place. He smelled Ignis's scent on the borders, and was glad he'd done at least one thing right. Wearily from travel and his little fire encounter alike, he lifted his head to the sky and let loose a soft call for his friend. Overhead the sky looked as though it was still on fire, morning finally breaking through with a vivid read sunrise sneaking over the horizon, and though the earth was damp, the rain clouds seemed to be breaking to make way for a clear sky.
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