fire in the sky

"Talk" Walk

They had only been here for a couple of weeks, and he was getting used to the new surroundings and even took it upon himself to patrol the borders and strengthen it along with everyone else. It was a whole lot different here than it was in Abaven, and he wasn't quite sure yet which area he liked more. He stuck out like a sore thumb in the white landscape, but the pines they lived in wasn't as covered with snow as the surrounding areas. The snow actually melted away here during the summer it seemed, giving way to grass and herbs that he was sure any healers they had would be grateful for.

He had gone to his den to sleep early that night, tired after running the perimeters and checking out some of the nearby lands. Though his wolverine companion had gone out hunting, and a few hours later he felt something poking him awake and heard a voice whispering urgently to him. Groggy, he lifted his head to find and hear the little beast mention something about seeing a black plume of smoke coming from the East. Not quite awake, he wasn't totally sure what he was talking about or if it was even something he should be concerned with, so his black cockatoo decided to go out and investigate. He glanced out of his den for a moment and he grumbled when he noticed how late it was before tucking his head back in and promptly going back to sleep. No more than an hour or so later, he was woken up again, but this time...his flying companion had urgent news. "Oi! Abaven's on fiya!" That definitely woke him up.

He ran to the side of the border that led out towards the Eastern lands, but he couldn't see the smoke against the dark sky. He remained frozen on the border, wondering if he should go to Abaven or let his uncle know. Either way, what could they do? They were a little too far probably to make it in time to do anything, and if they did go, what would they be able to do about it? He was still young, and had no idea what help they might be able to give, if any. He figured it was safer here away from the fire that supposedly ravaged the East, but he felt like doing nothing wasn't the best thing, either. Conflicted, he debated himself on what to do. And for several, long minutes...decided to seek out his uncle to at least let him know...

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He couldn't go back to sleep. The hours ticked by and he sat in front of his den, restless and worried. He had woken his uncle up and told him, and he was told to stand by until further notice. He was sure that his uncle was thinking about what to do...but it didn't help to soothe his thoughts. On one hand, they had left just in the nick of time and managed to avoid it. But on the other...they had friends there. His eyes widened suddenly when he really thought about it. His friend was there, and he found himself glancing in that direction again when he realized that. Was Corvus okay? He started to a whine, a low and pitiful sound forming in his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut and lowered himself to the ground. All he could do was wait for now...at least until morning. If his uncle didn't come up with something by then, he would go by himself. By this time, he was drifting in and out of restless sleep. And as the sun started to break over the horizon, he was woken up by a soft call nearby.

His head shot up and he scrambled to his feet. He recognized that voice! Without hesitation he raced to the border and to his immediate relief, found Corvus standing there. The smell of smoke and fire surrounded him, and with it he could smell blood. He didn't stop until he was practically on top of his friend, skidding to a halt a mere foot or so from him. "Corvus! I'm so glad to see you! I heard what happened, I-I thought something bad might have happened to you..." Internally, he was kicking himself for not just going to Abaven. But at the same time, the only one he was really worried about was standing in front of him now. He looked him over with a concerned look, and although the situation was likely pretty dire, he couldn't help what came next. "Man, you look like shit..." He frowned and sought to close the distance, aiming to try and lick some of the soot off of his neck if he let him.