Walkabout

It was nearing dawn when Corvus awoke, stirring for no apparent reason. It wasn't much earlier than his usual wakeup time, so he decided against trying to get a few more minutes of sleep. Carefully untangling himself from Twig, who was curled up beside him, he slowly pulled himself upright. His movements were painfully slow, so as to not disturb her from her peaceful slumber. Only when he was satisfied that she was still sleeping did he creep from his den, immediately shivering at the cool air. It was hardly cold - Corvus had been to the north, albeit not in the winter, but he knew it could be far worse - but it was a far cry from the warmth that emanated from Twig's sleeping form. Casting a glance back at her, he began his trek across Abaven's territories, deciding he'd start his morning patrol a bit early.

As he walked the sun was just beginning to near the horizon, painting the edge of the dark sky a pale shade of pink. The world was eerily silent, and by the time he reached the edge of the thicket he decided he ought to go a bit further. There was no excitement this morning that he could note, no sign of trespassers or that anything was amiss, so by the time he made a good dent in the borders of the range he decided to head east, toward the ocean. Since they'd abandoned their claim on Ibis Islands he wondered if anyone had gone back since to visit, or if another group had settled down there. At the very least it would make a good temporary hideout, abundant with herbs and with enough prey to feel a small group. It hadn't been able to permanently sustain Abaven, and traveling there wasn't practical with all the young ones running around.

Letting out a content sigh as he walked, Corvus made his way up the slight incline that lead to the cliff. He'd been here before, but not often; he wasn't necessarily afraid of heights but he wasn't a big fan of them either, even if the view was admittedly breathtaking. He was feeling more relaxed than usual though and decided to enjoy the view, since the sun was due to rise and the display across the eastern sea would no doubt be even more spectacular than usual. As he neared the cliff's edge he spotted someone just down the stretch of cliff he'd climbed to, poking around in the meadow. They were unfamiliar to him, but he was curious as to who their neighbor might be. Or maybe she was just passing through? Letting out a friendly bark of greeting, Corvus redirected his path down her way, nudging his bandana back into place after a gust of wind tried to whip it around his neck.