An Unkindness

Absinth quite enjoyed the amount of interest she was getting from Aresenn, not expecting him to take so easily to her news. It was one thing to show him her new raven friend, it was another for her to share so much of her excitement about it all. But she felt like she could, because he was her closest definition to the word safe.

“They are very smart, even so.” She giggled at his comment, shrugging her shoulders and disturbing her bird for a brief moment before she stilled. Oops. Nearly knocked Vita off. The bird kraa-ing as it flapped its wings, tiring of being so low to the ground and lifting off to pursue other endeavors. Absinth watched with a grin, eyes focusing fully on Aresenn after the bird departed.

“Maybe if I befriend another, I’ll call it Amare. That one means love.” She said matter-of-factly, peeking at his expression to gauge his opinion of her rather positive names for the birds of death. As Absinth told her childhood story of how her affection for the birds came to be, she felt a validation that he took the story so seriously – listening quietly until she finished. ’Birds of a feather, flock together.’ Came his comment, a direct comparison between her and the raven. With a laugh she moved to nudge his shoulder with her own, grinning at him.“Is that a compliment? You know. Too many ravens, and you get yourself an Unkindness. Whereas crows create a Murder.” The woman nodded, giving him more unsolicited information on the glory of ravens.

wormwood