to save a soul

[Zana Avaya Lykoi]

She needed new feathers for a variety of things, and the coming of the mating season gave her a wide rang of fowl to choose from. This time though she had decided to target the annoying tom turkeys who had been filling the air with their horrid voices. She had left Timori at the edge of the field while she slowly stalked to the cove where the noisy birds were preening in the noon day sun. The unusual warmth she enjoyed but it had also made the grounds soft so she was spending more time dodging ground squirrel holes than paying attention to the birds ahead of her.

The tiny woman had in the end had almost taken a wrong step but with a quick jerk to the side she had thought she had saved herself, but the actions had drawn the attention of the large male birds. She had thought they would have disappeared into the woods but instead the beasts surprised her, thundering in a miniature stampede towards the pygmy woman. Thrown off balance mentally and physically she stepped backwards, right into the deep hole that the damn ground rodents had left. She cried out in paint and shock as she fell, twisting her ankle as she fell. The small fae covered her head with her arms, screeching in fear; forgetting all about her own weapon as the fowl were upon her in mere moments.

[Ezekiel de le Poer]

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The swelling in Oblak’s belly had become remarkably noticeable. Ezekiel had been certain she was going to pop soon until he spotted Eira, looking much fatter and still not close to birthing. Another month, perhaps, would pass before they saw foals. This excited him, but also limited his ability to take the mare out for work. Viggo suited this well enough, but the stallion had been given a few days of rest while Ezekiel sorted out which trees would be cut and worked to help repair the Mansion. If they did not, he feared the building would come down atop the heads of those that lived within. While sections of it were stone, most were wood—this allowed for easier modification, but still left him worrying about the structure itself.

For now, though, he was traveling back from the Mansion and moving at an easy pace, the wolverine pelt on his back warm with the heat of the sun. Ezekiel had learned quickly this was something he would have to deal with, but the symbolism and meaning of the quiver was something he kept dear. So focused on his thoughts was the Aquila that he did not catch the scent of his small cousin until her yelp startled him into action. Quick steps turned into a run, which took him directly towards the mass of birds. Snarling, Ezekiel spooked them away from the small woman.

He bristled protectively above her, watching the gobbling birds run off into the woodland. Ezekiel stilled finally and dropped to a knee, looking at Zana with both worry and a toothy smile on his face. “You survive Anathema and a flock of fat birds takes you down?”

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[Zana Avaya Lykoi]

She didn't know why in the world she had taken a weapon she was not fully familiar with using, but it and the rodents tunnelings had been her downfall. She had felt the beating of massive wings and the sharp beaks of the stupid birds about her head and shoulders, curling up tight to protect her belly. Her mind screamed for her to take action but her muscles were frozen solid and her heart just wasn't in it. She had survived the world but so suddenly it seemed the walls she'd kept up so strong were faltering and failing quicker than the spring floods that would be upon them soon.

And as suddenly as it had begun it seemed to end. She kept her lavender greyed eyes closed, her heart racing as slowly those strange orbs fluttered open. She did not expect to find Ezekiel standing above her and her spirit seemed to take another crash as her nicked and nipped at ears pinned back against her skull at his words. She knew she could have taken them.. one or two, but while she would dive head first into a fight to save another's soul she was like an simpleminded child when it came to defending herself sometimes.

All she could do was try and unfold herself, letting her gaze shift away from her leader as she worked on removing her hindleg from the burrow it had crashed through. She let her gaze flicker back to him as she tried to answer. "The birds were smarter..." While it wasn't exactly true, they had known an enemy when they saw one, no matter the size. Slipping into Anathema had only cost her a bit of blood and a small scar.