------" Tares "------

I first sense a change in the scene when Arbutus drops the pebble and fails to retrieve it. He cranes a long neck and lifts a crested head as if searching for something, and then in a flash he is gone, flying high above me and leaving me alone in the dark once more. I sigh, accepting my loneliness only because I know it is self inflicted. I still regret leaving Aure the way I had; it was rude to begin with, and if I was to change at all, to accept my life for what it was and then go on to improve it, I wasn't going to do it alone. I need help, and it could have been her.

The soft sound of hoofbeats catches my attention, and, with Arbutus in tow, chirping gleefully as if he has brought me a prize, I see Aure's dark silhouette in the entrance to the cave that I have chosen to rest my head. I find myself longing to see her face and the features etched within it, so without hesitation the feather in my mane sparks to life and the cave is lit by the light of my wings.

I had recognized her by her faintly lit appearance before, but now I take it in and feel a sort of comfort that accompanies it. She speaks and her voice is inexplicably soothing despite the melancholy tone she carries with it. Her words at first simply fade into the night; it takes me several moments to fully understand their meaning.

And I realize then how selfish I have been, and I despise myself for it. Iris was selfish- she brought me into this world for her own personal gain. And now I am treating Aure as if she is simply someone who can help me- I've failed to consider the possibility that each time she speaks of someone to help her find her memories, she may have been talking about me.

"You're right, I've been awful to you," I admit with exhaustion and a beckoning pull of my head back from her to the ground beside me. My wing extends upwards and forms a covering for her to rest beneath, should she wish. "Whatever you need, Aure, just ask. I won't leave you again like that, it was selfish." My voice is lowered to a soft whisper in the quiet of the night, and I lift my gaze to meet hers and take in her striking face all at once. Arbutus flits over to me and takes his place beneath my other wing to fall asleep, settling in comfortably with his pebble grasped firmly in his talons.