Look down, the ground below is crumbling
Look up, the stars are all exploding
Africa stirred early.

“Thank goodness…”She thought immediately with a curling smile, stretching one foreleg through the still-warm nest of rusty-hued sand, and then the other. It had been only days- maybe a week at most since she and Silas had returned home gratefully into the open arms of their beloved desert family, and already the snowy-white stockings pulled smartly about her knees was tinged that familiar red. Shadowy darkness was cast all about them by the just of limestone enclosing the den, blocking well the slither of half-light shed by a fingernail moon.

Africa was glad for the darkness because it meant she and her feathered friend, could set off while the feral heat of daytime had yet to swell into an overbearing haze. Dragon’s Throat never cooled like the northern flank of Helovia despite its seaside address- such was the nature of the desert, and her family made do comfortably, utilising the sunless hours to their advantage.

"Silas!" She whispered loudly, turning her supple muzzle to the sharp snag of rock upon which he normally roosted (it sat suitably high up from the floor for a Zephyr who preferred not to scrabble in the dust and dirt). "You need to wake up, now," followed a more pestering, persistent half whisper that the little avian could simply not ignore. It was not that he understood her direction- their communication skills were still weak, but that one sound while all else remained tranquil and slumbering, was grinding.
He let out a bothered chirp, a reprimand of sorts, because he had slept little through the night (given that he was truly a nocturnal creature), but Africa giggled and puffed an excited breath towards him as she propped herself up. One beady black eye peeled open and stared down at her, the invisible pupil within, pinning with displeasure. Africa heaved forward in a cloud of sand and dust, but considerately she withheld her ritual morning shake until she had slipped from their bed, out into the mild night-time air.
She looked afterwards, towards the oasis which lay peacefully still and silent in the not too far distance. The young dapple grey knew though that she could spare no such time to freshen by the cool, invigorating waters of the Throat- they really needed to start north as soon as possible.

With a huff she turned to rouse Silas again, more convincingly with an abrupt snort, but her Bonded was already landing upon her; powerful grasping claws uniting once more with the flinching skin canvassing her still knobby, spine. Africa craned her face around to throw a warm, affectionate smile towards him and he fluffed his small mass of sleek ebony feather in return.

Africa hastened north.

The journey had taken them a long time unfortunately, and by the time Africa’s sweat lathered, hot body was swallowed into the humid shadows of the deep forest, the sun had almost risen to its imperial throne in the clear blue sky. So grateful were the heat-stressed duo that they almost collapsed into a heaving, tangled mass together when Africa’s trembling, exhausted legs miscalculated a thick, exposed root and she stumbled.
"Oh!" She hesitated, only just catching herself with the reluctant balance of only one flung open wing. The Zephyr squawked as he too struggled to re-establish his poise, instead fluttering into the much more reliable arms of a thick, old oak. Disgruntled he began to sift through dishevelled feathers, one shining eye fixed to the mare.

"Now, it’s been so long since I came here…" Africa began, pawing at the mess of brown rotting leaves and frail twigs covering the forest floor. I"We should keep moving until the trees grow so close that I can barely squeeze between them.
But we might rest first, don’t you think?" Silas clucked at the trailing sound of her voice as the sentence came to an end, and Africa nodded, presuming that he agreed.