Our spectators eventually dissipate, but the one with bulky looking horns and a thin mantle remain. And my original visitor, the fledged eagle, he hangs around as well. A weary sigh emits; my doubtful, skeptic subconscious has already summed up the 'why' part to explain what inspires Noah to waste more of his energy on me...(he’d paid for my pitiful existence, an eye for an eye)...I am indebted to him now. But what about the other one? I could only surmise that he found a glimmer of something he liked. Mini me frowns and rolls her eyes as I tail that insane notion with an even wilder possibility. Maybe he saw something useful from within the hollowed rims and nasty, grim ridden husk before him.

Or perhaps, she grates softly, cold rationality rejecting my imaginations, he took pity.

I shrug inwardly, but rather than argue or dwell on the technicalities of their continual grace, I take advantage of the protection they offer. While under (what I assume to be) watchful eyes, my weary mind finally allows the fog to overtake me...awareness drifts off into the protective arms of a quiet void. The flesh is willing and sinks without grief into the envelope of darkness. When at last I find the energy to stir from that dreamless slumber, the broken canopy reveals that nighttime is waning – but hasn't broke. A disgusting, pungent scent hangs in the air...I draw a deep breath and choke on instant regret.

Ugh...

Old wounds combine with six days worth of gunk, both of which is caked into my fur; but I don't dare sink my lips into the foul mess...water...my subconscious pleads, combined with a dry throat and the urge to bath...she makes me braver than I feel. Limbs unhook, scrapping the soft turf as they push assertively against the flattened bed of litter; the knees and joints tremble warily, but they fulfill their command and haul me up. Pins of sudden discomfort bleed from my pectoral muscles as the numb joints moan dejectedly; openly begrudging their crapped sheath. I wince and slowly draw those tingling frames apart, (careful to not strike anything) the tendons feel tight as they move away from captivity. With life returning to my arms and legs, I force myself to get these quivering toes into motion. My wardens are close – but their presence is far enough away to afford me a tiny amount of privacy. If they saw/heard me make that slow trek to the pool of water a stone’s throw away, they didn’t follow in a way I could overhear.

Gradually, the stiffness works its way out, my gait becomes less choppy. Anxious, saucer shaped eyes jerk to the source of every soft rustle, every jaded shadow. Two toned ears dip and swivel, habitually alert despite the confidence that the area is peacefully inhabited by more of my kind. Dirty waves of hair flick idly against my hocks, the motion sends out a flume of dust. Directly ahead is the source of my nighttime stroll, mini me edges forward -- watchful and eager. The meager cascade tumbles from a ledge of high rock like molten silver. Irises settle upon the eroded basin that the spring fed rapids fall upon. The top of the water is smoky and its bank-side is accented with rocks, mud and moss. Toes squish into the cool, pebble laden shoreline. Forelimbs fan apart, offering support while my head falls slowly, lips graze the surface, a warm breath of air sends minuscule tadpoles into flight. The tart moisture washes over my tongue, it is lukewarm, but satisfying for my dry throat nevertheless.

Stepping into basin, rocks jar against my hooves and ankles causing me to stumble forward; jaws clench, drowning the startled whimper that threatens my solitude. A trail of old blood follows me deeper. These hollows fan apart, treading the tepid surface. I gradually beeline to the base of said waterfall, it carelessly splashes into the merry, unkempt pool. By now, the murky surface is up to my chest. Wings tilt, allowing the water to seep between the feathers. My muzzle sets to work, cleansing the muddy streaks from sharp, hungry looking corners. That predator clings resentfully and reawakens attention toward the memory of my abandoned cage.

So much has happened…a daunting ball of tightness builds in the back of my mouth, lungs constrict. I sense the waves before they strike; but I'm unable to halt their consumption.

A sudden mound of unbidden tears spring to my eyes, they sweep the damp corridors as I obsessively stroke layers of infested, dirty hair; attempting to separate the various, impossible tangles. Dirty clumps of it fall into the water as my teeth lash against the grim, shredding root and dirt alike. The sting of necessity brings groggy emotions to the surface, a cracked, heartbroken sob finally wrenches past my gritted ivory. When the majority of the gunk had been cleared, I push beneath the cover of that trickling water, allowing it to strike against my face. Embracing the notion that it would conceal my anguish as another fit of abrupt grief overwhelms me; my fractured mind collapses into a choking mess of watery sobs.
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I manage to keep pace with these giants only because they seem generous enough to adhere. The hunter is far behind us – but his memory is following my hoofprints. I can't stop thinking about it... While we walk in silence, my mind replays those short bursts of unchained pictures from previous days. The smell of blood and fear – the twisted, savage expression on a feline who’d been broken like a thrown egg. The tingling memory of magic as it forcefully knits lacerations and my revives fatigued muscles. Faintly, my frayed senses also recall the aroma of that healer; I remember how his hot breath had washed my wounds with far more tenderness than anyone had ever shown me. In a matter of days, I'd been given more boons and kindness than the entirety of three years.

Our guide speaks, jerking me from those inner afflictions. Ears crane forward – drinking in his voice. But the idle banter didn’t seem like it needed a response. Nor was it meant to be fully understood…no matter how he bent the words to suit my ability. I circle his admission, pinning up questions for later. For now, I held on to nugget he threw and focused on the dark path.

I greatly prefer the evening hours because it brought a measure of relief from the crowding heat – the cooler air felt sweet and the dark pathways aren’t so intimidating while I’m in the shade of titans. These higher elevations are also welcome change to the vulnerability found upon sunken terrain. In the mountains, my feet are in their element; having spent a year growing accustomed to traversing narrow, rigid crags. While our trio ambles along the dark mountainous trails and looming bush…I note a change of scenery, marked by the swelling music of mountainous thunder. From afar, it appears as though the mountain is weeping; great tears flows from those high places down into the foothills below. Collecting into foamy bodies. Amazed by the sheer beauty, I gawk at the vast bounty spread out before us.

The noise of the water isn’t so deafening to drown his voice, but it does when we pause and the horned male turns to us with an alien song. Temples furrow, I frown, mini me is already spouting a retort – she sends it upward, creasing the grim line of my lips with a bubble of air. But his circling frame disappears into the undergrowth before I can say anything. Assuming he’d translate prudent information…I continue to push forward just after he reveals the path into that webbing of leafy rope. The vines snag against my choppy mane and drag across these feathered limbs; his cobbled path thickens, I maneuver it slowly – spreading my wings for balance and lowering my head to squint at the trail.

OC: @Toulouse @Noah - XoX Such long, much ramble! Don't be bothered by mirroring!