Elsa

There was a mixture of shame and thankfulness that overcame her stomach as he agreed to help her. At the mention of a gift, Edgar, on the other hand, peeped happily looking over to Antaa with a beaky smile, returning her own lovely clicking. He even hopped up and down a few times to show his excitement. This help… it would make his bonded normal again. She could finally be what she wanted to be, instead of shrouded in darkness.

The words however had her confused, she stuck on his statement of not being a burden. That was certainly not a thought most others shared about her. She was either a burden, or only as useful as the task that she was assigned. Bringing him along would ease her worries about facing the God of Earth again, hearing that he was living in the falls, was both a gift and a curse. Instead of ruining the moment she swallowed the brief pain and anger that welled up inside, mostly satiated by the fact that Edgar mentally volunteered himself to get Dawin Antaa from the Falls.

Something else lingered in the back of her mind, and she could almost feel the fondness Edgar had for Antaa. The prospect of going to find fish with her was exciting. He could show his manliness AND get time alone to be with Antaa. It was the first time away from his bonded that he wouldn’t be alone. It was a nice thought having this friend. Elsa’s own embarrassment burned as she wasn’t sure what she should be feeling, instead opted for a brief silence, thankful that Darwin scolded his zephyr. Elsa herself let out a little laugh, while Edgar was all the more indignant. The chatter between the two had calmed Edgar down considerably, and when she looked over, Antaa and Edgar were… snuggling? So once Darwin had spoken, it seemed like it angered the poor bird. He squawked loudly, reaching his wing over to shelter Antaa and pull her closer. How dare he think that Edgar didn’t want her around? Elsa let out a snort, lifting a brow towards Darwin. “I think maybe he likes it too much.” As if on cue, Edgar began to chirp angrily, insisting it was not like that at all.

With that, the icy zephyr looked to his companion, and in one swoop took off into the air. He knew of a small lake nearby with weird pebbles, and he had seen some decent sized fish. Between the two of them, they should be able to bring enough fish fat back for Elsa. Leading the way, the moment they reached the pool, Edgar decided to show his prowess. Diving in, his talons extended as he grabbed up a medium sized fish, hanging on awkwardly but successfully as the fish struggled a few moments before finally falling dead. It was morbid, but Edgar puffed his chest out, proud of himself as he waited on the shore for Antaa’s catch. Quietly, he froze a little boardwalk out to the deeper part of the lake so Antaa could rest if she was struggling. Hey, if worse came to worse, he could always be her knight in shining armor.

Elsa suddenly felt naked without Edgar near, and the words she had formed in her head was a jumbled mess. “I uh… hopefully you’re okay with him trying to steal away your companion.” Her cheeks burned as she nosed the small pendant on her neck subconsciously. “I should probably make that bowl.” She mumbled it, mostly to herself, but to also not continue bathing Darwin in her awkward silence. Within moments, a concaved bowl, formed from ice, stood between them. It was large enough to hold the fat, but she was sure that even with Darwin’s immense heat, by the time she got around to getting to the veins it would have frozen the fat back. “I you would truly go… I can send Edgar to fetch you guys to meet me at the veins? I really appreciate all this. I can't thank you enough Darwin.” She prayed he wouldn’t ask why she herself wouldn’t approach the Falls. This was a conversation she wasn’t sure she wanted to have yet. And she didn’t want him scampering off because she was terrified of his homeland.


"Morbi vestibulum mollis nibh a varius."
@Darwin

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sometimes we expect too much of ourselves,

afterall, we are only mortal.

The Icebound