My nose must have struck ground first, because it felt like the only physical part on this body that actually registered pain. Tentatively my nostrils flexed and I instantly regretted the motion when affliction intensified. Finding no reason to rush into calculating further upon said damage, I choose to lie still for a moment longer. It wasn’t broken—but it sure felt flattened. Legs also felt cramped, burning from being overused in the sky. Luckily I wasn’t feeling the full brunt of being physically pushed, mostly because everything felt nulled, numb. I knew limbs, wings, and nose would eventually start aching, and my rash emotional actions would then be regretted.

It was never wise to land with the likeness of a rock—but frankly I could care less what was wise or not. What mattered right now was self-pity, and mourning the loss of a dear friend and brother. What mattered was silence. This cool air felt crisp and good against overheated flesh. I didn’t bother to open my eyes, nor did I care to find out instantly where I had landed. For a moment, the only sounds were my breath rasping, and the cold air whistling past tilted ears, and blissful ‘silence.’

The lack of humidity made each gulp feel well used and jarred senses recovered at a rapid pace until it was almost awkward to not look up. Slowly I opened my eyes, black spots swirled and the ground shifted into heaven; quickly I shut them again out of fear that I would also fall back into the sky. My body tensed nervously; momentarily I was now worrying about not knowing where I was. Obviously my flight had led a clear path north, and into a territory that was farthest from home and the least familiar. Brain pattered along, restarting itself and semi registering amid the sounds of a moan that was my own, someone was approaching. "Eh-hemmm" Blinking a few times until the black spots around my vision cleared I tested the waters and glanced up, muzzle tilting ever so slightly back.

Earth and sky remained as they should be, with one on top of the other. Peering at the individual with half closed lids that still had hints of water slipping to darken and already pitch black pelt. I noticed first that he was white, sort of….lids widened further, no, I corrected. More of an ashen grey. His eyes were white though, clear as the undercoat of a does tail and glassy as the moon.

This body must appear as a mess of flesh, feathers and fur. "You there. What ails you?" He remains at a distance, to which I was thankful.

Though lord, he wanted to chat. Why couldn’t they just leave me be to wallow around a little? My breath comes out as a deep groan, ‘leave me alone’, I plead inwardly. But somewhere inside a little voice cries out, ‘No….don’t go.’ “The world ails me elder,” my chin tucks back down, no longer finding care enough to look up any longer, “My brother in arms is dead, as to add to a growing list of recent afflictions this life has blessed me with.”