She pursed her lips and opened her arms as if gesturing to the world around her. When she spoke, she almost seemed as if she was in a daydream. "Simply speak to the west wind and I will hear you. Tell me all the details and I will meet you wherever you see fit."
She laughed out loud, a bright, warm sound, dropping her hands to her sides and heading for the door. "Of course not, Sam," she said cheerfully before opening the door and glancing back at him, the sunlight illuminating her silhouette. "A letter to Alyndar Aspen should find me easily enough. Just write her name on the envelope and mine underneath hers and send it. A-L-Y-N-D-A-R. I should get it the same day." She stepped outside and gave him a small wave and a hint of a smile, her wings extending before they began to move rapidly. "Take care." With that, she took to the sky, flying off swiftly until she dipped behind a collection of buildings and disappeared.
He blinked, his head cocking ever so slightly as he watched her go. Giving a small wave. "Bye.." he said quietly, though she would be able hear quite obviously. "Hm. Right." He shook his head, shutting the door and getting back to work.
Rowan sat on the cove, his brow furrowed as he considered the rabbit in his hands, noting its stiffness in death. He sighed, pulling back the ear to find the small hole and his frown deepened as he preserved the sample, his eyes downcast. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "We'll figure this out. I promise."
There was a disturbance in water. Small ripples wove through the liquid, gradually getting larger. It was still quiet until Tezhki plunged herself onto the shore, heavily tangled in barbed fishing nets. She paid no heed to other presences, delicately unhooking the edge stuck in her hair, causing strange, dark blood to drip onto her forehead. Her posture and movements indicated a sort of rage and ferocity, and she ended up doing more damage than help as she attempted to free the shimmery tail, black barbs cutting in and dripping blood.
He jumped in surprise, reaching for his knife instinctively. It took him a moment to recognize the girl from earlier and he hesitated, glancing between her and the forest before he sighed, approaching her from the side with his hands outstretched. "Hey! You need to stop thrashing!"
She whipped her head to look at him, her eyes bright with anger. Her voice was a sharp hiss. "Don't touch me! Don't come near me!"
He sighed, clearly unimpressed with her reaction. “Oh, get over yourself,” he said, his voice clear and authorative, but with a surprising gentleness to it. He placed a hand on his hip as he studied her and waited for her to calm down, looking slightly bored.“You’re only hurting yourself more. Let me help you.”
"No," she said hoarsely, whimpering slightly as she tugged a bit more. "I don't need your help. You're mean. I can do it myself."
"Evidently," he said with a sigh, kneeling down next to her. "Even though you are currently amputating your tail with your actions." He reached into his bag and passed her his canteen. "Here, drink some water." He pulled out his knife, studying the trap carefully.
She took the canteen, but the sight of the knife seemed to make her panic a bit, and she quickly looked away, trying to hide the fact that she was trembling quite a bit. The barbs hooked on nicely; deeper now that she pulled on them.
He frowned, his brow furrowed as his fingers gently brushed over the trap. His skin was cool and strangely soothing against hers. "Hm. Alright. This is... intricate, but manageable. You need to stay still, alright? No wiggling."
She said nothing, only giving a quick nod as her fingers twitched with anxiety. She shut her eyes, inhaling sharply.
He was silent as he began to work, unhooking the trap from her skin diligently. "So, you might as well tell me your name," he said bluntly, glancing up at her from the corner of his eye.
He met her gaze for a moment before frowning and returning to his work, his fingers working diligently. "Drink the water, Tezhki," he demanded quietly, pulling out his knife to cut away a strand.
