A Silent Cacophony || pt. 6

1661 Words

The rest of the day was uneventful, though it was beautiful and serene in its own right.  Gliding and soaring over the freshly fallen snow provided its own joys and troubles. Namely; Soren was blinded every once in a while when he glanced down at the open ground, the sun reflecting off the snow harshly. However, when the sun was hidden behind large puffy clouds the landscape beneath them seemed like something out of a fairytale. All covered in white and not a soul in sight, it was beautiful.

Amakiir glided peacefully above the trees, having lowered her altitude after they were certain they were outside the massive gryph’s territory from before. As they made progress in their flight the trees became more scattered and thin, a few exceptionally taller ones looming over the rest. The duo navigated through the taller trees, becoming more numerous the further north they went. Occasionally they saw another stryx, usually a corva or tyto, sitting among the trees and watching eerily as they passed. Nothing moved to attack them, but Amakiir was on her guard nonetheless.

As the daylight faded into the horizon the forest came to life. It was such a far cry from the southern forest that Soren almost wondered if they were in a different world.

Stryx and other creatures became active, flying through the trees or milling about on the ground below. With the added creatures to worry about, both Soren and Amakiir were distracted as they flew between the tall trees. Most they got from others in the forest were curious looks, likely because they’d not seen them before, or scattering retreats from those fearing they’d be scooped up. Amakiir seemed more content to watch than fight at the moment however, which was a bit of a blessing as they soared.

When the sun had disappeared completely behind the trees, Soren yawned, stretching and signaling for Amakiir to find a place to set down. They’d been flying nearly the entire day, and it was time to rest before they continued.

Amakiir spotted a clearing in the trees below, and angled her descent to weave among the branches as they approached. She set down lightly on the ground below, shaking out her feathers and folding her wings pleasantly against her side. Soren slipped from the saddle, stretching his limbs and relishing in the way the muscles strained. He set to work removing the saddle from Amakiir and placing their packs on the ground. They acquired quite a few supplies from Thea and Bard, and it was noticeable when it was all laid out. Soren had insisted they didn’t need the supplies that badly, but Bard had been impossible to convince otherwise. He’d likely have placed the packs on Amakiir himself, and to prevent loss of limb Soren had finally relented.

Amakiir set about digging herself a space in the ground nearby, pulling branches and bushes towards her to build a temporary nest for the evening as she did so. Soren watched with amusement briefly, before setting about building a fire to keep them warm in the chill of the night. The flint and steel made quick work of the tinder and dry brush he accumulated and set up, and quickly enough there was a small but warm fire dug into the snow.

Next, Soren moved to lay out his sleeping mat. Propping up the lean-to shelter he’d been given by his friends, he admitted it would be nice to avoid any breeze from behind while capturing the warmth from the fire in front of him. The furs and blankets made for a nice addition to his sleeping area as well, and when he was done setting up he was pleased with the situation.

Soren pulled some jerky from one of the packs and ate that as he laid on his mat, covered by a few of the blankets and basking in the warmth of the fire. As he relaxed he realized he was far more tired than he thought, barely able to keep his eyelids open as he watched Amakiir doze in her nest. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep under the lean-to, covered in furs and content as the fire dwindled before them.

--

Soren woke sluggishly, body clearly not ready for movement as his brain slowly alerted him to wakefulness. It was completely dark, the sun clearly very far from rising as Soren blinked as his eyes adjusted ever so slightly. Panic rose in his chest when he realized it wasn’t simply exhaustion holding his body down. He felt paralyzed, unable to do much aside from wiggle his fingers and toes. His eyes widened as his breath quickened, suddenly very alert and focused.

His mind screamed out for Amakiir, praying this was a horrible dream. But when he looked over towards her nest he realized she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. His anxiety rose, as if it were even possible, as he realized there was a figure in their small camp.

His eyes strained against the darkness, desperate to see what it was that caused fear to roll up his spine and settle at the base of his neck like a threat on his life. There was a slight glow coming from their packs, where the figure was hunched over and apparently rummaging. The light brightened when the creature pulled something from the front pocket, and Soren realized it was holding the stones they’d found days before under the rocks.

With the soft light coming from the rocks, he was too panicked to even be surprised, Soren could pick out the features of the thing invading his space.

It was a woman, or at least he assumed so. Long silvery white hair that seemed to absorb and reflect the light cascaded down her back, so long it was tied to her belt with a thick leather strap. Her body was covered in a pure white cloak, adorned with elaborate details Soren couldn’t make out the color of in the dark. Her back was turned to him, but he had the feeling he was being watched regardless. His breath came in short, panicked bursts. The woman began to turn then, and the fear a crescendo in his mind. It felt like an eternity as she turned, the light from the stones illuminating her features when she was finally facing him.

The fear washed out of him quickly, as if the floodgates had been opened and it flowed out of his veins. There was a small smile on her face, delicate features conveying no threat. Her eyes were like crystals, pale blue and glowing in their own right as she stared Soren down. Distantly Soren thought he heard the crashing of branches, but he was mesmerized by the woman before him.

With a wave of her hand the paralysis on Soren’s body retreated, and he lashed out and sprung up from his sleeping bad in retaliation. His muscles groaned against the sudden movement, and it took all his strength not to collapse on the ground at his feet. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan, but it felt blank. Far off as if in a dream, Soren heard the soft screeching of Amakiir.

The woman approached him, then, feet barely making a sound on the ground. He looked down and noted dumbly that she wasn’t even wearing shoes, and briefly thought that she must either be cold or crazy. She stopped barely a foot in front of him, and he met her eyes reluctantly as his heartbeat quickened from the proximity.

“Your bird is safe,” she said in a whimsical and soft voice. Soren let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’s been holding.

“Amakiir,” he said simply, words apparently too hard for him at the moment. Almost as if on cue the massive harpia glided into camp, crashing into the ground and rallying around Soren defensively. She screeched at the woman in front of him, who to her credit only flinched slightly. Amakiir moved to lunge for the woman, and Soren didn’t have the energy to try to stop her. However, a second harpia emerged from the darkness behind the woman, spreading its wings wide and screeching in tandem with Amakiir.

It was pale in coloration, but its feathers had a sheen and glimmer to them that Soren immediately recognized as starlight. It stood protectively behind the silver-haired woman, roaring at Amakiir who hesitated in her attack. Soren took the opportunity to place his hands on her chest, urging her to back down. The situation was unprecedented, but he didn’t get the feeling they were in immediate danger.

Amakiir resisted against his urgings, but ultimately relented and instead curled defensively around his form. He turned back to the strangers, noting the Harpia was also calming, though the woman had never lifted her gaze from Soren and Amakiir. The silence in the wake of the screeching birds was almost more deafening that the noise had been. It thudded in his ears and Soren belatedly realized it was his own heartbeat. Just when he thought he couldn’t take any more of this silent staring contest, the woman broke it.

“Friend to Thea?” she asked, curiosity in her voice as she gestured to the gear that he had obtained from her. Soren nodded, and suddenly all the tension between them snapped and faded away as the woman laughed. It sounded like bells and music on the cold breeze, and Soren released his death grip on Amakiir he hadn’t realized he’d had.

“Be calm,” the woman said, waving oddly in the air as if she were brushing away a slow flying insect. Finally, Soren felt the strength in his legs give out as the adrenaline left his muscles, and he fell to the ground. He heard Amakiir screech and bend over him as his mind went fuzzy and blank, but then there was nothing but darkness.