Chapter Text
She jolted out of her sleep; eyes widened in alarm. She looked around the room, eyes jumping from corner to corner. Her fur was stiff and fluffy. She heard nothing but the heartbeat from the wolf pack and the quiet breathes from the children upstairs. Her eyes dropped to the floor, the razor smile on her face turning into a scowl. She stilled the shaking of her claws.
The quiet of the house remained as she left the wolf den on shaking limbs. She stumbled to the living room before she left after a glance. The living room is bare.
She collapsed on the front porch. A whispering breeze passed in the cold spring air. The world around her stilled, waiting for her to do something. She curled up and waved a quill and paper into existence. The world erupted into a symphony of life; the hypnotic sound of water droplets, frogs croaking, the distant sound of an owl played in her ears.
There was an outlier in the forest's symphony, the scratches of a quill on paper.
She finished her letter then sent the letter off to Grian's. Her scowl lifted, eyes lights giving off a soft glow like fireflies. She blinked then the dim glow was gone, replaced by hard, white light.
She walked up the spiraled stairs and into the room with the human. She stood in the doorway, the sound of rapid breaths and a pounding heartbeat in her ears. She entered the room slowly. She approached the bed as if a snake was coiled and ready to strike. She looked at the child and couldn't help feeling stumped. No one else entered the house; no one is here. So why is the human's face scrunched up in agony?
She brushed her hand over the human's face, pulling back at the violet flinch from the child. Her hands hovered over his body. Her tail swished. She tried to recall anything about humans tossing and turning in their sleep. She drew a blank.
Pinching the bridge of her snout, she decided to do what she does every time she has a nightmare or feels any overwhelming emotion, flood the room with magic. She put as many positive thoughts into the magic she could muster. The magic acted as a weighted comfort blanket, warm, almost like a hug.
She watched as the child's face relaxed, eyes no longer scrunched, breath returning to normal, and heartbeat turning into a smooth rhythm.
She took a deep breath as she entered the hallway, magic still erratic after using it as a comfort blanket. She stalked down the hall, taking deep breaths. She is fine. Everything is fine. Everything is findisfineisfineisfineisfineisfineisfineisfineisfineisfineisfineisfineisfineisfineisfine-breath. She slowed to a stop in the hall. Blood, there's blood on the floor. She looks to the side, closing her eyes. She takes a deep breath. Smoke assaults her nostrils. She takes a step back, her eye lights enlarged and unseeing. She looks down. Her hands are shaking, the smile on her face flairs to life.
"Ha-ha, HA HAHA HAHAHAHAH HAHA HAHAHA HAHAHAHA!"
Just as it started, it stopped, crazed smile gone, the hallway clean, the smell of smoke replaced with the familiar scent of rosemary.
She looked around. She's home. There is no fire or chains. Just her pack and two children, her pack and two children. The kids. She should check on Technoblade.
She hesitates, lower half feeling like stone. She fumbles in steeling her resolve. Things won't get done if she stays put.
With a mountain on her shoulders and frost creeping into her heart, she goes turns away, feet silently gliding over the cold wooden floor.
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He woke up to the sound of tapping. His eyes drooped as he looked around. He glanced up; the lanterns were on. The tapping continued. He left the chair and looked around. He walked past shelves but couldn't find the source of the tapping.
Cawrrr Cawrr
He perked up. A crow? He felt a rush of nostalgia. He ran through the library and came to a window.
Cawrr Cawrr
He fumbled with the latch.
"Come on."
He continued struggling with the latch till it snapped with a crack. The window flew open. He found himself on his back.
A large black bird flew in, landing next to him. He glanced at the bird. It's bigger than he thought.
Cawr! Cawr!
He stared at the bird screaming in his face. The bird stopped to stare. He slowly got up and closed the window, eyes never leaving the bird. He slowly backed away.
"I'm just goin' ta go."
He zipped back to the chair. He slowed down to a walk, eyes looking around for the bird. He started sifting through the shelves, not sure what he was looking for. He gathered the books and sat down on the chair. He stared at the words. He couldn't understand a thing. He tried with all the books, nothing. He stared at the cover.
Cawrr cawrr
He looked up; the bird hopped on the arm of the chair, looking at the book. It pecks the cover.
He shook himself from his stupor, shooing away the bird. It cawed but sounded like it was laughing at him. He huffed at the bird. He paid it no mind when it flew off. He put his focus on the books, eyes narrowing.
Cawrr cawrr
He sifted through the pages.
Cawrr! Cawrr!
He turned the page.
CAWRR!
He slammed the book shut.
"What?!" He hissed.
The bird innocently stared at him, beady eyes unblinking, then turned to one of the shelves, nodding its head. He turned back to his book but got a peck in response. He rubbed his ear, grumbling over birds being annoying.
The bird flew over to a book on the shelf. He raised a brow at the creature. The bird darted at a book and pulled it from the shelf, toppling it over. However, there was no sound. He watched as the bird held the book in its claws and it in his lap. He looked from the raven to the book, his ears twitching.
He hesitantly opened the book. Surprise blossomed in his chest. The pages were a step-by-step guide, with pictures, on how to use a sword. His white eyes sparkled, attention poured into the book, not noticing the bird chortling at his energy.