Birds of a Feather

Chapter 2

"Pleeeeease come out" Tommy whined for the hundredth time, stumbling over another root. He had been walking for hours upon hours with absolutely nothing to show for it. He could even see the morning sunlight starting to streak in between the tree trunks. The night had long since passed, uneventful stumbling through the dark. He gave up on stealth about three hours in, tired of sneaking through bushes.

His neck was sore with how much he'd been looking up, hoping to spot any sign of an Elytrian. He knew the one he was looking for was hurt, but that didn't mean it would stay out of the trees. They had pretty sharp claws after all, it wouldn't come as a surprise if they used them to climb the rough bark.

Tommy groaned in frustration, slumping back against the nearest tree. He ran a hand over his face, feeling the many scratches sting against his touch. He had fallen through more sharp vines then he could count, littering his body with the thin scratches.

He ran a hand through his hair as he surveyed his surroundings, pulling leaves and twigs from it. He could feel the grime coating his face and hands, making him look like some kind of feral child.

He let out a weary sigh, considering just turning back. If he couldn't find it after searching all night then it was doubtful the hunt would find it. He had strayed further in the forest, much further than he's ever gone. But the problem was it wasn't the usual hunting grounds, this was much further east then that. He'd decided long ago that he wasn't going to find it in the usual spots, why would it hide in human land?

So here he was, stumbling through unfamiliar jungle looking like a raccoon without a home. Tommy let his head fall back against the trunk, tilted up to feel the soft sunlight just starting to touch the trees. It had not yet reached the forest floor, casting its warmth on the endless twisting tree limbs above first.

He let out a quiet breath, closing his eyes for just a moment. His eyelids felt heavy, tempting him with the image of his soft bed waiting for him back home. He wanted to turn back, go take back his lost sleep. But something was egging him on, something deep inside him refusing to give up. It was nothing like the determination he felt earlier to prove himself.

Rustling, the subtle shift of leaves not belonging to the wind, whispered through the air. It was subtle, so much so that he would have easily passed it off as the wind, that is if he didn't know that there was no breeze at the moment.

Slowly he let his eyes open, gaze flicking across his surroundings to find the source of the noise. He made sure not to move anything but his eyes, just in case it was watching him. His blue eyes flickered over everything in the small clearing, more of a less bushy spot encircled by the tree trunks.

He was glad his head was already tilted up, giving him a clear view of the tree limbs above. They twisted and turned around each other, wrapping high into the sky with their viridescent leaves. So many perches, so many places to hide among the thick limbs. He couldn't see or hear anything. It was just the distant bird song, echoing off the trees.

Tommy slowly tilted his head down, enough to see the lower thin branches dipping down into the clearing. He scanned the branches, hoping for any kind of movement. That was when he spotted it, something dark and feathered on one of the lower branches. Its dark brown feathers shook, trembling in the low light of the forest. He couldn't see most of it, hidden by another thicker branch. But all he needed was a window, just enough to aim through.

Slowly he placed his hand on the trunk behind him, pushing himself off as he kept his eyes trained at the trembling ball of feathers above. Keeping his movements as slow as possible, he slipped his bow over his head. He slipped a single arrow out of the quiver, pulling it over his shoulder and letting the tip point towards the ground.