Quills and Ravens

Chapter 2 : Into the Unknown

My legs worked hard to get both myself and this sky person back to my cave, tucked nicely between two rocks in the side of the mountain. I ducked into the entrance and placed the sky girl down onto the pile of cloths that was my makeshift bed. An average person could stand comfortably with a few extra feet of room between their head and the smooth rock ceiling. I was just under the average person and was able to walk without constraint. There were crevices in the walls that I used to store my belongings, varying from simple healing plants to clothes and scraps that I gathered during my travels. I poured some water into a bowl and grabbed a random piece of fabric from my stock, taking some time to shrug off my coat, moving silently around the cave as I did so. Once I felt I had what I needed, I dropped to my knees next to the Sky girl with the cloth and bowl of water.

I dabbed lightly at the wound on her head, noting her olive complexion and the black streaks that decorated her face. I moved slowly, working around the wound first, then wiping her face clean. The injury wasn't bad, nor was it deep, and I could tell that it would heal quickly. Her trip must have been excruciating, whatever she went though, and I watched her eyes flick back and forth under her eyelids as I worked. Reaching her mouth, I noticed that her lips were dry and cracked. Recalling the heat that was coming from that metal box, I couldn't even begin to imagine what she had to endure.

I worked quickly to re-soak a clean cloth and drip water into her slightly parted lips, watching as each drop worked to rejuvenate them. I'm assuming this was the thing that helped bring her back to the land of the living because her eyes snapped open and her back arched as she took a deep breathe. Her erratic movement tossed the bowl of water into the air, spraying water all over my front. I could feel the black wrap around my chest cling tighter and I couldn't help but flush red, tossing on my coat before the Sky girl noticed.

"What the fuck? Where am I?" She spoke slow, her voice filled with wonder and confusion as she raked her eyes around my cave. I watched her process the information before her and could tell the moment that fear began to creep into her eyes. The moment she found me crouching over her.

"Who are you?" Her brown eyes raked my body, noting the bloodied cloth and overturned water bowl laying next to her. She reached up to her head and winced as her fingers grazed over her injury, and her wonder returned when she realized she wasn't bleeding. Her fingers grazed over her watered lips and she looked back up at me.

"Skaifaya." (Star) My voice was raspy, I hadn't talked to anyone in awhile, but I guess it matched my rugged look. I couldn't help myself from reaching forward, just enough that my elbow unbent, but I quickly snapped it back.

Confusion crossed her face and I could tell that she was putting two and two together. I was indeed not from her kru of sky people, but I also wasn't aggressive and trying to hurt her.

"Who are you? Did you help me?" She pointed at the cloth sitting next to her, and the obvious water dripping from my bangs. I gave a short nod, adjusting my demeanor. Show no weakness. Don't give her something that would make her think she has the upper hand. I stopped myself from showing her the curiosity in my gaze by turning my head away, gathering my supplies and getting to my feet to put them away.

"My name, it's Teho. Who are you, Skaifaya?"

I heard her take a sharp intake of air, probably stunned that I actually spoke her language. She moved from her prone position into a seated one, I could see her movements in my peripheral vision. It was slow and shaky, possibly from the head wound, or maybe from her nerves.

"Raven. Reyes. My name's Raven." She raked a hand through her hair, pushing the loose strands back towards her ponytail. "Is this... Am I on Earth? Where's the pod?" Her hand returned to the ground below her and she picked up a fistful of dirt, letting it sprinkle down through her fingers.