Avian

Peter felt the sun on his cheeks as the morning rose.   The rays of light journeyed through the huge trees and found him at the base of a large redwood.  He lay nestled in the roots that protruded out of the earth.  Peter stirred as he began to wake, drowsy from the wound, but surprisingly, not in pain.  As he adjusted himself, he felt his shoulder where the wound was.  He was shocked to find a neat bandage of foliage that was stuffed into the flesh, stopping the bleeding.  But as he was distracted by what had happened to him he failed to see that there was an Avian standing just a few feet away.

Peter looked up when he heard the faint sound of wings in the air.  He gasped in surprise to see an Avian! He stood on a small fallen tree near Peter.  He was aged,  and had a short grey beard, his wings looked tired and were a grayish brown, it was Warren.   The Avian stepped back and lifted a hand, cautious of Peter and his intentions, as he shifted toward him.

Peter was amused at the diversity of the Avian race.  He remembered Ava and Kanza.  "Are you... Waren?" Peter asked as his eyes were fixed on the Avians confident stature. 

The old Avian let out a shallow sigh. "Where is Ava? What have you done to her?!" His eyes held animosity toward the human in front of him.

"She's in danger." Peter started.  "She and Kanza have been taken by a human scientist, and need to be rescued." Peter coughed, the air was chilled. 

"Kanza?" Warren questioned. "WHO's Kanza?"

"Another Avian, like you.  She found Ava, while we escaped to bring Ava back to you." 

Warren was still stern, his wings shifted slightly.  'There are more?' He thought.  He dismissed the idea, and focused on Peter.  "How do I know I can trust you, human." 

Peter felt the weight of the pain he had caused Ava, who would trust him after what he had done?  "Because..." he hesitated.  "I don't want to see her get hurt... again." 

Warrens eyes were wide as he looked down from his perch.  "Again!?" He asked, fear mixed with anger in his voice. 

"Yes..." Peter looked down, ashamed.    "...I had once believed that I was doing something good."  He sighed, and looked back at Warren.  "It turns out I was on the wrong side." 

Warren brows furrowed.  "What do you mean?."

"I... I trained Ava... to obey commands, and serve the organization that I worked for."  He paused, looked down at the patched wound and cracked a small grin.  "But she taught me more than I did her." 

Warren could sense that Peter was telling the truth about Ava.  He slowly unfurled his wings, stretching them outward. 

Peter was amazed at the shear size of his wingspan.  Some of Warrens feathers were slightly ruffled, as the suns light shown through the cracks of his pale wings.  As he did this, Peter could hear rustling of leaves and wings up above.  He gazed up to see that Warren was not the only Avain before him.  Infact, there were more than he could count.  They unveiled themselves as they stood near the edge of branches.  

Peter smiled, mouth open in wonder, as he looked up.  There were children peaking out from behind their mothers and father's wings.  Many of them had bows and other small weapons. 

"If Ava is in trouble, as you say, we will help." Warren looked up to his clan.  "Ava is in need of us!" He shouted.  "Let's not hide in the shadows anymore!"

Peter held his gaze on the Avains above.  Then he watched in aw, as the clan of Avians withdrew their wings, almost blocking out the light with their magnificence.  Warren looked down and closed his eyes.  "I cannot let this happen... again."

Peter was confused at what he meant by that last statement.  But relieved to know that Ava and Kanza now had the strength of their kind.