Winter's Voice

The valley

Xink woke up the following evening. A bold feathered creature, barely reaching her ankles, attempted to taste her leg. Such daring, it must be really hungry, she thought. Not feeling her best, she only shooed it away with a slight growl: "Stay away." The rusty little creature with a striped tail tilted its head. Its eyes were quite large and equally curious. It responded with chirps, contemplating whether this huge predator was dangerous or not. Trying again, it barely escaped when Xink rose to give it a lesson. The striped tail disappeared into the bushes, leaving her stomach growling. She set a basic plan in her mind—water, food, and rest until fully healed. Now, just focus on those; nothing more to worry about. She cherished the tranquility, moving at her own pace.

An emptiness lingered in her chest for the family she had to ignore. Injured, she wouldn't be safer with her brother more than on unfamiliar territory. The scent of blood betrayed her, and she couldn't run far. Her wounded leg resisted, and the first two agonising days were spent here. On the third day, limping, she returned to the stream where she quenched her thirst. Fear and anxiety swept over her like clouds in the sky, just as branches of monkey puzzle trees created a mosaic of shadows vanishing into darkness. A splashing sound echoed as Xink crossed to the other side, heading north into the valley. She navigated around dry twigs, reaching a clearing with a high rock.

Unaware of how far she had traveled until reminded by her aching leg, rest was inevitable. She scanned for potential threats or snack options without any fresh scents, settling into ferns and dry leaves to rest for a while. Something rustled in her line of sight, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, she saw a dark shadow. Without moving, she realized the spiky ferns were actually narrow feathers on the tail of a small creature. Carefully, she rose and silently advanced, her soft paw pads making her nearly noiseless despite her size.

The creature was slower than her on its short legs, which seemed quite convenient given her injury. It was just a quick snack, a maximum of two bites, but she instantly felt a hundred times better. The next morning, she had a bit of strength back, and after cautiously exploring the surroundings, she spent another three days there. Her leg had progressed to the next stage of healing, and the pain had subsided. Xink didn't want to stay close to her old home without a nearby permanent water source. She traversed the landscape with the smaller goal of finding a new oasis of calm. After a few hours, she arrived at a larger river. On the other side stretched a plain with a massive rock. Trees mainly grew along the water, and the forest resumed at the horizon. Descending to the shore, she dipped her snout into the icy river water, which flowed much stronger than the stream. Turning her head, she stretched her neck to the other side to assess the possibility of crossing. Her eyes followed the running waves as she lifted her injured leg, testing how much the slippery stones would betray her. It wasn't too complicated; the stones gently shifted beneath her feet, allowing her to confidently stand. Satisfied, she caught a new scent on the other shore. Slowly turning, she spotted a massive male a few meters to her right. Feathers on her tail bristled when she saw the scars on his snout, foretelling the options she had before he emitted a deep throaty growl, sending fear through her bones. Xink crouched in a gesture of submission, eyeing an escape route. The large male focused on her wounded leg. After a moment's contemplation, he didn't hesitate and bellowed a warning: "Get out of my river, get out of my territory!" Xink didn't hesitate either and turned back towards the forest, making herself even more vulnerable, but she had no choice. Slipping on the rocks, she narrowly avoided the male's teeth as he chased after her. Limping for a moment and then running with fear, she worried he might decide to pursue her due to her injury. Luckily, it didn't happen, and soon she could rest. After trembling a bit, she licked her wound. She didn't ponder how she ended up here or why the male didn't bother to kill her. Once she regained composure, she ventured further into unfamiliar territory, hoping to reach another stretch that might become her refuge, even if only a square kilometer, for some time.