I'll Fight

Chapter 3

I'm back in black! Just kidding, I'm in ratty old brown sweatpants and shoveling lasagna into my face like I haven't eaten all day when I most definitely ate lunch a few hours ago. Much less badass. 

*Ahem* 

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. We meet an old friend and learn a bit more about what is going on down the mountain. 

Also, I tried a different tense for this chapter as I have a tendency to write in past tense for some reason. I wanted to try present tense to see how it would affect the story. Let me know what you think and if you prefer one way to the other. And feel free to call out any errors. As usual, thanks for taking the time to read this!

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Chapter 3 

     Aspen's now steely hazel gaze meets Juniper's wide green eyes and she motions for her younger sister to go to the store room and prepare their weapons – just in case. Although it was unlikely that it would be someone that would cause them harm, it never hurt to be cautious. They had learned that the hard way. Even so, visitors were irregular for them, more so in bad weather such as this. For someone to have made the journey up the mountain in this thick fog it would likely mean it was an emergency, so Aspen starts toward the entrance. She glances back to make sure Juniper is out of sight before unlocking the deadbolt and pulling open the door. It creaks on its hinges as it swings and her eyes widen in surprise. On the porch perches a Tengu and a rather familiar one at that. Its black wings are drooping, its primary feathers swishing along the floor boards close to its taloned feet, and a line of blood trails from its robes, across the porch, down the step, and into the small clearing in front of the cabin. It lowers itself into a slight bow and raises its feathered arm in a small wave.

     "Katsu, what on earth?" Aspen questions while quickly looking the Tengu up and down. She steps aside to clear the doorway and motions for him to enter. "Come on, come inside. Juniper! Get my kit." The door to the store room flies open as Juniper runs to the office, still clutching a dagger in one hand.

     "You two are always so prepared," Katsu chuckles, tucking his wings close and navigating his way through the doorway to sit down on one of the wooden stools by the dining table with a heavy thud. Once his wings are resting comfortably on the floor, he looks over at a disapproving Aspen.

     "All the better for you, isn't it? What happened?" she demands.

     "True, true. It's nice to see you both again," Katsu says as Juniper appears and hands Aspen a messenger bag. Juniper, finally noticing the dagger in her grasp, awkwardly set it down on the table and gives him a big smile. "Although I wish it was on better terms," he sighs and winces as Aspen begins to inspect his wounds with a slightly more force than necessary. "Alright. No need to be so aggressive. I got into a bit of a fight during my travels and my wounds hadn't quite healed up when I encountered the werewolf envoy and his squad coming from the werewolf district."

     "Envoy?" Aspen asked, pausing her examination to squint up into his black eyes as if she could read the information there.

     "I imagine it's to make sure preparations for the Blue Moon Festival go well and to see if any assistance is required." He clicks his beak thought. "It's been a while since the werewolves were here for the festival, before you moved here even."

     "Wait," Juniper interrupted. "Why would werewolves come to the fae district for the Blue Moon Festival? Don't they celebrate it themselves in their own district?"

     "You two really don't get out often. Although I don't blame you. It's rather risky for you."

     Aspen interrupts him briefly to tell him he needs to remove the top half of his robes so she can start treating his wounds and abruptly hands him three stones.