House Of Fire

Chapter 6

Raven woke to freezing air. She was shivering slightly despite her high body temperature.

The fire had died long ago, that ice crystals had webbed over the charred wood.

She wrapped the blanket tightly around her and stood. In the morning gloom that was illuminating the entrance of the cave, she could see the hulking shape of Fury on the floor. The animal was motionless and she feared that the injury had caused too much blood loss.

Carefully approaching she kneeled in front of the injured hoof. It was still stretched out and was freezing to the touch. Moving her fingers up to the joint and stroking down towards the hoof she noticed something she hadn't before.

Instead of fur, tiny microscopic feathers covered the skin. At the current moment they were all puffed to contain as much warmth around the body as possible.

This was a truly extraordinary creature.

It's head was still hidden under it's wing but twitched at the contact.

Focusing back on the wound she removed the wrapping. Underneath, the horn had already healed quickly.

To her surprise, it didn't seem to be leaving a hole in it's absence. No, quite the opposite.

The blood flow had stopped and remnants of the dried ointment she had applied only yesterday were crusted around the edges. But other than that it seemed perfectly healthy.

She reached her finger into the slight dent in the hoof where the claw had once protruded from. It was still soft, and considering the sudden jerk of Fury's body, still tender.

Retrieving the cream once more she reapplied it not bothering to bind it again.

Relief washed over her as her concern about it's well-being vanished. A grin spread over her face as she leaned forwards on her knees to press her hand against the narrow face of her new friend that now watched her.

"You'll be alright by tomorrow. I promise. But till then you need to take it easy."

It's huff only made her grin widen.

The sun was steadily rising behind the thick cloud cover. She knew this because the low gloom turned into a greyish light.

Overnight the battering of ice and snow had ceased. Now a glittering world lay beyond the dark mouth of the cave. Silence ruled the mute scenery. In particular the peaks rose above the clouds like ancient gods bowing to none.

Tomorrow though would be a new day. Deep inside she could feel the need to leave. Leave this place, leave this wonder of nature. Her instincts that felt as old as the world itself told her to move on. Into the unknown, beyond her comfort zone and challenge herself in life.

She had to leave everything that she knew and loved behind. She had to leave her home.

As she was standing at the entrance of the cave her thoughts turned over and over in her head. Curiosity always won her mental arguments as she mumbled away.

In retrospect, this wasn't a new decision she had to make. From the first day since her wings had become known to her she was on a mission.

A mission to find herself - as stupid as that sounded. Well, more like a mission to discover her identity.

Only, to gain knowledge on one end you had to live with the knowledge of closing a door. Closing one to open a different door. In her case it was her adoptive family to find her blood related one.

Sighing deeply, she stepped back from her daydreaming. The sky was already darkening again, ready to plunge them into darkness. She had wasted hours on thinking about her decisions and choices. Tomorrow she would put her words into action.