House Of Fire

Chapter 14

In the morning the dew on her rough blanket woke Raven as she shifted in her sleep.

Blinking the sleep away she stretched her arms as her muscles pulled taut. Her sheathed wings were overdue on a stretch again too, but she couldn't afford the consequences of those actions just yet.

Fury had curled up in a corner, head tucked in under her wing. Water droplets rolled over the water repelling feathers in lazy rivers.

Looking around Fern was nowhere in sight. Outside of the niche the sky was slowly lightening into a light blue. It was early in the morning, probably another hour or less before daybreak.

Flinging the moist blanket to the side Raven reached for the full water skin before rising. She hadn't taken her boots off while she slept, a habit developed during countless adventures through the Rockies back home.

The compact dirt outside was a nice change from the deep and soft sands of the desert they had left behind yesterday. The chill in the air was a welcome reprieve from the hot, humid desert air.

Above her head millions of coloured stars twinkled away until they had to sleep during daylight hours. This was yet another massive change between the Heavens and Earth. On Earth the skies were filled with white stars. Here, however, the stars came in every imaginable colour. There were red, white, blue, purple, yellow and green stars. And the others were a mix of all of the above with swirling star clusters in soothing red tones on a background of now a dark blue.

Soon there wouldn't be any left as the sun hid them from sight.

Raven's head was comparing Earth to Heaven as she ventured out into the breaking day. Some things were similar like their language while others were the strangest Raven could have ever heard of.

In the distance on the crest of a small rise of the ground, Fern sat facing the rising sun.

Her dreadlocks were tucked neatly under a headband away from her face. She appeared to like to wear her hair in this fashion than have it whip around all day.

Approaching Raven didn't realise her silent gait until Fern jumped into the air. Raven had laid her hand on the other girls shoulder from behind and startled her.

The frightened Fern looked at her with wide eyes.

A laugh escaped Raven as she felt amusement bubble forth.

"For someone that is fighting a war you are very unobservant of your surroundings Fern."

"I'm not sure that that in particular is the problem Rav. You do move like a Speridae over a floor of dried and crackling leaves!"

"A Speridae? What's that?"

Raven had taken a seat on the hard ground. Fern was still standing and looking down at her before seating herself as well.
A heavy sigh was followed by a weak chuckle.