Twin Feathers

Chapter 8

Several heartbeats after Salaki had slithered out of the den, Elkeri jumped in through the open window and positioned herself between the two siblings. Now, she stood in front of Kusarel, her whole body shaking with a burning rage that left Kusarel feeling like she was standing in the middle of a flame.

"Stop jabbing those horns at me, Elkeri!"

"I'm not gonna let you hurt her, you filthy crow! I thought you were on our side." She guarded Kusarel with a wide stance, head ducked and horns flaring ominously close to Xaiel's face. Giving a sharp screech, she beat her wings and stirred up the air around them.

"Ok, first of all, crows are noble birds and not at all filthy. And second, I am on your side, thank you very much. We're going to get Kusarel out of here."

Elkeri cocked her head to the side, though she still kept those horns pointed squarely at Xaiel. "Really now? Because you just said you'd do the culling."

With a sigh, he sat back on his haunches and raised a claw in surrender. "It was for show, Elkeri. I'm not going to hurt my sister. The fact I even have to say that is kind of insulting, you know?"

She looked back and forth between Xaiel and Kusarel, whipping her tail in agitation. At Kusarel's gentle nod, she relaxed her stance and folded her wings. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Guess I got kinda heated up. Though I swear, if you make ANY sort of move, my horns are going right through that pretty face of yours."

Xaiel clucked his tongue and threw his head back in a stylish pose. "I do have a good-looking face, don't I? Thanks for noticing."

Her friend grumbled something under her breath, probably an insult, but Kusarel could see the tension fading away. Her muscles no longer looked coiled and taut, ready to spring, and her tail had settled against the floor with no more fidgeting. "Stop complimenting yourself. What's the plan?"

The sassy gleam vanished from Xaiel's eyes as he nodded at Kusarel, all business now. "Kusarel, you're going to head over to Tremora." He pulled a map out of the bag at his side and spread it on the ground, circling a nearby city with a quill. "It's very close, and it's a peaceful city too, so you shouldn't have much trouble getting in. The guards there are lax; I talk with them a lot, so I'd know."

Elkeri leaned over and jabbed at another spot on the map, closer to their town. "Why not here? This one is closer, so let's do that one instead."

"No way! You two stay clear of Rivel." He drew a giant X over the area and scowled at Elkeri. "That city is a hotspot right now. Tons of rebellion and fighting. I know you're not a guard, but there's no way you haven't heard of that yet."

She shrugged and preened the feathers on her foreleg, a little too violently. "Oh my, I'm so sorry I haven't been able to keep up with all the news, what with me throwing my back out every single day from dawn to night."

With an abashed look, he clucked his tongue in apology. "Right, sorry. Guess that makes sense. So anyway, Kusarel, you'll head here-"

"With me," Elkeri interrupted, nudging Kusarel on the side.

"Perfect. You two will head to Tremora now and wait there until the next half moon. I'll meet you there then. If I can't be there, I'll send a messenger letting you know what's going on. Either way, you'll hear from me."

Kusarel finally got her voice back in working order, still rattled from the close encounter with her mother. Her mind kept going back to those sad eyes, but she did her best to keep focused on the current situation. After all, it was the only way she'd get out alive. "But what's going to happen then?"