The Woodlands hid their share of rolling hills and small ravines amidst their masking leaves and branches, places were rivers had once run, cutting through the earth and stone over years beyond counting until the creases worn in Caido's surface created a few precipitous drops to the waters below. Most of the rivers had been reduced to streams, shallow shadows of their former glory, and their ancient banks now rose a few dozen feet above their current levels.
One such ravine was a favored gathering place of an unkindness of ravens, who often came to see if anything interesting had pitched over the edge of the sharp dropoff to dash its delicious brains out on the stones of the shore below. Today was not such a lucky day, but the water made for convenient place to hunt small animals who might wander by for a drink, oblivious to the danger in the trees high, high above. Among their number perched an albino bird, resplendent in white, and several individuals of less glossy plumage, with feathers more grey than black from age or disease.
When some of the younger birds began alarm calling - with some hope - as a larger creature began to approach, one of the dark greyish ravens huffed and hopped to a branch of his tree that overhung the ravine to peer down along the stream curiously, wondering who had come all the way out here - and why.
One such ravine was a favored gathering place of an unkindness of ravens, who often came to see if anything interesting had pitched over the edge of the sharp dropoff to dash its delicious brains out on the stones of the shore below. Today was not such a lucky day, but the water made for convenient place to hunt small animals who might wander by for a drink, oblivious to the danger in the trees high, high above. Among their number perched an albino bird, resplendent in white, and several individuals of less glossy plumage, with feathers more grey than black from age or disease.
When some of the younger birds began alarm calling - with some hope - as a larger creature began to approach, one of the dark greyish ravens huffed and hopped to a branch of his tree that overhung the ravine to peer down along the stream curiously, wondering who had come all the way out here - and why.
