After their journey to the east, Jigano had wanted nothing more than to wing his way back to the farmhouse and collapse into Rory's arms, sleeping deeply and soundly until the morning came, and knowing how sore his own arms would be by then. But Jyoti had heard something in the distance, a song that they had all found coaxing them not home to the Hollowed Grounds, but west and north into the Greatwood.
Amalia was fearless, and Jigano had no intention of leaving his friend to go alone. He coaxed and encouraged Kiada and Isuma along, lending the gryphlet a little extra wing-power as best he could as they followed the song that he could hear clearly now. The evening serenade was unique and beautiful... and not unlike one he had followed before, to the shores of the Stonesong. That had ended in fire and confusion, and four bright hooves. There was every chance that this would end in pain and fair as well... And therefore all the more reason he couldn't leave his friends to it.
The raven with the greyish-black feathers blended well into the night. The rusty-furred gryphlet nearby was equally well camouflaged against the Leafchange trees as they alit on thick branches above the pond. Jigano took note of others who had already come, especially Deimos and Jiao, but Remi and Ronin as well. Delah would probably be angry, and not without cause... and hers was the only dissenting opinion that really mattered, in his book. But it was too late now, and they'd have to deal with the consequences when they came.
It was hard to hang on to such grim thoughts when the beautiful melody reached out and wrapped around him, achingly lonely, heart-wrenchingly lovely, eerie and full of starlight. Almost without realizing it, Jigano opened his beak, a lesser echo of the waterfall singer's song emerging from the throat of a corvid well-versed in mimicry.
Amalia was fearless, and Jigano had no intention of leaving his friend to go alone. He coaxed and encouraged Kiada and Isuma along, lending the gryphlet a little extra wing-power as best he could as they followed the song that he could hear clearly now. The evening serenade was unique and beautiful... and not unlike one he had followed before, to the shores of the Stonesong. That had ended in fire and confusion, and four bright hooves. There was every chance that this would end in pain and fair as well... And therefore all the more reason he couldn't leave his friends to it.
The raven with the greyish-black feathers blended well into the night. The rusty-furred gryphlet nearby was equally well camouflaged against the Leafchange trees as they alit on thick branches above the pond. Jigano took note of others who had already come, especially Deimos and Jiao, but Remi and Ronin as well. Delah would probably be angry, and not without cause... and hers was the only dissenting opinion that really mattered, in his book. But it was too late now, and they'd have to deal with the consequences when they came.
It was hard to hang on to such grim thoughts when the beautiful melody reached out and wrapped around him, achingly lonely, heart-wrenchingly lovely, eerie and full of starlight. Almost without realizing it, Jigano opened his beak, a lesser echo of the waterfall singer's song emerging from the throat of a corvid well-versed in mimicry.
