Isuma had gone ahead, the little gryphlet soothed and pampered until she was nearly as round as a little ball by Jigano and Rory both after she had returned to the farmstead to reunite with her companion. Jigano had taught her well, and she had fledged into a fine hunter, capable of taking care of herself when the blight struck him down. However mighty a hunter she was, though, at heart she was still a lover more than a fighter, and as she returned to her senses alongside the white fox she wanted love, attention, and knowing that her humans were safe again.
Safe Jigano was, though black rages still took him as the blight fought back against the lessening of its hold on him. His eyes still showed black veining, for one, and should he bleed the tell-tale inky strands would still be visible amidst the red. His skin was chilled to the touch yet, but it grew a little warmer each day, and the darkness in his blood thinned a little further as he mastered himself and regained some of what had been lost for those first mad weeks of winter. His strength was coming back slowly, and he was beginning to make the trip into the Settlement more regularly again, puttering about the Atheneum, bringing snow moss to the Infirmary, and gathering people to help build the Spark Bird's perch.
Visiting the Guild, too, to prepare it as a bastion against Long Night.
So it was that Isuma reached the Atheneum first, bounding down the stairs with the tiny click of owl's talons and reep!ing joyful greeting at the familiar fringe of red hair. She launched herself across the intervening space with a happy flutter of wings to land on Sam's shoulder if he'd let her, rubbing her cheek fiercely against his own in a hello of exuberant relief to find him there and well.
Safe Jigano was, though black rages still took him as the blight fought back against the lessening of its hold on him. His eyes still showed black veining, for one, and should he bleed the tell-tale inky strands would still be visible amidst the red. His skin was chilled to the touch yet, but it grew a little warmer each day, and the darkness in his blood thinned a little further as he mastered himself and regained some of what had been lost for those first mad weeks of winter. His strength was coming back slowly, and he was beginning to make the trip into the Settlement more regularly again, puttering about the Atheneum, bringing snow moss to the Infirmary, and gathering people to help build the Spark Bird's perch.
Visiting the Guild, too, to prepare it as a bastion against Long Night.
So it was that Isuma reached the Atheneum first, bounding down the stairs with the tiny click of owl's talons and reep!ing joyful greeting at the familiar fringe of red hair. She launched herself across the intervening space with a happy flutter of wings to land on Sam's shoulder if he'd let her, rubbing her cheek fiercely against his own in a hello of exuberant relief to find him there and well.
