Stryx Advent Scraps: Advent 9

A shiver and a warm puff of air escaped the cat's lips into the cold around her. Her paws fumbled to find the pockets of her jacket as she trudged through the light covering of snow. Her emerald eyes scanned the bases of the trees as she looked for any signs of plant life. Foraging in this weather was tough, but thankfully she had her Corva companion Monochromia tagging along behind her to keep her company.

"C'mon girl," she whispered, continuing past the thicket into a more populated forest. The Corva let out a slight click of acknowledgement as she followed her owner, shaking her head on occasion to brush off the small snowflakes that had fallen onto her black and white feathers. The two searched for hours, Kida plucking any truffles and mushrooms that she could spot among the tree roots and fallen logs and depositing them into a pouch around the Corva's neck. Monochromia assisted by overturning large rocks and clearing some larger snow piles.

As the sun started to decline and the two were about to depart from the forest, there was a cacophony of snapping branches and what sounded like hissing. The two paused until the sounds died down and quietly made their way to the source. Upon arriving to the clearing, they found a Tyto, feathers covered in snow and twigs. It seemed they had attempted to land in the forest but misjudged how much clearance they had.

As the cat and Corva approached, the Tyto didn't hesitate to turn their head to look at the visitors, golden eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and fear. Their brown and black feathers stood up and they let out a warning hiss, tail slashing  through the snow.

"Whoa, it's okay, we mean no harm," Kida called out softly, extending a hand back behind her to push lightly against Monochromia's chest, keeping her away from the strange Tyto. Keeping her distance, she looked over the Stryx to make sure they had no injuries. Everything seemed to be fine, warranting a slight sigh of relief. "You must be scared. Snow makes landing in trees a bit difficult," Kida said with a smile, knowing the bird likely didn't understand her.

As the Tyto shifted and shook their feathers to dislodge some of the twigs, Kida was able to get a better look at them. Their coat shimmered with golden flecks, among shifting shades of brown. "You're quite a beauty," she whispered to herself, wishing she could get a closer look but not wanting to upset them further.

Ensuring her movements were slow, the Tyto watched the cat curiously, still puffing up feathers to seem larger to the Corva with her. Both Stryx stared at each other cautiously, both afraid to make any sudden moves as the rider fumbled with her bag. She brought out two large trout, smiling as she stepped just a little closer to the Tyto to place the fish on the snow in front of her.

"Here you go, a peace offering!" She purred, giving the other fish to Monochromia, who happily took her view from the Tyto to eat her treat. The Tyto looked down at the fish in the snow, head tilting a little as they tried to decide what to do. Kida thought to make the decision easier by taking a few steps away from the clearing, coaxing Monochromia back into the trees with her.

As the Tyto inched forward and finally gobbled up the fish, Kida smiled and admired the bird from afar. "You are quite the beauty," she murmured, "I hope to see you again sometime."

After finishing up the fish and plucking any remaining branches from their feathers, the chocolate-colored Tyto took to the sky once more, leaving the two watching as they departed. "I guess that's our cue to head home," the rider said, patting the Corva's side. "Let's head out, girl. It's too damn cold out here."