The Sun Will Rise: Chapter 1

Formatting: bold+italic is for speech between non-human characters, or if Avi's speaking telepathically, underline is for emphasis, and bold within quotations is just because I've found it makes it easier to follow the text

The past month had been...interesting. Shiny nosed chiros that were blessedly nice enough to ensure she wouldn't freeze, cranky gryphs hell bent on kidnapping her stryxes for being 'naughty'; honestly it'd been a trip. However it seemed that now she could finally just relax and enjoy some well deserved rest. No worrying about the safety of her family, no worrying about random creatures dropping- *CRASH* It was an impact forceful enough to shake the whole house and rouse all within who weren't already awake. Startled screeches from all her avians and alert barks sounded trying to bring out the ever faithful birdlady to the aid of... something. 

Avi dressed quickly as she could; something was very wrong: she was sensing pain and panic from an unfamiliar mind and she was never the sort to sit inside the house and hope it resolved itself. She thought through her options for guards and mediators as she dressed hastily. Her inky feathers were getting caught on nearly every article she put on but now wasn't the time to be careful 

"Nico," she practically barked in a manner rather uncharacteristic of her as she struggled to put on her coat, "come!" 

He followed her unquestioningly as she dashed out the door Nico using a leather strap attached to the door knob to close it behind them. She transformed into raven form just long enough to quickly hop onto his back before shifting back. Bareback was not the best way to ride but she didn't really want to waste time getting his tack; she had an injured animal to attend to. Nico broke into a gallop both he and his handler barely visible under the light of the stars. His white markings caught what light was there but for the most part the pair looked like a conjoined shadow and both of them knew it. 

Nico stopped in his tracks as they neared the crash site; this was another Large Bird and he could smell a fair amount of blood. This wasn't good. His dark grey coat made him look even more intimidating and that would put his handler at risk. He'd have to make a detour. He turned on a dime and headed towards Horus' roost. He was likely fast asleep but he'd be far less intimidating to the Large Bird not to mention they were both Large Birds so there was the hope that they'd somehow get along. He could sense his handler was confused but unfortunately he had no way of telling her what was happening. She could speak with anything related in some way to avians but couldn't speak with anything else unless someone acted as translator. Thankfully she seemed to understand what his plan was as they neared the roost.

Horus! Horus! Nico barked as they neared the barn, Need your help! Large Bird crashed and I don't want to scare!

Horus, who had startled awake at the crash, nervously made his way out. First his beak, then his barn owl like face, and finally the rest of him. He glanced at the pair his eyes adjusting to the darkness, Need me?

"Nico apparently scented a stryx and we may need your help," she replied. She only replied aloud when she was really nervous. 

Nonononono, too scary, too scary! The crash had been loud and honestly terrifying, though he was scared of just about everything anyway; he didn't want to go anywhere near it.

"I know it's scary but even you were scared of Nico at first. Imagine how an injured stryx in unfamiliar territory might feel."

She had a point, Horus knew that Nico wasn't going to hurt him now but as a fledgling he didn't. All he knew then was that the tokota was a big, dark, scary predator. ...Ok will help.

He wasn't going to like it, but he'd help.

"Thank you for being brave Horus." 

She hopped back onto Nico and motioned for Horus to follow. It had taken longer than she'd ever wanted in the first place but she could finally get a good look at their crash landed visitor. Dark as the stryx was under the starlight she could make out a chipped beak, missing plumage, one wing that was clearly bent at an unnatural angle, and she didn't need to see the faint sheen to know that they were covered in blood. This was worse than she thought; far worse.

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GO! BAD! NO TOUCH! WILL HURT! Ithildin screeched as he flapped his, bet-ter, wing at her rather uselessly. He was no match for a hunter, their tokota, and another stryx — tyto by the looks of it — in this condition. The only thing he could do was threaten and scream until he ran out of the very last bit of energy he had.

Easy, easy, the hunter murmured into his mind as she took a step forwards. That Was Not Normal.

He screeched again and lunged forwards clearly aiming to, at the very least, take off a limb. The tokota and the other stryx intercepted pushing the hunter out of the way, instead of flesh he came back with a beakful of feathers. He went to try again but the tyto, who honestly seemed to be the most timid of the bunch, suddenly discovered some sense of confidence.

NO TOUCH BIRDLADY! the tyto screeched spreading his wings wide to shield the hunter from view.  MY BIRDLADY! MINE!

The tyto lunged forwards clearly intending to add to his list of injuries Ithildin didn't have the strength to fight back. He was going to die here wasn't he? He closed his eyes and waited for the pain; the pain never came. Cautiously he cracked open his good eye to see a wall of black fur. Was the tokota shielding him? Why would the hunter's hound shield the prey? Wouldn't this be the time to strike? He lifted his head and saw that the hunter had spread her wings and arms wide to act as another living barrier.

"Horus don't! He's scared!" Her voice was pleading but firm. She was saving him. This made no sense in his mind. He was easy prey, very easy, just sitting there. Why wouldn't she strike?

HE TRIED TO HURT! TRIED TO KILL! NO ONE HURT BIRDLADY! WILL PROTECT! The chestnut hued tyto tried to find a way around his 'birdlady' and her tokota but both stood firm. It was then that Ithildin realized this birdlady was no hunter after all. Still he'd tried to hurt her, badly, why was she still defending him? She'd clearly brought these two to act as her guards, why wasn't she letting them?

Ithildin not understand. Not understand why you protect, not understand why you don't hurt. Other humans hurt bad, sometimes kill flockmates, why you not hurt Ithildin? he asked limping back a step or two. The other three present paused and turned towards him cocking their heads in near unison.

"Ithildin we don't hurt those who are hurt and scared here," she replied motioning for the tokota to move, "we help them." 

Help? Not hurt?

"That's right. Isn't it Horus?" She looked over at the tyto, Horus apparently, with a pointed stare.

...He tried to hur-

"Horus!"

Right, Horus grudgingly replied.

"Can I take a look?" she asked drawing a bit closer. He said nothing in the way of proper permission just rested his head on the ground. He wouldn't hurt her as long as she didn't hurt him.

She pulled out something from her coat, a long rod, for a second he thought she was going to hurt him but then she clicked it. Bright light streamed from it illuminating his plumage and their surroundings.

"Sweet dam of Appiaq," she muttered with clear distress. "Horus get as many sheets as you can from the scrap pile, try to make sure they aren't already stained. Nico go and get Aiden, tell him he's got a large patient with some pretty gnarly wounds. Ithildin just hang tight ok? And don't fall asleep. I know it's hard but if you fall asleep your wounds will bleed worse and it'll be harder to save you. Ok?"

He nodded fighting the urge to close his eyes and rest. He watched as Horus and Nico dashed off confused as to why birdlady was staying.

"Someone needs to stay behind to make sure you're ok," she murmured soothingly. "I know you're in pain, that others have hurt you, and it probably seems like the sun won't ever come but I promise that, eventually, the sun will rise."