I AM A MOTHER!

"Nygiah!" Avian screeched, jumping up. Oh...it was Koda. "Do what?" he asked, pretending like she knew nothing. "Sleep? Everyone sleeps. Duuuuuuuh." Avian looked away, and stared at the ground. He knew Koda was seeing right through him. "You won't tell anyone right?"

She knelt on the ground, curling her tail around her ankle.
"Hmmm....that is tempting." She smiled tilting her head. "Of course I won't tell and if I do, you can tell everyone that I suck my thumb as well. Deal?"
She held out her hand to him, smiling lightly.

Avian's eyes grew wide. Tempting!? No wait...a deal eh? "Deal," Avian said quickly, extending the hand without his saliva-infested thumb and shook it with hers. He watched Koda's tail flicker, then looked back at her. She was eye level with him now...

She smiled, sitting back on her heels, grabbing a lock of ivory hair she began to plait it. Tying the end with a cyan ribbon, the single plait hung against the rest of her hair.
"Glad to be of service." She replied, blinking to keep herself awake.

"Are you tired?" Avian asked, looking at Koda with a sadistic smile. "Admiiiiiit it," he urged.

(Stop frolicing in your posts XD)

"Yes, I'm absolutely shattered. Absolutely, would probably never wake up if I fell asleep knackered. But I can't sleep yet. Things to do..." She mumbled, falling back so her feet were flat on the floor, standing up she stretched, rubbing the growing dark circles under her eyes.

"Noo! You would wake up again!" Avian stated-matter-o'-factly. He was also curious over what she had to do that was making her stay up so long. He had stayed up a long time too but no one was exactly chasing her.

She took his thoughts into consideration.
"Yeah I would wake, but not for a long time and I can't afford to waste the little time that is bestowed with our lives. Although stuck in this stupid body people think different..." She growled to herself, tugging at a feline ear atop her head in frustration. "Perhaps I'll tell you why I have to keep going when you're older...it's very complicated and I don't want to worry you." She flashed him a smile. "Don't give it a second thought 'kay?"

"Erm...okay," Avian lied, his hand behind his back, crossing his fingers like he always did for lies. "I'm going to go now," he said. "And play in the forest."

She tensed up slightly.
"Stay out of the lake." She whispered. "Promise me you'll stay out of there, don't even put your feet in, not even a finger. Please Avian promise me."

"Why not? I go in there all the time," he said, realizing he had never told her that before. "Is it bad to?" he asked, thinking about what could happen if he did do it again. Was there a monster in it?

"...You've been in the lake..." She clenched her fists, closing her eyes she breathed to calm herself down. Opening them she grabbed his wrist, dragging him out of the room she practically ran down the flight of steps to the bottom floor.
"That lake...it's a portal. It uses tiny pieces of flesh to allow monstrous creatures to cross into our realm. The attack on Salvador? The one that overthrew the king? That is them. They'll hunt you down and force you into the lake until the bubbles stop to allow all of them to cross. We have to move. Now."

Avian whimpered. "I didn't know!" he cried to her. "Please don't be mad!" he pleaded. "If I knew I wouldn't have ever gone. Besides how do you know that they even exist anymore, it's been forever since the attack, right? So how are you so sure that they woulc ever find us here, or if they live or can even see?"

She smiled wanly. "I told you there was a reason I stayed up. I made exactly the same mistake, I know they're still out there. They still hunt me. Avian, I managed to put a charm around this place to protect it, but because of that I know there's more here now. That charm will not hold!" She grabbed a leather bag on the worktop. Digging around inside it she pulled out a match, lighting it she dropped it to the floor.
Pulling the child outside, she crouched down to his level.
"Remember when I asked you to trust me? I need you to do that now, without question. I need you to run north for as long and as fast as you can. Don't stop, until you reach a camp. Tell them I sent you. I'll meet you there tomorrow." She pulled him in for a hug, squeezing him lightly. "I'm not mad."

Avian nodded. "Okay," he promised, turning from her, running off. He knew the sun rose in the east, and the house was in the south, so he ran away from her, trying hard not to cry. He couldn't just leave so easily could he?

Avian ran for easily over a mile, until he fell on the ground, completely out of breath. He was crying, now sobbing, choking him until he could barely see straight. He laid his head in his arms and let his tears fall that way. "Why do I fuck everything up!?" he shouted.

He couldn't stop moving now though, he made a promise to Koda, and stood. "FUCK THIS! I'M DOING IT FOR KODA!" he yelled, sprinting off again in.

And slowly, he could see an end.

She watched him leave, slinging her bow around ehr neck, she padded to the extention on the small house. A large black mare remained tethered to an iron ring. Unhooking her she swung up on her back. Shifting to the left, she forced the horse into a canter towards the lake.
With a skid she landed a few steps away from it, reaching down she gently touched the water she was unfased when it began to bubble, until white froth formed around the edges. A low growl emitting from all around her. Kicking the mare, she bolted forwards, thudding footsteps behind her.
"C'mon move." She growled in frustration, fear etched into her face as the stench hit her, like rotting flesh. Turning to the right, she moved faster various other growls joining in, the pounding behind her growing louder.
"Shit." She mumbled to herself, as she realised she had cornered herself.

Avian continued running. So much longer than the first time. He saw no camp. Was she lying to him? "Koda wouldn't....why would she have taken me in?" he asked himself, as he stopped for the umpteenth time, to catch his warily breath, and looked behind him. It was much into the dark now, Avian's favorite thing in the world. Though he had to run and not admire the moon or stars.

So he continued, his legs giving out no more than a mile later. "I can't," he started, "run anymore." Then it finally occurred to him that no one was there. Not even Koda. This made him cry lightly--he screwed up everything. That was what he said about not keeping a friend. They never come back.

Slowly Avian came to a stand once more. His legs aching, he trudged on. He couldn't fail this, a simple running task!

"Brianna, look."
"Huh?" Glancing down she noticed a small child wandering through the woodland area, determination and fear on his face.
"Do you think it's..."
"Maybe she said something a few months back..."
"Even if it's not that kid doesn't look right. Give me a second."
Ignoring her friends protests she climbed down the large oak tree that she had situated herself in. Padding over the debris she placed a hand on his shoulder, with a firm but gentle grip.
"Hey kid, you ok?"

"EH?" Avian jumped. He looked back, his eyes hopeful. But they merely dimmed. "You aren't Koda..." he muttered, turning back and walking again. He didn't even know what he was looking for, or why he ignored the last person. He glanced back again. "I'm busy looking for a camp," he said. "You know of one?"

She blinked at him, large amber eyes wide.
"You're looking for the camp? It's back that way. You would've missed it...I guess you weren't told how well it was hidden..."
She paused, brushing her hair from her eyes.
"I can show you if you like, but if not keep walking." She turned on her heel, heading towards the entrance of the camp.

Avian watched her go back. He was about to miss his one chance. "Koda...is in trouble," he said quickly. "She sent me here, and said that she would be here tomorrow..." Though he didn't believe it himself. Tomorrow wasn't far.

She stopped in her tracks for a moment, before continuing.
"Then she will be here tomorrow. Or she will be dead. Those are the only two options she lives by." She paused, rubbing the top of her arm as the cool night air bit at it. "You are welcome to follow and get some rest or you can stay here for the wolves. Although you must make your decision quick. Night is falling quickly."
She turned around the corner, her auburn hair deepening at the roots utill her locks were a deep ebony.

"Tell me about it," Avian sighed. "I'll stay here," he added, not entirely trusting her right now. "I just want to be alone," he explained. "The wolves won't reach to me."

She smirked raising a brow.
"Then what's that?" She asked, sticking her hand around the corner and pointing into the bush, large white canines glowing through the shadow.

Avian closed his eyes and pretended not to see it. "I'm sure," he answered, his voice giving out fear. "I can climb trees quickly," he lied.