I AM A MOTHER!

Avian stared at her hand. "Wow," he said, a bit fearing to move any closer or farther away. So Koda was right...he didn't know anything about danger yet. He knew only what he thought he did. But fire? Eating someone's hand? There was something fucked up there.

She glanced at him, noting his expression she smiled.
"Yeah it's weird, I know."
Rubbing her hands together the scars faded away completely.
"It gets into your system and will kill you from the inside out, but only after a few days, it'll give you long enough to get away and if you are pursued...will kill you later. But don't worry, you can touch the fire without burning...I think."

Avian gulped quietly and said nothing. So it was a time bomb? That...killed in a horrid way. That seemed really scary to do to someone. "It's kind of...scary..." he muttered finally. "Who would you ever need to use that on?" he asked her.

She tilted her head and smiled, amber optics gleaming in the light.
"No one...yet. But we need to be prepared don't you think? here's worse out there than wolves or murderers...far worse..."

"Yeah," Avian said, shivering at the thought of more wolves. Why in hell did he have to be part kitty? Murderers... he didn't give a thought about. He knocked some idiot out with a small forest trap and a rock so they wouldn't follow him. That showed him how hard it would be for anyone to attack.

She fell silent, trying to change the fire different colours, her face paling with each attempt from effort. Energy draining her already depleted system.
"If...I told you...things...I'd heard about....seen even...you wouldn't believe me." She panted, her hands shaking from effort. "I...think I'm going to...sleep." She breathed standing up.

Avian nodded. "Do you need help walking?" he asked her, as he literally watched her face drain into a ghost. "And right now..I'm willing to believe anything you would have to say," he told her. A portal in a lake, a guarding wolf, and now a girl practicing with fire. Anyone would believe anything that Brianna would say.

She shook her head.
"No, I have to learn to control the amount of stamina I use. This is a good practise." She smiled once more before stumbling into a nearby tent, letting the flap swing shut behind her.

He shrugged. It was important to build stamina but not terribly so if you wanted to continue to live. But he couldn't say much more, and decided himself that he should sleep. Only because he couldn't stay up longer.

He laid down here he had sat, and quickly drifted off, as used to being in the position so much.

Brianna sat in her tent, quietly catching her breath. She could sleep at any point she wanted to, but worry seared in her veins. Shuffling about on her bed, she padded back outside after an hour, the boy already asleep. Walking back into her tent she pulled a blanket out after herself. Draping it around him, she walked over to the entrance to the camp. Resting her head on the wolfs shoulder she sighed.
"You think she's ok?"
"...Not really no."
"Thanks for the reassurance."
"Better than an outright lie."

She rolled her eyes, watching anxiously as the sun began to rise on the horizon.

Avian swore he felt someone put something on him. It felt warmer though, and he was too heavy of a sleeper to exactly care about being warm. He could fell it when the sun was shining though, right on his eyes. "Nya," he murmured to himself, as he sat up to find he really did have a blanket on him.

Brianna dozed on the wolf's shoulder, the comforting scent sending her into an easy sleep. SHe jerked awake as the wolf stood abruptly.
"Whaaaaa?" She groaned, rubbing her eyes.
"Koda."
"What?"
He ran forwards to meet the horse, a steady limp on the mare, deep cuts running over the horses body, a ivory tooth sticking out from her flank.
"Koda?" The female was slumped over the horses neck, her once white hair now crimson. Her bangs covering her face. Exuro turned back to come face to face with Brianna. "Get her into the camp, I'll take care of Caliga. Just don't let the boy see. It'll make his head worse then it already is."
She nodded, carefully scooping Koda off the mare's back. Holding her firmly in her arms, Koda's head lolled back, her locks falling away from her face. Brianna grimaced lightly, heading back to camp.

Avian looked around to see where everyone was. Though all he could see was a practically empty camp. He stood up. Still he couldn't see anyone. He sighed and thought it best to just wait as he didn't know where anyone or anything was. He picked up the blanket. "It's probably Brianna's," he muttered, waiting around.

She picked her way over to the closet tent, kicking out the male who was inside. Making her way to the bed, she laid Koda down, brushing her hair back from her eyes.
"What the hell happened to you..." She murmured. Cutting off Koda's T-shirt she found the source of most of the blood. Her exposed stomach was completely sliced open, innards pressing against the pale skin. Brianna shivered, ignoring the whimper of pain that Koda emitted.

Avian started to rock on his feet as the flew passed. "Where did everyone go?" he wondered. Sighing, Avian folded the blanket in a makeshift way and carried it under his arm as he started to walk, searching for someone to talk to... maybe even find out if Koda had come yet.

"Hush." Brianna whispered, placing a finger to Koda's lips. Digging around underneath the bed, she pulled out a small woven bag. Rooting around inside it, she withdrew some cotton and a needle. "This is going to hurt." She warned her, as Brianna began to thread the needle.

Slowly beginning to stitch up the mess that was Koda's stomach, Brianna had to clamp her hand over Koda's mouth to stop the cries of pain she was letting out, her hair swinging back to reveal a large burn covering most of her face.
"Koda, I know it hurts, but I don't need the whole whole of the camp awake ad watching."
Knotting the cotton, she pulled out a large piece of cloth from the bag. Wrapping it around Koda's waist she secured it at the back, before moving up to her face, gently padding it out and binding it.
"You may loose sight in that eye, but the burn is minor, it shouldn't scar."
She nodded in reply, a weak smile on her cracked lips.
"Thanks."

Avian saw maybe just the guard elves. It was like everyone was hiding and he was in the middle of a desert listening to the sad tone of the night. Though it was just the beginning of the morning. He eventually started pacing around, staring at the ground, memorizing a definite pattern to keep moving to. Why did everything have to be so difficult now? He couldn't believe it- he didn't know where Koda was. He didn't even know her for more than a short while! He cared for someone now. So why....In hell did she have to be gone from where he could see her?

Step, step, step. Turn. Step, Step, Step
Step, step, step. Turn. Step, Step, Step

If Koda didn't come...where next?

Step, step, step....thud.

Avian fell to the ground, the blanket dropping next to him as he stared at the only thing he could see straight at.

Brianna gripped Koda's hand lightly and squeezed it.
"Get some sleep." She muttered, leaving the tent. She made sure to shut the flap behind her, a male elf by the name of Darius calmly walking up to her.
"The horse had been tended to despite a mild poisoning, but should otherwise be fine."
Brianna nodded, walking away from the tent. Spotting Avian on the floor she padded over to him. Extending a hand she smiled lightly.
"She's going to be fine y'know." She whispered.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj_shtsija8 That's what Avian felt there. ;P)

"How do you know?" Avian said weakly, watching the earth underneath him. Somehow he knew she was talking of Koda- but since she was the only reason he was here, it was obvious. "She isn't...even here. How would you know? What if she doesn't even come back today! Or tomorrow...or even EVER?" he asked, his voice gaining rage. "You don't know! And I don't want to go back to having no one that would even talk to me!" Avian stood up, not yet facing Brianna.

"If she dies then I'm sure you'd by sad too."

He turned and faced her, his face surprisingly normal for his mood. "But let's not think of that."

"Avian. Let me tell you something, no matter what the hell happens to Koda, you will never be on your own again. Do you seriously think I would even consider letting you wander through those woods on you're own?!" She stared, at him, barely blinking as he hurled his anger at her. "...Of course I would be sad. More so then should be normal. But we keep going no matter what."

She smiled lightly. "Do you really think she's hurt? Listen to your instinct, it's telling you what you need to hear."

"My instinct?" Avian said, his eyes widening. "They haven't told me something that made sense in years. And that was running into a tree didn't work too well. When I was coming here, I had trouble with my instincts. They said kill yourself, she's not coming!" he told Brianna, his eyes flared with the worst of his mind, but he noticed and calmed himself, gently closing his eyes and breathing slowly. "I just miss Koda. I don't hate you," he said, realizing how rude he'd been acting.

"And I just want her to live."

She shook her head, a light smile grazing her lips.
"Can't you see that that voice you heard wasn't your instinct?" She knelt down, gently grasping his shoulders. "No, your instinct is what kept you running, those thoughts were your brain and you knew better then to listen to them."
She brushed the soft locks from his eyes.
"And I know you don't hate me, you're just worried. C'mon, are you hungry?" She stood up, waiting patiently.

Instincts were stupid then. They didn't like him. They forced him to run too far, to run away from Koda. He didn't even know if he had been going to right way! "THen my instincts are friggen stupid," he muttered. "And no thank you, I'm not hungry." Avian said, trying to keep to his politeness, which wasn't easy when he was feeling as pissed off an angry as he really was.

She shook her head.
"Liar. But I won't force you to eat if you don't want to. And you're instincts weren't wrong. Otherwise you wouldn't be here." She walked off, slowly rubbing her growling stomach. "Oh by the way...that tent there." She pointed to the tent closest to them both. Aware that it wasn't a wise move, but wanting to set his mind at ease.

"I'm not a liar," he lied, grunting and looking off. By now she had already started to move away, Avian not giving her another glance. He didn't really know why he would have.

"Oh, by the way...that tent there."

Avian turned and looked over to where she was directing. He didn't have a clue, only guessing that she was saying where she's be at.