Hushed Willows Would I run off the world someday?

sorry for the wait!!

caw has learned quickly, with the requirement of catching prey for something other than his own rituals upon his shoulders, that ducks are very hard to chase down. he has spent an unfortunate number of hours crouched on the bank failing to go after them, splashing through the pond and sending ducks fleeing in every direction, but he is stubborn, even if it is probably a better idea to chase a squirrel.

still! he does manage in the end. the duck is safely in his teeth, and vrána is readjusting all the feathers that he has accidentally thrown into wild disarray when the call rises into the air. caw’s head snaps after it and, ignoring vrána’s irritated squawk in his ear, he gets to his paws and trots off into the woods.

his fur is still very wet by the time he arrives, but at least he has stopped dripping water everywhere! clinging to his shoulder, vrána nudges the last feather back into place as he presents the duck to the faerie queen, tail wagging eagerly as he looks around at the others who have gathered here with him and the assortment of foxes, quails, and hares they have come to present.

none of them are as wet as caw is. he looks a bit like a drowned rat. but also foxes, quails, and hares do not live in ponds, and either way caw does not possess the self-consciousness needed to be bothered at all. he stands there and waits, licking blood and water from his lips as vrána slides her beak through his messy fur.