The Sunspire I see fire, burning the trees,

caw is not paying attention to where he is going, of course! all the mountains are still the same to him. he is supposed to be getting familiar with what grows where. and it is helping a little! there is a peak further back next to the court that grows bunches of lavender on the slopes; the ridge close to the vale has many meadows with sweetgrass and paintbrush and buttercups. the sunspire, though, is farther than he has gone!

he combs the sides as he moves, pausing frequently to sample leaves and petals. he is not here to gather things today! it would be too much to bring back. but he is pretty good at remembering locations, so that is what he is here to do. and perhaps keep an eye out for anything else that the faerie queen would like to hear!

what he is not here attempting to do is blunder into a very tense standoff. but because he is paying attention to nothing but the grass and flowers under his paws, he does not realize what he is wandering into until vrána croaks a warning on his shoulder, and by then it is too late.

caw’s tail begins to wag when he sees orlaith. then he actually sees what she is looking at: a very familiar figure from the court, the one who had trespassed on faerie lands and insulted the faerie queen – and another figure, this one fluffy and white, but nonetheless smelling of the saints.

standing completely still, caw glances between them, one after the other. his tail sways very slowly from side to side.