Firestone Hot Springs summer

Uncharacteristically still, the bird let herself fall into a sort of trance, wings half unfurled as the steam rose and soothed her muscles that were still slightly sore from her flight that morning. She looked as if she were about to summon some otherworldly demon from the springs with her half-lidded eyes and an almost sacrificial stance. That was until another made himself known and she snapped back to reality with a surprised squawk. With a click of her beak, Shiv spun around, ready to reprimand whoever had disturbed her.

Instead, the little bird was faced with the sight of a large golden and grey-furred wolf, a beast of a creature who was a stark contrast of the petite Prima Shiv had met a few days prior. Forgetting her anger, Shiv eyed off the male with fascination, fluttering onto a rock to closer inspect him. His words then registered and she gave another shrill call, shaking out her feathers. "No eat!" she scolded, quickly bending down to sharpen her beak on the rocks as if in demonstration of the weapon she held — albeit, a rather meagre form of defence should the male decide he would, in fact, make a meal of the magpie.