Horizon Ridge with many a flirt and flutter

Mind if my bird joins you :o

She had grown quite fond of the coast, and not only because Charon — her tiny wolf friend — lived here. The breeze that blew in from the ocean allowed the magpie to drift for hours, soaring over the landscape and keeping an eye out for treasures along the shoreline. It also escaped the grip of winter, the warm waters of the sea keeping the snow at bay. Of course, it still touched the forests that bordered the coastline but the weather was nothing like what it was around the mountains surrounding the Heartwood. She had half the mind to relocate to here, but she thought about her family returning to the Heartwood in Spring, only to find one of their own had abandoned their post. She felt a strange pang of guilt and decided she would simply settle upon travelling here occasionally. For treasures and treats.

One such treasure caught the bird's eye as she glided over a ridge that jutted out of the earth, a golden glint that caused her to swerve mid-air and fly in a circle just above the rocky outcrop. Her keen eyes spied a black smudge suddenly dip into the treetops, causing her to spiral into a descent herself, disappearing into the foliage after it. She was sure it was the source of whatever had shimmered in the sun; whether it had been something it was holding or a part of it itself. Shiv had to know (and possibly grapple it from him — attached or not).

Turns out, the other was a raven, or a crow, the magpie could never tell the difference. She landed on a branch a short distance away, canting her head as she watched on curiously as he rearranged a small tower of...pebbles? What caught her attention, though, was the single stone he placed upon the top, a golden orb that caused Shiv's eyes to widen in wonder and amazement. She instantly knew she had to have it. Nevermind the fact that she didn't even have a place to put it. Quietly and with earnest, she flung herself off the thin branch, gliding through the trees and zeroing in on the raven's tower of goodies. With an excited shriek, the magpie swooped down, talons aiming to wrap around and carry off the prize. Her prize.