Lost Creek Hollow venustas

for a long moment, germanicus considered a smart about-face that would return him to whitebark and his duties therein. enough work to be done inside the stream's boundaries, far from the odd bear-pack and the lily that called —

too late, too late; ico appeared, a pearl that glowed despite the shade in the green weald. germanicus blinked, lifted his chin, approached in the controlled way that had become second nature these past years.

greyscale ears twitched. the guard took in the vision of ico, standing robed in the waning light. this time when the smile came, it lingered, softening the impassive, shrewd nature of the eagle's features. "i have no reason to be here, save that i wished to see you again." 

the words felt thick and heavy to be spoken. germanicus refused to falter, however, even as they hung between he and ico.