Redtail Rise lines on ale

the world Avicus had been born into was physical. her parents' relationship had felt savage, visceral, rooted to the earth. never before had she considered any beauty in it.

and yet. . .

there had been poetry in the ballad of Merrick and Astara, and Ashlar brought it life.

she holds his gaze for a while, and then turns it away, and sinks low upon the earth, letting the final verses of the song whistle through her ears heedless of her closed eyes.

it's beautiful. too beautiful. and it only makes the cruelty of her mother's death that much more painful.

'hhey rippedh'er aparhh', she whispers, staring at the snow. bohh' of 'em. ma foughh'. . .buhh' couln't. . .

she presses her muzzle down, her nose submerged in the ice, tears running freely down the length of her snout. i wann'ed. . .i couln't. . .get 'hhere in 'hhime.

Avicus looks up at him with red-rimmed eyes, the red and purple together like some distant nebula. you know Nyra muhh' die. righh'? 

her teeth clench hard together. Nyra kill'edh 'hhe Raven.