Redsand Canyon dawn

The grey touch of the sun was barely on the horizon to indicate it was coming up.

Aquillius slowed to a halt on the border, wheezing and gasping. He had been running as best he could from home to here, trying to test his stamina.

What he succeeded in doing, instead, was agitating his stomach and making it so he couldn’t even breathe. The eaglet had yet to learn moderation, how to not hurt himself trying.

He wheezed, black on the edge of his vision, as he went to his knees, back legs failing soon after and crashing to the dirt. He was going to be alright, given 15 minutes to calm down, but this would become a valuable lesson.

He would not do this again.

Note to self: Leona is around 1 month old.

Leona was half asleep when the first sounds of something outside the den roused her. She moved as if to burrow against her mother (or pull invisible covers up over her nose), except she wasn't aware of herself. She'd slept against the wall rather than against her mother the previous night, so now when she rolled she tumbled to the den mouth and out to meet the dawn.

It was enough to wake her the rest of the way.

There was a heavy, husky sound coming from further afield; Leona got to her feet and, not thinking, tawdled after it. She saw a dark figure and immediately thought of Towhee, so her waddling walk became a more enthusiastic run. The shape should have gotten bigger and bigger as Leona got closer — but this one didn't.

She sniffed at the boy as she sat down by his hip, staring at him with sleepy eyes.