Scratching sounds echoed through the mist, a falcon, going by the name of Grim sat silent at the base of a colossal tree, I like it here he thought to himself as he scratched his talons against the stone at the base of the tree. It's cold, I like the cold and the mist makes everything dark, it even makes it quieter, and other creatures can't see me. he thought, looking over to the mouse he had just killed, It had been flayed open, parallel gashes, raking its sides. He moved over and started cutting pieces off of it, gulping up the small chunks he flayed away with his talons. If he could speak, he would have hooted in pleasure.

@Alaska

The phantom of Cetus moved silently through the trees, heading back home, to the Divine. The massive Tree seemed to call to her through the mist, and instinct told her hooves where to go. Lesser Gembounds chirped and called in the fog, and there was the constant sound of water and wind. But so much was hidden from view; the phantom saw nothing until it was almost upon her. It was a wonder she had not been attacked by any number of creatures yet, ones who would take advantage of the fog that hid them from view. No. The winter-bound ghost walked undisturbed until she found herself once again in the presence of the Tree.

There was a creature already here, she noticed, her dark eyes flicking to watch it as it tore into a dead mouse. She turned her gaze away, feeling nauseous at the sight, though glad that she had finally been able to stomach enough of her own green food that she would not starve. The little bit of sustenance would keep her alive, but her ribs still showed through her velvety fur.

She stood still and silent, ignoring the bird and its meal and instead gazing up into the branches of the Great Tree…

@Grim

Grim heard a rustle, looking over he saw a ghost, he had never seen one before. He always thought he heard them whispering whispering whispering through the trees and stone of the caves but he had never seen them. He slowly crept towards it, the dead interested him, as the mist cleared he saw the features of the elegant creature in front of him. The ribs protruding from its sides, the sunken eyes and hollow cheeks. He hopped around her in interest with eyes wide. Until he saw it breathing. He made a scratching sound in his throat that would have been a screech, eyes wide with shock and fear as he stumbled back and flitted into the air and around the tree, hiding in a clump of roots on the ground.

@Alaska

The ghost’s eyes flicked back towards the bird, who was coming near her. She stared at them as they approached, not realizing how terrifying she must look. And then suddenly the bird looked at her as though it were horrified and stumble-flitted backwards and out of view behind the Tree. Curiously, the ghost turned around, searching through the fog for the source of the bird’s discomfort. Seeing nothing, and sensing that the two of them were relatively alone here, she turned back towards the Tree. “What is it?” she asked, in her whispering voice, the sound echoing through the fog like an icy wind. She was beginning to pick up language a bit more, though she probably would never speak much even when she was older.

She began to slowly make her way around the tree, wanting to see if the bird was all right, unaware that she was the scary thing. Normally, she didn't care much about others, but she had never seen a Gembound become scared like that, and it aroused whatever small sense of kinship she held for others.

@Grim

Grim's chest heaved as he closed his eyes tight, hoping his feathers would blend into the wood and earth so they deer couldn't see him. His breath rattled slightly in his chest as he heard their footsteps grow closer, he turned his head and cracked his eyes shut just long enough to see them. What is it? They had asked, quietly, their voice like ice but still somehow musical to his ears. He crawled up slowly out of the hole, shaking in fear as he tittered back and forth, examining her from the front slowly and carefully.

@Alaska

The phantom Gemling watched with vague curiosity as the other creature crawled back up out of the hole they’d been hiding in and stared at her. She stared back with a dark, void-like gaze. She slowly tilted her head first one way and then the other. The bird was not looking behind her body. It was looking right at her, and it still held a frightened expression. She turned slightly to look over her shoulder. Still nothing. Was the bird frightened… of her? She turned back, finding its gaze. Why would anyone be frightened of her? Had she done something wrong? Her brows furrowed in confusion. And then her body relaxed.

She let out a long breath, and then turned away from the bird, deciding that if someone was afraid of her, she supposed it was best to leave them be. She began to walk away, quietly, through the fog…

@Grim -- Alaska will exit unless stopped

Grim realized, in shock that the other creature wouldn't hurt him when he saw her expression, he looked into her eyes and saw almost a.. small regard in there. She seemed hurt for some reason, though he couldn't think why she would. When she turned away he mustered up his courage and fluttered around and in front of her. landing and tilting his head in curiosity, he was still nervous, but not quite as much. He rasped, trying to make a sound then lowering his eyes as he remembered he couldn't. He hated that he couldn't. Why couldn't he speak like everyone else.. he hopped to the side, giving her away to pass before nestling into a clump of roots. Why would she want to have company with a freak like him anyway?

The phantom hesitated when the bird came ‘round in front of her, as if it wanted to say something to her. She backed up a little, uncertain of what it wanted. If it was afraid of her, why did it want to block her way? Why would it want her to stay? It made a weak sound in its throat, and then seemed to simply give up, moving out of her way as if to tell her to leave. She stared at it for a time, some emotion flickering in her dark eyes, as she attempted to understand what had just happened. But the intricacies of social situations left her clueless, for the most part.

She felt her soul drawn back to the Divine, begging her to forget the bird and its odd behavior. She stepped past the small creature, almost giving in… The cold enveloped her again, numbing her senses, her awareness. She let out a breath that fogged around her muzzle. There was a bit of warmth there that clouded her velvety nose, and reminded her…

She turned back towards the bird, looking at it over her shoulder. She half-turned, some curiosity leaving her indecisive. What should she do? Who should she listen to? Her Mother, the Divine? Or this little one, lost and alone?

Grim looked up in confusion when the deer stopped for a second and looked at him, it looked overall dismayed at having scared him. And also confused at why he was acting this way. He found he didn't want to leave so he fluttered in front of there and tittered back and forth, doing a sort of birdie dance. He bobbed his head up and down as he watched them, trying to get their attention before he grabbed a branch and started gouging words into it with his talons. "Sorry, can't speak" he had an expression of utter dismay at this admission, but for some odd reason he felt like this deer wouldn't judge him for it even if he hated himself for it.

The ghost watched in vague curiosity as the bird bobbed its head up and down. Her own head tilted to the side in confusion, wondering what it was doing now. It picked up a stick and began scratching at it with its claws, then it showed the stick to her. She bent closer, trying to make out any kind of meaning in the marks, but she did not understand writing, and she still barely understood spoken words, so the stick-marks meant nothing to her. She lifted her head and shook it at the bird, as if to say, I do not understand. Perhaps it was trying to tell her that it didn’t want her to leave. That would make sense, considering it had hopped in front of her.

She sighed, more breath clouding around her muzzle, wondering why everyone always wanted to talk to her, to interact with her. Was this what was normal and she was abnormal for not wanting constant contact? All that mattered to her was her Mother, the Divine. She decided that since the two of them, she and the bird, were already Home, beneath the Divine, that staying would not be a problem for her. This is where she wanted to be anyways. This is where she always wanted to be. She lay down in the chilling mud and stared at the bird with her black eyes. Now what?