The last time she had done so much walking was before the battle, so many cycles ago. She had grown accustomed to either being curled in a chrysalis or sitting and moping around in a cave. She was almost to her destination by now, but she was utterly exhausted. Walking all the way around Fornax, all the way through tunnel M, and now through Pisces as well, it took its toll on the weakened goose.

Resigning herself to defeat, for now, Blackberry flopped over next to one of the ponds and stuck her beak into the cool water. It was a bit dirty, but at least it was fresh and cool, unlike Fornax's eternal sea of saltwater. Perhaps it was a good thing that she was taking a break, though. How would she look if she walked into Jayberry's nest not only with no tail and no use of her wings, but dead on her feet as well? That wouldn't be good at all. And if it was a trap, if Pride and Envy had somehow figured out about the tunnel, the backup tunnel that was supposed to be a meetup point for the family should their tunnel ever be raided, then she wanted to be able to at least run and not be unable to move. Again.

She settled herself down comfortably, her feathers puffing around her, hiding the teeth on her stomach and she pulled her head back, trying to cover the spikes, and brought one of her wings to cover her head. It was the best she could do in terms of covering her identity - she'd most likely just look like a regular bird to any traveler nearby.

@Kalama

Kalama was far from home. She felt nervous being so far from Canis, it was the furthest she'd been from home, not counting Eridanus. She'd never show her nervousness outwardly-not intentionally-but she was here now.

But Kalama had to. It was one of a series of personal tests. She had to prove she wasn't afraid to herself, to her teacher. Even if she was lost. But she wasn't, she told herself. She paused to take in her surroundings, and felt a spark of irritation once she realized she recognized none of it. She continued on, hoping she'd recognize something eventually.

She paused at a small pond, and dipped her beak in the water. Once she had a drink she'd get her bearings and head back the way she came. What she thought was the way she'd come, at least. She paused when she raised her head, noticing for the first time the bird at the other side of the pond. It was the first time she'd seen another bird, atleast one that could hold up a conversation. Everything else had been lessers or hybrids.

Kalama became jittery with excitement, and stifled the desire to run up to the other bird. Instead, slightly better, she trotted around the lake, neck held high. She considered giving herself a proper introduction, impressing the bigger bird, but after giving it five seconds of thought, she decided to go with the direct approach.

"You're a bird too!" She said to the larger bird, then paused, tilting her head. Were they asleep? She tactfully switched gears. "Why're you sleeping weird so weird?"

Speech. Thought

@Blackberry

Blackberry heard the approaching feet, but she didn't move, her eyes staring into her wing, terrified that it would be someone she knew. The way their feet pattered on the ground, it could be a small animal or a bird. A bird would be ideal - she didn't know too many of them but if it was a small animal...Envy. She was frozen, waiting as the footsteps grew closer and closer and then suddenly stopped.

She released a breath she had been holding when the bird chirped its voice. It was young and it was definitely not someone she knew. She considered for a moment, before she decided to risk it. Besides, she wasn't sure if they would go away until she was awake.

She pulled her head out from under her wing, but she kept the feathers on her stomach puffed around her claws. She wouldn't be exposing those in case she needed to. In front of her was certainly a bird. A young one, not full grown but not a hatchling. She stared down at it with mild indifference. "Yes, I'm a bird," she retorted. "There are a lot of birds. It's not a big deal."

As she looked down at the little chicken, it suddenly occurred to her that she had once bought children as young as her into her family. That once she would have taken them in, twisted them, taught them how to kill. An instinct deep within her started to stir, but she forced it down, repulsed. She would take in no more children. She didn't deserve to call herself a mother.

She narrowed her eyes, her beak clacking a little irritably. "Because its comfortable." A complete lie, but she wasn't going to just blurt out that she was trying to hide her identity.

@Kalama

Kalama was taken aback by Blackberry's annoyance. She wasn't expecting a fellow bird to be like that, but there was no way she'd back down. Aggressiveness of her own bloom up.

"It is a big deal! Most the ones I've seen dont talk. My teacher talks, but he's only half a bird" She huffs angrily, trying and failing to not sound whiny. "Not that I care though."

She was lying as well, but now she felt she had to prove she was better and more apathetic than this bird. Kalama tilts her head even further, taking in the way they were sitting, and trying to imagine themselves doing the same thing. It still didn't look comfortable. Something about this goose was strange, but Kalama wasn't sure what. She didn't give the thought much more energy before she blurted it out. "You don't look comfortable. You're kinda weird, y'know."

Speech. Thought

@Blackberry

As the chicken chick spoke, Blackberry had a sudden flash of memory occur to her. A long time ago, when someone had woken her up. She was barely older then the chick in front of her. A white muzzle poking at her feathers, calling her weird. She took on a momentary far away look in her eyes as she remembered that first meeting...perhaps that was the one to start it all...

She pulled herself out of her memory, hopefully before the chick noticed. She huffed and shifted, careful not to disturb the feathers on her belly too much. "You're making a racket about nothing, kid. There are plenty of birds around that talk and most of them are more interesting then me." That was an absolute and blatant lie. Were there any birds around with as much of an interesting story as her? She wanted to laugh at the implications of the word "interesting". That was sure one way to describe it.

"Who are you to say what's comfortable or not." She looked up and down the chick, trying not to look perturbed at the chick's comment. "You're not exactly a pleasant sight. What do you want?"

@Kalama
@Kalama

Kalama watches Blackberry strangely. She had a odd look in her eyes that she recalled teacher had, once. She still wasn't quite sure what such a look meant , but she knew instinctively it meant something. It was nothing that she'd ever dwell on though--she wasn't the type to read people. Kalama opens her jaw to reply, but no words come. She wasn't really sure if there were more interesting birds. She hadn't really met any of them. Her confusion momentarily distracts Kalama from her budding indignance. She watches Blackberry oddly, and decides to plop down in front of her. She was staying here for now. Blackberry's new problem.

"I dunno. You're pretty interesting. I dont have fangs." She momentarily considers having fangs. She'd look so cool. She'd have to ask the goose how she got fangs. She wanted fangs of her own.

She bristles when Blackberry implies she wasn't the most endearing thing around, indignance showing itself once more. She was great. She knew from personal experience.

"I'm proving myself. Proving myself braver and stronger than all the gembound around." She snaps back, shooting up to her feet. "And im more pleasant than you. Braver, too. I could probably beat you in a fight. I've beaten plenty of bigger gembound. I beat a huge crocodile with wings, alone. I took a piece of its mane."

It was all a huge buff. But her teacher could probably beat this goose with its weird head and teeth. So she could too, probably. She was learning from the best, after all. She'd also lost terribly against Imp--but the goose didn't need to know that. It was a win in her mind simply because she refused to believe it as anything other. The mere thought she didn't win sent her ego into damage control. She'd beat Imp even better than she already had one day. Take a clump of its mane for herself.

Speech. Thought

@Blackberry

Blackberry puffed and scooted back a bit when the chicken plopped down next to her. God, this kid was irritating. And she couldn't shake the instinct that she was looking at a possible recruit - every word that she spoke showed her spirit, her arrogance, her anger. Perfect Bloodberry traits. But the Bloodberries were gone. Or, at least, their leader was. Perhaps Jayberry had taken charge or Blueberry had come home.

Blueberry.

Blackberry didn't respond to Kalama. She was momentarily lost as a memory beset her, a terrible one, a new one that she had stashed deep in her mind. She wanted to forget, she wanted to pretend that Wilder had never told her, that it wasn't real. But it was. It was so real. She was hearing her voice again, the dream tainted with magic. He's dead. One of the Seven killed him. One of the Seven. One of them....killed him. Blueberry, sweet Blueberry...he was gone. He was dead. She would never see him again, never curl up next to him or feel his muzzle against her neck, his warm breath against his feathers, hear his deep, rumbling voice as he told her he loved her...

Blackberry just stared wide-eyed at Kalama, but not really seeing her. Half in and half out of reality, part despair, part fury. The feathers on her neck began to bristle as, finally, after so long, the anger overtook the depression. She blinked and she was back, the horrible truth now spearing deep into her heart. Who cared who this chicken was or who she fought?! Blueberry was dead! Dead! She was alone.

"That's great," she snapped. "But it isn't a dragon! I beat a dragon! A dragon, two snakes, a wild dog, three birds, and a weasel!" Her uncontrolled emotions sent the feathers on her stomach bushing outwards, revealing the teeth that lay beneath. She looked as she looked before her fall, when madness had consumed her mind. Eyes blazing with rage, a sharp hiss coming from her beak. The feathers on her neck bristled angrily and the teeth on her chest and stomach opened threateningly. She still sat on the ground, but her tense posture implied a lunge could come at any time.

"You couldn't beat me in a million years, you idiot. Continue down the path your on right now, and you'll lose everything. You'll become like me, you hear? And you don't want to be like me."

@Kalama

Kalama stared at Blackberry with wide eyes. She'd shrunk into a little puff, fearful, listening as the goose ranted. She was torn between feeling angry at the goose's insults, fearful from the look in the goose's eyes, and... impressed. The small nugget of self preservation Kalama had was screaming danger. That the goose did not want her here. Like normal, she ignored it.

Blackberry was...really cool. She'd beaten eight gembound in combat? That was insanely cool. She wanted to be that cool. She slowly raised from her puff, straightening out her feathers with a shake. It soon turned into an excited jitter.

"You're cool." She hops a little on her feet. "I want to be like you! Why wouldn't I want to be like the coolest gembound in the caves!" She tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "I mean you're weird and mean, and you have creepy eyes, but I like the other stuff!"

Her hops turn into full bounces. Kalama didn't figure she had much anyways--the most she had was her mentor and a pile of bones she liked to step on. Blackberry could be her second mentor. Like Eythan, but if he was much meaner. And called her an idiot. Which she most certainly was not . Blackberry could be like Eythan 2, probably! She'd have to think about how she talked Blackberry into mentoring her. Kalama began to puzzle it out in her mind.

Speech. Thought

@Blackberry