Haven couldn't see, and that was something many people couldn't imagine. Many would mourn the loss of sight, of the beauty of the world. But she saw differently. She could feel, could hear, could smell. She felt closer to the world than anyone with eyes could ever possibly be.

She rested against the cliff, upside-down with her head raised to breathe in the ocean air. She just breathed, just felt. The breeze against her skin, pushing at her wings and tail, almost begging her to join it. She could feel and hear the waves crashing against the cliffs below, could hear the ocean below.

Her claws let go and she spread her wings, drifting forward lazily before she took her first few downstrokes, carrying her higher. She didn't need to see to feel the air. To fly.

Her wings carried her down through the pillars and cliffs, a chill rattling through her chest at the sheer wonder that was flying. Her heart and head were in the clouds, far off the ground, no longer anchored. Reality wasn't so real up here. Wasn't so terrible. She was free.

With a roar she sped up, tucking in her wings and diving down towards the water, spreading them back down long before she got close. She drifted upwards and tilted and turned, up and around the rocks and cliffs along the beaches of Leo. She drifted towards them and angled downwards, speeding towards the sandy beaches.

Her talons dragged in the sand and then in the water as she flew, her wings catching the ocean breeze, barely even moving as she scooped the water in her claws, playing with it. A gust pushed her into the air and she flapped once, twice, and circled around the bay, listening to ocean birds cry out, their joy of flying clear to see. She breathed in the salty ocean air and caught the wind again, floating in place, barely moving a muscle.

No. She didn't need eyes. She felt the wind, the sky, the ocean... and that was better than anything in the world.


Home called. A nest and a mate lay there. The sky called for her, but her heart knew where it belonged. She lowered her head and flapped, pushing forward and circling around, floating like a ribbon in the air as she made her way home. The sky might be her haven, but there was nothing like the feeling of warm wings around her and a nose against her cheek. A rumbled, 'Welcome home' and fresh prey.

There was nothing like feeling, nothing like flying, and nothing like home.

She couldn't help but feel so lucky to have all three as she landed outside the cave, turning to face behind her one last time. And with that, she crept into her cozy den to join her mate, to curl up all nestled in his arms. Safe and sound.