Element Animals: Legends Rising

IX - In Which Bramble is Driven Crazy

One suncircle, one moon, and three nights old

"You had us all scared," Silentwing related as I finished gulping down my vole.

I winced, but I knew there was not much I could have done. "I'm sorry for getting kidnapped by my evil subconscious and taken to this cave where she basically sacrificed me," I said slightly sarcastically. I considered this an accomplishment. After all, I could have very well been just fully sarcastic.

Silentwing sighed, but let the subject go. I squared my shoulders. "So, any of you had any weird weird dreams where your sub-consciousnesses kidnap you and basically sacrifice you in a dark cave lately?"

"Nope," Bramble said nonchalantly.

"Not as far as I'm aware of," Silentwing said, which I, of course, found silly but didn't say so. "That's great. So, er, where are we going now?"

Silentwing closed her eyes and Bramble shrugged. We both stared at Silentwing for answers until she opened her eyes and said, "You both are creeps."

That left an awkward silence until I, grimacing at myself, repeated, "So?" Silentwing nodded and explained, "There's been more fires down near the mountains. I cannot tell if they're Silverfang-related, as they were relatively small, but it might be worth checking out."

Bramble nodded happily. "Sounds great! Let's go!"

I turned to him in confusion. "Wait, you actually want to fight Silverfang?" He shrugged. "Why not? I'd like revenge, and we're going to no matter what, considering that prophecy you found."

I decided it was better not to argue. I turned to Silentwing instead. "So you can lead us there, right?" She nodded. "Of course I can. I located them, after all." 

I nodded back, sighing inwardly. I really don't want to fight. I don't like fighting. Fighting is bad. "Okay then. Let us go." But maybe sometimes it's necessary...? She took off and I launched myself into the air after her, flapping my wings as vigorously as if a fox had been snapping at my back talons. The familiar feeling of slicing through the air welcomed me, and I felt the warmness settle into my hollow bones. I smiled to myself, thinking that whoever couldn't fly was missing out.

As we flew over trees that poked up jaggedly at us, daring us to enter their forest, I noticed that the sky looked awfully grey. I frowned, noting that the color was more cornflower blue--which was concerning. I related this to Silentwing and Bramble, who both stopped in midair to stare at the sky. I nearly crashed into Silentwing but managed to stop in time, hovering as they peered up at the odd-colored sky. "You're right," Silentwing mumbled, mostly to herself (though I felt like answering, Of course! Did you think I would randomly call the sky grey without reason?). 

"And it smells smoky, too," Bramble added after a bit of sniffing.

I frowned. "It does?"

"Of course!" Bramble exclaimed. "Can't you smell it?"

I stared at him in surprise, and when his confused expression didn't change, I explained. "No. Owls can't smell."

He made an "oh, yeah" face. "Of course owls can't smell." He shrugged. "Well, not my fault. You're just missing out."

Curious, I asked him, "What do things smell like?"

"What type of things?"

"Any type of thing.... Prey, enemies, fear, that sort of stuff," I explained, watching him carefully. Thoughtfulness crinkled his forehead. "Well...prey often has a musky sort of scent, but they also smell warm and bloody...which has a sort of salty, metallic smell. Enemies...hmm. They smell sort of stronger, like a tart, poking smell, and the scent is tinged bitter with hate. Fear--why in the world would you want to know what fear smells like when you could choose...er...daisies?" Bramble asked suddenly, staring at me as if caught in a quandary.

I shrugged. "The smell of fear sounds like it would be more useful than daisies."

"Even though you know you'll never be able to smell." This was stated as a fact, not a question.

I nodded. He sighed. "Fine. Er...fear is also sharp, but more acidic.... It also generates nausea."

"All right, are you two done yakking?" Silentwing suddenly snapped.

I noticed she hadn't said anything while Bramble was talking. Maybe hawks can't smell, either, I pondered. I didn't voice my thoughts; if I had, surely she would've snapped at me and gotten herself into a worse mood. I pushed away my wondering and shrugged in reply. Bramble looked as if was barely holding back a laugh, so he obviously wasn't going to be any help in appeasing Silentwing; he would only fuel her fury.

Silentwing shoved her head in the direction of our starboard. "There are fires in the northeast. That is why the sky is weirdly colored. The fires we started flying to are the ones who caused this smoke."

An awkward pause descended upon us like a thick layer of snow, and it seemed to me that the sky became more dense. Finally, Silentwing turned and flew off without another word. Grateful for the chance to escape the awkward moment without having to speak, I flew off after her. Some small, muffled giggles ensued as I flew off, and then they were stifled. Bramble came flying after us. "Hey, wait up. I'm part of the Save the World Club too, y'know."

I had to stifle a laugh. "Er...yes, yes you are. We know you are, Bramble."

He pouted. "Then why did you fly off without me?"

I did not know how to answer his question, and, when he saw I wasn't going to answer, Bramble turned to Silentwing. "You do know I'm in the Save the World Club, right?"

Silentwing looked mightily confused until some memory passed over her and she nodded slightly. "Er, yes. I do."

"So...why did you fly off without me and Avalanche and leave us both behind?"

"Improper grammar, Bramble: it should be 'Avalanche and I', not 'me and Avalanche'," Silentwing corrected, shaking her head in mock disappointment.

Bramble frowned. "You're evading the question."

Silentwing's look of surprise was quickly covered up by one of innocence. "Whoever said I was doing that?"

"See, your not denying it is just testimony to the fact that you did! Admit it, fowl! Admit it and answer my question squarely! Look me in the eye!" Bramble cried, flying ahead of her.

I could swear I heard Bramble mumble "zoom, zoom" as he streaked by me, the wind in his wake ruffling my feathers. Silentwing looked concerned for his sanity, which was probably the best thing to be. "I'm looking you right in the eye already," she informed him when he flew ahead of her, flying backward to look her in the eye.

"All right. Now admit your deed and answer my question with fairness!"

"Do you mean 'fairly'?" Silentwing asked, scrunching her head feathers in confusion.

"Stop evading," Bramble growled. "Answer the question, you foul fowl!"

"Hey, I am a bird as well," I interrupted. "Don't insult our kind." Silentwing shot me a grateful look as Bramble turned to assault me. "Whoever said I was insulting your kind? I was just insulting this bird right here! --Oh, and what I said is incorrect! I wasn't insulting her; I was speaking with truthity!"

"You mean 'truth'," I told him, but he ignored me. "So ha! Face that fact and cry by yourself, for I do not wish to hear your womanly sobs!"

Then Bramble, cackling, flew off in front of us.

I flew faster to catch up to Silentwing. "I think something is wrong with him. Maybe he inhaled too much smoke?"

Silentwing looked confused. "But we inhaled the same amount of smoke as him."

I shrugged. "Maybe it's a mammal thing." She nodded. "Or maybe it's because he can smell, and that's what drove him crazy."

With that out in the open, I realized just how true that could be. "That...is indeed a terrifying possibility. Let's go catch up to him and find out."