ninjaskarmory
06-28-2015, 03:39 AM
You know what they say. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That's simple enough, but it's not really true. Physical wounds can heal. You can put herbs on physical wounds, and dress them with leaves to help with the bleeding. Verbal wounds are the ones that make the deepest scars, the ones that take much longer to heal. Sometimes, the wounds left from verbal attacks never fade. How can they when they're written on your fur?
My train of thought was interrupted as a blade of grass tickled my nose, causing me to sneeze. My brother, Jack, heard this and turned around to face me. His pink nose twitched, and he flicked his long, snow white ear.
"What's wrong, sis?" he asked. As he said this, I subconsciously glanced at the word "sis" written in black on my paw. On my other paw, "Cotton" was scrawled in an even deeper shade.
"Nothing, just thinking," I replied. "Do you want to keep going?"
"Sure! As long as you want to." When I nodded quickly, he grinned. "Alright! On your marks, get set, go!"
Before I could protest, Jack was off in a flash, kicking up dust as he went. "Hey, wait for me!" I cried, despite knowing that he couldn't hear me. I began sprinting as well, quickly picking up speed until I felt like I was flying.
Running and I had a love-hate relationship. While the running itself brought on an almost euphoric sense of flight, the exhaustion that came after was hardly pleasant. I was admittedly somewhat jealous of my brother's stamina.
"Woohoo!" I cried as I sped along. Shadows cast by the swaying trees dappled my pelt, offering me shelter from the afternoon heat. I weaved in between bushes and leaped over branches. Before I knew it, I was rocketing out of the forest and into a grassy clearing. Now, with the sun on my back, I was beginning to take notice of how tired I was getting.
I skidded to a halt as I realized that I had passed the place where Jack had stopped. I padded back to him, trying to disguise my labored breathing. He was sniffing a small, light purple flower growing in the shade of a tree. It seemed to emanate a sort of glow, and the shape of its petals made it look like a little star.
"What kind of flower is that?" I asked, my eyes filled with wonder.
"Dunno," Jack responded. "Wanna try some?"
I glanced around quickly to find that nobody was around. That meant that either the flower was wild, or whoever was growing it wasn't around right now. "Sure, I'll give it a nibble." I cautiously bit off a fraction of a petal, and was surprised by its flavor. It was light and sweet, with a hint of something I couldn't quite describe. My guess was that if the moon had a flavor, it would taste like this flower.
"This is incredible," I breathed.
"Really? Well, now I have to try some," Jack said. Upon biting off a petal, his eyes widened, and he cracked a grin. As soon as he finished chewing the petal, he bit off two more and began happily munching away.
I laughed and grabbed another petal, finishing it in an instant. I went to eat another, only to discover that it was the very last one. Jack completely ignored this fact, snapping it up in one bite.
I feigned a look of distress. "B-but Jack, I wanted that one..." My lower lip began to tremble, and my tiny nose quivered as I snarted sniffling.
Jack took the bait. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" He rubbed the back of his ear. "Now I feel bad..."
My facade fell. "I'm just kidding! I don't care that you ate the last one. There are probably more around here somew-"
Before I could finish my sentence, a raucous shriek echoed through the treetops. Frightened, I whipped my head toward the source of the noise to find a robin diving toward my brother and I. Jack instinctively curled into a little ball, protecting the back of his neck with his forepaws. I flinched, but for the most part, I stood my ground.
"My flower!" the robin screamed. "You rascals! Why did you do this?"
Jack winced as the word "rascal" became etched on his back in light grey as if written by an invisible hand. I knew the process of labeling didn't hurt physically, but my brother didn't exactly handle it well. I could already see him glancing at his back, frantically trying to cover up the word. I frowned and turned to the robin.
"I'm sorry, we didn't think this flower belonged to anyone," I said.
"Well-" the bird started, then sighed. Her wings drooped to her sides. "Oh, what do I do now? My mom needed that flower...How is she ever going to get better now?" She began pacing and scratching at the dirt with her claws.
"Sorry," I repeated. "I-is there anything we can do to help?"
The avian perked up immediately. "Yes, actually. If I remember correctly, there's a field of these somewhere around here...I would go myself, but I should probably stay behind and look after my mother."
"Go on," I pressed, nodding.
"Well, right now, you're in the last clearing along this route before the forest ends. Past the forest is a vast field with grass of the most beautiful color. It's a deep shade of turquoise that- Wait, or was it amethyst?" She looked into the distance thoughtfully, then shook her head and continued. "Anyway, as pretty as it is, not many animals go there because the gravity there is out of whack. You pretty much decide whether you rise or fall."
"Is that where we'll find the flowers?" I asked.
"No. The field with the weird gravity is at the foot of a cliff. At the top of that cliff is the field with the flowers you're looking for. But-"
"Okay, great! Just keep going until we hit the edge of the forest, then use the pretty field's weird gravity to get up a cliff?"
"Yes, but-"
"You can count on us," I said, nodding confidently. "Can't she, Jack?"
"Y-yeah," Jack, who was visibly trembling, responded.
"See? We'll be back to you with the flower in a breeze. Your mother will be just fine," I assured her.
She nodded, an upset look etched on her face. "I understand that, but-"
"Alright! Let's go, then!" I said, already marching away. I nudged Jack, who began to follow me. I could hear the robin saying something as we padded off, but I couldn't entirely understand it. Oh well. Time was already a-wastin', and we had a mission to complete!
000
Jack and I plodded through the woods, the silence broken only by the swishing of grass under our feet and the rustling of other creatures deeper in the forest. A soft sound reached my ears, causing me to look around for its source. It sounded kind of like sobbing. As I listened closer, I was able to pinpoint where it was coming from. I turned around to find...Jack? He had stopped walking about five feet behind me and was curled up in a ball, shaking.
"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned. He tried to speak, but what came out was a clumsy mess of almost-words. I sighed. Like I said, he didn't handle labels very well.
"Am I really a r-rascal?" he sobbed. "Is that what everyone sees me as? Is that all I am in their eyes? Has my entire existence just dimmed down to one word?"
I placed a front paw on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Nobody thinks you're a rascal. That's not even a horrible thing to be called. It just means that you make mischief a lot, and everybody's had fun with that at some point. Don't fret. Besides, you're strong. You can handle this."
I smiled as I noticed the word "strong" written on his chest get darker. That's how labels worked. The more you were called a certain thing, the darker the word got. I glanced over my shoulder at the masses of writing on my back. Some of the words were barely visible, but others were as dark as the night itself. I used to be mostly white, like Jack, but protecting other animals from being labeled came with a price.
Jack smiled, wiping a tear from under his eye with a soft forepaw. "T-thanks, Cotton." Then, he straightened up, putting on a brave smile. "Let's go find some flowers!"
000
We stood at the brink of a vast meadow, the wind buffeting our fur and ears. My mouth was slack with awe. The grass was a deep shade of purple, and it shimmered in the sunlight like so many gemstones. I spied myriad streams of water weaving through the field, and all of them had a common source: the pool of a massive waterfall. The cascade started on a cliff that wrapped around half of the meadow, where it gushed out of a gaping cavern half way up the cliff itself. The water was painted with a plethora of hues, and it was truly a magnificent sight.
"Wow," Jack said, wearing an expression similar to mine. His gaze traced the waterfall up the cliff, then continued until it rested at the top. His eyes lit up. "Hey, I think I can see a field up there! This has the be the cliff the robin told us about!"
I nodded. It was, in fact, the only cliff in sight, but I decided not to vocalize that. "Wanna race to the base?" I offered, grinning inwardly at my rhyme.
"You bet!" Jack replied.
I didn't even have to count down. We both took off at crazy speeds, zooming through the amethyst grasses. We approached the base far faster than we expected, and we skidded frantically to a halt before we could crash into it.
I cast a thoughtful look upward. "Alright, so I'm guessing all you have to do is...think about it?" I closed my eyes and thought about rising to the top of the rock face. Sure enough, it worked.
Now I could see why not many animals liked this area. While running was effortless, rising in this manner took a lot of concentration, and wasn't exactly a walk in the park. The sensation of not having ground underneath my paws for a prolonged period of time made me rather nauseous. This caused me to lose my concentration a few times, which was certainly terrifying. After a while, Jack and I arrived at the top of the cliff.
"There it is!" Jack cried. A quick look at the scene in front of us confirmed that he was right. Hundreds of glowing purple flowers rippled in the breeze like an enchanted pond. My brother turned to me. "How many do you think we need?"
I shrugged. "One or two should be enough."
"Alright, then let's get gathering!"
000
Nadine looked out over the treetops, her beak curved downward in a frown. Where were those bunnies? She hoped they would hurry up. They needed to get in and out of that field quickly, or else...
The robin fluttered down a few branches, then glanced at her nest. Her mother was there, trembling and moaning in agony. Nadine frowned again. Her mother needed her here. Besides, the bunnies would probably be fine on their own.
Nadine gazed out into the distance, then back at her mother, then into the distance again. She sighed. A quick check couldn't hurt...
000
"Two flowers, both in perfect shape!" Jack said, looking proudly at the delicate plants. "This should be good. Now, let's get back to that robin! Her mother needs us."
I nodded and turned around. However, as I was about to make my way back down the cliff, a shadow passed over me. Frightened, I scrambled away from the precipice. The sound of wingbeats filled the air, and a large, intimidating raven landed on the ground in front of Jack and me.
"What are you little creeps doing here?" the raven said, his voice dripping with malice. My stomach churned as I noticed that one of his eyes was completely missing. When neither of us spoke, the foul bird hissed and hopped closer. "What's wrong? Too scared to answer? Too wimpy?"
I gulped and dared a glance at Jack. What I saw was not good. He was fixated on the negative words that were being scribbled on his pelt, a wild look in his eyes. His breathing began to accelerate. This was definitely not good.
I swallowed down my fear and stepped protectively in front of my brother. "Wh-who are you to tell us wh-what we are?" I stuttered. I inwardly kicked myself. My terrified tone wasn't helping us one bit.
"Who am I?" the raven said. "Who am I?" He threw back his head and made a grotesque noise that was a mix between a cackle and a croak. "Why, I am Salem, the real reason why few animals venture over here. These are my fields, my cliff, and my flowers. Now, tell me, you little speck of filth. Who are you?"
I tried to speak, but the words just wouldn't come to me. I felt absolutely helpless. It was as if that one beady eye was sapping all of my will to live.
"Well, I guess that doesn't matter. Regardless who you are, you still have to pay the price for trespassing," Salem growled. He raised one foot, ready to swipe his claws across my face.
Suddenly, a small, brown and red form barreled into Salem, knocking him off balance. Once the figure landed on the ground, I gasped. It was the robin from earlier! She had come to help!
"How's life without me...Nadine?" Salem hissed, spitting out the robin's name as if it were poison.
"Positively heavenly, thanks," Nadine shot back. "How's this miserable life of yours, tormenting poor, harmless creatures?"
"Wonderful!" Salem giggled, his neck twisting at an alarming angle.
"You're insane. You know that, right?" Nadine said.
The raven made like he was going to dive at me, but Nadine scooted in front of me before he could do so. Salem snarled. "They're trespassing, and so are you, you scum. Now move."
I stared in awe at the argument. I hadn't noticed until now, but Nadine's vibrant chest was covered in unpleasant etchings. "Scum" was only one of them.
Nadine stood her ground. "No. I've driven you out once, you monster, and I'll do it again." Before the raven could retaliate, she stepped toward him, a tempest of fury blazing in her black eyes. "I hate you. All you do is hurt other animals for the fun of it. Is it really worth it? Is the brief burst of power you get from bullying another creature worth all of the damage you've done? You're a bully, Salem. I'm not scum. You are."
Salem growled. The intensity of Nadine's words had been enough to etch "monster" and "bully" into his black feathers in blinding white. The vile avian opened his beak for a biting retort, but the robin was one step ahead of him. She rose into the air and swiped her claws across his face, and I looked on in frightened admiration as she slashed out his remaining eye. The raven staggered and clutched his face in pain.
"You...worthless...woman..." Salem panted.
Nadine was having none of this. She stepped even closer, to where her beak was touching his, and uttered one word. "Go."
The raven could take a hint. He clumsily took to the skies and flapped away, dropping multiple feathers as he went. As his form faded into the distance, Nadine turned to us.
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" the robin pressed. Before I could answer, she turned her attention to Jack, who was still hyperventilating. "Oh, poor thing. Do you think you can walk?"
Jack weakly nodded, trying to calm his breathing. The robin rested a wing on his head and stroked his ears in a calming fashion. This seemed to have an immediate effect on Jack, and his panic attack began to fade.
"Alright. Let's get you back to my tree. Everything's going to be alright."
000
I paced anxiously at the base of Nadine's tree. Jack was lying down in the grass next to me, enjoying the coolness of the shade. We had successfully delivered the flowers to Nadine's mother, and we were currently awaiting the results.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
I jumped as Nadine landed next to me. "You scared my tail off!" I exclaimed.
"Sorry about that," the bird quickly apologized. "I'm also sorry for not warning you about Salem."
"No problem," I said. "It's my fault for constantly interrupting you." A moment of silence passed before I spoke again. "Thanks for saving us from him. How did you know he would be there?"
"Oh, he and I used to be a couple. Everyone thought it was absurd, a raven and a robin being together. We used to be so close..." her voice trailed off into the distance, and she cast a nostalgic glance at the words "my little flower" scrawled on her wing. Then, she cleared her throat and looked back at me. "But it all went south for the winter from there. He became so abusive, physically and verbally. He had to go, so I drove him out. Unfortunately, he picked my favorite field of flowers, so I'd never be able to go back without facing his wrath." The robin looked at her feet sadly.
Another brief period of silence. "...So, how's your mom doing?" I asked in attempt to break it.
Nadine's expression and posture improved in a heartbeat. "Oh, she's doing great! I can't thank you enough. She thinks she'll be all better within a few days. She says you're her heroes."
I grinned and looked at Jack. "Do you hear that? Heroes, brother!"
Jack beamed and began searching his body for where this praise was written. Upon discovering that it was scribbled on his fluffy tail, we both burst out laughing. When we were done, he sat up and stared into my eyes, glowing with pride.
"Hero," he echoed. "Now that's a label I like."
My train of thought was interrupted as a blade of grass tickled my nose, causing me to sneeze. My brother, Jack, heard this and turned around to face me. His pink nose twitched, and he flicked his long, snow white ear.
"What's wrong, sis?" he asked. As he said this, I subconsciously glanced at the word "sis" written in black on my paw. On my other paw, "Cotton" was scrawled in an even deeper shade.
"Nothing, just thinking," I replied. "Do you want to keep going?"
"Sure! As long as you want to." When I nodded quickly, he grinned. "Alright! On your marks, get set, go!"
Before I could protest, Jack was off in a flash, kicking up dust as he went. "Hey, wait for me!" I cried, despite knowing that he couldn't hear me. I began sprinting as well, quickly picking up speed until I felt like I was flying.
Running and I had a love-hate relationship. While the running itself brought on an almost euphoric sense of flight, the exhaustion that came after was hardly pleasant. I was admittedly somewhat jealous of my brother's stamina.
"Woohoo!" I cried as I sped along. Shadows cast by the swaying trees dappled my pelt, offering me shelter from the afternoon heat. I weaved in between bushes and leaped over branches. Before I knew it, I was rocketing out of the forest and into a grassy clearing. Now, with the sun on my back, I was beginning to take notice of how tired I was getting.
I skidded to a halt as I realized that I had passed the place where Jack had stopped. I padded back to him, trying to disguise my labored breathing. He was sniffing a small, light purple flower growing in the shade of a tree. It seemed to emanate a sort of glow, and the shape of its petals made it look like a little star.
"What kind of flower is that?" I asked, my eyes filled with wonder.
"Dunno," Jack responded. "Wanna try some?"
I glanced around quickly to find that nobody was around. That meant that either the flower was wild, or whoever was growing it wasn't around right now. "Sure, I'll give it a nibble." I cautiously bit off a fraction of a petal, and was surprised by its flavor. It was light and sweet, with a hint of something I couldn't quite describe. My guess was that if the moon had a flavor, it would taste like this flower.
"This is incredible," I breathed.
"Really? Well, now I have to try some," Jack said. Upon biting off a petal, his eyes widened, and he cracked a grin. As soon as he finished chewing the petal, he bit off two more and began happily munching away.
I laughed and grabbed another petal, finishing it in an instant. I went to eat another, only to discover that it was the very last one. Jack completely ignored this fact, snapping it up in one bite.
I feigned a look of distress. "B-but Jack, I wanted that one..." My lower lip began to tremble, and my tiny nose quivered as I snarted sniffling.
Jack took the bait. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" He rubbed the back of his ear. "Now I feel bad..."
My facade fell. "I'm just kidding! I don't care that you ate the last one. There are probably more around here somew-"
Before I could finish my sentence, a raucous shriek echoed through the treetops. Frightened, I whipped my head toward the source of the noise to find a robin diving toward my brother and I. Jack instinctively curled into a little ball, protecting the back of his neck with his forepaws. I flinched, but for the most part, I stood my ground.
"My flower!" the robin screamed. "You rascals! Why did you do this?"
Jack winced as the word "rascal" became etched on his back in light grey as if written by an invisible hand. I knew the process of labeling didn't hurt physically, but my brother didn't exactly handle it well. I could already see him glancing at his back, frantically trying to cover up the word. I frowned and turned to the robin.
"I'm sorry, we didn't think this flower belonged to anyone," I said.
"Well-" the bird started, then sighed. Her wings drooped to her sides. "Oh, what do I do now? My mom needed that flower...How is she ever going to get better now?" She began pacing and scratching at the dirt with her claws.
"Sorry," I repeated. "I-is there anything we can do to help?"
The avian perked up immediately. "Yes, actually. If I remember correctly, there's a field of these somewhere around here...I would go myself, but I should probably stay behind and look after my mother."
"Go on," I pressed, nodding.
"Well, right now, you're in the last clearing along this route before the forest ends. Past the forest is a vast field with grass of the most beautiful color. It's a deep shade of turquoise that- Wait, or was it amethyst?" She looked into the distance thoughtfully, then shook her head and continued. "Anyway, as pretty as it is, not many animals go there because the gravity there is out of whack. You pretty much decide whether you rise or fall."
"Is that where we'll find the flowers?" I asked.
"No. The field with the weird gravity is at the foot of a cliff. At the top of that cliff is the field with the flowers you're looking for. But-"
"Okay, great! Just keep going until we hit the edge of the forest, then use the pretty field's weird gravity to get up a cliff?"
"Yes, but-"
"You can count on us," I said, nodding confidently. "Can't she, Jack?"
"Y-yeah," Jack, who was visibly trembling, responded.
"See? We'll be back to you with the flower in a breeze. Your mother will be just fine," I assured her.
She nodded, an upset look etched on her face. "I understand that, but-"
"Alright! Let's go, then!" I said, already marching away. I nudged Jack, who began to follow me. I could hear the robin saying something as we padded off, but I couldn't entirely understand it. Oh well. Time was already a-wastin', and we had a mission to complete!
000
Jack and I plodded through the woods, the silence broken only by the swishing of grass under our feet and the rustling of other creatures deeper in the forest. A soft sound reached my ears, causing me to look around for its source. It sounded kind of like sobbing. As I listened closer, I was able to pinpoint where it was coming from. I turned around to find...Jack? He had stopped walking about five feet behind me and was curled up in a ball, shaking.
"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned. He tried to speak, but what came out was a clumsy mess of almost-words. I sighed. Like I said, he didn't handle labels very well.
"Am I really a r-rascal?" he sobbed. "Is that what everyone sees me as? Is that all I am in their eyes? Has my entire existence just dimmed down to one word?"
I placed a front paw on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Nobody thinks you're a rascal. That's not even a horrible thing to be called. It just means that you make mischief a lot, and everybody's had fun with that at some point. Don't fret. Besides, you're strong. You can handle this."
I smiled as I noticed the word "strong" written on his chest get darker. That's how labels worked. The more you were called a certain thing, the darker the word got. I glanced over my shoulder at the masses of writing on my back. Some of the words were barely visible, but others were as dark as the night itself. I used to be mostly white, like Jack, but protecting other animals from being labeled came with a price.
Jack smiled, wiping a tear from under his eye with a soft forepaw. "T-thanks, Cotton." Then, he straightened up, putting on a brave smile. "Let's go find some flowers!"
000
We stood at the brink of a vast meadow, the wind buffeting our fur and ears. My mouth was slack with awe. The grass was a deep shade of purple, and it shimmered in the sunlight like so many gemstones. I spied myriad streams of water weaving through the field, and all of them had a common source: the pool of a massive waterfall. The cascade started on a cliff that wrapped around half of the meadow, where it gushed out of a gaping cavern half way up the cliff itself. The water was painted with a plethora of hues, and it was truly a magnificent sight.
"Wow," Jack said, wearing an expression similar to mine. His gaze traced the waterfall up the cliff, then continued until it rested at the top. His eyes lit up. "Hey, I think I can see a field up there! This has the be the cliff the robin told us about!"
I nodded. It was, in fact, the only cliff in sight, but I decided not to vocalize that. "Wanna race to the base?" I offered, grinning inwardly at my rhyme.
"You bet!" Jack replied.
I didn't even have to count down. We both took off at crazy speeds, zooming through the amethyst grasses. We approached the base far faster than we expected, and we skidded frantically to a halt before we could crash into it.
I cast a thoughtful look upward. "Alright, so I'm guessing all you have to do is...think about it?" I closed my eyes and thought about rising to the top of the rock face. Sure enough, it worked.
Now I could see why not many animals liked this area. While running was effortless, rising in this manner took a lot of concentration, and wasn't exactly a walk in the park. The sensation of not having ground underneath my paws for a prolonged period of time made me rather nauseous. This caused me to lose my concentration a few times, which was certainly terrifying. After a while, Jack and I arrived at the top of the cliff.
"There it is!" Jack cried. A quick look at the scene in front of us confirmed that he was right. Hundreds of glowing purple flowers rippled in the breeze like an enchanted pond. My brother turned to me. "How many do you think we need?"
I shrugged. "One or two should be enough."
"Alright, then let's get gathering!"
000
Nadine looked out over the treetops, her beak curved downward in a frown. Where were those bunnies? She hoped they would hurry up. They needed to get in and out of that field quickly, or else...
The robin fluttered down a few branches, then glanced at her nest. Her mother was there, trembling and moaning in agony. Nadine frowned again. Her mother needed her here. Besides, the bunnies would probably be fine on their own.
Nadine gazed out into the distance, then back at her mother, then into the distance again. She sighed. A quick check couldn't hurt...
000
"Two flowers, both in perfect shape!" Jack said, looking proudly at the delicate plants. "This should be good. Now, let's get back to that robin! Her mother needs us."
I nodded and turned around. However, as I was about to make my way back down the cliff, a shadow passed over me. Frightened, I scrambled away from the precipice. The sound of wingbeats filled the air, and a large, intimidating raven landed on the ground in front of Jack and me.
"What are you little creeps doing here?" the raven said, his voice dripping with malice. My stomach churned as I noticed that one of his eyes was completely missing. When neither of us spoke, the foul bird hissed and hopped closer. "What's wrong? Too scared to answer? Too wimpy?"
I gulped and dared a glance at Jack. What I saw was not good. He was fixated on the negative words that were being scribbled on his pelt, a wild look in his eyes. His breathing began to accelerate. This was definitely not good.
I swallowed down my fear and stepped protectively in front of my brother. "Wh-who are you to tell us wh-what we are?" I stuttered. I inwardly kicked myself. My terrified tone wasn't helping us one bit.
"Who am I?" the raven said. "Who am I?" He threw back his head and made a grotesque noise that was a mix between a cackle and a croak. "Why, I am Salem, the real reason why few animals venture over here. These are my fields, my cliff, and my flowers. Now, tell me, you little speck of filth. Who are you?"
I tried to speak, but the words just wouldn't come to me. I felt absolutely helpless. It was as if that one beady eye was sapping all of my will to live.
"Well, I guess that doesn't matter. Regardless who you are, you still have to pay the price for trespassing," Salem growled. He raised one foot, ready to swipe his claws across my face.
Suddenly, a small, brown and red form barreled into Salem, knocking him off balance. Once the figure landed on the ground, I gasped. It was the robin from earlier! She had come to help!
"How's life without me...Nadine?" Salem hissed, spitting out the robin's name as if it were poison.
"Positively heavenly, thanks," Nadine shot back. "How's this miserable life of yours, tormenting poor, harmless creatures?"
"Wonderful!" Salem giggled, his neck twisting at an alarming angle.
"You're insane. You know that, right?" Nadine said.
The raven made like he was going to dive at me, but Nadine scooted in front of me before he could do so. Salem snarled. "They're trespassing, and so are you, you scum. Now move."
I stared in awe at the argument. I hadn't noticed until now, but Nadine's vibrant chest was covered in unpleasant etchings. "Scum" was only one of them.
Nadine stood her ground. "No. I've driven you out once, you monster, and I'll do it again." Before the raven could retaliate, she stepped toward him, a tempest of fury blazing in her black eyes. "I hate you. All you do is hurt other animals for the fun of it. Is it really worth it? Is the brief burst of power you get from bullying another creature worth all of the damage you've done? You're a bully, Salem. I'm not scum. You are."
Salem growled. The intensity of Nadine's words had been enough to etch "monster" and "bully" into his black feathers in blinding white. The vile avian opened his beak for a biting retort, but the robin was one step ahead of him. She rose into the air and swiped her claws across his face, and I looked on in frightened admiration as she slashed out his remaining eye. The raven staggered and clutched his face in pain.
"You...worthless...woman..." Salem panted.
Nadine was having none of this. She stepped even closer, to where her beak was touching his, and uttered one word. "Go."
The raven could take a hint. He clumsily took to the skies and flapped away, dropping multiple feathers as he went. As his form faded into the distance, Nadine turned to us.
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" the robin pressed. Before I could answer, she turned her attention to Jack, who was still hyperventilating. "Oh, poor thing. Do you think you can walk?"
Jack weakly nodded, trying to calm his breathing. The robin rested a wing on his head and stroked his ears in a calming fashion. This seemed to have an immediate effect on Jack, and his panic attack began to fade.
"Alright. Let's get you back to my tree. Everything's going to be alright."
000
I paced anxiously at the base of Nadine's tree. Jack was lying down in the grass next to me, enjoying the coolness of the shade. We had successfully delivered the flowers to Nadine's mother, and we were currently awaiting the results.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
I jumped as Nadine landed next to me. "You scared my tail off!" I exclaimed.
"Sorry about that," the bird quickly apologized. "I'm also sorry for not warning you about Salem."
"No problem," I said. "It's my fault for constantly interrupting you." A moment of silence passed before I spoke again. "Thanks for saving us from him. How did you know he would be there?"
"Oh, he and I used to be a couple. Everyone thought it was absurd, a raven and a robin being together. We used to be so close..." her voice trailed off into the distance, and she cast a nostalgic glance at the words "my little flower" scrawled on her wing. Then, she cleared her throat and looked back at me. "But it all went south for the winter from there. He became so abusive, physically and verbally. He had to go, so I drove him out. Unfortunately, he picked my favorite field of flowers, so I'd never be able to go back without facing his wrath." The robin looked at her feet sadly.
Another brief period of silence. "...So, how's your mom doing?" I asked in attempt to break it.
Nadine's expression and posture improved in a heartbeat. "Oh, she's doing great! I can't thank you enough. She thinks she'll be all better within a few days. She says you're her heroes."
I grinned and looked at Jack. "Do you hear that? Heroes, brother!"
Jack beamed and began searching his body for where this praise was written. Upon discovering that it was scribbled on his fluffy tail, we both burst out laughing. When we were done, he sat up and stared into my eyes, glowing with pride.
"Hero," he echoed. "Now that's a label I like."