There were set paths for the Wardens to follow. A few points at which foot traffic was at its heaviest and where, over the past couple of months, Elves had familiarized themselves with the patterns frequent visitors. It made their job, on the one hand, incredibly simple, for no additional thought had to be put into where they ought to traverse… All this had played into Twilights consideration for the job.
But then there were the offshoots. Far more dangerous, far less known, and far more work. They threatened the Elf’s livelihood for they often extended farther than the reaches of the territory and held unknown variables. But it was because of those unknowns that the Warden on duty became responsible for its exploitation. This was the part Twilight had faltered upon, spending many nights dwelling over the potentiality of ‘finding’ something she shouldn’t, and having to go out on her own to investigate it…
In the end, she reasoned that chances were slim… and… well, her aunt was a Warden, and she related greatly to her mothers’ twin.
It was… around dawn? Perhaps? The sky veiled by a dusky color. She had travelled up to a clearing, set upon a large hill, which offered its visitors a birds-eye-view. It was a part of their run and at first everything seemed as it should. Flocks of ravens and crows shifted in the breeze. Occasionally a large vulture would come into view flapping its enormous wings, death wholly on its mind. She’d wait for a burst of feathers to escape far off canopies, alerting to a disturbance of the peace or for their cries to echo across the region… Everyone was a potential enemy to the birds and their fear had become an Elven tool. Everything seemed as it should. Nothing was out of place.
Eventually each of those scenarios played out and she opted to linger in the moment, basking in the beauty of their home. A sweetness of life washed over her, the gratitude for normalcy swelling in her chest, but as her eyes slowly relaxed on the horizon, to let it all really sink in, she began to take notice of something strange.
A black speck in the distance, large even with how far it was, appeared almost out of nowhere. It was above the tree line so the first thing that came to mind was a flock migrating in one direction or another. It soothed her mind but could not quell the sinking in her gut… so she remained. Standing stalwart in place while her eyes trained themselves upon the shadow.
Minutes ticked by, the steely resolve waning as the environment around her fell still and quiet. The shape grew closer, and as it did it got larger, with the sun scaling the mountains at its back to illuminate a horrifying truth; it wasn’t several birds, but one. One giant bird. The biggest she had ever seen. Upon that realization she gasped and stumbled back a step or two, frantically looking around as if she might spot her twin, the only figure in her life that made everything okay… but there was no one to talk to. No one to tell. Not here. When her gaze returned to the form it was larger still, backlit, set ablaze by the morning light and headed straight for her.
Fear drove Twilight expertly. Fear for herself. Fear for her pack. Fear for her sister and family. Nothing else came to matter beyond spreading the word and how quickly she could move to get there. Were they ready for an attack? Would they be ready in time? She willed her body forward, faster, begging her feet to stay steady, begging the Earth mother to be at her side. Through her breaths she repeated the words she would come to share with the Elder Council:
A giant winged beast is coming! A giant is coming!
WC: 653
