Word Count: 1061
It was going to rain soon.
Vieno could smell the dampness in the air and feel the thunder in their bones. It was going to be a big one. Their ears stood at high attention as they sniffed the air again curiously. There was a distinct scent of bird and something else as well. The storm seemed far enough away for them to go investigate as well.
Vi scurried through the stalks of sunflowers, which were only just beginning to reach past their head, and up a large rock to see up into the skies above. They could normally at least spot any birds from here, but their nose was definitely better than their eyes. Vi's ears stood tall and at attention, searching for any signs of the intruder.
It didn't take long for Vi to see the bird circling above the field. They watched the circling avian for a moment, ears forward and eyes focused on the shape.
Ati was flying through. She was a curious thing in her adulthood, and she had chosen her avian form for the time being. She enjoyed the wiind beneath her wings and the fact that she could sneak through small spaces. She looked far more unassuming in this form to the mortals as well. Well, most of them, anyway.
She looked down on the field of green below her, though there was flecks of yellow all over the place that caught her attention. She swooped down towards one of the more unique colors - an orange thing that didn't quite look like a plant. Her eyes were good, but not great. Not even as an eagle. She fluttered towards the shape. She didn't land incredibly close, peering through the reeds of the flowers at the orange figure.
Vi was still startled however. They didn't expect the bird to swoop directly towards them and ducked themself back into the reeds of the flowers. They could still smell the bird however. "Who goes there," Vieno demanded, tho their voice was a bit high and soft, not really one to defend anything. They were a soft bunny, not really capable of fighting off a predator should the bird decide to attack.
Atileyin peeked through the flowers at the hare with her piercing blue eyes.
She liked this form, she was the same height at the little hare. They reminded her of her Mortal Mother's hare, Jana, who she cuddled with a lot when she was a tiny cub just learning herself and her powers. "Hello," She greeted kindly, hopping forward. She was good at flying but she stumbled a bit with the walking part. It wasn't as natural as walking as a lion. She knew how to do that from birth, after all.
Red eyes blinked back at her in surprise. "Ah, Hello," Vieno said in response, defensive stature draining away as they looked at the bird before them. "What brings you here..." They vetured, hiff-hiffing a little, discreetly. They still couldn't quite place the unique smell of Otherness. It seemed to be coming from the bird.
But it seemed familiar.
Ati tlted her head, curious as she moved closer to the hare. "I'm just passing through," She told the hare honestly. "I'm on a little bit of an adventure and needed a place to rest for just a little while." She shuffled her feathers a little bit. She was on a mission really. She was on her way North, trying to reconnect with her mate but also to have fun.
"Well you've come to the right place, its very peaceful here," Vieno offered. They were quite pleased that the avian was kind, at least kind enough not to attack and eat them. They puffed up their chest a little, proud of their home.
"It does look peaceful." She offered kindly. She hopped forward again to get closer to the hare, to get a better look at them. Something seemed familiar about the little bun, maybe like someone she had seen before in passing. She couldn't quite place it though... Ah well. She shook out her feathers again, unused to the wings now that she was settled. "My mother has a hare friend, he reminds me of you a little bit," She tilted her head.
Not in looks, mind you, but the general disposition. She wondered about it. Maybe they were related, probably not tho. They looked nothing alike, save for the brown. "Very brave, walking up to a predator and all." Not that she would hurt the little hare. She couldn't really smile in this form, but she gave a pleased little chirp.
"Ah... Thank you?" Vieno couldn't tell if the Eagle's words were a compliment or not but they would take it as one. They wondered how an eagle would be friends with a hare. Didn't eagles normally eat hares. Predators in general seemed to enjoy them.... Vieno shuddered at the thought. That's one of the reasons they came here.
It was a lot safer than roaming on their own, after all. Vieno was soft and actually easily frightened. The only reason for the sudden lapse in judgement was the curious scent the Avian seemed to put off. It was so, so familiar. Sharp and almost electric on their tongue. Like... Like their father.
Oh!
They weren't quite sure the connection. They weren't related, after all. Dad was a hare, and this was an eagle before them. There had to be some other relation. They would have to figure it out later though. They gave a polite smile and gestured towards the rock they had been perched upon earlier when the Avian arrived.
"You can rest near here, it'll probably be easier to take off from there." Vieno offered. "I'm called Vieno, if you find your way back here again, but I really must be off. There's a storm coming and I've gotta let the others know."
Ati bobbed her head in a nod. "It was nice meeting you. Thank you for stopping to speak with me. My name is Atileyin," she informed the little hare. She would only rest a moment longer before she headed off. She had places to be and she looked up towards the clouds that were beginning to roll in from the not so distant ocean. She didn't want to be caught in the storm either, after all...