She had her wings back now. They flapped powerfully and made her soaring figure a sight to see. The whole forest and glade was now full of celebrating residents, glad to have their protector, their matriarch, back in proper mood and spirit. The creature, as he could no longer solely be called a raven, observed from his perch. He saw as Aurora watched in wonder at her self-proclaimed godmother. He saw as magic twisted and flowed from both finger and feather of the woman he served, restored to a state before she had need of his assistance.
She had her wings back now. He was no longer needed as her wings. Diaval wasn't about to carry on the illusion that he was needed, not when she had those magnificent structures on her back. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved from the end of his days of servitude, or sorry that they were gone. If he were his former self, then relief would have been certain. But he was not. He had been a man, a wolf, a dragon. No longer could Diaval be called a simple raven, one that bothered the farmers and lived a life of food and flying.
The current him frowned internally, then shook his head. Either way, he was unnecessary. He hopped off the tree and glided out of branch distance before flapping to gain height. Suddenly the familiar feel of magic took hold of his person, changing him to the form of a man. Unprepared and at an awkward height, he stumbled and fell to the ground with a great "Oof".
"Diaval."
He turned, slowly getting up from the lack of wind and wanting to face her. Finally looking up, he saw the face of his mistress in neutral save for the slight narrowing of her eyes. Her wings were settled behind her, the feathers slightly ruffled from flight. They drew his sight, still a fascinating new thing to him. Despite the power radiating from her person, he was familiar with this presence and gave a brief "What?"
"You still owe me your life." His eyes jerked back to her face in surprise. Her tone, while haughty, was betrayed by the slight smile in her mouth and eyes. His own were open in disbelief while he felt hope lift his mood.
She turned away, wings slowly stretching out as she snapped her fingers, turning him back into a raven. "Come fly with me" were her only words before taking off. It took a second to recover mentally before he rushed to join her.
Joy filled his being, not that anyone could tell that on a raven, nor would he ever admit it. Soaring together through the open sky, he considered his place in her life. Yes, she had her wings back, but she didn't seem to mind keeping his around. He mentally huffed, envisioning the days of his service to indefinitely continue. And yet, underlying that was a spirit of positive anticipation.
He never thought he would feel this way. He was certain he would never be able to go back to the days before her. But then again, neither did he want to.
It seemed that another pair of wings in the sky wasn't so bad.