Thanking everyone who let me know the format of this chapter was messed up. This is a little sneak peek of something I'm working on so I hope you all enjoy this little chapter.

Winter was especially harsh this cycle, coming early and thawing later than normal. The unexpected harshness had left many of the colony unprepared and thus, many had not survived the season. The other animals of the forest, both belonging to the colony and not called her Winter's Song for her feathers were as white as snow and she had sung her first song as a chick when the first snowfall of that cycle had fallen. She had worn her name with pride, led her colony through many a cycle without fail. But this season had tested her, had left her resenting her name for all that she had lost. When the first warm days of Spring began, melting the snow, she had taken to the air, leaving the Den and flying through the forest in hope to soothe her pain and shame. Oh, her kin did not blame her in the slightest for the death that had befallen them, but that didn't mean she didn't carry any guilt. She was their leader, was meant to guide, protect and provide for them all…and she had failed.

With a mournful trill, Winter's Song landed within the comforting branches of an old pine tree that had stood within the forest long before even she had hatched from her egg. If a human or Mobian was to spy her they would call her an adult Flickie, the name given to the animals of Mobius who weren't bipedal or spoke English as the Mobian's did. Human's saw them as savage, primitive beasts while Mobian's merely saw them as less evolved animals. As an adult, Winter's Song was about the size of a small Mobian child white pure white feathers and brilliant cyan eyes. She was a sight to behold for all, leader of her colony of Flickies which was made up of birds, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks and racoons.

Winter's Song sat in the old Pine tree, listening to the sounds of the forest around her, hearing the hidden words that floated between the trees that spoke of rebirth, new, warm, awaken, warm, warm, sun-shine, snow, melt, warm. She listened and trilled back New, awaken, mournful, sorrow, sun-shine, warm, sorrow, sorrow, awaken.

All around, animals added their own voices. Some called back sorrow, death, regret to Winter's Song while others merely added to the call of welcoming Spring. It had been a harsh winter, but she had learned from her mistake and would ensure their food stores were increased so nothing like this would happen again. With her new resolve settled, Winter's Song spread her wings to start heading back to the Den and Colony when a sound reached her ears. Normally she wouldn't pay a strange sound much thought, but when the whole forest seemed to fall silent in its presence she felt her curiosity spike. She took to the air, weaving quickly through the trees and towards the sound, the cry that was calling out hunger, fear, confusion, hunger, hunger, cold, hunger…mother…

Winter's Song flew faster as the last word settled in her chest, a tight feeling of grief and fear taking hold. She flew until she came to the very edge of the forest she and the other animals called home, where most of the snow had already melted away to reveal wide open fields that dipped down towards man-made homes and towns. She clacked her beak in worry-fear at being so close to humans and Mobians but didn't turn back. She pressed on till she came upon a despondent sight.

A mobian female lay dead at the forest's edge, face gault from starvation and limbs far too thin. Winter's Song landed softly beside the female, saddened to see more death from this unforgiving season past. She didn't like Mobian's at the best of times but she never would wish death upon any living being. She bowed her head in respect, ready to leave when the sound came again. A muffled cry of hunger, hunger, confusion, scared, hunger, hunger coming from the dead female's arms. Held in her limp grasp was a bundle of fake fur that humans and Mobian's like to cover themselves in that was wriggling. Winter's Song tilted her head in curiosity and chittered softly with wary, alert, danger, maybe danger, wary, what?

She inched forward, clasping the fake fur in her beak and pulling. The fur moved to reveal a cub who probably wasn't even a single cycle old yet. They were a bright blue with soft fawn arms. They gazed back at Winter's Song with wide, watery emerald green eyes, soft mewls slipping past their maw. The female Flickie was shocked to see the cub, much less see he was alive while his mother lay dead. Though, he would surely join her soon if left out in the open where any predator could stumble upon them. That is if he didn't starve first. He too looked far too thin to be healthy and his constant mewls of hunger, hunger spoke to how long it had been since he'd had a decent meal. He would certainly die if left here and that knowledge tore at something deep inside Winter's Song. She had seen far too much death this season, she refused to see any more.

Slowly, so as not to frighten to the cub, Winter's Song moved in to nuzzle against his face. He sniffled, pressing into her touch and slowly calming under her constant whistles of safe, love, safe, protect, I protect, love, care, you, safe, you, love. When he finally fell asleep to her soft singing she scooped him into her talons and began the flight back to the Den, back to the safety of the colony. A colony that would love and protect him as if he were their own for he was now hers, her chick, her youngling, the son of the Wind and the Wild.