Dear lord, it's been forever since I've tried to write something... Looks like...five, six years? Anyway, it's been a while, so please be nice and give me your thoughts on this. The only thing I know for sure, though, is that the majority of people is probably going to be out of character, so sorry about that. I haven't gotten enough support conversations with these characters to tell their real personalities, except for Ike, but that's my fault. This is a story whose main characters will be Janaff and Ulki, although a secondary character may include Reyson. Enjoy.
Trust Me
Reyson flinched visibly as Rhys applied pressure to a nasty-looking gash in his arm, and Ike gave him a concerned look. The heron vividly recalled the Daein myrmidon who had just grazed him before Ike decapitated the soldier, and he paled in fury at the memory. He glared so hard it looked as if he would drill a fine hole through Rhys' head, which happened to be in the center of his unfocused gaze. Fortunately, Rhys didn't seem to notice, but Ike winced on Rhys' behalf, knowing that even without the ability to battle, Reyson could make himself a frightening creature.
Tying off the last ends of the bandages, Rhys straightened upright and gave Reyson a gentle smile. "It's nothing serious. A few days..."
The heron, however, was still reliving the moment, and his cold look was the only response. Ike smiled grimly and quietly shooed the priest out of the room with a muttered apology. He turned back to Reyson and grinned halfheartedly. "I look out for everyone, so don't worry about it. Besides, King Tibarn would have my head if I let anything happen to you."
Piercing blue eyes turned their attention on Ike. "It is not so much that you rescued me, as it is to where Janaff or Ulki was at the time."
Caught off guard, Ike inhaled sharply before responding. He knew both hawks would never desert their distant kin, and had an unpleasant feeling about the direction Reyson was taking with this. "Reyson, you know that they're the King's best hawks, and that they would follow you no matter where you went. Why do you question them?"
"Pray tell me why, then, were they not in sight?" Reyson's eyes were demanding, having regained their icy demeanor. To this Ike had no reply that would not end up infuriating the heron. Seeing this, Reyson continued, "They only protect me because of Tibarn's orders, and nothing else. Besides, haven't you seen the way they gaze at each other every so often?"
Surprisingly, Ike had indeed noticed. He also knew Reyson wouldn't normally act like this, and his voice held a hard edge to it as he argued back. "If you think for one moment that they were neglecting their duty just to do something else, then go make your complaints to Tibarn himself! I'd like to know how he reacts to hearing that his "eyes" and "ears" were going off in the middle of battle and snogging each other!"
"I never said that!" The heron's eyes flashed darkly. "I just want them in my sight during battle!"
The young general bit back a cry of frustration, knowing that Reyson really had other reasons for these outbursts. He just didn't have the patience to figure out what. "Has it ever occurred to you that those two might just share a mutual brotherly feeling! What do you want them to do, Reyson? You will never be able to change the fact that they would go to the end of the world for each other!" Ike added quickly as an afterthought, "And not you!"
Reyson colored quite a bit at this statement, and was about to retort before abruptly shutting his mouth and lowering his eyes in defeat. He hadn't been good with expressing any emotion but anger recently. All the love he had ever had was lost when the Serenes Forest was destroyed, and although Leanne was still alive and the forest had been restored, regret often overrode any love that might have been rekindled. But he was trying to return to his old self, and it was proving a difficult task.
In reality, he knew Ike was right, because he had seen one disappear and the other follow more than once. Reyson knew they were capable of taking care of themselves – and each other for that matter, but he hated the way they thought it wasn't important for him to know things. If he got killed, what could they say to Tibarn? It was much the same thing vice versa. What could he say to Tibarn if they were dead? Reyson didn't know how to tell them.
Figuring he had probably gone too far, Ike released a sigh and sat down next to Reyson, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Before Ike could get an "I'm sorry" out, Reyson immediately slapped his hand away and gave Ike a glare of pure steel.
It was too much. Ike's temper snapped and in a fit of rage, he stalked out of the vicinity and slammed the door so violently that the bolts came loose, a fraction of the door splintered, and even a hinge was disconnected, all within a matter of seconds.
Janaff didn't need Ulki's ears to know that Ike was the one who was rounding the corner. Nearly colliding with him, Janaff recoiled at the sight of Ike's blazing pupils, and before he could react, Ike had drawn his sword upon him in blind fury. Janaff shrank back even further, fear gripping every one of his tense muscles.
After a few moments of agonizing tension, Ike sheathed his sword, apparently realizing that Janaff posed no threat. He stiffly strode past the hawk, seeming to not recognize him.
The youth passed him, and Janaff could not suppress a shudder at the way Ike's eyes had been so unfamiliar with him. He tried to focus instead on Reyson, whom he knew must be more than furious with him. The hawk crept towards the room, wincing at the display Ike had left. Numerous splinters were lying on the floor, which he took with great care not to tread upon, and the half-open door hung crookedly in its frame with a distorted, gaping hole which must have been the doorknob.
The air was deathly still as he came closer, and it made his heartbeat increase its pace. Reyson wouldn't be in a mood to face him after what happened with Ike, he reasoned, but that was just a coincidence, right? Besides, he didn't think he'd ever have the courage to talk to the other again, so he might as well do it now. Janaff placed his back against the side of the doorframe. "R...Rey—″
As soon as the first syllable came out, the door was grabbed and slammed shut once more with a sickening crunch of wood. Janaff shielded himself – mostly his face and more importantly, his eyes – from the fresh shower of splinters, but a stray still managed to nick his cheek and draw a thin line of blood. Blinking back tears of hurt, Janaff turned and departed without looking back.
The door had taken all it could, and it was finally separated completely from its frame as the last hinge squeaked in protest. It teetered forward and created a fine cloud of dust upon impact with the ground, revealing a white heron with tears silently streaking down his face.
Desperately seeking solace in solitude, Janaff raced outside, not particularly caring if it was snowing or not. He simply wanted to get as far as possible from the words that had left their mark mere seconds ago, and he did just that. He flew as far as he could under the increasing rate of snowfall, his frozen wings finally giving out when their sluggish reaction caused him to kiss a tree and fall unconscious. Janaff's form sank to the ground, the snow from the tree's branches completely submerging him under their weight.
Unbeknownst to him, Ulki had been discreetly following at a slightly slower pace, and he now rushed to aid his friend. Quickly scooping away at the snow, Ulki uncovered Janaff's rigid body and stiff wings. He shook his head and silently berated himself for not having come along to talk to Reyson. It was his fault as much as it was Janaff's for the heron's injury, and he had just let Janaff go while knowing what to expect!
It was just a whisper of a moment in the middle of the heated battle between the Crimean mercenaries and Daein soldiers, when it happened. Who knew that one small sliver of time could hold the moment where one of the last surviving herons would be slaughtered?
Ulki dispatched the memories at once; now was not the time. He folded Janaff's wings gently and picked him up in his arms, ignoring an already growing snowstorm. There they were, two hawks lost in the vortex of an imminent blizzard. Ulki managed a bitter smile and pushed himself off from the ground, knowing he would make it back. He had to...Janaff had to. Reyson, he knew, would never forgive himself for either of their deaths, no matter how he acted.
Shaking off excess snow piled upon his wings, Ulki braced himself for the tedious journey that he was more than prepared to take. The hawk plunged into the depths of the rapid, flurrying frost and was instantly assaulted by its frenzy, staggering for balance as he readjusted.
Eventually, the two birds were discovered after over four hours of absence. A pallid Ulki was found stumbling and half-carrying, half-dragging Janaff, who was faring little better, five miles from the base in the mid-afternoon. As it was, Soren had seen them first and stalked towards them with contempt.
"Do you have any idea how much time we have wasted worrying about you two! Half of Daein's army could be upon us by dusk!"
Ulki's answer was not what Soren had been expecting. He could only glance wearily at the mage and deposit Janaff into unwilling arms before collapsing at his feet. Soren nearly dumped the offending object, but a distraught Ike had come to help Ulki, and he didn't think the young general would be too happy if he did.
As both hawks were taken in and stripped of their soaked clothes, Rhys and Mist hurriedly set about boiling water while Rolf brought in more snow to melt. Ike's face was grave at the state the birds were in, swiftly going over to help with Janaff, who didn't look like he was ill as much as if he was simply in pain.
Janaff was short of breath, his body convulsing as Ike fought with the struggle of keeping his limbs in check. The hawk began to thrash violently, and Ike could only try to block out the whimpers that accompanied it. Strained moans issued from his mouth, mostly including an 'Ulki' or a 'Reyson' in between. Rhys, meanwhile, was concentrating so hard with his Mend staff that one could have seen the imaginary wrinkles etched deep in his temple. Suddenly Janaff went still, a look of torture still plastered on his face and the occasional low whimper. The priest turned to his general with a tired look.
"He just needs rest and warmth. Ulki must have transferred almost all of his body heat to Janaff, so he was simply having a bad dream. It was probably an unwanted side effect that came with being out in a blizzard, though I can't imagine him being bedridden for long. I wonder what caused his nightmare. ...Ike?"
The general was lost in thought; he could very well guess the reason why. Ike slowly rotated his head to where Ulki was, and the color of his skin plainly indicated that he had indeed shielded his friend well. If Janaff wasn't suffering from the effects of the cold, then Ulki most certainly was. It seemed the other hawk looked very ill, and with a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead and a feverish look, Ike knew it was for real. He made his way over to the bird, whose pain was not as evident, and took his hand in his. Ike shuddered; it was colder than what he would have expected, as well as twitching inadvertently. And –
In a flash Ike had swiveled around and shot his gaze towards the door, and just as swiftly as he had done it a single white feather drifted down to the floor, its owner gone in the blink of an eye. Despite the situation, Ike grinned wryly. Making noises in the back of his throat just made his day, didn't it? He'd have to get Reyson later.
After Mist gave somewhat good news about Ulki's condition, Ike knew he no longer needed to worry...as much, anyway. Laguz healed quite fast. Apparently the fever was still present but the severity had gone away, and the only other downside was that Ulki would be uncomfortably sore; Janaff too. The hawks were left to rest.
Midnight found Janaff jerking awake in a fluid movement, breathing hard. The bun that his long hair was usually in had become undone, and the tresses fell across his shoulders, making him look much younger than his years. Everyone had loved his hair back in Phoenicis, but he knew better than to let vanity obscure his acute sense of sight.
His gaze darted across the room to where Ulki's form lay, and rapidly tumbled out of bed, only to find that his body wouldn't listen to him. It took several tries before he was even able to crawl over to the bed, but indignation willed itself away as he propped himself against the side with his knees pulled up to his chest. Janaff knew that chiding himself for his reckless action wouldn't do anyone any good, and Ulki wasn't awake, so he chose instead to reflect. Was Reyson really that angry with them? He buried his face in his arms...
...The Daein soldier dropped his lance in pain as he clutched his maimed hand. Janaff wasted no time in getting rid of him, and quickly swerved to see an archer aiming his bow towards Reyson. He called out, knowing it would be a futile effort. The heron did not hear him, and Janaff shut his eyes against the upcoming tragedy. Tibarn would never trust him again and then – Ulki! They wouldn't be together anymore. But who else had the eyes to look out for Ulki? Janaff opened his eyes of his own will. He was frightened of his expectation but determined to see it through.
Reyson was gone!
Janaff immediately panicked at once, before he noticed that the enemy was lying in a bloody heap with a deep wound in his neck. The hawk's nerves calmed somewhat, but he couldn't stop trembling. With a shaky takeoff, he lifted into the air for a better view of the battle. A brush of feathers against his nearly made him lose his balance, and a slender, pristine wing reached out to steady him. Janaff swung around to see Reyson, very much alive.
They lowered themselves to the ground, a full-fledged look of guilt and repent upon his face. However, Reyson had the faintest ghost of a smile before it faded away, and any words Janaff might have been prepared to say died out of his mouth. He shape-shifted back into beorc form, his energy spent.
All of sudden Reyson gave a shrill cry, inclining his head towards the cause. Janaff was jolted back to his senses and he could almost instantly pinpoint Ulki in his peripheral vision. But then what –
Instincts told him a hazard was lurking at a dangerously close range and Janaff knew right away that Ulki was the one who was going to be in trouble. As he veered, he spotted the sniper, and true fear paralyzed him. He could only watch as it happened all over again.
Ulki was preoccupied with tearing out the eyes of a sage, still unaware of the sniper stealthily approaching.
The scene played out in slow motion in Janaff's eyes. The sniper equipped his longbow with an arrow and carefully pulled the string taut. His target had changed back from its laguz form and was unmoving, a rare opportunity, and a perfect hit percent was guaranteed. This was it; Janaff wholeheartedly wished it had been him in Ulki's place. At least he would have seen the sniper.
For a split second, the dull pupils of the enemy met Janaff's fierce orbs as he fired the projectile. The hawk cried out in protest, tears blurring his vision.
His adrenaline raced as he was shoved from the rear, and he yelped in surprise as he flew headfirst into a pile of snow. Springing up out of reflex, he saw Ulki with a brief smile on his calm face. Too astonished to say anything, Janaff was suddenly alerted to a stinging sensation and he looked down to find that his ankle had been clipped by a stray knife. As the shock slowly subsided, he leapt into Ulki's arms, surprising the other hawk, who gently embraced him back.
A few moments later, Janaff pulled back ashamedly and hung his head, trying to contain himself as his breathing hitched. Ulki shook his head and took one tear-stained cheek into his hand, speaking quietly while stroking away the tears. "Don't cry... It's not worth it to waste your life with tears. When I go...I will go, and believe me, it will be my decision."
It took Janaff a full ten seconds before he realized that the last sentence had been the exact one he had used quite a while back, when Ulki had saved him yet again from disaster. With a start, he blinked; Ulki had vanished. However, his sharp eyes caught the form flying away and he struggled to his feet. With a glance at the status of the battle, he took off after his friend. He needed to know that Ulki had been real...that his being alive wasn't a mistake...
He caught up to the other hawk and could see him clearly, but his heart wanted to prove the illusion false. Janaff just wanted to hold Ulki's hand, to have his reassurance that he was all right, to have Ulki squeeze his hand back. Janaff's spirits dropped as he was forced to take a breather, but much to his faith, the Ulki that had been flying away had come back, and was now supporting him on the way back to the base. The hawk was still in a daze.
"...H-How...?" Ulki's eyes flitted towards him, a hint of amusement in them.
"You were in trouble again," he simply replied, "but for the most part I was primarily able to hear the sound of the bowstring being released." Janaff didn't even want to begin to comprehend how his friend could have possibly dodged the shot afterwards.
A cry of anguish resonated throughout their area, and the two hawks immediately took flight, shooting fearful looks at each other. It had been Reyson's call, and was calling Janaff repeatedly. "Janaff...Janaff...!"
"Janaff…!" The hawk's bloodshot eyes snapped open, a bit groggy but still alert as ever. It was Ike who had been working to wake him up, and he wore an urgent look on his face. Wordlessly, Janaff followed.
It was dark but near sunrise when Ulki finally awoke, sitting up quickly in search of Janaff, but falling back to the bed with a groan due to a wave of dizziness. Opting to utilize his neck instead, he set his eyes upon the empty bed across the room. The sheets were strewn across the floor, rumpled and untidy; Ulki took it as a good sign that Janaff must be up and about.
He was feeling much better, knowing that the other would soon come to visit just because. Times were scarce where Ulki was injured, but one could be assured that every time he was hurt badly enough, he'd always wake up with Janaff at his side, even if the hawk was banged up himself. Not sure at first if he deserved such loyalty, Ulki had always made sure to do the same for Janaff, albeit now it was probably a thousand times over, most likely.
Come to think of it, he didn't mind that much. The younger hawk had resented him back in the early days when he had been appointed to be Tibarn's "ears," wanting to be the only special hawk for Tibarn. But his grudge hadn't lasted very long and soon they were the best of friends; Janaff always liked to joke that Ulki had ears only for him, since he seldom offered conversation and preferred to listen, but he knew the other appreciated his laconic personality every now and then. The two of them were practically like soul mates...
The hawk shifted uneasily as the thoughts retracted. It was far too quiet...and for him to have said so it must have been an extreme. There was nothing to be heard; even the sounds of nature were silent, which disturbed him greatly.
Making up his mind, Ulki painstakingly got out of bed, wisely testing his strength before deciding on any one action. He was able to support his own weight, and fighting against a headache, he swiftly made his way outside the base.
As his foot made contact with the fresh layer of snow, he could feel the pulse of heavy tension emanating from the earth itself, and began to follow the trail the Greil Mercenaries had left behind. No one had been at the base when he had awoken, which probably meant that either this was an enormous battle or that they had been ambushed. Ulki settled for the latter assessment; in his opinion, Ike simply didn't have the experience to command an army as big as theirs had grown.
Flapping his wings faster along the telltale path, the hawk got more anxious with every yard he covered. When the trail abruptly stopped, he knew something was up, and it was time to find out.
Up ahead was a small clearing, certainly not large enough even for a civil war amongst themselves, but big enough to house a few opponents on either side. Ulki was distracted with so many thoughts that he was under fire in seconds as soon as he stepped into range. Rapidly diving for cover, he cursed while mentally smacking himself for such carelessness. He knew that he was definitely more valuable alive and breathing, although right now there would be little difference whether he chose to help or not.
For a good measure of time, Ulki scoured the land, careful to hide himself from view while doing so. Feeling drained from his hunt, he fought to keep his vision focused as he paused. The moment he let his guard drop was the precise instant when an arrow whistled past his ear by inches, making a subtle thud within its mark.
Ulki glared in the direction the arrow had come from as he melted into the environment once again. The bow knight hadn't meant to hit him, he knew; beorc were so obnoxious these days – what was the use of playing with your prey if they could turn predator? The hawk snorted inaudibly.
He pondered on as what to do about the bow knight, who was struggling to calm his jittery horse. Ulki smirked, acknowledging that the animal could feel the vibes he was sending out.
The answer came unexpectedly, as he observed Oscar plunging out from behind the snow bank and impaling the cavalier with his spear.
Janaff was good friends with Oscar too, if he recalled correctly. Oscar was the first beorc that Janaff had made his acquaintance with, and Ulki could tell that the younger hawk was excited at the prospect of having a beorc friend who understood him. Ulki's relationship with Oscar's brother Boyd was very much the same once they got past their illusions of each other. Hoping that Oscar could point him in Janaff's general location, he came out from behind his cover.
The look on Oscar's face was surprised and disapproving at the same time as he looked Ulki up and down. However, he felt inclined to grant the hawk's request, and did so. The knight watched with discomfort as Ulki disappeared in a flurry of feathers; neither hawk could be faring very well right now, and he feared for both.
Night had fallen by the time Ulki arrived at the scene, where soldiers had such limited range that it was frightening to see his comrades with long-range combat weapons maneuver themselves, while their lances swung dangerously close to allies. But he knew the Crimean beorc were able to hold their own, as well as the laguz from Gallia, and so he circled the battlefield, looking for Janaff.
Meanwhile, said hawk was taking on three Daein soldiers at once, and was being pushed closer and closer to a ravine that didn't look promising. With calculating accuracy, he tore through the chest of one, clawing out his heart. Taking advantage of the others' shock, Janaff swept another off his feet, snapping the spinal cord. The last soldier, a thief, stepped back in terror, but tripped over an upturned tree root. In desperation, he flung his dagger for the hawk's unprotected back as he transformed back into a beorc.
The older hawk had no choice; he lunged for Janaff and tackled the younger hawk in midair, sending both of them careening forward in an uncontrollable rhythm. Knowing that with them so close together, that chances of a random projectile striking were more likely, the two hawks tried to right themselves from the overwhelming velocity.
Coming to an abrupt halt, Ulki immediately placed his hands on Janaff's shoulders, scanning him for injuries. The other hawk shied away from his touch as his hard gaze locked with Ulki's.
"What are you doing here!" Janaff's voice was laced with tightness, and Ulki was a little hurt. Janaff had never objected to him being by his side, so... Why? His nerves jumped as he felt Janaff's cold hand on his forehead.
"Don't you ever think of yourself?" The hawk quickly amended his question. "No... I don't suppose you do. But hell, I can't even tell if you're sick or not!" His eyes glistened with unshed tears.
The older hawk felt an incredible tug at his heart. He reached out tentatively, and this time he was allowed to pull the other into a soft hug. Ulki was relieved as he felt the younger hawk's anxiety dissipate, and tightened his embrace, letting Janaff know he was safe. As they stood suspended in the air, Janaff sniffling quietly, Ulki wondered about the location of the heron, but didn't want to push the subject farther than he had to.
Without warning, the form in his arms jerked so violently that he nearly lost contact. With a pained intake of breath from the hawk, Janaff's hands began to grasp weakly at his robes, his breathing inconsistent and his body becoming limp with every passing second. Alarmed, Ulki got only a glimpse of an arrow within Janaff's wing before a thrown javelin forced the two apart. Ulki leapt forward to catch his friend, but to his dismay a volley of arrows impeded his way, and he was forced to dodge. The other hawk ended up tumbling down the hillside and landing in a scarlet heap at the bottom.
Enraged, Ulki became his laguz form and soared to an impressive altitude for an aerial dive. He swooped down upon the enemies, wildly barraging them with everything he had as they fled screaming in terror. In a matter of minutes, the ground was a fresh river of blood.
Reyson was already there, Janaff's head in his lap, when Ulki landed. If the hawk was surprised, he showed no sign. He gazed upon the younger hawk with grief. As he came closer, Janaff began to stir. Ulki knelt down to examine the injured wing, and stifled a curse. The shaft of the arrow must have broken off during Janaff's fall, but the tip was still embedded inside, and he reached for the bloody wing.
"No..." Reyson's desperate whisper was almost enough to stop Ulki...almost. But he knew that all three of them were aware of the possible consequences.
"Ulki," Janaff choked out, "Don't, please...I can still...fly..." His near hysterical voice faltered as he stared into Ulki's unyielding expression. Ulki felt sympathy for the young hawk, but knowing that he might not ever be able to fly again if the arrowhead wasn't removed, he steeled himself against it.
"Reyson, I need you to calm him while I do this," Ulki informed the heron as he swiftly untied the green cloth hanging around Janaff's neck. Reyson obeyed, although the disturbance in his features was evident. He started to sing to the young hawk in the ancient tongue, which rapidly took effect. Ulki took a deep breath and parted the stained, sticky feathers coated in blood. "Trust me, Janaff."
It was a simple command to which Janaff nodded, but his eyes betrayed his soul. Ulki made note of the fear emanating from the other, and offered his hand.
"Bite on it, if you need to release your pain." The younger hawk flinched, not out of disgust, but because he was afraid, afraid of hurting Ulki. He knew the extent of his wound the moment the explosion of crucifying pain had assaulted him, but the other bird didn't. Janaff frantically shook his head, but the older hawk was adamant and would not have any of it. Reluctantly, he accepted Ulki's hand into his mouth.
Ulki prodded the wing, looking for the point of entrance amongst the feathers. His friend shuddered and bit down on his hand at once. The teeth sank deeply and Ulki winced, but not once did he regret it as he continued to press, feeling for the arrow tip. Wave after wave of pain rolled over Janaff, but he stubbornly stood up to it, and was momentarily surprised when Reyson's hands took his and clasped them warmly. He responded by squeezing back in gratitude.
The other hawk was starting to be troubled; he had discovered the hole, but the arrowhead was nowhere to be found. He did another run over Janaff's wing, and instantly stopped when Janaff bit his hand particularly hard. Ulki investigated, and indeed, the head was buried quite deep within. This was going to hurt Janaff.
He caught Reyson's gaze, and the heron understood right away, as his tenor increased in volume. Ulki removed his hand from Janaff's mouth, as he would need both of his hands. Reyson gave one of his up to substitute and sent Ulki a look that plainly said that he would not budge. The hawk let it go, and grimly ignoring the sight of his mangled limb, set to work.
Reyson cried out in shock, mainly because he was unprepared for such ferocity of pain, but he grasped Janaff's hand steadily as he went back to his song. Ulki, in the meantime, was fighting tooth and nail to get the tiny piece out; the area beneath them was stained crimson. The tedious work was driving all of them over the edge.
It was several minutes before Ulki finally withdrew his hand with a triumphant cry, a minute object clutched in his fist. He had been very anxious; Reyson had stopped singing long ago, his voice having given out earlier than he would have liked, and Janaff had started to pale considerably, clenching his eyes tightly. The older hawk had nearly stopped, not being able to bear the sound of his friend gasping in agony. Ulki discarded the item and hurriedly stemmed the flow of blood with Janaff's green scarf.
The younger hawk's eyelids opened slowly, and his pupils drifted over to his friend's distracted face. Ulki sat back, weariness overcoming his mind until he noticed the penetrating gaze fixed upon him. The faith that Janaff had decided to place in him had been Ulki's beacon of light in the darkness, and he knew by looking at the other hawk that he had been his. Reyson subconsciously squeezed Janaff's hand once more. Their friendship was repaired, and they were practically glowing with mutual respect for one another.
With help, Janaff sat up gingerly, and Reyson touched his shoulder. "I apologize for my behavior. It was selfish and uncalled for, and I should have realized sooner that you two need your space. I was just worried when you didn't return that day. But both of you would never abandon me, and I shall return the loyalty tenfold."
The hawk waved it away. "No, that makes it sound like an oath. Ulki and I accept responsibility for our actions. In fact, you know what? I'm sorry that you're sorry."
"Is that so? ...Then let's just forget this whole thing and pretend it never happened. That way, no one will have to be sorry."
Janaff blushed, realizing the heron was rather insulted, before shyly offering a bashful, "Sorry." Reyson and Ulki exchanged glances, and both grinned simultaneously. It was then that Ulki caught sight of the faint, pink line that made it way across Janaff's right cheek. He traced it lightly, murmuring, "Janaff? You don't need another scar to match your left cheek."
Reyson had the grace to look embarrassed. Ulki frowned, but the anger melted away as he heard voices, voices that were too far away for the other two birds to hear. As they got closer, the trees surrounding the ravine were illuminated by torches.
A bright light suddenly peeked over the side, and Ike's worried voice was crystal clear. "Hurry up, you guys! They fell down the ravine! God, I hope they're okay..." He slid down the side and was promptly joined by Pegasus knights Marcia and Tanith. As Ike jogged over, Janaff's eyes drifted shut and Ulki's exhaustion prevented him from even the slightest of movements.
Marcia and Tanith flew the two hawks to safety, while Ike carried an emotionally worn out Reyson on his back as he scaled up the ravine. Eventually though, Reyson ended up having to carry Ike and fly up the rest of way, simply because the slope had been steeper than the general had first thought it was. Ike turned away shamefacedly for a second before declaring, "Let's go home!"
Standing on the highest branch of a tree overlooking a cliff with a waterfall, Janaff breathed in, forcing himself to be calm. It had been a whole month since his near fatal injury, and neither Ulki nor Reyson would let him fly! He was perfectly fine! And to prove it, he had even hovered for a bit in front of them before they began to bombard him with lectures. He had finally managed to get away from them today, and he was determined to fly to the other side of the rapids.
The hawk had to wait for just the right draft of wind... There! He bounced off the branch, free falling towards the ground and lifting at the last second, soaring into the atmosphere. Exhilarated, Janaff started to cross the rapids, but he had underestimated his strength, and his wings utterly failed him.
He shut out the images of everything around him, and spiraled downwards toward impending doom. Suddenly, he landed in the crook of someone's arms, and he saw an annoyed looking Reyson. Grinning sheepishly, he tried to explain but was cut off. "What do you think you're trying to accomplish!" Reyson was about to say more, but was also interrupted by a strong gust of wind, knocking both birds off balance. Losing equilibrium, the heron gasped as he lost his hold on Janaff, the hawk falling into the water and quickly being swept over the edge of the waterfall.
Cursing colorfully, Reyson dived over the edge as well, only to find Janaff safe in Ulki's hands. And he was receiving quite the talk, too. Reyson thought it was scary how Ulki could speak so much in just a few minutes, even if just harshly. He made a mental note to always be in the older hawk's favor as he flew over.
Janaff was looking very bored, that was, until Ulki got frustrated. Who could blame either of them? Janaff had heard the same thing for a month and Ulki had received the same response for a month. "Janaff...Janaff!" The hawk he was addressing could only yawn, not really hearing him. That did it.
Ulki unceremoniously dumped Janaff into the pool of water, eliciting an unbecoming squawk from his friend. He clambered out to see Ulki storming away, and knew he had crossed the line. But Ulki wouldn't abandon him, would he? Reyson came to help him up, but his eyes too, were full of reprimand. Already up at the top of the hill, Ulki had paused, but hadn't turned. Janaff fidgeted. Who was he waiting for?
The younger hawk decided to catch up, but both refused to focus on each other as they stood side by side. Reyson came to land in between them, causing the two to inadvertently look at each other before quickly averting their eyes. The heron shifted uneasily at the prolonged silence.
Finally, Ulki gave in and stared straight at the other, mildly amused to see that he also held regret in his expression as well. "Janaff... Trust me?" He could see that Janaff truly did, with all his heart...
...But that didn't stop Janaff from making a smart comment. Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Yeah, I trust you...to turn dog on me! You always come back no matter how many times I hit you! Reyson's the cat, always there when you don't need him but gone when you do!"
"You're comparing me to a cat!" Reyson cried in mock indignation, Ulki holding pretty much the same argument, although less pronounced. And Janaff laughed as he allowed the two to chase him all the way home.