"They are out there…"

Her voice was low, heavy with worry and fear.

She stood by the entrance of their hollow, hunched over in a feeble attempt to make out more of the forest floor. Her talons gripped the wood beneath her so strongly it splintered, the blade-like pieces digging into her skin.

"Do you think they will attack?", her much smaller mate, resting in the comfortable nest a few meters behind her, asked, shifting a little to adjust his position, a small bundle of down curled up next to him for warmth and protection. It was as white a snow, so fluffy It could as well be mistaken for a ball of cotton.

"I don't know." She admitted, straightening her back and turning towards him, bright yellow meeting gorgeous blue as their gazes locked. "They are…known to be unpredictable. Especially when in groups."

He hummed in understanding, not quite sure how to respond. He turned his head away, once more, staring down at the small child, his daughter, that slumbered so calmly, unaware of the danger surrounding them. Of the thread that loomed over their little family of three.

As it should be.

"What if they do?", he asked once more, gently nudging his little one's head into a better position. She made a small sound, clearly displeased to be disturbed, but she did not wake, far too comfortable in her father's loving embrace.

"Then I will have to fight.", his beloved wife answered, turning her attention back to the darkness of the night, her ear tufts held high.

"We both know that you would not survive this.", he argued, silently but insistent.

She didn't answer right away, knowing his words to be true. She merely turned her attention back to the night's darkness, her eyes darting around in a desperate attempt to spot the intruders that were lurking out there, probably just waiting for the right moment to attack. They were known to melt into the night as if they were a part of it, moving with a silent grace that was as damning as it was impressive.

When she found nothing, she growled in frustration, splintering the wood a little more as she dug her claws into the dry wood beneath her feet. And once the echoes of her frustration passed, she made a decision.

"The night only lasts a few more hours.", she began, glancing backwards at her husband and her child once more. He was preening their daughter now, making sure she looked pristine even in her sleep. "Once the sun comes forth, we shall pack our things and leave."

The male stopped in his movement, a few down feathers still between his beak as his beloved's words reached his ears. He straightened his neck, looking at her in shock, those gorgeous blue eyes, as unique as beautiful, as wide as they could get. "Are…are you certain?"

She nodded, her head snapping towards a small movement that she caught in the corner of her eye. However, what she believed to be a monstrous predator was a single, small squirrel that was hopping from tree to tree, squeaking in panic when it noticed the predator's presence…

Thank Glaux…she already thought…

A sigh of relief escaped her, and she allowed herself to briefly close her eyes, taking a deep breath to regain her composure. "Yes…it's too risky here. For us…and especially for her."

"Do you think she will be able to handle it?", her husband inquired, glancing back down at his child. She did the same, feeling her heart clench at the mere sight of her little one. Oh, how beautiful she was. "She is so…small. So…fresh."

"She has to…", she muttered, finally moving from her spot and trotting towards them, gently nudging her now as well, albeit a bit rougher due to her larger size. This caused her to wake, her beautiful eyes fluttering open with an unhappy chirp. The yawn she let out afterwards sounded almost insulted. "She will not have any other choice."

"Where do you want to go?", her mate asked, watching as his wife rubbed her much larger head against their child's small body, her beak gracing over her beak before beginning to preen as well, cleaning her of all the grime her father had not yet removed.

Once done, she glanced at him, licking over her beak to cleanse it as well. "To the north, into the mountains." She gestured in the general direction with her left wing. "I wish to nest at the foot, preferably in a cave hidden by trees. Far from their rotten gazes."

He hummed once more, closing his eyes in thought before reopening them a few seconds later. He was deep in thought, contemplating her decision. Eventually, however, he nodded. He knew his wife knew best. This…wasn't their first rodeo, after all.

"Very well. I trust you and your judgement. The mountain it is.", he hummed, smiling at her, though his exhaustion and worry was still clearly etched into his features. It was a gesture meant to show his love, but she could see how utterly tired he was. Physically and emotionally, he was drained from the constant fear they lived in.

And by the stars above, she couldn't blame him. She was too.

"I pray to hagsmire that it is the right decision.", she muttered, looking down upon her daughter once more who had now cuddled into the warmth of her mother's midnight black feathers. "If not…it may us cost us…everything." Her face tensed, a deep-rooted sadness causing her eyes to glow faintly. "Again."

Her mate reached out with a wing, gently letting it rest against her side. "It wasn't your fault.", he insisted, knowing what she meant. "The attack came out of nowhere. There was nothing you could have done."

She sighed, swallowing thickly, her pride not allowing her to shed any tears. "I know.", she rumbled, leaning down to gently nudge her daughter closer to her, adjusting her position so she could brood her. She had been out in the open for far too long for such a cold night.

Then, she leaned into him, her large head resting against his much smaller body as she bathed in the warmth of her love's presence. "But…that doesn't mean that I want it to repeat.

I am not losing another child…"