RadiantRaindragon

The imposing white dove clamped her jaws over the neck of the much smaller rook, resisting the urge to shake him like she would a prey animal and instead dragging him off the path where he had lain. He was limp as a dead pigeon in her grasp, unconscious from the moment she’d seen him come crashing out of the sky, both wings pierced by sharp bolts. The hunters that were pursuing him seemed to have lost the trail, although the droplets of blood on the ground might draw them back onto it. That is a problem for later, the dove thought as she carried the rook into the woods that made up the heart of her territory. Eris was generally known as an aggressive kukuri, neither the most hospitable nor the most charitable. Under normal circumstances, if she found this unfamiliar rook near her home, she would be the one rendering him unconscious and bloody. But he was here by fate’s design, not his own wings. Eris wasn’t completely heartless. She decided that she would keep him safe in her forest

The clash of horns striking each other might have been mistaken by the local villagers for stags, which were heard often around these parts, competing over females. However, those who gazed in the right direction over the hills would see not quadrupedal shapes but tall, bipedal ones, and one shape in particular stood out among the rest, for patches of its fur glowed like a sunrise. There were seven figures altogether. They darted, weaved, ducked and snapped in a glorious display of strength and speed. The glowing one seemed to be faltering; blood streaked his flank and shoulder. He fought alone, one against many. The villagers knew exactly what was happening, for it was them who had ordered this fight. A pack of roguish kukuris had been harassing them lately, stealing livestock and valuables and terrorising children. Then, just yesterday, a stalwart young rook appeared. Golden and proud. He called himself Rodrick. He promised the frightened townsfolk that he would rid them of this

When summer turned to autumn, they met. Zade knew not the dove's name. But her coat glistened with the hues of an autumn sunset, and it drew his eyes to her like a moth to a flame. Her bushy tail swept behind her like that of a big, beautiful fox, and sometimes when she darted through the trees it was the only thing he got to see. Zade knew not of the dove's dietary preferences. But he caught a fine rabbit and brought it to her during a time when she was a little more still, a little more calm - dropping it as close as he dared to get. As it turned out, she wasn't as skittish as he'd first thought. And when she turned hungry eyes onto the prize, he knew he'd made the right choice. She grabbed the rabbit and slunk away with a quiet purr. For many weeks, Zade did not see her again, and he began to worry. But he needn't have. The orange dove returned on a cold October evening, her coat fluffed up and her eyes sharp and alert. Something wriggled in her claws, something that she

Head high, Rodrick surveyed the land that lay before him. The fields were dappled yellow in the late afternoon sun, and the village between the hills so far away that it resembled a toy train set. A river traced a sparkling line through its centre. What a perfect day. A perfect day for hunting, demonstrating his bravery and helping out the good people of the land. What a good day to-- He whipped around, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. He bared his teeth in an automatic snarl as a sudden spike of adrenaline made his heart beat harder and his breathing pause. In the rocky outcrop fifty feet behind him was a cave. A small, ragged cave, barely tall enough for him to enter without ducking his head; a cave where he wouldn't expect to find much of anything, but-- Something was glowing inside. Suitably disturbed, Rodrick took a moment to consider his options. There must be a creature of some sort in the cave. Or perhaps a strange luminous rock? Either way, he would face it

Their feet skipped and slipped on the carpet of autumn's first fall, and their laughter rose and fell in unison with their merry movements, echoing between the trees like birdsong. September had arrived in a rush of red and gold. Even after nearly fifteen years on this earth, Nightlight never ceased to be amazed by the vibrant colours and rich scent of autumn. It was a sensory overload of the most enthralling kind. The season always made him feel younger than his age. His adolescent strength returned to him in little flurries, just like the leaves fluttering down from the trees. Just behind him trotted a dove - her pink coat dusted with pale flecks - going by the name Rosie. Though shy in nature, she had befriended Nightlight quickly after the two first met. Nowadays, they sometimes met up to run and play in the forest together. Nightlight's frequent travels permitted only irregular meetings, but they made the most of every one. He wasn't sure why the normally timid Rosie felt

A storm had swept the shoreline, churning the water into a frothing mass of black waves that crashed and slammed against the cliff for hours on end. Under the frightening glare of the storm, Helios and his small loaf - consisting only of himself and two doves, Halimeda and Maven - had taken refuge inside the abandoned lighthouse they had claimed as their territory. It was a tense few hours as the weather continued to rage and, several times, Helios worried that the cliff might collapse. But the eons-old rocks stayed strong. And when the first light of dawn peeked above the horizon, the sea became settled, the froth died away, and the lighthouse stopped creaking. Maven was the first out, flying inland in search of food. Helios stayed to inspect the area, feeling it was his duty as leader to make sure everything had held up in the storm. He was mildly surprised when Halimeda decided to stick around. 'Some storm that was, huh?' he remarked, not needing to turn his head to see the dove