Hermit's Roost

"Mmmmm..." She stops where she is, peering into a cupboard, her feathers suddenly laying down flat. "Mmmm... Lllllll..." No, that sound isn't right... Her name is... Her name is... Panic welling up, she bites her lower lip, huddling up on the floor. Her name is.... people called her... "Cor... Corviiii...?"

 

"..Corvie?" Emberlynn asks, smile a little brittle. No, no, smile better, don't let her see you're worried... Her smile clicks over into a forty-watt mask of cheer.

 

"...Corvie." She mumbles. That sounds... close enough, right? Good enough to tell the shiny lady. She'll remember what it's really supposed to be soon. She remembers everything.

 

"Nice to meet you, Corvie. I'm Emberlynn." She smiles. "C'mon, here you are..." She crouches, holding a cup of cocoa out. "Careful, though, it's going to be hot."

 

"Okay..." She reaches out, taking it in both her gloved hands, then stares into the mug. "...What's the white stuff?" She asks, tilting her head a bit, looking at the slowly melting marshmallows in profile.

 

"Marshmallows. They're soft and sweet. Like little tasty clouds. A bit sticky, too, though."

 

"Like candy?" She slowly takes a sip, and licks her lips. "Mmmm... it's chocolate!" She perks, and up go the feathers. She gives Emberlynn a bright smile, showing off the gap in her front teeth.

 

"Yeah!" Emberlynn beams. "...so... you don't know how to get home, right? We can find you a place to stay, that's nice and safe..."

 

She shakes her head slowly. "Hugin was pulling, and I couldn't see... There were a bunch of bushes, and I saw a statue, and then we were in that cold forest." She sips her cocoa again, eyes going half closed. It's like candy, but a drink. So good.

 

"....listen. Maybe I can try to find your... Odin, was it?" She asks quietly.

 

She gets a nod and a little smile. "My Odin. He's good."

 

"Mh-hmm. If you can handle hanging out, and staying with a friend of mine, I'll see if I can find your Odin, okay?"

Maybe a little time in the real world will help her settle out, not want to run back. It's usually something that works...

 

"A friend?" She asks. "...are they shiny, too?" It's warm in here, and her drink is warm. It's nice. She's starting to feel sleepy.

 

"Mmmh. The friend isn't shiny, but he has some nice puppy-dogs?"

 

"What kinda dogs?" She asks with interest. "Big ones?"

 

"I think so. I haven't been over in a little, but he's a very nice man," she smiles.

 

She yawns and gives herself a little shake, hunkering down where she's crouching. "Good kinda nice, or the bad kinda nice, where they want somethin'?"

 

She looks thoughtful. "The good kind of nice. He just wants to stay away from the woods, I think."

 

"Is he scared of trees?" She asks, peering into her mug again before taking a gulp. Aha, caught a marshmallow. Ooooh, they're so sweet!

 

Emberlynn giggles. "I didn't ask his story. Sometimes you have to let people decide when they'll tell you."