Bleu Sidequest - The Scorched Forest: Aftermath of Pine Valley

“Damn! He got away.”

 

Bleu came skidding to a halt as the glowing blue wisp darted away into nothingness. Sorcha fluttered down to land next to Bleu, a defeated look on the tyto’s face.

 

“It’s alright, Sorcha, maybe he’s just not ready to see you yet.” Bleu attempted to comfort the tyto. They’d been chasing down Sorcha’s deceased mate in wisp form, Elias. He was once a beautiful horned tyto, practically glowing in fact. He’d perished in a forest fire, one that raged in the very forest they had been chasing the wisp though that night. The trees around them were scorched, the ground charred, and there was new growth sprouting everywhere you looked. Sorcha now guarded this forest herself, still hoping she’d one day be able to see Elias again.

 

“I know, it’s just…it’s been so long.” Sorcha sighed. Suddenly, the sound of scraping on the barren earth nearby alerted the two stryx. They weren’t alone.

Bleu’s feathers prickled up along her body,, assuming a defensive stance. Sorcha moved towards the sound to investigate, seeming to show now fear of being attacked.

 

“Bleu! Come over here!” Sorcha called from behind a large rock nearby. Bleu hesitantly approached, becoming confused when she could hear…crying?

 

“What’s going on?” Bleu asked as she rounded towards the back of the rock, immediately stopping in her tracks.

 

Sorcha was bent down to be on the same level as a seemingly lost, soot-covered baby stryx. It was sniffling, tears leaving clean trails in the ash coating its face. Bleu approached carefully, trying to show she wasn’t a threat. The chick curled in on itself once Bleu was close enough, mumbling something Bleu couldn’t understand.

 

“What’re they saying?” Bleu asked quietly to Sorcha. The tyto shook her head in response.

 

“Hey little one, you’re lost, right? Where’s your mom? Or your dad? Are they nearby?” Sorcha bombarded the hatchling with questions, but simply got a wail in response. Bleu sighed.

 

“Let me try.” The raptor crouched down to be level with the youngling, whispering soothing words to it in an attempt to calm it down. Once the chick stopped crying as much, she began with her first question.

 

“Are you lost?”

 

The  chick nodded timidly.

 

“Alright. Where are your parents?”

 

No response, only a welling of tears in the child’s eyes. Bleu had a dark feeling in her gut.

 

“Are they…around here?”

 

The baby whined and covered their eyes. Bleu’s fears were confirmed. She patted the chick assuringly, standing back up to converse with Sorcha.

 

“I think they were separated from their parents, and, well…they must’ve been here when the forest fire happened. It wasn’t too long ago, right? Maybe this one survived. They’re probably pretty disoriented; lost, not knowing if your parents abandoned you or what, the least we can do is help them out.” Bleu said to Sorcha quietly. Sorcha simply nodded.

Bleu returned to the chick’s side, hoping to find a way to break the news to the kid easy.

 

“Hey, listen, your parents were here when the fire happened, right?” Bleu asked gently. The chick nodded shakily, before their eyes lit up hopefully.

 

“D-do you know where they are? I’ve been looking for them for a long time. It’s scary out here alone, I don’t know where they went or why they left. Please, tell me where they are.” The chick blurted out. Bleu cringed internally, not knowing if she’d be able to tell the chick properly.

 

“Uh, well…your parents are…not here. They’re gone.” Bleu tried to say in simple, non-threatening terms.

 

“Where are they then? Do you know where they are? Please tell me!” The chick wailed again, and it broke Bleu’s heart.

 

“What Bleu means by that is…they’re not here, in this forest. We don’t know where they are, maybe you can come with us while we look for them?” Sorcha interjected. The chick nodded vigorously, lifting its arms in signal that it wanted to be picked up into the safety of a friendly stryx’s arms. Bleu obliged, not knowing if it could hold onto Sorcha’s back if she were to carry him that way. She gently scooped up the hatchling, gesturing for Sorcha to guide them out of the forest.