(DracoStryx Payment) Blizzard: (DracoStryx Payment) Blizzard Blues

Dove squinted into the blizzard, her claws clutching at the dark cliff beneath for dear life. Below stretched what seemed an endless chasm, the bottom indecipherable from the rest of the gloom rising like a maw from the center of the earth. Dove had set out on her own--something that was rare for her in and of itself--and set to exploring the cliffs of Wyvera on her own accord. She hadn't any real destination in mind, nor set path for her adventure. It was truly just to experience what it was like to strike out alone; time to contemplate and reflect.

She hated it.

Dove loved more than anything being with others. She was hardly ever alone, always tagging along with a group of young Stryx or setting out on adventures with her handler. She liked the hum of constant chatter, the goofing off, the jokes and laugher. She liked the bonding time shared with others. Today had felt too quiet and peaceful, like something was missing. 

She was beginning to wonder if some Stryx had a point when they had often pointed out how clingy she was. She didn't see it that way, but maybe there was something to be said for her desire to always be with others. Where had this compulsion come from and why was she so adverse to being alone? This feeling had left Dove feeling slightly out-of-place and off-balance the whole flight, floundering and out of her depth. 

Then, of course, the blizzard had shown up.

She'd briefly considered the possibility of light snow earlier that morning when the weak sunlight had been swamped by heavy cloud cover. Her optimistic hope that the sun would burn off the clouds had been dashed when the snow started falling. Then suddenly the snowfall had turned into howling winds and lashing curtains of snow that were driven into her face by the strength of the wind. Dove had landed on the nearest cliff in an attempt to get her bearings and to strategize on how best to combat the storm.

The way she saw it, Love Spell had two options. She could try to fly through the maelstrom of snow and get pounded by flakes every step of the way. For such tiny ice crystals, they really hurt! It boggled the mind that a Stryx could be taken out by something as inconsequential as weather, but it was definitely possible. She'd heard terrible stories about Stryx who had tried to fly through hurricanes and thunderstorms, choosing to overestimate their abilities. 

It hadn't gone well for them.

She didn't think this storm was nearly as strong as either of those weather conditions but blizzards still weren’t ideal conditions for flying. Her feathers could ice over, the snow could bog her down and visibility would be nil up there. She could fly right into the side of a cliff. 

"Well," she thought wryly, "I can't sit here all day and I don't have many other options. Should I risk it?" 

The chiro glanced around at the sheer sides of the cliff surrounding her, searching for a third option. This was where she felt like she was at a detriment being on her own. Normally she would have someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to help her come up with a better alternative or even just to help her feel less afraid. Love Spell raised her chin, shoving her insecurities to the back of her mind. She was as capable of doing this alone as anyone. Liking company didn't have to be a disadvantage; it didn't have to affect her confidence in her own problem-solving skills. 

She hopped along the edge of the chasm, her heart lurching into her throat each time she got a glimpse of the expanse of nothingness below. The gap was just wide enough that she would be able to spread her wings and catch herself if she fell, but even so it was heart-stopping to wonder what might be lurking just beyond the shadows. 

Her claws scraped along the stone as she progressed, occasionally shaking the snow off her head and back when it clumped and grew heavy along her spine. The wind whipped through the mountains and issued an appalling howling noise like some angered, ethereal beast. Finally she found a large niche in the stone with a large overhang that had been carved by a previous rockslide. It was just wide enough for Love Spell to scrunch up inside. 

She curled her wings and tail in close and huddled there, watching the snow disappear into the darkness of the chasm. A chuckle shook her body and she sighed. This was not exactly what she'd planned for her first marvelous solo adventure, but perhaps there would be more. In the meantime, she could consider what she would hunt when the storm passed. Mmm, deer sounded delicious.