Despite Faradae’s worry, Sayana simply clenched her teeth and the group continued deeper into the forest, not willing to waste any time. She made a mental note to be more careful in the future, so that her actions would not hinder their advance again. Judging from the way Sayana dealt with her nausea, the other two would expect her to do the same if she got herself into a sticky situation again, or belatedly showed negative reactions to the berries she had eaten. The forest grew taller and louder as they ventured deeper, and Faradae flew again. She felt more in tune with the forest while in her true shape, closer to the treetops and further from the people and horses. It was a curious experience – the moment she had shifted, all of her senses had taken a giant leap. She was getting used to the ears – the constant noise of a breeze in the leaves, the shuffling of animals, and the ability to hear what little conversation Sayana and Clyde carried below, even while she was flying. Her eyes, however, had been better than the others’ before, and now they were sharper than she cared for. She could see every vein in every singular leaf; she could see individual pebbles on the ground. It was a confusing experience, and before she had taken flight after the shift, she had needed a moment to accommodate, not knowing where to look to escape the overwhelming amount of stimuli. Her nose was better, too, the smell of horse and wet grass strong in the air. She could only imagine that her sense of taste peaked equally, but for now, she did not want to try it out. Flying was curious, now – the wind through the gaps between feathers, a current below her wing, it all felt intensified. Come evening, the experiences of the day started to take their toll on her, and she began to tire. At first, she thought the effect of the berry was wearing down, but the rest of the forest was equally dimmed. The rustle in the leaves was quieter, but her eyes were still sharp, even if they blinked a little more slowly. Then, a thud, still louder than it should have been. A squirrel had fallen out of a tree, and its chest moved slowly with sleep. Clyde uttered some slurred words below. Fara was not sure whether he was speaking unclearly or whether she could not properly understand him. She was tired… Her wings were beginning to disobey her, and her flight swayed precariously. She landed on the back of Sayana’s horse with half a tumble just before sleep overwhelmed her. - - - The eagle awoke to screams, and instinct had her at full consciousness almost immediately. The effects of the berry had worn off, and her senses felt strangely dulled, but Clyde was shouting loud enough to wake a sleeping dormouse. A lamp’s flickering light painted the man’s shadow against the walls of their wooden…prison? A single croak escaped the bird’s beak, but the sound was muffled and hollow. She hated confined spaces. Clyde was shouting a single syllable over and over, Cha, and it took Fara a moment to realize that his staff, the one that never left his hands, was missing. In fact, now that she looked around the circular room, she realized that none of their equipment had entered the room with them. The other two were wearing their clothes, and a pair of trousers and a shirt had been left for her. For a moment, she wondered how whoever had locked them in here had been able to tell that she belonged with the group, and was not just another sleeping animal, but she quickly discarded the thought as pointless. She left it to Clyde to try and break the wooden walls with his fists, and over his shouts, she could not hear the voices outside. Sayana was already stirring and would presumably need a moment to gather her senses, as well. Faradae fluttered up slowly, her wings still a little heavy, hoping to explore the height of the prison. The walls appeared to be solid, but even a tiny hole at the top would be enough to allow her to escape. |