She liked how he had leaned closer while she was talking. There was a certain comfort in being near each other, even if there were still those ugly golden bars separating them. They were meant to be pretty, sure, ornately engraved with swirling patterns. But to her they were the ugliest thing in the world right now.

"But don't all humans like to keep forest creatures in cages? Isn't that why the Hunter is always trying to catch everything?"

An innocent question, but it made her think. She herself had seen countless creatures caged in her father's menagerie without thinking to much of it before meeting this one, who was more than an animal. Was she just as bad as the others? Sure, she had felt bad for the ones that were obviously unhappy and needed more space. Like the butterfly-hawk. She had cried when she was told that it had starved. But she did enjoy playing with the animals that were a little more tame - was she doing them wrong?
"I don't think all humans want to do that. But I have to admit, I have played with some of the animals my father keeps and liked it as well. Maybe I am not better than the hunter after all."

The thought made her sad. She wanted to be better. She wanted to be worthy of Nox' affection!

She listened to his account of his visitors and the way he described the staring made a shiver run down her spine. What or who was that? Her father, leering at his prisoner? She had a hard time imagining that, there was no reason he shouldn't properly enter the room. But who else?
"The man who came in was probably a servant. He is to take care of you. Has he brought you good food as well?"
She was silent for a moment, trying again to figure out who had stolen glances through the cracked door. But she had no idea and it worried her.
"I don't know who that other one might be. It is strange to me. I hope he won't return..."

"You are better than the hunter, Amaris! Much better!" Nox whisper-shouted, afraid that too much noise might wake the other residents of the house. He held on to her wrists as he said this to show her that he was sure that she was much better. But when she asked about the servant bringing food, he flinched, immediately let go, and sat in the center of the cage.

"I- ... he has brought food." he told her weakly, eyes darting to the fallen cup that rolled out of the cage then back to his fidgeting hands. He dared not look into her eyes as he said this.

He refused to eat the bread the man brought. He would rather die in that cage and fly with the astrals than live in captivity, never knowing freedom again. No. It isn't living. It's merely surviving. Even if I do not die here, I will still never truly be alive.

Nox' fierce opposition to her equating herself with the hunter made her feel better, but it didn't erase her doubts. Yes, she was not as bad as him, she was not intentionally cruel to a captured creature. But still, she was not blameless.

His answer to her question about the food surprised her. Why did he draw back? She saw him looking at a cup lying next to the cage. Had he refused the food, thrown it out? She saw the butterfly-hawk in front of her, the poor little thing growing smaller and smaller everyday. Of course. Nox was just as wild a creature as the hawk, needing his freedom just as much.
She didn't have to ask. "You refused to eat it. Please Nox, I do understand that you don't want to live like this. But I need you to keep up your strength. How else shall we manage to get you out of this mess?"

And I couldn't bear it if you starved. She did not say it, she just tried to put the truth of it into the look she gave him. The thought of her sneaking back in one day only to find the cage empty made tears fill her eyes.

(( Ohmygosh. That sneaking in to the room to find the cage empty ... it tugged at my heartstrings ))

"How else shall we get you out of this mess?"

Did he hear right? Was Amaris going to try to get him out? Surely she must be tricking him, she is a human after all. But another part of him refused to believe that. Amaris wanted to help him simply because she was Amaris.

He looked at her and could see everything on her face. She was angry at him, and it was apparent why. But she was also worried for him, and scared. He could see the moonlight gathering into droplets of tears in her eyes and he could bear it no longer.

He moved back to her and extended a hand, cupping her face. "I- ... I will live." He smiled at her, reassuringly.

That was right. He thought he had nothing left. He thought that after leaving the forest, there was no more use to keep living. But he was wrong. He had Amaris and he had to live for her. He died when he was taken from the forest, but with Amaris, his sun, he was given life.

Slowly, the night sky had turned brighter and the birds started chirping. It was the start of a new day.

(( Awww, he's so sweet! ))

The touch of his hand was soft, gentle. Without thinking, she leaned into it, pressing her cheek against his hand, willing time to stop and the contact not to break.
His words and his smile brought her back from the sadness, and she smiled.
"I promise to find a way to get you out of here."
All she really needed was the key to his cage. It shouldn't even be that hard, some servant must have it. Now that she had discovered sneaking around at night, maybe she could just sneak around in the servants rooms and try to find it. Or she could try observing who was the one that tended to Nox...

The sound of birdsong interrupted her thoughts and she realized that the room had become brighter, it was morning.
It wasn't easy, but she willed herself to stand up, wiping away the last of her tears with the hem of her nightgown.
"I need to get back to my bed, or somebody might notice I was sneaking around. But I will come back to you."

(( Initially, I hadn't thought to have him call Amaryllis the sun (and with his name meaning night, sun and night ... ahihihi~). That only came about when he saw her golden hair in the dark room with only the moonlight shining on them xD ))

Nox had said his farewell with a smile and watched her leave. Another day had come and he didn't know when he'd next see her again.

He had slept right after, too weak to keep daydreaming, but the dream he has was just as good as his daydreams. They were at Ygddra once again. His brothers were playing and laughing, and Nox was sitting on the branches, with Kron and Amaris at his sides. Everything was perfect. Everything felt right.


The man had barged into the room, waking the Raven Boy and threw the loaf at him, grumbling as he picked up the cup and refilled it. "Stupid job." he heard the man mutter and left as quickly as he came. Nox reached for the loaf that bounced off his head and took a hesitant bite. He steeled his eyes, remembering the talk from Amaris and took another bite, more determined than before. He looked at the cup and drank it all in one go, getting a coughing fit at the end. Just as he wiped his mouth, he stiffened.

There it was again, the staring man. He whipped his head to stare back. Behind the open door was still darkness, he could see nothing behind it, but he could hear it smile. The hair on his arms and nape stood and his feathers ruffled. It was smiling at him.

(( I like the sun/night theme - it fits them very well :) - Woah, that staring man is scary!! ))

Ama hurried back to her room as quietly as she could. Once, she barely managed to hide from a servant stepping out of a room by ducking into a doorframe. Luckily, he walked away in the other direction.

By the time she reached her room, she was breathless and her heart was racing. She tucked herself into bed and tried to calm down. When the door opened a few minutes later, letting in Liza who went and opened the windows, she pretended to sleep. Luckily the girl seemed to be in a hurry and didn't really look at her at all.

She had calmed enough to almost drift to sleep when Mia came to wake her up. She was carrying a tray with food. "Good morning Lady Ama! Your parents are busy, so I brought your breakfast with me."
Ama felt dead tired now that the excitement of the sneaking had worn off, but she forced herself to smile anyway. "Thank you, Mia!"

She got out of bed and ate in silence while Mia busied herself tidying the room. When she was finished, her handmaiden said: "You have a bit of free time now. Your music lesson starts in two hours. What do you want to do?"
Ama thought for a moment, considering hanging around the east wing to try and get to know the servants better. But no, she was to tired. "I haven't slept very well tonight, Mia. Do you think I could sneak back into bed and you come and wake me in time for the lesson?" Mia nodded, smiling conspiratorial. "Must have been the full moon last night keeping you awake, it happens to me to at times. No worries, I'll wake you in time and I wont tell your lady ma!"

Mia kept her promise and Ama was feeling a little more rested when she entered the music parlor. Her teacher Gustavo was already waiting for her, some sheets of music arrayed on her singing pult. She frowned. "Didn't you say we would practice the harp today?" Gustavo gave her a small bow in his special way that made it impossible to determine if the gesture was formal or mocking. "I'm sorry, Lady Ama. I had planned that, and I picked out the loveliest little song for you, but alas, your father changed my plans." She just gave him a questioning look and waited for his explanation. "He asked me to study a new song with you. He's planning some small gathering and wants you to sing it for his guests. We will get to the harp soon, I promise!"

She smiled and looked at the sheets. It was a beautiful little song about birds roaming the sky and enjoying the sun. Her stomach iced. She could imagine what kind of gathering this was going to be. She could only hope that Nox wouldn't have to hear her sing what must seem like the cruelest mockery of his situation to him.
"A gathering? Oh, interesting. Is he going to finally show off his newest addition to the collection then?" She managed to keep the ice in her stomach out of her tone somehow, playing innocent. Gustavo nodded. "I believe that is the occasion, yes." She knew she had to ask, Gustavo knew her curiosity well enough. "Have you seen it already? Do you know what it is?" He shook his head. "My best guess is some kind of bird, since your father specifically asked for a song about birds. But that's all I know."
She gave the expected resigned sigh and left the topic. Gustavo sat at the cembalo and they started practicing.
She had a hard time concentrating on the song, though. The thought of singing for the people that came to see Nox showcased like a statue without feelings repulsed her.
Patiently as ever, Gustavo did his best to guide her through the unfamiliar melody, thinking she was merely having trouble with the song. That gave her pause. No, there was nothing to be gained from singing badly if sing she must. She would not embarass Gustavo by giving a bad performance, her teacher and friend did not deserve that. So they rehearsed.

(( I was actually planning for the staring man to be her father. I mean, if I got something new, I'd stare at it and smile at it xD Let's just say he doesn't come near because he likes seeing the new addition without human interaction? ))
(( Also, when is the gathering? He needs to be bathed and clothed. ))
(( I actually have nothing to add except for Nox eating and stuff. There's nothing much to write about if he's stuck in a cage xD ))

The Sondrier Forest had completely reformed. From a simple forest, it had turned into an endless maze, dead ends and circles running throughout the area. The forest had gone silent and none of the creatures dares to move too far into the depths. Only those that can fly would be seen roaming around.

The sanctuary where Ygddra stood was filled with Raven Boys, all seemingly ignorant of the change in the forest. They only knew that a brother had been taken and that Ygddra itself forbade them from going beyond the walls it had made.


On the other side of the forest stood a group of Hunters, all wearing the deepest frowns they could ever make. All had equally furrowed eyebrows and darkened eyes, weapons gripped so tight their knuckles turned white. There was something fishy going on. The amount of forest creatures they caught dwindled and the number of Hunters coming back out of the forest became less and less.

The forest was moving against them.

Perhaps it was time for the wild fires to appear?

(( I thought it might actually be him, Ama just doesn't get why he behaves that way. She doesn't associate him with spooky staring from the darkness ;)
Woah, those hunters are mean...))

Having spent the whole afternoon studying with Gustavo, Ama was pretty tired by the time she went to the dining hall for dinner. Today, only her mother was present, so she curtsied towards her and greeted her before taking her seat.
The dinner was served and they ate in silence, when suddenly her mother spoke up: "Amaryllis, you seem a little beside yourself these days. I know you have been a little lonely ever since your sister left. Would you like me to write to her and see whether she might have you for a visit? Just a few days, but maybe seeing her would lift your spirits." Normally Ama would have jumped at the opportunity. It was true, she missed her sister. But now, she had other things to do. She didn't want to be that far away from Nox. "Thank you mother, but I think Cassy is pretty busy at the moment. I remember all the redecorations she talked about on her last visit, they have surely not completed them yet. I wouldn't want to be a burden to her." It was a bad excuse, since Cassy would most likely gladly have her around to discuss drapery colours, but it was the best she could think of. Her mother nodded slowly. "It is nice that you are so considerate of your sister's time. You are really growing into a fine young lady."
Also, there was the gathering. Not that she really wanted to attend it, but this might be a good moment to bring it up and find out more.
"I couldn't go away all that soon anyway, right? Gustavo told me father is planning a gathering, he is studying a new song with me that I am to perform." Her mother frowned a little. "Oh yes, there is that. Your father finally presents his new collectible." Now was the chance to have her questions answered. What did her mother think of Nox' treatment? "Have you seen it yet? I admit, not being allowed to see it makes me curious. Will I see it at the gathering as well?"
Her mother delicately shook her head. "No, he hasn't let me see it yet, either. He is very excited to make a grand reveal of it. You will probably get to see it as well, but I am not entirely sure."
So she didn't know. Ama felt relief and hope flood her. There was a chance yet that her mother would object to what they did to Nox just as she did. She gave her an earnest smile. "Oh well, we'll just have to wait, then. When is the gathering? Gustavo didn't mention that."
Her mother frowned again. "The day after tomorrow, in the afternoon. My beloved husband really likes to give short notice to the people who actually have to prepare these things... Which reminds me. While I enjoy talking to you, daughter, we have finished dinner and I have still so many things to take care of, I must go."

Ama considered sneaking out this night again, but she realized she was too tired. If she even managed to keep herself awake long enough, she would regret it the next day. And she couldn't allow herself to become too tired to be careful with what she said and did. So she slept through the night like a stone.

The next morning, she found herself with some free time again and headed straight for the east wing. If somebody saw her, she would go to the swankittens and observe the servants, but she hoped she might have a chance to visit Nox. She wanted to warn him about the gathering, tell him that she might be there and that she would have to act as if everything was perfectly normal.
To her delight, the east wing was empty. So they hadn't caught onto her! The realization did wonders for her mood. She carefully went upstairs. Empty as well. Smiling, she hurried down the corridor and slipped into Nox' room.

"Good morning, Nox!"

Amaris did not visit him that night. No matter how much he denied it, he knew it was true. He felt a little ache in his heart at not seeing her for that day, but he understood that she wouldn't be able to visit him all the time. She, after all, was not free.

He had spent the night in darkness yet again when the man came and closed the curtains. The man, though, forgot to close the window and Nox spent most of the late hours watching the curtains dance in the wind.

When morning came, Nox had been feeling around the new blood feathers growing on his head when the most wonderful voice called out to him.

"Good morning, Nox!"

His head twisted to look at her, eyes wide as if surprised and his smile was so wide that it reached his ears. "Amaris." He sat up straight and looked at her properly. Her hair was pristine in its golden curls and her eyes held that brightness that he loved. "Good morning. How are you today?"

He shifted his eyes to look at the open window, the curtains still drawn together. "I heard a horned bluebird sing right before you came. It was greeting everyone a good morning as well."