Zackary picked up the sticks after digging a hole for the game and started building a spit and a fire. After a bit, the fire was crackling away and the food he collected was hanging over it. Zackary sat down next to her, then started to squeeze water out of his feathers.
"Water logged still?" Afriel asked looking at her own wings, that laid simply behind her again, that where still wet.
Zackary looked at her wings. “Not as much as yours. Need help? I’ve mastered the art of squeezing water out of my feathers.” He laughed gently, his wings shaking themselves out.
"They'll dry out." Afriel lifted them, the water making them heavier then normal. "How's your newly healed wound?"
Zackary shifted so he could face her wings. He stretched forward and started squeezing the water out of her feathers swiftly.
“It’s fine, thanks for asking.”
Afriel wanted to pull away, to swat his hands. But she didn't. Instead she froze. "W-what are you doing?"
“Trust me, you’ll thank me later.” Zackary’s wings shivered slightly, already blossoming out in the pretty black.
“It’s uncomfortable the first time,” Zackary spoke after a few moments, “but you’ll get used to it.”
"I don't think I want to get used to it." Afriel twitched her wings. A slight shiver running down her back, the cold starting to set in.
Zackary got finished on one of her wings and shifted so he could reach her other. He squeezed that one out just as quickly and moved away.
“There you go. Move up to the fire, you’re shivering.”
"Thanks" Afriel mumbled and moved over to the fire, "so um," she started to speak trying to shift through her thoughts, "I uh, said somethings." She mumbled. just say it. "I um, said something, when you where dying, and I ment it." Afriel began to shift uncomfortablely, "I think, I think- I love you." She looked down at her hands resisting the urge to pull back into her wings and hide.
Zackary gazed up at her steadily, waiting for her to talk as she stuttered. When she spilt the tea, he leaned forward a little towards her, the fire sending deep shadows onto his handsome face, making his features sharper and finer.
“You mean it?” He sounded slightly excited, happy even.
"Yes." Now Afriel shrunk back, her wings pulling around herself portectivly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."
Zackary’s wings stirred a little. He averted his gaze.
“No, it’s okay. It really is.” He glanced at her with a gentle grin on his face.
Afriel saw his grin, "what, going to make fun of me now?" She shot him a glare and began to stand, "I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry."
Zackary paused in turning the food and rose too, blocking her.
“No, I’m not kidding, Afriel.” His gaze softened.
Afriel looked up at him, crossing her arms over her chest awkwardly and shifting on her feet. "Then what do you feel? What do you feel, Zackary?"
Zackary bit his lip and looked away, abashed. “I…I don’t know. But honestly, I think I like- love you a lot…” He shook his head, his own stupidity pissing him off.
"I-" Afriel looked for the right words, but found none. She decided it best not to say anything at all, but much rather pull her wings around herself, a shield between her and the out side world. "Sorry." She mumbled again.
Zackary looked at her and quickly grabbed her hands before they got closed off.
“I love you too, Afriel. Thank you for all you’ve done.”
Afriel peeked out at him through her wings and gave a slight nod, "thank you too, for everything." She went quiet again before adding, "I love you too."
Zackary rubbed the tops of her hands gently and let her hands go. He stepped back a bit, clearing the way for her to leave.
Afriel quickly scurried away, embaresmint clouding her thoughts. After walking for about a minute she found somewhere to sit. "Stupid stupid stupid." She mumbled. "Now things will be awkward." Her wings pulled tightly around herself, the tips turning a light shade of gray.
Zackary pulled off the game from the spit and rested it down on two leaves. Staring into the fire, he started to eat, feeling distinctly upset with himself.
Afriel poked a stick in the dirt, pushing around leafs, and anything else that was on the ground. Her embaresmint subsiding into a slight joy.
(leaves, embarrassment)
Zackary set down the half-eaten rabit and hugged his legs close to his chest, gazing idly into the fire. He sighed gently, setting his chin on his knees.
The wind blew again making Afriel shiver, and notice something. The cold had pulled her from her thoughts making her realize that she'd blindly walked for into a forest she'd never been in before. "Well then, who's stupid now?" If she could she'd have glared at herself, but a reflection was out of the question right now.
Zackary shivered with the cold, too, and wrapped his wings around his legs. When will Afriel come back? Her food is getting cold…
Afriel stood and began to try and find her way back, being lost now would almost deffently mean bad things. A branch snapped making her jump, its just the wind, calm down.
(why can’t she just fly out of the forest? She got wings! xD)
Instead she was stuck with the lingering suspicion that she was getting herself more lost. There was nothing in the forest with her, for the dense, lucious are was high in the sky. Only dreamy game was in this forest.
(Honestly, I don't know. The twig snap to be reviled! In the far, far future. XD)
Afriel (suddenly by no out side force at all) remembered she had wings a decided to use them. She launched herself into the sky, the cold suddenly feeling welcoming.
It watched from the shadows a wicked grin crossing its lips as it pushed its self deeper back into the trees, watching. Waiting.
It didn't take Afriel long after she was in the air to find the "campsite" and land on the river bank. "Hey uh sorry, I needed to clear my mind."