Our den has been restless. It was my brother we lost the first, right about when the leaves turned into the color of the great heat. Although we mourned him, mom and dad were quick to focus back on protecting us. Not many moons later, we lost my sister.

She was a strong one. Always climbing trees, assuring us the better berries were up higher. She would fight of anyone who dared to get to close to us. So it was a horrifying sight to suddenly see her so weak, and out of breath. 

The stress among me and my sibling started to rise then. And although mom and dad assured us everything would be alright. But you could see the stress in their eyes, too. They had no clue what was going on as well. 

And now, mom has fallen ill. I am not sure if she makes it another moon. She looks just like when my brother and sister passed. She did not even bother the flies circling her. Just let them walk over her face. Her eyes had sunken in, her fur not shiny nor soft. Her hands unable to grasp anything.

Dad sent us outside under the pretence of 'getting fresh air'. I know that he wants to say goodbye to mom. Asking her one last time for advice. He does not want us to worry any more than we already do. 

"Do you think our den is cursed?" askes Coo, lying on top of a branch. She let her front paws hang down, carelessly. Her beady eyes stared deeply into mine. 

"A curse? Don't be ridiculous!" I answered. I started to dig around a little, not really sure what I was supposed to do. 

"The owls three trees down told me so a few days back. The big one said we were cursed, that our den dripped evil all the way down to the roots. He could see it."

I hissed. 

"He is just trying to scare us to get back on us for raiding his nest!"

"Then why did the crow confirm that he could smell the evil near our nest? He is our friend!"

"Because," I started, but I was not really sure how to answer that one so quickly. "Because he likes to play pranks". The uncertainty was more than present in that statement. Coo looked unimpressed by my answer, and turned her snout away from me.

Dad walked somberly out of the den. He probably wanted to collect us, so we could say our goodbyes as well. I am not sure I want to see mom anymore in this state, though. 

"Coo, Raca, can you two come here for a mo-" he started to say as he walked over to us. But the heavy creaking of our tree stopped him. All three of us looked at the spectacle before us. The tree our den was in grew rapidly in size. Branches grew and started to form into something that looked like two wings. Smoke draped the tree into a cloth around the body. It looked vaguely like a butterfly. Only much, much bigger. 

"Oh, don't tell me you are about to leave" it spoke. 

I remember mom saying that every den had an angel watching over them. This must be one of those angels! It certainly looks beautiful. 

"Are you here to help us, Angel?" I asked. Before it could answer, my dad picked me at my scruff and threw me back. 

"That is no angel darling, that is a demon! Run children!"

My feet quickly found the ground again, and picked up speed with every contact. The dark leaves covering the forest floor dampened the sound, but made it slippery as well. It had been raining these past few days. 

I could hear Coo close behind me as well. Behind us there are stomps, and sometimes winds almost blow us over. I can hear my dad cry in pain. I want to turn back, but my mind and my body seem to be disconnected. Besides, I am too scared of the scene I'll see if I do turn around.

"Where do we go?" Coo asks. She is now running beside me, jumping over the occasional branch and trunk. 

"How am I supposed to know? Dad gave us only one instruction! No location"

"Maybe we can go to Uncle Crow?".

My whiskers tingle in stress.

"He could be anywhere right now! How are we supposed to find him?"

Coo seems to think a little. Or she needs her breath to stay running.

"He always said we could call out to him! He should be here in no time!"

I nod.

"We can certainly try!"

And so, between every breath. We call out to him. My throat is starting to hurt, and I can hear Coo's breathing uncomfortable as well. We lose speed. But not one of us dares to stop running. 

A flapping of wings starts to overwhelm the other sensations of running. It gets louder and louder, until a black crow lands in front of us, making us halt.

"What is wrong, children?" he asks, switching looks to me and my sister.

"Den...Father...Demon" I manage to bring out. My lungs finally have time to fill themselves up fully.

"Our den turned out to be a demon...It got dad!" Coo then broadens my words. Uncle seems to finally understand what I mean the first time. His puzzled look softens to worry.

"A demon? How did it get here?" Uncle looks quickly around, trying to catch a glimpse of the thing.

"Uncle, do you think father is okay?" I ask, tears finally start to well in my eyes. 

He hops closer to me, and takes my head under his wing into an embrace. He does not respond further onto it. Coo also curls up to him. 

"Let me take the two of you to my nest first. There you'll be safe and we can make a plan on what to do next. Okay?"

Both Coo and I just simply nod. 

*

*

*

"Kevin, I brought guests!"

Uncle Crow has landed on a branch near the nest. Coo and I are still climbing the tree. Uncle Kevin looks up from the nest, pleasantly surprised. But then he spots us.

"Ah, children. What brings you here!" Uncle Kevin seems to have directed the question more towards Uncle Crow, but that doesn't matter to me.

"A demon"I simply answer. 

"What?"

"Just for the night, dear. They have nowhere else to go."

Kevin changes looks between us and the nest. 

"I am not sure they'll fit, honey". 

Uncle Kevin never really liked us as much as uncle Crow does. But I must agree. I am pretty sure the nest won't hold us. 

"Just one night, Kevin"

Kevin lets out a sigh. 

"Fine. Now tell me what happened".

And we do. I can see that, despite Kevin's dislike for us, he still pities us. And when Uncle crow takes us under his wings again, he even gives him an encouraging smile.

"I'll check out your den. See if your father is alright. Crow, make sure these two have something to eat in the meantime." and before his beak has closed, he already dives of the branch. When the momentum is right, he spreads his wings and with only a few powerful flaps he gains speed and height.

Uncle Crow lets us out of his embrace. 

"Let me gather some food. The two of you stay here. I'll make sure I'll stay in your sight" He says. He too is about to take off, but I halt him.

"Uncle, is it true each nest has an angel watching over them?"

He turns around, his normally round eyes now narrow, and the glittering of mischief gone.

"If that were the case, Raca. Then the tragedy the two of you endured would never have happened." Uncle pauses for a second.

"You know, I've met an Angel once. Before I met Kevin. The are embraced by smoke, with only an iron mask, perfectly detailed like a skull. The one I encountered was catlike, with chains at the end of their cheeks. Their eyes were like metal marbles, two placed like normal eyes, but on their forehead was a third one. And despite that they had no pupils, you could still feel their piercing stare into your soul".

"That actually sounds terrifying!" Coo exclaims.

Uncle crow chuckles.

"It was. But looks can be deceiving. It used its smoke to lift me up, and put me back into my nest. I had fallen out due to a storm and hadn't learned to fly yet".

"Do you think an Angel can help us, too?" I ask.

"Maybe". Uncle crow smiles gently, and then flies of. But under his breath I can still hear him mumble.

"They are hard to come by, these days".

~~~~~~

Words: 1436 (Computer)