Rannok had spent far too much time the last few months sitting and feeling sorry for himself, but somehow he couldn't help it. He put his head in his hands and thought back to the conversation they'd had two days before, when it seemed like things might have been OK.

Not that they really were OK. He knew Mantu was mad and that there would probably be consequences. But he didn't expect those consequences to include losing her forever. At least, that was what would happen if he didn't figure out this situation.

The door to his room had been locked from the inside, Rannok knew that because he'd already tried it. The window that led to outside crossed directly in front of the house, or off into a small stand of trees that they'd doubtless be able to find him in. His wings hadn't finished growing back in yet, he was weaponless, and he had no idea where Sasha had even been staying. 

This was a fine situation for him to have found himself in.

He had nearly given up on solutions when he heard the rapping on his window. Rannok's head wheeled around, and he stood up and peered outside. Sasha stood crouched under the windowsill, so only the top of her head was visible. Above her, the crow pecked at the glass.

"How did you find me?" he hissed through the windowpane.

I can read thoughts, if you recall. And she cannot hear you with the window closed.

Rannok blinked as the crow stared at him, then bobbled its head as if it were calling him an idiot.  "Right." 

There were still footsteps outside, though they had grown fainter and fainter, and mostly came from the room above his head. The sounds of voices filtered through the floorboards and into his ears, though he couldn't make them out. He paused for a second to focus on where they might be before grabbing the window ledge.

The constable and his wife are preparing for bed, the crow said, as if clarifying his thoughts. The window must open slowly or they will hear you.

Rannok nodded as the crow hopped down off the windowsill and onto Sasha's back. He eased the window open, bit by bit. The wood stuck on the windowframe as he jiggled it back and forth to keep it from making any noise. Rannok's heart felt like it might pop out of his chest as the window sprung free of its track and opened with an awful-sounding screech. He cringed.

"What was that?"

Rannok ducked back inside the window as the voice from upstairs floated in after him. The footsteps upstairs grew louder for a moment. A second later they quieted down again, and he exhaled all the air out of his lungs at once. His eyes darted back to outside, but the top of Sasha's head had disappeared.

"Sasha?"

"I'm here." Her voice was barely audible. Rannok poked his head out the window, and she waved her hand out from behind one of the bushes that lined the side of the house. "We need to get out of here."

Rannok looked around for the crow. "Is it safe?"

Not any less safe than it would be ten minutes from now. They have written your awful window-opening noise. You ae lucky, the crow responded. Rannok shrugged and carefully eased his body out the window and into the bush, careful to tuck his wings behind him as he settled himself next to her.

"We need to get out of here," she mouthed, as she grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. Rannok closed his eyes and let his heartbeat slow. He remembered being in a cave and being caught in a rainstorm and the way the world had felt like it was ending that night. He remembered how her hand felt in his. How even though he wasn't sure if he even liked her yet, he felt like maybe he was going to be okay. 

They were going to be okay. He had to choose to believe that.

"Yeah, let's go," he said, keeping his words just as quiet. He ducked out of the bushes and off into the treeline without looking to see if she was following, because he knew she would be. The run across the yard took hours. The grass caught in his shoes and pulled at his pant legs.

It felt like they would never get there when suddenly they were, and he let out another huge sigh.

"Where are we going?" he asked Sasha as she appeared in the thicket behind him. He reached for her when the crow appeared between them, then landed on a branch sticking out of the ground.

The constable has roused from bed to check on you.

Rannok swore under his breath and looked toward Sasha. 

"The docks," she said, before looking expectantly at the crow, who fluffed its wings as if it were sighing out of frustration.

Humans have no sense of direction, it said. An image flashed in Rannok's mind of a glowing path through the thicket, of a stand of small rowboats bobbing in the wind. He took off in that direction, pulling Sasha along with him. They didn't have a lot of time, and he knew from experience they wouldn't be able to outrun a search party and dogs.

"How big is this island?" he asked the crow.

You will be there in approximately five minutes if you run, it replied.

Five minutes seemed like too long. The sound of voices shouting tendriled toward him through the treeline. Rannok's heart began to hammer again. It was too dark too see where he was going, not enough light to make sure they didn't trip. Neither of them spoke as they made their way over the branches and through the pricker bushes that grabbed at his clothes and tried to keep him from going further.

It wasn't a run, but it would have to be fast enough. 

The crow kept a few paces ahead of them. Every few seconds Rannok's vision would blur again, and he'd see the path forward. He'd see the little rowboats and the way to get to them and the beach, illuminated in the moonlight. The heel of his foot caught in a branch and he stumbled, then swore as something in his ankle gave way.

"Are you okay?" Sasha asked as he caught himself on a branch.

"Fine," Rannok replied. He let her help heave him to his feet, and his ankle stung in protest. "Ouch."

You have to keep moving, they are still looking!

Rannok did his best to block out the pain of running as they made their way further through the trees. This felt hopeless, like they would never make it. Like the running just took too long, until suddenly they reached the end of the thicket and spilled out onto a quiet beach.

There were the rowboats, all lined up in a straight line. Rannok breathed relief as Sasha tugged him forward toward them, then began cutting at the mooring lines with a rope.

"Do you know how to use one of these?" he asked her. He didn't bother keeping his voice quiet. They'd be looking for them anyway, and there was no time.

"No," Sasha admitted. She cut the mooring line through and pushed the boat out into the water, then handed him the oar from inside. "Get in."

He didn't need to be told more than once.