Corvu flew above the city and beyond the walls, clutching a scrape of dried meat in her beak. The drying racks had been ignored in the commotion of preparations, and she was headed for her favorite tree beyond the walls of the city, to enjoy this very special breakfast.
She flew across the plains, over dried grass, rocks, the gleam of grey fur, more dried grass...the gleam of fur?
She did a somersault in mid-air to catch the meat that had dropped from her beak, and circled on the warm air rising from the plain. Corvu knew the pattern of jackal and fox fur as it blended into the landscape. This had been neither.
Circling back, she focused on the patch of pelt and followed its outline. This one was well hidden from the eyes of man, not that such a thing was that difficult. But to hide from the eyes of HER kind took some doing.
Corvu gulped her breakfast in mid-air. She hated doing that, and knew that this would lead to a bad case of indigestion, but such news couldn't wait!
Winging her way her way back to the Oliphaunt compound, she landed with a thump on the broad forehead of Magda.
"Magda! Magda!...she screamed in the good ear. Then she felt the tugging under her foot. Looking down, she saw poor Fedwie running wildly in place, his tailed pinned under one of Corvu's claws. What was this little mite still doing here? "Sorry, dearie", she muttered, and shifted her weight. Fedwie spurted to the other side of the massive head and collapsed in a heap.
"Corvu, there is no need to scream. I can hear you perfectly. Now get off." Magda prepared another dust bomb.
"No! Listen! In the compound, and out on the plain as well. Wolves! Two of them!"
"Wargs"
"No, my dear" Corvu breathed, "Wolves. True Wolves..."
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