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For someone with total elemental control over the ground, Drift is starting to think she doesn't like it all that much. Her back is aching, and tiny, sharp pebbles are digging into her skin, keeping her from drifting back to sleep. Plus? It's cold, freezing, even. The night breeze bites at any exposed skin, and it's only made colder by the frost emanating from Scott. Of course, that's not a problem for her two travelling companions.
She sits up, grasping around in the dark for any spare blankets she may have thrown off while sleeping. It was only night 2 of camping and she already felt way out of her element, a stark contrast to Shelby and Scott who set up camp like they'd done it a million times; though, now that she thinks of it, they probably have. Both of them have roughed it more than her at least, she thinks bitterly.
It's strange how group dynamics become more obvious when one person leaves. She had assumed this whole time that if you were to split the Elemental Quartet down the middle, it would be Pyro and Scott, and herself and Shelby. But now, with Pyro gone, she's starting to think she was wrong. Shelby and Scott are more alike that she realised: both are calm, grounded (ironic), and reasonable. Pyro was always the one to indulge in her recklessness and back her up, but now? She feels like she doesn't fit in as well. She wishes he were here, not for the first time, and not just to keep the cold at bay.
She finally manages to grab a blanket (soft, heavy, and worn, the uneven, fraying stitches undoubtedly her mother's - she can almost hear her laugh about how useless at needlework she is), and drapes it over herself and Fern. She's still cold, but it's better. Plus, she can't just give up on training because she's a bit cold: Fern deserves better than that, but man, she misses her comfy bed. From the way Fern huffs she thinks she does too.
Her pity party is abruptly cut short by the beating of wings. Strange, she didn't think this part of the woods had any nocturnal birds, but what does she know? She tries to brush it off, but there's a sudden weight on her chest that causes her to snap her eyes open.
"Don't scream."
Well, that's not a comforting greeting.
Regardless, she doesn't let out more than a -hmmph!, partially due to the black feathers suddenly flooding both her vision and her mouth. Seriously, gross, she doesn't know where this crows' been-
She pulls back and blinks at the crow. It blinks back. She's hit with the sudden horrible realisation that she knows this bird.
"Heeeeey, Open Book." The crow opens it's mouth, and AJ's voice comes pouring out, making Drift groan and pull the blanket over her face, "Did you miss me?"
"No," she grumbles, before pulling the blanket back and giving this bird the dirtiest look she can muster, "I didn't."
It's seriously creepy hearing AJ's laugh come out of its beak, and she shivers not just from the cold. She has a bad feeling about this.
"You're cute when you lie, but I didn't send Flick all that way just to tell you that." And that does bring up and excellent point, now that she mentions it...
"How did Flick find us?" Drift asks quietly, slipping out from under both Fern and the blanket. AJ at least has the decency to order Flick off of her chest, and onto her shoulder.
Flick eats a glow berry still trapped in her hair. "You guys are hardly stealthy, I just had them follow your tracks." AJ replied, as if telling her the weather instead of the fact that she can find her in the middle of nowhere with little issue. She suppresses the urge to shiver again, but still feels the ice zip up her spine.
"Anyways," AJ drawls, sounding bored, "I need to talk to you. Preferably away from any prying ears-" The crow pauses, beak still open, and Drift can almost feel AJ's smirk, "-unless, you want people to find out about our little rendezvous?"
Drift huffs, feeling warm for the first time since they'd started this stupid adventure. AJ wasn't right, but... she throws a look at Scott and Shelby's sleeping forms... maybe it's best to get out of earshot.
She scoops up a torch and steels herself before creeping into the treeline. "Can you control your bird?" She hisses as Flick continues to search her hair for treats.
"Aww, they like you!" AJ cackles as Drift slows to a stop, and gently places Flick onto a branch at eye level. What? Flick hasn't done anything wrong in her eyes, aside from being unfortunately soul tied to the most annoying person on the planet.
"Ok, what's so important?" She asked finally, crossing her arms and leaning against the closest tree. Surprisingly, Flick seemed to shuffle on the branch nervously.
"You left."
Drift balks, making a slightly strangled noise. That's... That's it? She thought for AJ to go to such lengths the school had burnt down, or maybe the corruption had spread, or something! There had to be more, AJ wouldn't send her familiar all this way just because she was worried about Drift of all people.
Apparently, Drift's shocked silence was not the appropriate response, as the crow started to flap its wings, almost in indignation.
"Well- it was strange, was all. We agreed that we'd investigate the spies together, and then all of a sudden you're running around doing a corrupted ritual! And I'm like, that's weird, right? So I think, I'll go check up on her after the party, see if she's seen anything suspicious." AJ is honest to goodness rambling, and Drift can't find the voice to stop her. She's never heard her sound even remotely close to this frazzled before, and it's all because of her.
"So I walk all the way to your dorm, yeah? Call out for you, but you're clearly not there, because I called you Princess and everything, and no dice! Figured maybe you're with one of your little friends, so I start asking around, doing my thing, and guess what they tell me?!"
By now Flick is walking up and down the branch, waving their wings up and down, clearly imitating whatever their mage is doing. It would be entertaining to watch, if Drift wasn't so utterly baffled by everything that's happened in the last 5 minutes. Suddenly, the crow whirls round to face her, leaning towards her, beady eyes locked on hers, its beak already wide open.
"You're gone! Gone! And I think, maybe this is my fault. Maybe you pushed too hard on Juniper, went full steam ahead with no plan, and you're dead in a ditch somewhere." Her voice had been getting steadily more hysterical, but it hitches on the word dead, and she has to wobble through the end of her sentence. It's the first genuine emotion she'd seen from AJ, and she instinctively reaches out to Flick to comfort her, before flinching back as the bird snaps at her fingertips.
"Turns out," And oh, that wobble is gone now. There's still emotion in her voice, but this time is pure anger, "that you and your gaggle of roommates have willingly wandered into the woods. No word, no note, no goodbye - do you know how worried I- everyone was?! Megii's been beside herself, she's worried you're mad at her about something with Mr Professor."
Drift feels a pang in her heart. She didn't think... she knew she had friends now but the idea they'd miss her, be worried about... it never crossed her mind. Bile rises in her throat from the guilt of it all, and part of her wants to choke on it.
"I'm sorry." She gets out, and this time it's AJ's turn to be shocked at sincerity. "Scott said we should just Tegrith goodbye and leave without saying anything. I didn't think... I didn't think anyone would miss me. It's never happened before."
The silence lingers heavily between them before Flick lets out a little coo, and waddles down the branch towards Drift. Looking into their eyes, she swears she can see AJ's: the mischievous shine, and the way they crinkle when she grins like she's just thought of the perfect thing to say to push your buttons.
"Well," she starts, "they do. I was offered a whole stack of sprouts to track you down. You gotta start using that brain of yours for more than just thinkin' of me." Yeah, she can definitely see that smile.
She huffs, but can't tamp down her laughter. "Projecting much? I'm not the one who was obsessed enough to hire a bird stalker." Flick lets out something between a cackle and a sharp caw, and Drift isn't too sure who it came from. She feels smug all the same. "You can tell them all I'm ok. We all are. We won't be gone too long, but we need to train our magic and hunt for more information. I'll be back before you know it. Plus, we all have recall! So no need to worry."
Those pitch black eyes stay on her, a gentle contemplating sound emanating from Flicks closed beak. Drift's about to ask what she's thinking about, when the crow starts to aggressively preen itself. After a minute or so of grumbling they produce a cleanly trimmed talon in their beak, and drop it in Drift's hand. It's bigger than she thought one of Flick's claws would be: curved, pitch black and wickedly sharp.
"Grabbed it this evening, just in case." AJ explains. "Corruption can sap your magic, leave you in a nasty spot without recall. If the worst happens-" She pauses, composing herself. It still bewilders Drift that AJ can even be this serious about something, "if you need help, cut yourself with it. It's still connected to Flick, so I'll sense it and know where you are."
"And you'll come running?" Drift giggles, slightly giddy. She can't really tell why, maybe she's going mad after talking to a bird for so long. Nevertheless, the idea that AJ's given her a direct line to them, to keep her safe, warms her right up. She runs her fingers along the claw, marvelling that something so dangerous could make her feel so safe, and she pictures AJ's teasing smirk.
"You know it, Open Book." AJ says, silver tongued as always, while Flick leans over and gently nips at her nose, "Me and all my troops, just like a knight in shining armour."
Drift scoffs. "Hardly." She glances once more at the talon before firming her resolve. "I'll keep it, just in case, but I won't need it. I can handle myself."
Flick tilts their head to the side, and AJ's fond voice surrounds her. "I don't doubt it for a second, Princess."
Before Drift even has the chance to argue at the nickname the crow launches themself up, AJ's laughter echoing out and weaving through the trees. She watches them fly above the canopy, listening until the beat of wings is replaced by the bugs chirping under foot. And just like that, Drift is alone in the woods again.
She makes her way back to camp, and is relieved to find her friends where she left them. With all mages, dragons, and one firefly accounted for, she settles back down in her bedroll with Fern. At Drift's reappearance she huffs and lays her head on her stomach, butting into her hand, but never once fully emerging from the heavy blanket.
Drift lies there more confused but simultaneously more confident than she was before. She has her friends, her powers, and - for the first time - a failsafe for if her rash nature gets her into trouble. Multiple reasons to make it home safe.
She rubs Fern's head with one hand, and holds Flick's talon in the other. She thinks she can survive a few more nights in the cold.