Crackle

Slow

~ 🐢 ~

The two robins were in a new place, this was the beginning of both of their journey.

Tuk stared at the rocky place, surprised by what he saw. He had never seen so much of... nothing. In one place.
"Come. Leave." He chirped, not wanting to stay here much longer.
Chirr agreed and began to follow, they hopped, not knowing how high the rocks went or how delicate they were. Chirr was slower then Tuk.

Tuk glanced up at the sky seeing the friendly Sheep-Clouds had returned and were happily dancing across the sky. Tuk was happy that they had returned.
Chirr followed Tuk's glance for a moment but then started to get impatient.
"Tuk. Go."
Tuk looked at Chirr and then continued along the path. Hopping.

As they walked, they looked around at the rocky cliffs, it looked as if they might be the only ones here, yet it didn't feel lonely. He didn't like this place. He felt that owls or wolves could come out of any corner.

Suddenly, Tuk heard a noise from above.
"Look! Look! A meal, a meal!"
"No no, meal's alive. Alive!"
"We wait! Wait!"
"Yes yes, wait!"
Except to Tuk, all he heard was hissing.. and what sounded almost like a pig?
"Recognize?" Tuk asked Chirr.
"No." Chirr responded.
Tuk glanced up at the sky seeing about four large birds orbiting around their area like a fly might. The birds had dark feathers and an odd looking head that had no feathers. It reminded Tuk of the Hairless-Birds that sometimes walked through the forest, when he lived there.
He wasn't convinced the Hairless-Birds were really birds, but birds were the only thing in the Forest that walked on two legs except for occasionally squirrels. But he really didn't believe they were squirrels either.

He snapped back into focus and glanced back up at the flying birds.
"What?" He chirped, asking what they were. The circling birds didn't know Robin, he could tell by the way they were still circling, or maybe they couldn't hear him from up there, or maybe they were ignoring him. He wasn't sure which option was the most likely.
"Tuk." Chirr chirped, Tuk looked over at Chirr, she was right. They might as well just continue walking on. It wasn't like those birds were going to stop them.

Chirr and Tuk continued walking across the rocky area, hoping the end of it was close by. He didn't like those large birds that were still circling above them.. they didn't seem to want to attack, they seemed to be waiting.. for something..? Tuk wasn't sure what that something was and he was pretty
sure he didn't want to find out.

"Fly. Faster.." He chirped, noticing that Chirr was still pretty slow whilst walking.
"Birds." Chirr chirped, thinking that if they flew, the circling birds might fly closer.
"Quicker." He chirped, saying that they probably flew faster then the birds.

Chirr at last agreed and the two of them took to the sky. Tuk was curious on why Chirr was always so slow, he wanted to ask but knew that she ignored him last time he tried.
The two of them were flying quite quickly, the circling birds seemed to stop following them. Tuk looked over at Chirr and hesitated - he didn't want to be alone, this area was far too dangerous for one robin. But he wanted to know why Chirr was so slow when she hopped.

He finally asked.
"Slow. Why?"
Chirr paused in midair before flapping her wings again and continuing.
"Not. Important."
"Why?" He repeated, hoping she might answer.
Chirr paused again - still flying.
"Toes. Missing."
Tuk was surprised - Chirr was missing toes...? He flew slower behind her. Not wanting to 'catch' whatever Chirr had. This was what he noticed most birds did.
"Not. Contagious." She chirped, Tuk believed her and flew forward.
"Just. Gone." She chirped, looking over at Tuk. She kept flying.

Tuk was still surprised by this new knowledge but decided to drop the topic. He glanced back, to check for the circling birds again. He didn't see them. That was a good sign.

He saw a small river down below, in the rocky cliffs, he realized then that he was quite thirsty.
"Water!" He chirped, Chirr followed his gaze and then the both of them swooped down to the ground.

Tuk began to drink from the river, Chirr followed. Tuk suddenly stopped - feeling someone staring at him.

He looked up and saw what looked like a Baby - No, that wasn't right. It wasn't a baby, but it definitely wasn't an adult version of one of the circling birds staring directly at him and Chirr.
"Chirr.." Tuk chirped, Chirr lifted her head and soon saw the bird. She glanced back into the sky, the Young bird began nonstop making noises at Tuk and Chirr, noises that he couldn't understand.
"Tuk! Calling." She chirped, assuming the young bird was calling the other circling birds back.

Tuk thought this was a logical explanation and as quickly as they could, the two birds flew into the sky as fast as they could manage, to get away from the young circling bird and it's flock. Tuk already didn't like it here, now he really didn't like it here. It was unsafe for the two of them.

Tuk continued flying, he hadn't thought that it would be this hard to find a new tree, It was just a tree that he could stay, he assumed there were several trees like that in the forest. Yet he had to leave, there seemed to be no-tree anywhere for him to stay.

Suddenly Chirr chirped aloud, stopping Tuk from his thoughts.
"Look!" Chirr announced, Tuk followed Chirr's gaze and saw that the Rocky area ended just a few more Tree-Lengths away. He was happy.
"Finally!" He chirped aloud, with excitement. He didn't know what was out of the rocky area, he could see tall vines in the distance. That was something familiar.

Soon, he just felt. The two of them would finally have a well-earned tree to stay.

~ 🐢~