He sat watching the dim earth below him, in the dark dusk of the early evening, his head held proud. He did not flinch at the sounds that welled up from inside the tall, narrow abode below his feet. He was only a youngster, by any reckoning he had known anyways. There were many he had met older them him, and not many his junior. His long black coat glistened as the mist of the coming night caught the last single ray of a fading amber light. His dark, auburn eyes were the only part of him that moved as they darted across the landscape before him. He watched.
The shelter below him sprang open and something bolted across the tall grass towards the rail of fallen trees. A terrible sound, a cry out into the night. The blood streaked across the silver coat could be seen as a dark stain in the failing light. A path through the grass was cut towards the rugged dirt and stone trail that separated the home from the woods beyond. He watched.
Again movement as something more burst from the opening below him, another terrible sound, more angry and bitter. Turning and moving in circles searching one way then the other, then following the fallen and trampled reeds. It followed them into dark. He watched.
Stillness and darkness, the moon rose and he watched.
Without a movement from his head, his eyes watched the silver coat creep slowly out of the long grass. Quietly and subtly, moving back into the home below; closing it up below him. A soft but heavy grinding thud as the entrance was barred. A gentle smoke rising from the stones near where he sat, was all that moved, but for the gentle breeze in the trees. Still he watched.
Movement in the moonlight as something was returning. Finding the entrance closed to it, rage! The search began, testing the tall home, testing the entrance. A most brutal and angry cry in the dark. A pair of bound and tied trees were brought high against the tall home and through a mastery of maneuvering the bound trees, this thing of anger came to the broken, splintered top of the home. A steep and harsh place for one such as this. The tied trees came up again and to the very summit of the home, near the smoking, hot stones they reached. It climbed the steep pitch. He watched. This angry creature shed its skin. A smooth and unnatural skin that was folded and held in place over the smoking rocks. He watched
For a time there was nothing, but then the sounds of coughing and gaging and the sight of smoke came up from inside the home. The angry creature, leaving it's skin resting on the smoking stones climbed back down the bound trees to the tall reach of the dwelling. Perched on the edge, the trees were lowered to the ground and left to rest against edge of the slope. He watched.
In his view he saw the silver coat creep out from a hidden opening, secretly unbarred. It fell the trees. With a great push they came crashing down to the ground below, now useless to the angry being, imprisoned where one such as itself should not be. The howl of anger rang out into the night, to the stars and moon. He watched
The angry one then fell silent, it to now watched. Watching below as the silver coat starred back up, silent. Its gaze turning to ice as its face hardened. The angry voice softened and was quiet, but the silver coat held a gaze of cold stone. He watched
The cold silver coat returned to the home and for a moment there was nothing. He watched, the quiet voice watched and there was nothing. The moment did not last, for a great crash came from below and out from the abode flew the silver coat. It stopped only once at the edge of the woods. It stopped only once to stare back with an frozen empty gaze at the angry voice prominently crying out on the high pitch. He watched.
He watched as the light and warmth of the flickering flames below him became more brilliant and the all consuming fire began to crack at the timbers of the home below him. The angry voice was now also filled with terror as the bitterness was called out to the heavens and its horrified rage filled the dark sky under the moon.
He watched for only a moment more before spreading himself open and letting the hot, rising air speed him away. He circled high for a moment before coming again to rest on a tall spruce at the edge of the woods. Rising proud his head and turning his gaze to the fiery abode below him. He watched as the angry flames crackled around the angry creature on the cracked wooden pitch. He watched as together the angry voice and the wooden pitch gave way to to screaming fire that consumed them both in an violent collapse. He watched
The morning dew came, he watched it cool the fires of the tall home and the angry voice was now reduced to the hight of dirt and ash on the earth. Others watched as well now. Two more were watching. Older and perhaps more wise then he? Looking at the young watcher the old ones spoke to their mate, "Where shall we our breakfast take?"
