The Twins: The birds are out and curious despite the cold. It’s just on day break but All at Once is already awake. As the sun peaks on the horizon, he lifts himself up and shakes any traces of the morning dew from his coat. Winter is drawing near, the dew steadily becoming more like frost with every passing morning.
He’d woken in plains still, not far from where he was born he realises as he takes a long steady look at his surrounds. He’d traveled until it became too difficult to see last night, but he knew these lands so well, he hadn’t been worried. He was headed towards the desert outskirts as he’d long been in the far south.
The birds chirp and chatter noisily in the tree branches above him. Looking up with mild annoyance he notes more than a few families of songbirds, come together under this rare tall tree standing amongst the wide fields of grass. Instant decides to move on, the sun just free of the horizon and his wits about him, he sets of in the direction of his birth on a whim.
He’d been born alone, he was fairly sure, but a part of him questioned this now, so many seasons past. From the moment he’d been born he’d been compelled to progress, to move with the world around him that was constantly and rapidly changing and growing. He pushed himself to move forward even as his new legs gave out under him and his eyes remained fixed shut. By the time he was fully aware of his surrounds, he’d already traveled a remarkable distance for such a young thing. It wasn’t until some time later, having grown to his peek hight, that he retraced his steps and returned to his place of birth, only to of course, find it empty.
Regardless, it wasn’t difficult for Instant to shake away the uncertainty. He often considered the possibility as he drew close to this place but it was just a wondering thought the blew through him, much like the cool wind that came by in sharp gusts. They produced in him but a single shiver before leaving him be in the morning light.
As he neared the spot, one of the song bird families from before flew overhead, trilling in an almost greeting as they passed. Instant paid no heed to them a first but when they flew over a second, then third time he stopped to take notice. Awfully curious, aren’t we? He thought as he watched the flock perch on a low bush and regard him in return.
“What is it?” He asked. The birds merely watched him, cooing every so often. How very strange.
With a shrug he continued on his way, birds in tow. Stranger still, they flew closer now that he’d acknowledged them. Perhaps, he considered, they just wanted company. One trilled loudly into his ear suddenly. Or perhaps they were just in the business of harassing those they came across, the cheeky little things.