lace your heart with mine

Grandfather had told her once, that when she was lost, she was to follow the white raven.

He was not her grandfather. He was not anyone’s, she knew, but he had been Grandfather longer than she could put to words. He had lowered his head and brushed his whiskery muzzle against her face until she giggled, and told her again. ”The white raven. If you are lost, Sayuri, follow the white raven. It will lead you home.”

The snow was blinding. It stuck to her eyelashes, weighing them so heavy they almost fell over her eyes. White blotted out all color, turning everything shades of monochrome. The wind burst along the side of the flower, and she stumbled at its touch. Her mouth opened in a silent cry, her body sinking into the snow. Why was she fighting? Sayuri hauled herself back up, shaking, but resigned, as she scanned the branches. The white raven, watching her from a branch. It tipped its head.

She followed its lead. Into the snow, swirling around her, until she was swallowed by it.

---

She couldn’t see the raven anymore. She couldn’t see the snow. She couldn’t see anything. Sayuri blinked open her eyes, finding herself caught in a beam of winter sunlight. She was tucked into the cradle of roots beneath a tree, legs tucked like a fawn. The wooden quork of ravens brought her gaze up to find an entire unkindness looking back. Her ears shriveled back, eyes looking for-.

“ ホワイトレイヴン! — White raven! ” She called. Nothing answered her. Nothing at all.

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With @Ries' guidance, Raiden began his trek home, but just because he had a tour guide did not mean he would not stray from his side from time to time. Raiden had always had a nack for wandering off, within reason, of course. The world was vast, stretching on beyond his sights, and right when you think you've reached the edge of the horizon, you find it continued on even more. Valleys and mountains, rivers and hills, oceans and tundras. It fascinated him with a cold grip and a thirst for more. A thirst to see what else might lay beyond the next bend.

And around this bend was,

“ ホワイトレイヴン! ”

The cry was loud beside his ear, stemming from the roots of a passing tree. Raiden's ears fell back with a wince, the words familiar despite being uncommon. With some hesitance, he dug for the same tongue, “私の経験上、カラスは黒いです。 — In my experience, ravens are black.” Raiden turned the side of the tree, his gaze flicking over the woman briefly. She was a small thing. A bit odd looking for a wolf, but who was he to judge? “見つかりましたか? — Did you find one?”

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