[Trade] Volcano and the Dawn

Even from a distance the red hot magma is hot against her face and Snowbird squints, shielding her pale eyes from the distant glow. She sees herself, mimicked in the red emblazoned on her side, rolling down her scales like the remnants of an angered volcano. And yet, she is calm, quiet...determined. Her search had brought her here, to the volcano, though it seemed to be fruitless. Truthfully, Snowbird wasn't sure who or what she was looking for. They had helped her, once, when she was young, tending to her wounds. Without them she might not have survived. She isn't even sure what she could do to thank them, but she wanted to try. Her focus slips from the roiling lava to the blinking stars above. A welcome respite for her sensitive eyes.

The night sky, and eventually the soft touch of Dawn, was gentle and welcome. Part of her wanted to climb deeper into the volcano, to explore every nook and cranny of it. There wasn't anything down there for her, and she knew it, but she could see herself. A sudden pressure at her throat startles her and Snowbird's leg twitches, preparing a swift kick, but the sensation is soft and warm. Eos presses her soft feathered cheek against Snowbird's warm throat and she can feel herself take what feels like the first breath since she'd arrived. Snowbird curls her neck, cradling Eos' in a hug as best she could, her throat vibrating with a loving hum as she did.

"Are you alright?" Eos finally asks, basking in the attention she so eagerly sought out. Snowbird nods, feeling more herself at her mate's side and steers them back down the craggy mountainside. They walk in comfortable silence, something Eos had grown used to with her nearly silent partner. What Snowbird lacked in conversation, she made up for in other ways. It had been the red-streaked dinosaur's quiet confidence and determination that had drawn Eos to her side, and kept her there.

Snowbird stops suddenly and Eos bumps into her, peeking around to see what had caused the abrupt halt. There, past cracked obsidian and ash, was a cave. The rock gleamed like freshly polished stone, the starlight reflecting off the inky surface. "It's beautiful," Eos said, stepping up beside Snowbird again and leaning against her. They stood there for several moments, watching the reflection change as clouds passed by overhead.

"We could go inside," Eos suggested, "I am curious what's in there," she admitted, looking over at her mate. Snowbird found herself transfixed by the red glow the emanated from the maw of the cave. Eos was happy to give her a moment, nestling her beak into the crook of Snowbird's throat. Finally, Snowbird nods, her claws clicking together somewhat clumsily, as if distracted. Noticing this, Eos took charge, being the first one to step across the cracked ground toward the waiting cave. Despite the active volcano so close, life had begun to return in places, a testament to the island's (and perhaps their own!) strength. Vines snacked across sharp angled rocks that jutted up from earth as if to protect the delicate plant life from the impending threat of lava. Ash covered leaves grow from the twisted vines, and Eos admires them as she slowly ambles past, her steps measured and delicate.

"A wonder anything can grow here," she laughs, happy to fill the silence. Snowbird nods in approval, clicking her claws in response as she followed quietly. The silence had not always been so comfortable between them, but Eos loved talking to Snowbird. She had become attuned to listening for the small ways that Snowbird responded through sound, however small, and become more alert to changes in her stance. Overall it had made her a better dinosaur, she thought, so much more observant of the world. "I never used to just...stop, and look at things," she says, feeling somewhat sappy as they walked quietly toward the cave.

Snowbird took a few long strides, catching up to walk beside Eos rather than behind. Eos, content to have her partner present in the moment with her, turned away, her cheeks heating with a blush.

The cave was so much taller and imposing up close and Eos found herself balking from the gaping entrance. She took a nervous step backwards, only to find herself leaning against Snowbird whose confidence had returned, despite the earlier moment at the top of the volcano. Her throat vibrated with words she couldn't speak and Eos nodded quietly.

The cave was even more breathtaking than either dinosaur could have imagined. The glowing light was from magma flowing behind translucent obsidian, traveling like veins along the wall. Unlike outside, the glow was dulled somewhat by the stone, making it easy on Snowbird's pale eyes and skin. Even the heat was lessened, much to Eos' delight. 

"It reminds me of you," Eos said, pressing her beak against the surprisingly cool obsidian wall, watching the lava flow quietly behind it. Snowbird stopped and turned, staring transfixed at the same spot. Outside, she'd had the same thought, but she'd struggled to see past her inability to stare directly at the volcano. It's heat and bright light was too much for her sensitive skin and eyes, and she wondered, briefly, if she was too much. If her struggles and silence made her too much to look at. It was uncommon for Snowbird to face any sort of doubt, but sometimes she thought about the journey she was on and wondered if it was fruitless. But as she watched Eos stand directly in front of the magma and watched the light illuminate her partner's face, Snowbird knew that she was not too much. She knew in her heart, despite her struggles, she was enough. For Eos. For herself. She was stronger than she knew. She stepped up, standing beside Eos, and pressed her own beak against the stone, letting her eyes fall closed.