aethlen ran past the tall oak, the wind carding through his loosely braided hair as he warily set his bow on his back. his ears pricked as he heard something crash through the trees, a branch cracking on the ground. there weren't any large birds in this area- most of them stayed near the mountains, where they could build their nests without disturbance.

his red eyes flashed in the darkness as his head snapped toward the noise. whatever it was, there was no way it could be good. aethlen pulled himself up into a tree, his footsteps soft on the thick branches as he hopped to another one. he couldn't see much through the thick canopy of leaves- the darkness didn't help, either. the moonlight never fully broke trough the trees. only in the clearings was it easy to see everything.