Crow slipped out of the Eliksni den, concealing the mesh bag under his cloak. The cold wind threatened to whisk his cloak backward, concealing his precious prize: a couple of pounds of human food. It had cost him hours of scavenging to find enough metals and ship parts to trade for it. But the Eliksni from the old House of Wolves always treated him fairly and traded him decent food: bread that wasn’t too stale, meat that was probably of animal origin and sometimes salted. Maybe it was his imagination, but the ex-Wolves seemed to pity him. Maybe they’d known him in his past life.
Crow made his furtive way along the ridge above Thieves’ Landing, heading back for Spider’s stronghold. He’d hide deep in the passages where he slept and enjoy a quiet meal with Glint, his Ghost. It had been two days since he’d eaten anything, and hunger was a constant, gnawing presence. The wind whipped at him, dragging at his hood, trying to peel it away from his face. He held it tighter and pressed on.
“Guardians coming,” Glint said in his head. “Hide, quick.”
“Is it my friend?” Crow asked, looking over his shoulder, toward the oncoming sparrows. He had one friend among the Guardians--a tall, rangy Hunter who wore a tattered cloak with the ace of spades sewed onto it. That symbol was becoming a mark of friendship, a token of safety.
“No,” Glint replied. “Too late, they’ve seen us. Here, let me take the bag.” The bag disappeared from under his arm in a transmat flash, stored in the Ghost’s memory as data. Food lost flavor during its stay in storage, but at least it wouldn’t be destroyed in what was coming. Crow was all too familiar with Guardians.
The three sparrows slowed to a crawl alongside him. Crow kept walking and didn’t look at them.
“Hey!” one of the Guardians yelled. “You!”
Crow didn’t look up.
“Is that him?” another Guardian exclaimed. “What’s he doing alive?”
“Thinks he’s one of us,” spat a third. “You know what I think of that?”
A gunshot rang out. Crow staggered as a bullet punched through his back. Pain was familiar as hunger.
“Kill him!” yelled another voice. “Make him pay for what he did!”
It was several minutes before Crow died. Sometimes Guardians killed him quickly and got it over with. Other times, like today, they took their time.
When Glint resurrected him, the Guardians were gone, but they had worked him over with knives. His cloak and clothing were shredded.
"I'm sorry, Crow," Glint said softly, flying around him as he climbed to his feet. "This bunch was particularly cruel."
"It's all right," Crow muttered, pulling the tattered remains of his cloak around himself. "It's not the first time I've had to mend these clothes." He said nothing about the Guardians, themselves. He'd come to accept their behavior as punishment for whoever he'd been in his past life. A criminal, probably.
Cold, hungry, and tired, he slipped into the cave where Spider made his lair. He had to pass by Spider's audience chamber to reach his own quarters. If he was lucky, the huge Eliksni would be occupied with shady business deals and ignore him.
Unfortunately, Spider was alone. "Crow," he barked in a gravely voice. "What have you got there?"
Crow spread his empty hands. "Nothing, sir."
Spider gestured with one hand. "Glint, I know you're carrying something for him. Give it up. Or I'll make use of this little switch." He fingered a crude remote control that sat beside his throne.
The Ghost appeared and gave Crow a sad look. Crow nodded to him. The explosive on Glint's shell was an effective chain about their necks. Glint transmatted the mesh bag into Spider's hands.
"Ahh," said the alien, rummaging inside. "Your weekly supply run, eh? I'll take this off your hands. A full belly makes you complacent, and I need my Crow sharp and hungry." He waved a hand, dismissing him.
Crow went to his workshop, off Spider's room, and slumped on the bench. Hunger still pinched his middle, his clothes hung in tatters, and all his hard work finding trade materials for food had been for nothing.
Glint flew in front of him, his little blue eye as sad as Crow felt. "We'll find food some other way. I've heard there's good salvage up in Sorik's Cut."
Crow nodded. Glint always tried to cheer him up, tried to look on the bright side. But there was no bright side to this life.
"Maybe I deserve this," Crow whispered. "Maybe in my past life, I was such a horrible, vile slimeball, that I deserve punishment now."
"That man died," Glint said with conviction. "You're a new person. You're my friend. Nobody deserves this treatment. One day, we'll look back on this and laugh."
"Or cry," Crow muttered.
Their conversation was interrupted by footsteps in the passage. Crow straightened and gestured for Glint to hide. Then he recognized the tall, rangy Hunter with the ace of spades cloak. Crow relaxed and smiled. His friend. The only Guardian he could trust.
"Hey, Crow," said the Hunter. "Back at the City, it's the Dawning. I brought you this." He held out a box with snowflake designs on the sides.
Crow took it and automatically crammed it beneath his cloak. "Thanks," he muttered. Then the aroma of sweet bread and almonds reached his nose. He pulled out the box and and opened it. Strips of crisp biscotti reposed on snow-white paper. They were still warm. Beneath the cookies were other things--fresh cured meats, a few vegetables that Crow craved like the Light itself.
"Thank you," he said again, this time around a lump in his throat.
"Happy Dawning," said the Hunter. He sat on a machine housing and pulled out a box of his own. "If we're quiet, your boss won't notice."
Crow nodded, turned his back toward the door, shielded his care package under his cloak, and had a merry meal with his only friend.
The first character I first fell in love with: nate bc hes a goofThe character I never expected to love as much as I do now: chloe frazer or nadine rossThe character everyone else loves that I don’t: sam? (im not sure about the fandom when it came out but i know some ppl were obsessed with him lmao)The character I love that everyone else hates: idk if ppl hate harry but i love himThe character I used to love but don’t any longer: not sureThe character I would totally smooch: chloeeThe character I’d want to be like: elena!! shes so admirable and their life after theyre married really is goalsThe character I’d slap: rafe... maybe samA pairing that I love: nate and elena are sooo cute!! also chlodine is goodA pairing that I despise: anything with sam (esp if its chloe or nadine)
First batch of snowflakes were finally sent out. And my verdict on metallic paper is...blah. I tried to make all six snowflakes at one time and the paper ripped several times, got pretty uneven, but I managed to mostly salvage the project. Still, not worth the trouble in my opinion. #crossstitch #xstitch #snowflake #destiny #thedawning #winter #craft #pointdecroix #puntodecruz #puntocroce #crossstitchersofinstagram
Even before #TheDawning starts for me, I got something from @bungie! Let’s do a wee unboxing to kick off a new week of content. I am **LIVE** on @twitch with new adventures and triumphs ahead with @destinythegame at https://twitch.tv/theteemonster #twitch #ps5 #videogames #destiny2 #chat #shenanigans #goodtimes #twitchaffiliate #ama #twitchstreamer #contentcreator #catsofinstagram #GamerCat #kittehsofinstagram #titantacotuesday https://www.instagram.com/p/CXexYc6rWnJ/?utm_medium=tumblr
If the #Christmas tunes are playing and coffee brewing at this time of morning, then I must be ready to game. Join me as I am LIVE on @twitch this morning with @DestinyTheGame and a run for the #Dawn title and #TheDawning with their bake-a-pallooza at http://twitch.tv/theteemonster #twitch #ps4 #videogames #destiny2 #chat #shenanigans #goodtimes https://www.instagram.com/p/B6VJLf9gv-U/?igshid=mnk6z6ct0t88
