Aja looked at the birds arriving over the Impassable Mountains, their open wings cutting across the sky as they made their descent towards the shores of Lake Magna.

Ah, it was about time I had some company. Come, little fellas, there's lots of fish to go around for everyone. Just don't get into my nets again.

She rowed with her oaken oar, a gift from her grandfather, to put some distance between herself and the birds, so as not to disturb their nesting ritual. Every year they came here by Blossom and left at the end of Harvest. Who knows where they went and what they saw? After their journey, they dove into the warm lake to wash themselves, drink some water, and feast on a fish or two. Then, before Nir had time to dive over Buvesraqh, they made their nests in the shallows among the tall reeds.

Aja glanced at her cabin. The thick plumes of smoke rising from the chimney meant that Kif was already home and had started the fire in the stove. It was his signal for her to come home. Good thing her bucket was already full.

Thick patches of chamomile lent their color and scent to the idyllic scene. Their presence had been imprinted in her memories of this place ever since she was a child. She had chosen to stay here instead of moving to the cities. This was the life she wanted. She and Kif both.

"The birds just made their appearance over Fiormaelar," she said excitedly as she entered their abode. "I think I'll get the kids and go see them in the afternoon."

"Aren't they early?" Kif asked absentmindedly as he greeted her with a warm embrace. "I thought they never crossed the range at the start of the Dance."

Curious indeed. With both Sel and Lun young in the sky, nights had been dark for days. Although the birds possessed a keener sense of sight than humans, they still preferred to travel over the Impassable Mountains on brighter nights. It was no small feat for any creature, with snow still covering the tops of the steep and barren cliffs.

They had their fish stew and took a nap. In the afternoon, Kif left to tend to their crop field, and Aja took their children to see the birds.

They both loved animals, albeit for different reasons. Irma wanted to study them. She drew them on her little wooden tablet and took notes about their habits. Duluc, on the other hand, was quite a lot simpler. He just wanted to become a herder, tend to his animals, and live off their products. He disliked hunting, however. He only wanted to raise them for their eggs and milk, their feathers and wool.

"Mom, look!" Irma exclaimed, her slender finger pointing at a bird that was moving frantically between the reeds. "It needs help!"

"I think it's just trying to catch some fish or something, my little bunny. There's no need to worry."

"But Mom! This isn't how birds hunt. They fly over the lake and dive to catch their prey. This one is defending its nest from something!"

Aja squinted, trying to see more clearly, but the tall reeds obscured her view. While she was doing that, Irma tapped her brother on the shoulder, and he darted towards the distressed bird. As he approached, the bird emerged from the thick clump of reeds and started cawing at him, moving up and down the shoreline.

Aja panicked. "Duluc, stay away from the bird! It may attack you!"

She ran towards her son, but the bird wasn't hostile towards them. Instead, it seemed to be pleading for help. Duluc grabbed his mother's hand and, with a movement of his eyes, urged her to look at what was causing the bird's distress.

A few steps away, a water snake had coiled around another bird, possibly the first one's mate, and was trying to drown it in the lake. The bird seemed exhausted from the struggle. It tried to claw at the snake, but its body was stiff from the strain. Aja felt she had to do something. She drew her knife from her belt and stealthily approached the struggling pair.

As she grabbed the large serpent, it twisted, pushing her into the water. She hit her head hard on the stony lakebed. Her vision blurred. Her children's shouts from the shore were muffled by the water and the pain shooting through her head.

She gathered herself and resurfaced. She grabbed the snake by the head and struggled to unwind it from the poor bird, which was barely breathing. The snake opened its large mouth to bite her, but she was faster. Her blade pierced the roof of its mouth and came out the other side. Its long tail soon went limp.

She freed the bird, placed it against her bosom, and crawled out of the lake, where the first bird and her children were anxiously waiting for them.

"I think that's enough birdwatching for the day," she managed to utter, and then fainted.

She woke up in her cabin to the teary eyes of her husband and the praises of her children.

"Dad, you should have seen Mom! She was so brave! She helped the poor bird and killed the monster that attacked it!"

"She is brave, isn't she?" A smidgen of admiration was mixed into the sternness of his deep voice. "But now she must rest. So let's clean the cabin and prepare a nice warm meal for her."

He gave her a wink and a small smile beneath his thick beard.

Kif didn't let her do anything that would strain her for a few days. The next time she went fishing, the birds were already laying their first eggs in their nests. Irma had drawn a few pictures of them, which were hanging around their home.

She got into the boat at the first light of Nir and rowed far into the lake to leave the shore fallow for the birds. They would need more food over the next few weeks, and she didn't want to deprive them. Aja should have enough fish to salt for the winter and even sell some to Waygate or the Forts by the end of Harvest.

As the day passed, she gazed at the idyllic landscape mirrored in the still waters of the lake. From time to time, the birds took off and flew to distant parts of the foothills of the Mountains, circling around. Aja was certain that her daughter would have a thing or two to say about that behaviour. Fortunately, she had taken her son with her instead. He was the silent type, like his father. Her daughter had stayed behind to tend to their home, while he was helping her with the nets, which was a strenuous task.

Her daydreaming was interrupted by his stomach growling, though. He didn't say anything, the poor kid, but he was definitely getting hungry. She looked over at the cabin. Smoke had started rising from the chimney.

Like father, like son.

"Duluc, help me pull in the nets. It's time we left."

As she rowed towards the shore, the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood up. The birds were circling overhead. There was an eerie silence. Something wasn't right. She exchanged a look with her son, and they continued their approach more carefully.

Behind the reeds, they could hear fire crackling. The smell of smoke filled the air. Aja parted the stems and peered through. Her heart skipped a beat. Their home was on fire. Hideous creatures stood in front of it, armored and armed, watching it burn while laughing. Monsters she had heard of in tales from the Invasion.

Orcs! How can this be?

That question was the least of her concerns right now. She handed her son the oar and whispered, "Stay here. Wait for us to come back. If we don't make it, leave. Row to the middle of Magna, then eastward to the caves. Stay there until it's safe. I love you."

He shook his head, but his mother's eyes put him in his place.

She jumped out of the boat and approached the two orcs standing a few feet away, near the water. Her knife was already between her teeth. She sprang out of hiding, caught one of them by the foot and dragged him into the lake. The surprised orc uttered a cry as she cut his throat. She hid again. The other orc turned around to investigate. He called for his fellow soldier, but received no answer. He started parting the reeds to see where his companion could have gone, but soon his monstrous face froze in a surprised expression as Aja's knife went through his eye and into his brain.

She ran to her home and barged into the burning cabin. Kif was lying there, cut in half, in a pool of his own blood. She muffled a cry. It took all her strength not to collapse right then and there. But she found that strength in a single thought.

Irma. She needs me. Where is my daughter?

"Irma!" she shouted, no longer caring whether the orcs heard her. "Irma, where are you?"

Her daughter crawled out of hiding, crying and dazed by the smoke. Aja grabbed her, took her in her arms and ran outside.

Her luck had run out. A dozen orcs were waiting for them. There was no way she could make it to the boat.

"Good! Women are useful to the Army of Father War," one of them said in her tongue.

She looked up in despair, praying silently to every god and spirit she knew.

Her prayer didn't go unheard. As she opened her eyes, a swarm of birds descended from the sky and fell upon the foul beings surrounding her. The orcs were surprised and tried to fight them off, but the birds were simply too many. Some orcs had their eyes gouged out; others were bloodied.

She didn't waste a moment. She made a run for the boat. Duluc helped his sister in, and Aja took the oar and started rowing faster than ever before in her life. As they put some distance between themselves and the shore, a pair of birds landed on the boat's rim and looked at them.

"Mom! These are the birds we rescued the other day. They came to help us!" Irma muttered.

Aja felt her eyes filling with tears. She paused for a moment.

"Thank you," she said.

She thought she saw the female tearing up too. Then the birds flew away.

"Where's Father?" Duluc asked.

Neither of the others answered him.

"What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know, love," Aja said. "We can stay in the caves for a bit. At least until Harvest's end. Then we'll see."

She looked at her children again.

"But we'll make it. Your brave mom will make sure nothing happens to you two, ever."